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Game Control

Welcome to the game control guide! Here's where we'll explore how your arcade system manages games - from starting them up to handling game overs. Let's dive in! 🎮

Quick Overview 🎯

Your arcade's game control system:

  • Starts games when players pay
  • Manages credits and play time
  • Handles game over signals
  • Controls the attract screen
  • Keeps everything in sync

Think of it Like a DJ System

  • The attract screen is like playing music between sets
  • Starting a game is like starting your main playlist
  • Game over is like finishing your set
  • The system smoothly transitions between these modes!

How Games Are Controlled 🕹️

1. State Management

stateDiagram-v2
    [*] --> AttractMode
    AttractMode --> GamePlay: Coin Pulse
    GamePlay --> AttractMode: Game Over
    GamePlay --> GamePlay: Additional Credits

Your cabinet has two main states:

  1. Attract Mode

    • Shows demo animations
    • Displays QR code
    • Waits for payment
    • Monitors for coin pulse

  2. Game Play Mode

    • Runs the active game
    • Tracks remaining credits
    • Monitors game status
    • Listens for game over

State Transitions

The system smoothly handles changes between states:

  • Attract → Game: When payment received
  • Game → Attract: When game ends
  • Game → Game: When more credits added

2. Credit System 💰

The credit system manages:

graph TD
    A[Payment Received] -->|Add Credits| B[Credit Counter]
    B -->|Credits > 0| C[Enable Game]
    B -->|Credits = 0| D[Return to Attract]
    C -->|Game Over| E[Decrease Credits]
    E -->|Check Credits| B
    style A fill:#f9f9f9,stroke:#333,stroke-width:2px
    style B fill:#f0f0f0,stroke:#333,stroke-width:2px
    style C fill:#e1e1e1,stroke:#333,stroke-width:2px
    style D fill:#d3d3d3,stroke:#333,stroke-width:2px
    style E fill:#c5c5c5,stroke:#333,stroke-width:2px
  • Credit addition from payments
  • Credit deduction after games
  • Multi-credit game support
  • Credit persistence

Credit Scenarios

Here's how credits work:

  • Player pays $1 → 1 credit added
  • Game starts → 1 credit used
  • Player adds more credits → Queue for next game
  • Game ends → Check for remaining credits

3. Game Start Process 🚀

When credits are added:

  1. System receives coin pulse message 

    {
    "machineId": "your-machine-id",
    "credits": 1,
    "timestamp": "2024-07-01T12:00:00Z"
}

  2. The cabinet software:

    • Verifies the machine ID
    • Adds the specified credits
    • Switches to game mode
    • Starts the game

Start-up Checks

Before starting a game, the system verifies:

  • Valid machine ID
  • Sufficient credits
  • Game is ready
  • No active games running

4. During Gameplay ⚡

While a game is running:

  • System monitors game status
  • Tracks remaining credits
  • Listens for game over
  • Handles additional payments

Multi-Credit Games

Some games might need multiple credits:

  • Fighting games: 1 credit per player
  • Premium games: 2 credits per play
  • Extended play: Credits for continue

5. Game Over Handling 🔄

When a game ends:

  1. Game sends over signal 

    {
    "machineId": "your-machine-id",
    "status": "game_over",
    "timestamp": "2024-07-01T12:30:00Z"
}

  2. System processes game over:

    • Updates credit count
    • Checks for remaining credits
    • Decides next state
    • Updates display

Game Over Flow

The system checks:

  1. Are there more credits?
    • Yes → Start new game
    • No → Return to attract mode
  2. Was this a multi-credit game?
    • Update credit display
    • Handle any remaining balance

Error Handling 🔧

The system handles various game control issues:

1. Game Crashes

If a game crashes:

  • Credits are preserved
  • System logs the error
  • Cabinet returns to attract mode
  • Player can start again

2. Power Issues

If power is lost:

  • Credit state is saved
  • System recovers on restart
  • Games resume if possible
  • Players don't lose credits

Data Protection

The system protects player credits by:

  • Saving credit state regularly
  • Using persistent storage
  • Implementing recovery logic
  • Maintaining transaction logs

Testing Game Control 🧪

You can test the system using:

  1. Manual Tests:

    • Add test credits
    • Start games
    • Trigger game overs
    • Check state transitions

  2. Automated Tests:

    • Send test MQTT messages
    • Verify credit handling
    • Check state management
    • Test error recovery

Testing Best Practices

Always test:

  • Multiple credit scenarios
  • Rapid game starts/stops
  • Power loss recovery
  • Multi-player games

Monitoring & Debugging 📊

Keep track of your games:

  1. System Logs:

    • Game start/stop events
    • Credit changes
    • Error conditions
    • State transitions

  2. MQTT Messages:

    • Coin pulse receipts
    • Game over signals
    • State changes
    • Error notifications

  3. Cabinet Status:

    • Current game state
    • Credit count
    • Active players
    • System health

Next Steps 🚀

Now that you understand game control:

  1. Learn about Cloud Services
  2. Try testing different scenarios
  3. Explore credit management

Continue to Cloud Services → Back to Payment Flow

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