Chapter 5. Can I Pause This? – Application States

A piece of software like a video game is rarely as simple as the term suggests. Most of the time, it's not just the game mechanics and rendering one has to deal with in such an application. Nowadays, an industry-standard product also includes a nice introduction animation before the game begins. It also has a menu for the player to tinker with in order to start playing the game, manage the different settings it offers, view the credits or quit the application. On top of that, the title of this chapter also suggests the possibility of putting your game on pause for a moment or two. In hindsight, it's simple conveniences like this that draw the line in the sand between a game in its early stages, that's awkward to navigate and possibly confusing, and a product that offers the same level of control as most games on the market. To supply the backbone to such an idea, in this chapter we will be covering:

• Implementing...