Introduction

What is the heart of any given piece of software? The answer to this question becomes apparent gradually while building a full-scale project, which can be a daunting task to undertake, especially when starting from scratch. It’s the design and capability of the back-end that either drives a game forward with full force by utilizing its power, or crashes it into obscurity through unrealized potential. Here, we’re going to be talking about that very foundation that keeps any given project up and standing.

In this chapter, we're going to be covering the following topics:

• Utility functions and filesystem specifics for Windows and Linux operating systems
• The basics of the entity component system pattern
• Window, event, and resource management techniques
• Creating and maintaining application states
• Graphical user interface basics
• Essentials for the 2D RPG game project

There's a lot to cover, so let's not waste any time!