Hey everyone!

For those interested, I'm writing my game in Python using only pygame (at the moment). My plan is for it to be a basic RPG in the style of classic SSI Goldbox RPGs (Like Pools of Radiance)... mostly the exploring and talking with NPCs part of it, anyway.

I'd like to say I'll be coming back to keep this Devblog updated, but I generally have limited time after work and most of that will be actually working on this game... so... I'm not sure how often I'll be able to update.

That said, this is open source and all my work can be seen at https://github.com/ObsidianBlk/Goldbox64 . Feel free to look around!

Anyway, until next time!!!

Lost yesterday to preexisting obligations. Managed to do some addition this morning, but will be loosing most of today as well due to more preexisting obligations. Time is just not on my side this weekend... grrr.

I've programmed up a very crude approximation of Godot's Node structure for my game. The core nodes needed for basic drawing and resolution scaling are in place. Need to write up an asset loader/manager then I can write up a "NodeSprite" node which should put all of the graphical elements in place... programmatically. With any luck, I should be ready to actually create some assets by Tuesday. Seeing as I'm going very old-school mechanic wise, I should have a screenshot or two to post by Wednesday/Thursday.

LOL... glad this Jam is longer than a week :)

So today I wrote an asset manager which should be extendable to any "asset type" I choose to define. Of course it includes "graphic" and "audio" out of the box via pygame. I also gave it "json" assets, so I can load and store JSON data as well.

I'm actually kinda proud of myself with the ResourceManager class. While the user can make as many instances of it as they want, all instances access the same underlying shared group of assets. It also passes out assets by weakref references, so the manager has TOTAL control of when those resources are deleted.

Next big thing was the NodeSprite class... I think it gave me a migraine, but at least the code has been laid down (untested, so it's bound to change... still though). As I was working on NodeSprite, I realized all of my previous Node classes ran the risk of having property name collisions with hidden variables, so I did a rewrite on how they're handles in all Nodes except NodeSurface. NodeSurface just has a TON of code in it that would need an almost total rewrite, so I figure it should work for the JAM.

Tomorrow I might get to make and display images! Wheeee!!!

As I sit here rereading some of what I wrote, I so apologize if some of it (ok, most of it) makes no sense. I'm just doing a flow of consciousness in here. Lol.

Started on some ceiling and floor map tiles. Kinda need the graphics to test rendering stuff, so I'm starting to do graphics. In case anyone is interested, I'm using Aseprite and Gimp to do the graphics.

Tomorrow I hope to make some quick walls to go with these ceilings and floors, then I can work on the GameMap class.

Also managed to get a State Machine class written today. Its designed to use Node trees as scenes, so, all that work on my Node classes will NOT be in vain, lol.

Some Walls that I've been working on. Honestly, I've completely misjudged the amount of graphics I need. Three sizes for nearly everything! I should have enough to work on the "GameMap" class to render the maze, but I feel a needs just a few more elements to liven up the environment. Things like a Fire place, Bar, and Tavern tables (I want to have at least a Tavern/Inn designed by Jam's end. *Le Sigh*

That said, tomorrow's Friday, so I can stay up a lot later to work on either the code or the graphics (or a little of both?)... I won't be able to continue again until Sunday, but I'll have most of Sunday to get some stuff done!

With four days left to go, I feel that I might not make this one. I'm not giving up, though... even if all I get out is a 1980s walking simulator, lol.

That said... lots of fixes as well as a number of new utility Nodes.

Also wrote quite a bit of the main GameMap node. Now, this should have been obvious from, like, day one, but I realized I was going to need an editor for any map I was going to make. As such, I'm baking a "map editor" right into the GameMap class. This is fine, as the map editor is ridiculously simple (I say to tempt fate). Maybe making a map can be a "game"?! Lol... oh well. I have four days, dang-it!!