BMAD-METHOD/expansion-packs/bmad-wechat-mini-game-dev/data/technical-preferences.md

Technical Preferences for WeChat Mini-Game Development

This document outlines the preferred technologies, patterns, and libraries for developing games on the WeChat Mini-Game platform. It serves as a guide for the game-orchestrator and game-developer agents to ensure consistency and optimal performance.

Core Technologies

• Language: JavaScript (ES6+) is preferred for its broad compatibility and performance on the platform. TypeScript can be used for larger projects, but be mindful of the added compilation step.
• Rendering Engine: Utilize the native Canvas 2D API provided by the WeChat Mini-Game runtime. Avoid heavy, general-purpose rendering engines that are not optimized for the platform.
• UI: Prefer WeChat's native UI components for menus, buttons, and other non-gameplay screens where possible. This ensures a familiar user experience and better performance.

Architecture and Patterns

• State Management: For simple games, a lightweight event bus or a simple singleton pattern is preferred for managing game state. For more complex games, consider a minimal state management library like tiny-atom or unistore. Avoid large, complex libraries like Redux.
• Component Model: Follow a simple component-based architecture. Each major game entity (e.g., player, enemy, HUD) should be its own component with a clear interface.
• Object Pooling: Implement object pooling for frequently created and destroyed objects (e.g., bullets, particles) to reduce pressure on the garbage collector.

Performance

• Asset Optimization: All assets must be heavily optimized. Use tools like TinyPNG for images and ensure audio files are compressed.
• Package Size: The initial package size must be kept under 4MB. Use subpackages for non-essential assets and levels.
• Memory Management: Be mindful of memory usage. Avoid creating large objects in the game loop and clean up unused resources explicitly.

Anti-Patterns (Things to Avoid)

• Large Frameworks: Do not use large, general-purpose JavaScript frameworks like React, Vue, or Angular for the main game loop. They are not designed for the performance requirements of a game loop.
• Heavy Libraries: Avoid including large libraries that are not essential for the game's functionality. Every kilobyte counts towards the package size limit.
• Blocking Operations: Never perform blocking operations (e.g., synchronous file I/O) on the main thread. Use asynchronous APIs or worker threads for heavy tasks.
• Deep Object Nesting: Avoid deep nesting of objects in your game state, as this can make state updates and debugging more complex.