spacetris/DEPLOYMENT.md

Tetris SDL3 - Production Deployment Guide

🚀 Build Scripts Available

1. Quick Package (Recommended)

.\package-quick.ps1

• Uses existing Debug/Release build from build-msvc
• Creates distribution package with all dependencies
• Size: ~939 MB (includes all assets and music)
• Output: dist/TetrisGame/ + ZIP file

2. Full Production Build

.\build-production.ps1 -Clean

• Builds from source with Release optimizations
• Complete clean build process
• More comprehensive but requires proper CMake setup

3. Simple Batch Build

build-production.bat

• Windows batch file alternative
• Simpler but less features

📦 Package Contents

The distribution package includes:

Essential Files

• ✅ tetris.exe - Main game executable
• ✅ Launch-Tetris.bat - Safe launcher with error handling
• ✅ README.txt - User instructions

Dependencies

• ✅ SDL3.dll - Main SDL library
• ✅ SDL3_ttf.dll - Font rendering support

Game Assets

• ✅ assets/fonts/ - PressStart2P-Regular.ttf (retro font)
• ✅ assets/images/ - Logo, background, block textures (BMP format)
• ✅ assets/music/ - Background music tracks (11 tracks)
• ✅ assets/favicon/ - Icon files
• ✅ FreeSans.ttf - Main UI font

🎯 Distribution Options

Option 1: ZIP Archive (Recommended)

• File: TetrisGame-YYYY.MM.DD.zip
• Size: ~939 MB
• Usage: Users extract and run Launch-Tetris.bat

Option 2: Installer (Future)

• Use CMake CPack to create NSIS installer

• cmake --build build-release --target package
  

Option 3: Portable Folder

• Direct distribution of dist/TetrisGame/ folder
• Users copy folder and run executable

🔧 Build Requirements

Development Environment

• CMake 3.20+
• Visual Studio 2022 (or compatible C++ compiler)
• vcpkg package manager
• SDL3 libraries (installed via vcpkg)

vcpkg Dependencies

vcpkg install sdl3 sdl3-ttf --triplet=x64-windows

✅ Pre-Distribution Checklist

Testing

• Game launches without errors
• All controls work (arrows, Z/X, space, etc.)
• Music plays correctly
• Fullscreen toggle (F11) works
• Logo and images display properly
• Font rendering works (both FreeSans and PressStart2P)
• Game saves high scores

Package Validation

• All DLL files present
• Assets folder complete
• Launch-Tetris.bat works
• README.txt is informative
• Package size reasonable (~939 MB)

Distribution

• ZIP file created successfully
• Test extraction on clean system
• Verify game runs on target machines
• No missing dependencies

📋 User System Requirements

Minimum Requirements

• OS: Windows 10/11 (64-bit)
• RAM: 512 MB
• Storage: 1 GB free space
• Graphics: DirectX compatible
• Audio: Any Windows-compatible audio device

Recommended

• OS: Windows 11
• RAM: 2 GB
• Storage: 2 GB free space
• Graphics: Dedicated graphics card
• Audio: Stereo speakers/headphones

🐛 Common Issues & Solutions

"tetris.exe is not recognized"

• Solution: Ensure all DLL files are in same folder as executable

"Failed to initialize SDL"

• Solution: Update graphics drivers, run as administrator

"No audio"

• Solution: Check audio device, update audio drivers

Game won't start

• Solution: Use Launch-Tetris.bat for better error reporting

📈 Performance Notes

Asset Loading

• BMP images: Fast loading, reliable across systems
• Music loading: ~11 tracks loaded asynchronously during startup
• Font caching: Fonts loaded once at startup

Memory Usage

• Runtime: ~50-100 MB
• Peak: ~200 MB during asset loading

Optimizations

• Release build uses /O2 optimization
• Link-time optimization enabled
• Assets optimized for size/performance balance

🔄 Update Process

1. Code changes: Update source code
2. Rebuild: Run .\package-quick.ps1
3. Test: Verify functionality
4. Distribute: Upload new ZIP file

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Ready for distribution! 🎮✨