game development sql keep all in one table or use multiple tables

However there are many downsides too - it is hard to patch individual parts of the data when they're stored in a single database file, it is not ideal for many types of complex data that games need (and which you said you'd store outside - but will have references to and from things inside), it is not very flexible when you need to change the schema, it is not necessarily backwards compatible after you change the schema, etc.įor these reasons, most game developers will just use their own format. This could then be deployed as part of the final game where SQLite is only really used when loading up the game for the first time, or when starting a new level, etc. static data that doesn't change during gameplay but does change during development.

There may be some benefit to using an embedded database such as SQLite for certain types of data, eg. Such data is almost always kept in memory, in traditional data structures. Last but not least, expanding the game to an online game would be relative easy because there already is a place where the hole game state is stored.Īn SQL database is not nearly fast enough to use for realtime reading and writing game information. Moreover there would be no need for savegames since the hole game state is saved in the database. And I don't have to take care about data of objects far away. I could easily query data of objects near the player needed for rendering.

I would not need objects for representing entities. The advantages of using a relational database like MySQL would be the data orientated structure which allows fast computation. Aside from keeping everything in memory, what alternatives do I have? Advantages Would Be Is a SQL database fast enough to use it for realtime reading and writing game informations, like the position of a moving character? I also need to care about cross-platform compatibility. Except of meshes and textures which are even more performance related, so I will keep them in memory.

SQLite or MySQL, to store the game data? This contains virtually all game content like items, characters, inventories. Moreover, each component can read, edit, create and remove data. Each component can trigger and listen to events. There are many components like physics, input, sound, renderer, ai. My design decision is to use a data centered architecture where there is a global event manager and a global data manager. The programming language is C++ and it uses OpenGL. There will be a 3 dimensional world with first person view and it will be single player for now.

I am planning a computer game and its engine.

Game development sql keep all in one table or use multiple tables