Board Class | Battleship Game

Summary

In this video, the process of creating a 'boards' class for a Battleship game is outlined. The class includes two 10x10 boards for the player and computer, along with methods to initialize the boards, validate ship placement, and manage attacks. Key functions such as checking if a ship's location is valid, placing ships, and determining whether an attack is a hit or miss are explained. The video also covers updating counters for the ships, providing feedback to players, and printing board states. The implementation details aim to set up the core game mechanics before moving on to other classes.

Takeaways

• 😀 The `Boards` class is for managing the player and computer boards in a Battleship game, featuring two 10x10 boards with labels.
• 😀 The boards are initialized with a size of 11x11 to account for row and column labels (1-10).
• 😀 The constructor of the `Boards` class initializes both boards using a helper method called `initializeBoard`.
• 😀 The method `isValidLocation` checks if a ship can be placed at a specified coordinate by ensuring it fits within the board and doesn't overlap with existing ships.
• 😀 Ship placement involves checking all directions (up, down, left, right) to ensure the ship fits within the boundaries and does not overlap with other ships.
• 😀 The method `isValidAttack` checks if the specified coordinates for an attack are within the board boundaries and if the attack is valid.
• 😀 The method `resultHitMissPlayer` updates the player's board with a hit ('X') if the attack is successful, and returns 'H' for a hit or 'M' for a miss.
• 😀 The method `resultHitMissComputer` works similarly to handle the player's attack on the computer's board, updating the computer's board with a hit ('X').
• 😀 The `placeShip` method places a ship on the board, taking into account its direction and ensuring the ship occupies the correct positions on the grid.
• 😀 The final methods `printBoardA` and `printBoardB` are used to display the current state of both the player's and computer's boards.

Q & A

What is the purpose of the `Boards` class in the script?

The `Boards` class is designed to manage the game boards for both the player and the computer in a Battleship-like game. It handles initialization, ship placement, attack validation, and tracking the state of the game, including hits, misses, and ship sinking.

How are the boards structured in this game?

Each board is a 10x10 grid with an additional row and column for labels (1-10). This setup allows for proper referencing of grid locations, where ships can be placed and attacks can be made.

What is the role of the `isValidLocation` method?

The `isValidLocation` method ensures that a ship can be placed at a specific location on the board. It checks the ship's size, direction, and whether it overlaps with any other ships or exceeds board boundaries.

What directions can a ship be placed in, according to the script?

Ships can be placed in four directions: upwards, downwards, left, and right. Each direction affects how the ship occupies coordinates on the board.

What does the method `isValidAttack` check for?

The `isValidAttack` method checks whether the coordinates of an attack are within the boundaries of the board. It also ensures the coordinates are valid for making a move, considering the board’s label offset.

How does the game handle a hit or a miss when attacking?

If a player attacks a coordinate containing a ship, it is a hit, and the board is marked with 'X'. If the coordinate is empty, it is a miss, and the board is marked with 'O'.

What happens when all parts of a ship are hit?

When all parts of a ship are hit, it is considered sunk, and a message is displayed to notify the player that the ship has been sunk.

What is the `placeShip` method used for?

The `placeShip` method is responsible for placing a ship on the board at a specified coordinate. It takes the ship's size and direction into account and updates the board accordingly by marking the ship’s locations.

Why is there a need to offset coordinates in the methods?

The coordinates need to be offset to account for the labels in the first row and column of the board. This ensures that the actual game grid starts from the second row and column, preventing errors in coordinate calculation.

What are the two methods used to determine whether an attack was successful or not?

The two methods used to determine if an attack was successful are `resultHitMissComputer` and `resultHitMissPlayer`. These methods check if the attack coordinates hit a ship and update the status accordingly.