Considering extensibility in the Snake and Ladder game design, what is a key trade-off when embedding snakes and ladders directly as attributes inside the Board class versus modeling them as separate entities?
medium🪤 Complexity Trap Q13 of Q15
OOP & Design Patterns - Design Snake and Ladder Game - LLD End-to-End
Considering extensibility in the Snake and Ladder game design, what is a key trade-off when embedding snakes and ladders directly as attributes inside the Board class versus modeling them as separate entities?
AModeling snakes and ladders as separate entities increases runtime complexity significantly
BEmbedding snakes and ladders inside Board simplifies design but reduces flexibility to add new types of board elements later
CEmbedding snakes and ladders inside Board improves encapsulation and makes the Board immutable
DModeling snakes and ladders separately forces duplication of position data, increasing memory usage unnecessarily
Step-by-Step Solution
Step 1: Embedding snakes/ladders inside Board
This approach simplifies initial design but tightly couples Board to these elements.
Step 2: Impact on extensibility
Tightly coupled design makes it harder to add new board elements (e.g., portals, traps) without modifying Board.
Step 3: Modeling as separate entities
Allows easy extension by adding new element types without changing Board internals.
Step 4: Complexity and memory considerations
Separate entities add minimal overhead; runtime complexity impact is negligible.
Final Answer:
Option B -> Option B
Quick Check:
Trade-off is between simplicity and extensibility, not runtime complexity or memory bloat.
Quick Trick:Tight coupling simplifies now but blocks future extensions [OK]
Common Mistakes:
MISTAKES
Thinking separate entities cause big runtime overhead
Believing embedding improves encapsulation and immutability
Assuming separate entities cause memory bloat
Trap Explanation:
PITFALL
Candidates often confuse design coupling with performance or memory issues.
Interviewer Note:
CONTEXT
Tests understanding of design trade-offs between simplicity and extensibility.
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