Brainfold On Python, game development and everything

Alternating states

Every programmer knows that sometimes you have to spend time to work on code that no one will ever see. Background work for new features, cleaning up, restructuring or refactoring old code etc. etc. This week I have been doing exactly that. In preparation for implementing unit placement, which requires a bit more interaction with terrain than I have currently (ie. any at all), I have been working on the entity/component system and the terrain entity to make them ready for that. I have also cleaned up some code here and there, but nothing that will show in screenshots. Expect that next week, when I'm going to finally implement unit placement for real. I'm also thinking of capturing my first ever game recording video of the results.

After unit placement, I think I'll spend some time on the interface. The current unit is not highlighted in anyway, and artillery shells are impossible to see if you don't zoom in ridiculously close. I'm not too keen about making them bigger since I'm aiming for a semi-realistic look. Besides, that solution won't scale if you want to zoom out even further. That means I'll have to invent some other type of highlighting for shells. After that, I have a couple of option. I could work on hit effects, which means particles, which sound like fun (especially making them fast enough in Python). Or I could work on the actual game, ie. player management, menu structure etc. I haven't decided yet, so we'll see what I'm going to do.

Btw. if anyone can recommend a good program for capturing video from a game, I would be happy. I've found recommendations on FRAPS and Growler Guncam thus far, but both look a bit... amateurish.