PacDessert1436.MonoGame.StartKitVB 1.1.0

MonoGame 2D StartKit VB.NET (PacDessert1436.MonoGame.StartKitVB)

A multi-platform game template built with VB.NET for MonoGame, featuring the game Devour-Man — inspired by Pac-Man.

Overview

Project Name: PacDessert1436.MonoGame.StartKitVB Template Short Name: mgstartkit-vb Game Name: Devour-Man

PacDessert1436.MonoGame.StartKitVB is an actively developed game template demonstrating modern MonoGame development practices using VB.NET. The included game, Devour-Man, is a Pac-Man inspired arcade game where players collect seeds to grow a forest while dodging patrolling insects.

Note: This project is still in active development and is a few steps away from feature completeness.

Current Development Status

Core Architecture

• ✅ Clean Architecture Pattern: Proper separation of concerns with dedicated managers
• ✅ Event-Driven Design: Comprehensive event system for game state management
• ✅ True OOP Implementation: Polymorphic actor system with base Actor class
• ✅ Memory Management: Complete IDisposable pattern implementation

Game Systems

• ✅ GameManager: Centralized game state management with collision detection
• ✅ Renderer: Advanced 2D rendering with sprite sheets and animations
• ⚠️ SoundManager: Basic audio playback support (needs expansion)
• ✅ VirtualJoystick: Cross-platform input handling (touch, mouse, keyboard)

Entity System

• ✅ Actor Framework: Base class with Player, Enemy, and Seed subclasses
• ✅ Enemy Movement: Random patrolling behavior with direction changes
• ⚠️ Enemy Respawn Mechanics: Currently not fully implemented and needs refinement
• ⚠️ Progression System: Multiple seed types (Acorn, Berry, Nut) and enemy types (Beetle, Caterpillar); Refinement required for the next version
• ✅ Forest Growth: Sapling-to-tree transformation when seeds are collected

Platform Support

• ✅ WindowsDX: Primary platform with full feature support
• ✅ Android: Touch input fully functional and tested
• ⚠️ iOS: Compatibility in progress (untested)
• ❌ DesktopGL: Build issues due to FFMPEG pipeline (see note below)

Project Architecture

MonoGameStartKitVB/
├── MonoGameStartKitVB.Core/          # Shared VB.NET game logic
│   ├── Actor.vb                      # Entity framework (Player, Enemy, Seed)
│   ├── Essentials.vb                 # Constants, enums, events, utilities
│   ├── GameMain.vb                   # Main game class
│   ├── GameManager.vb                # Game state and logic
│   ├── Renderer.vb                   # Graphics rendering
│   ├── SoundManager.vb               # Audio management
│   ├── SpriteSheet.vb                # Sprite and animation system
│   └── VirtualJoystick.vb            # Input handling
├── MonoGameStartKitVB.WindowsDX/     # Windows desktop launcher
├── MonoGameStartKitVB.Android/       # Android mobile launcher
├── MonoGameStartKitVB.iOS/           # iOS mobile launcher
└── MonoGameStartKitVB.DesktopGL/     # Cross-platform OpenGL launcher (build issues)

Key Components

Getting Started

Prerequisites

• Visual Studio 2026 or later
• .NET 10.0 or later
• MonoGame 3.8+ installation
• VB.NET development tools

Building and Running

1. Clone or download the project
2. Open the solution in Visual Studio
3. Restore NuGet packages if prompted
4. Set startup project based on target platform:
   • WindowsDX: For Windows desktop development (recommended)
   • Android: For mobile development and testing
   • iOS: For Apple mobile development (requires macOS)
   • DesktopGL: Cross-platform testing (currently has build issues)
5. Build and run the project

Game Features (Devour-Man)

Core Gameplay

• Player Movement: 4-directional movement with smooth controls
• Seed Collection: Collect seeds to grow trees and earn points
• Enemy Movement: Patrolling insects with dynamic direction changes
• Pesticide Power-Up: Temporarily makes enemies vulnerable
• Forest Growth: Saplings transform into trees as seeds are collected
• Level Progression: Increasing difficulty with new enemy types

Input Support

• Keyboard: WASD or arrow keys for movement
• Touch: Virtual joystick optimized for mobile devices (tested and working)
• Mouse: Click-based controls for menus and virtual joystick

Visual Features

• Sprite Animations: Smooth character animations for all entities
• Dynamic HUD: Score, lives, level, and high score display
• Multiple Game States: Title screen, playing, paused, game over, level cleared

Platform Support Status

✅ WindowsDX (DirectX)

• Status: Fully Supported
• Features: All game features work correctly
• Performance: Optimal for Windows desktop
• Recommended: Primary development platform

✅ Android

• Status: Fully Supported
• Features: Touch input with virtual joystick (tested and working smoothly)
• Deployment: Ready for testing on Android devices
• Notes: Touch controls have been tested and work properly

⚠️ iOS

• Status: Planned
• Features: Basic compatibility implemented
• Notes: Requires macOS for development, untested on actual devices

❌ DesktopGL (OpenGL)

• Status: Build Issues
• Features: Framework in place but cannot build
• Notes: FFMPEG pipeline issues prevent building. This platform is currently non-functional.

Roadmap

Planned Features

• Enhanced sound effects and music system
• DesktopGL build fix (FFMPEG pipeline)
• High score saving and level progression system

Known Issues

• DesktopGL cannot build due to FFMPEG pipeline issues
• iOS untested on actual devices

Technical Notes

Event System

The game uses a comprehensive event-driven architecture:

• GameStateChanged - Fired when game state transitions
• PlayerScoreChanged - Fired when player collects items
• SeedCollected - Fired when a seed is collected
• EnemyKilled - Fired when an enemy is defeated
• LevelCleared - Fired when all seeds are collected

Content Pipeline

All assets are processed through the MonoGame Content Pipeline:

• Sprites: PNG format, loaded via SpriteSheet class
• Audio: WAV for sound effects
• Fonts: SpriteFont format for text rendering

Version History

Version 1.1.0 (Current - Development)

• ✅ Clean architecture pattern implementation
• ✅ Event-driven design with comprehensive event system
• ✅ Polymorphic actor system
• ✅ Sprite sheet animations
• ✅ Android touch controls tested and working
• ❌ DesktopGL build issues (FFMPEG pipeline)

Version 1.0.3

• ✅ IDisposable implementation for sound manager and renderer
• ✅ Backward-compatible solution file format
• ❌ DesktopGL build issues (FFMPEG pipeline)

Version 1.0.2

• ✅ Object-oriented architecture refactoring
• ✅ Improved code structure and maintainability
• ✅ Event-driven design implementation
• ❌ DesktopGL build issues (FFMPEG pipeline)

Version 1.0.1

• ✅ Sound effects and sprite assets
• ✅ DesktopGL support; later broken by FFMPEG issues

License

This project is licensed under the BSD-3-Clause License.

Active Development Notice: This project is still under active development. Features may be incomplete or subject to change.

Happy coding! Build amazing games with MonoGame and VB.NET!