To make my first couple of testable levels, I need a clear understanding of how to preserve the game state and how to reset the level when I die and also how many times I wanna die and where I will get reborn, and how I get reborn.

Soft Requirements

So I made a simple list of some soft requirements.

• Making dying a painless thing
• Getting reborn at a save spot to be able to try again
• Seeing the relicts of past battles I fought
• Picking up the game after a day without losing anything

Hard Requirements

The soft requirements lead to a set of hard requirements. The hard requirements are easier to make happen in code than a fluffy set of soft requirements.

Connect the Rooms
The rooms exit and entrance are connected that way I know where I have to place the player after he left the room through a certain door or exit.

Player Enters a New Game
If I start a new game I need a default entrance point for the player and this is only for the very first room anyway.

• Drop the player at the rooms default location
• Load the room in its initial state

Player Switch the Room
In case I die I wanna back the inial state of my ammo and weaponry to have a fair chance to be able to clear this room.

• Store the state of the current room
• Remove the current room
• Keep all collected and not used up ammo and weapons
• Load the room you switch either the saved or the initial one
• Drop the player at the connected entrance of the new room
• Store ammo and weapon state at this point

Player Dies
I must get back the state I had when I entered the room to be able to clear this room else I might run out of ammo over time and the chance to make it through that room goes to zero.

• Drop the player on his last entrance
• Remove all items the player collected in the current room
• Load either the saved room or the initial room
• Load ammo and weapon state

Player Dies in Not Finished Room
I have one special case, if I enter a new room collect ammo and weapons, go back to old rooms and use up all ammo in those old cleared rooms, I have no chance to make it through the new not yet cleared room. So I need the following rule.

• If you die in a not yet cleared room reset that room to initial state

First Footage

A short footage about switching levels with the rules from above. Enjoy.

There is still some problems with falling stuff if I left a level. This falling stuff will stop falling if I leave the level and continue falling if I reenter the level.