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[Component Entity System] Components design

Michael Buschmann · 2013-12-29T17:04:07

Hello, I work currently with Java and Artemis on a small game. I use an component entity system(Artemis) and Slick2D. Now I wonder me, how I handle Entities like Terraria the Skelektron: It have 2 hands and one head, the hands and the head have own positions, transformations, sprites and health, but one entity can only have one component from each type. Now I dont know, how I should handle this, should a make 3 different components(Thats bad, because they all have the same data) or what should I do ?

General and Gameplay Programming Programming

Started by BuschmannMichael December 04, 2013 04:20 PM

10 comments, last by InferiorOlive 10 years, 3 months ago

This is no one

229

December 29, 2013 10:19 AM

Is Entity a Component?
i.e. can an Entity own an Entity as a member?

http://gamadu.com/artemis/javadoc/index.html

.
Component is an abstract, can only extend once. That's why it can not be used within itself.

Entity is a final class (same thing as saying a constant class if compared to C++).

Entity is also protected, which means it can not be used outside of it's derived class but can be used within a nested class (unlike String in the Java SE framework).

I'm still new at this but I'm going to guess the answer being no mainly because of three factors: 1) entity is final, 2) entity is not an interface, 3) is protected.

If I'm wrong, please explain as I am interested in learning why. Thanks.

InferiorOlive

1,065

December 29, 2013 05:04 PM

Could you use a component to defer incoming messages to another entity, thereby establishing a parent-child entity relationship? Perhaps each hand could respond to incoming messages and then forward them to the head, which would then respond accordingly.

Example:

DamageMessage->hand.MessageHandler (hand doesn't have health component) -> ChildComponent -> ForwardMessageToParentEntity

the parent entity could handle the basic message (which is to take damage).

I don't know how others are making their component-entity systems, and I'm only using this strategy for the first time, so mine might be built quite differently than yours, and thus handle situations differently.

Just my thoughts.

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[Component Entity System] Components design

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