Learning iOS Game Programming

9. Tile Maps

Tile maps are used in computer games to both store and render a large playing area while using as little memory as possible. The technique isn’t as important today as it was 15 or 20 years ago, but there are still valid reasons for using a tile map in a game, especially for things like collision detection. Knowing where an object is in relation to the player is really useful, and a tile map is a simple way of finding that information.

This chapter introduces the concept of tile maps and covers the associated classes used in Sir Lamorak’s Quest to implement the tile maps.

Tile maps are a fundamental element of Sir Lamorak’s Quest’s game engine, and will be used not only to render the core map Sir Lamorak is running around, but also ...