Learn Game Development step by step by creating a TicTacToe Game with Artificial Intelligence (AI) using C++ and Qt

What you'll learn

Learn step by step how to plan and create a fully-functional Game

Learn how to use C++ to create a Graphical User Interface (GUI) Application

Learn how to use the Qt framework to create the user interface of a Game

Learn how to implement Game Logic

Learn how to create a cross-platform game

Learn how to navigate and understand the documentation of the Qt framework

Learn how a TicTacToe Game is implemented

Learn how Artificial Intelligence (AI) can be added to the implementation of a Game

Requirements

A very basic understanding of C++

Description

This practical course aims at teaching you step by step how to create a game using C++ and Qt. C++ is a very powerful programming language very suitable for making games, whilst Qt is a very large graphical user interface (GUI) framework fully based on C++. In this course you learn how to practically use C++ to create a GUI application and you also learn how to use and get familiar with the very powerful Qt framework.The first aim of the course is to teach you how to plan a game. Essentially, you are going to learn how to turn your game ideas into Game Requirements for your Game application. You also learn how to meticulously organise them so as to be able to implement them incrementally, in a logical manner.Secondly, you thoroughly learn about the Qt framework. Essentially, you learn how to navigate the massive documentation of the Qt framework, in order to be able to get the functionality that you need for your Game. Additionally, you learn step by step how to create a beautiful, coherent, and interactive graphical user interface with the Qt framework.Thirdly, you methodically learn how to implement Game Logic using C++. Essentially, you finally become able to apply the theory of C++ in an actual GUI application, in order to create a very entertaining TicTacToe Game. Quite simply, you learn how to practically use concepts like selection control structures, repetition control structures, functions, pointers, references, classes, objects, lifetime of objects, inheritance, polymorphism, etc.Fourthly, you learn how to add Artificial Intelligence (AI) to a Game Logic. Essentially, in this course, you learn how to create AI opponents that a human player can play against. You first learn how to create a weak AI opponent that a human player can easily defeat. Then you learn, step by step, thoroughly, how a tough AI opponent can be created, how it can be made to be very smart, and therefore very hard to defeat.Finally, you get to have a go at the TicTacToe Game by yourself. Essentially, at the end of the course, you get a couple of Assignments where your tasks are about ameliorating and extending the Game. This is a means for you to test how much you have understood from the course.Regarding the course itself, it is structured in a way that one section builds upon the previous ones. So this is essentially to tell you that not every section adds something new in the user interface or in the game logic. The sections are all interconnected, and in order to create the TicTacToe Game exhibited in the introduction video, you will have to go through the entire course, one video after the other.I wish you a pleasant time as you navigate through the course.Happy learning,Alex

Overview

Section 1: Introduction

Lecture 1 Introduction

Lecture 2 Course Structure

Section 2: Project Setup

Lecture 3 Project Setup

Section 3: Creation of the TicTacToe Board

Lecture 4 Creation of a blank Window

Lecture 5 The Project File

Lecture 6 Creation of the TicTacToe board

Lecture 7 Reset of The TicTacToe Board

Lecture 8 Source Code

Section 4: Handling of Moves on the TicTacToe board

Lecture 9 Creation of the Player

Lecture 10 Determination of the Player Move

Lecture 11 Handling of the Player Move

Lecture 12 Source Code

Section 5: Determination of a Game Session Outcome

Lecture 13 Board Decoration

Lecture 14 The Type of the Winner

Lecture 15 Determination of the Winner - Horizontal check

Lecture 16 Minor Code improvements

Lecture 17 Determination of the Winner - Vetical check

Lecture 18 Determination of the Winner - Back slash diagonal check

Lecture 19 Determination of the Winner - Forward slash diagonal check

Lecture 20 Determination of the game session outcome - Draw Game check

Lecture 21 Source Code

Section 6: Handling of the Win or Draw Scenario

Lecture 22 Handling of the Win or Draw scenario

Lecture 23 Source Code

Section 7: Handling of the End of the Game

Lecture 24 Clearing of the Game Window

Lecture 25 Layout for announcing the game session outcome | Part 1

Lecture 26 Layout for announcing the game session outcome | Part 2

Lecture 27 Source Code

Section 8: Handling of the Restart of the Game

Lecture 28 Handling of the restart of the Game

Lecture 29 Source Code

Section 9: Game Configuration

Lecture 30 Game Configuration Window in Qt Designer

Lecture 31 Game Configuration - Mandatory Player Names

Lecture 32 Game Configuration - Functions for player names

Lecture 33 Game Configuration - Singleton Pattern

Lecture 34 Game Configuration - Game Side

Lecture 35 Game Configuration - Game Mode

Lecture 36 Source Code

Section 10: The Main Window

Lecture 37 Creation of the Main Window

Lecture 38 Promotion of Widgets and creation of Actions

Lecture 39 Enabling of Actions - Start Game & Quit Game

Lecture 40 Creation of TicTacToe Boards with Different Sizes

Lecture 41 Add-on - Widget Alignment

Lecture 42 Mechanism to ensure that the current player name is bold

Lecture 43 Mechanism to determine the game outcome message

Lecture 44 Bug Fixes

Lecture 45 Source Code

Section 11: The Artificial Intelligence (AI) Opponent

Lecture 46 Initial AI Configuration

Lecture 47 AI Reset Configuration

Lecture 48 AI Setup

Lecture 49 Easy-to-beat AI Opponent

Lecture 50 The AI Opponent - AI Move Calculation - First Steps

Lecture 51 AI Move Calculation - Vertical Defence

Lecture 52 AI Move Calculation - Horizontal Defence

Lecture 53 AI Move Calculation - Forward Slash Diagonal Defence

Lecture 54 AI Move Calculation - Determination of the AI Defence Direction

Lecture 55 Source Code

Section 12: Game Audio Effects

Lecture 56 Game Audio Effects

Lecture 57 Source Code

Section 13: Assignment - Game Extension

Section 14: Bug Fixes

Lecture 58 Bug Fixes

Section 15: TicTacToe Game - Source Code

Lecture 59 Complete Source Code

Section 16: Assignment - Game Improvement

Beginner C++ programmers who would like to start creating GUI applications using C++,C++ developers interested in learning about Game development,TicTacToe Fans who would like to know how their beloved game is implemented,Students studying Game Development or Game Engineering,Anyone interested in how a game is actually made