Game Dev Log #1: Getting Started

I’ve recently decided that I want to get back into developing an old game of mine. This is a game that I’ve been adding to every couple months, but I’m hoping that by starting this dev log I will be able to motivate myself to keep working on it more consistently. I don’t really have a specific game in mind, so everything you’ll see in this dev log will likely just be me winging it as I go. Let’s take a look at what I have so far:

Basic Controls

Hopping back into this project after some time, there’s already a bit of stuff done. As you can see here, I’m using some sprites that I found online and have some basic character movement implemented.

Builder Mode

My game also has a builder mode which can be toggled by pressing “B”. You can also see the change in mode by the status in the top right corner alongside a change in the mouse icon.

AI Pathfinding and Tasks

For the NPC, I have the A* algorithm implemented to handle pathfinding. Right now if the player is in build mode and wants to construct a wall, a “ghost” object will be placed until an AI can travel to the object and build it.

Tree Cutting and Items

In normal mode, you can click on trees to chop them down. When a tree breaks they’ll drop wood! If I recall correctly, this was actually the very last thing that I implemented for this project so everything you see is very bare bones.

Taskbar and Item Selection

The last thing I have to show so far is the item task bar at the bottom! As you previously saw, you can pick up items and you can also use your numpad to select any of the items on slot 1–5. As of right now, this doesn’t do anything but highlight your selection.

What’s Next?

Honestly, I’m probably going to focus on getting familiar with my codebase again. Although the game may not seem very large right now, there is a lot going on under the hood. I also want to spend a good bit of time refining what’s already implemented before I move on the adding other features.

I plan to keep making updates (ideally once a week) on this game, so hopefully it won’t be long until you can see the next update(s)!

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Originally published at http://testingonprod.com on December 1, 2021.