Brainfold

Ok, so I didn’t actually update during the day and didn’t get an actual playable game prototype done today, but I’m damn pleased with my progress in any case. And I don’t remember programming being this satisfying for a long, long time!

Anyway, I got randomized, heightmap-based terrain and basic units implemented. You can also freely scroll and zoom the camera using the mouse. I started on gameplay but didn’t get any actual game mechanics done yet. The basic groundwork is already there, but I need some kind of “game physics” going on next. I’m not sure if I should just make a quick hack or use something like Chipmunk right from the beginning (I’m going to eventually use physics simulation anyway). The code isn’t a horrible mess, but I have avoided getting bogged down perfecting a design. Instead, I’ve done what needs to be done to get a feature up and running, then structured it better afterwards.

Here are the promised screenshots anyway, testing 200 units randomly scattered around. I found the images / textures on Google and have no idea about their copyright, but this is just a prototype after all. Zooming isn’t constrained in any way yet. The units are actually resting on terrain, not floating above it, but the texture has a bit of empty space at the bottom and there’s no concept of offset for the units yet.

Tomorrow I’m going to write a bit about what I have in mind regarding the design of the game, and of course continue actually programming. Stay tuned!

Tags: Artillery Brawl, pymunk, screenshots