Temple of The Roguelike Forums

Development => Programming => Topic started by: ido on December 31, 2009, 09:39:33 AM

Title: 15 Steps Roguelike
Post by: ido on December 31, 2009, 09:39:33 AM
Cross-posted from rec.games.roguelike.development[1]

I'm starting a game using TheSheep's 15 steps plan[2], doing 1 step per day.

I will be starting fresh but reserve the right to pilfer and pillage any of my previous projects for source code, as well as anything  I can find online.

In January 14th at night (or January 15th in the morning) I will post my success or failure.  I also reserve the right to use the most generous of time zones for determining the end date.


See you in 15 days!

-Ido.

[1] http://groups.google.com/group/rec.games.roguelike.development/browse_thread/thread/900884a15bc79453 (http://groups.google.com/group/rec.games.roguelike.development/browse_thread/thread/900884a15bc79453)
[2] http://roguebasin.roguelikedevelopment.org/index.php?title=How_to_Write_a_Roguelike_in_15_Steps  (http://roguebasin.roguelikedevelopment.org/index.php?title=How_to_Write_a_Roguelike_in_15_Steps)
Title: Re: 15 Steps Roguelike
Post by: Fenrir on December 31, 2009, 03:57:16 PM
You won't be posting updates with each step?

Either way, I shall be watching.

Fenrir begins staring at ido with a blank expression, following him with an wide-eyed, immutable gaze no matter where he may move.
Title: Re: 15 Steps Roguelike
Post by: ido on December 31, 2009, 05:30:45 PM
Each step would be every day, which is a bit much for substantial updates - but I will try post small status reports here (http://www.tametick.com) if you find that interesting :)
Title: Re: 15 Steps Roguelike
Post by: Fenrir on December 31, 2009, 06:42:03 PM
Fenrir replies without changing his expression or breaking his gaze.

I forget that not everyone has as much time on their hands as I do.
Title: Re: 15 Steps Roguelike
Post by: ido on January 01, 2010, 10:16:01 AM
Day 1 (http://www.tametick.com/2010/01/day-1.html) (this was actually yesterday, but I didn't get around to posting it until this morning).
Title: Re: 15 Steps Roguelike
Post by: Fenrir on January 01, 2010, 03:33:36 PM
Oh, by "post updates" I meant exactly what you're doing. I don't know if you thought I meant something else.
Title: Re: 15 Steps Roguelike
Post by: ido on January 01, 2010, 03:53:23 PM
I ended up more or less just posting my done/todo list (which I was keeping anyway), so it's less of an effort than I first imagined :)

The items left under "to-do" are the ones I didn't manage to finish up that day and will rolled back into the next day's to-do list.

-Ido.
Title: Re: 15 Steps Roguelike
Post by: ido on January 01, 2010, 09:52:07 PM
Day 2 (http://www.tametick.com/2010/01/15srl-day-2.html).
Title: Re: 15 Steps Roguelike
Post by: Fenrir on January 02, 2010, 01:23:06 AM
Any particular reason you spent exactly 6.6 hours on both days?
Title: Re: 15 Steps Roguelike
Post by: ido on January 02, 2010, 09:52:19 AM
Not that I can tell, I use time tracking software (http://projecthamster.wordpress.com/about/) and it says I just happened to spend about 6.6h each day :)

It's an estimated amount, since a couple of times I forgot to turn on tracking until well into an activity and I modified it to add the time I guessed I spent on it before starting to track...but I'm pretty sure it doesn't deviate much from the actual time.

-Ido.
Title: Re: 15 Steps Roguelike
Post by: Vanguard on January 03, 2010, 01:37:05 AM
Good luck!
Title: Re: 15 Steps Roguelike
Post by: ido on January 03, 2010, 09:27:47 AM
Day 3 (http://www.tametick.com/2010/01/15srl-day-3.html) - this time I caught up with all the tasks for that day and ended it with an empty to-do list!
Title: Re: 15 Steps Roguelike
Post by: ido on January 04, 2010, 10:16:02 AM
Day 4 (http://www.tametick.com/2010/01/15srl-day-4.html) - another successful day - all tasks done.
Title: Re: 15 Steps Roguelike
Post by: ido on January 05, 2010, 09:28:07 AM
Day 5 (http://www.tametick.com/2010/01/15srl-day-5.html) - some setbacks with getting firefox to accept my JSON as well formed, but I eventually overcome the issues and implemented most of the saving/loading code.
Title: Re: 15 Steps Roguelike
Post by: ido on January 05, 2010, 10:36:14 PM
Day 6 (http://www.tametick.com/2010/01/15srl-day-6.html).
Title: Re: 15 Steps Roguelike
Post by: ido on January 07, 2010, 10:26:09 AM
Day 7 (http://www.tametick.com/2010/01/15srl-day-7.html).
Title: Re: 15 Steps Roguelike
Post by: AgingMinotaur on January 07, 2010, 04:25:19 PM
This is a very interesting project, and I'm looking forward to seeing the result of working with this particular 15DRL constraint. For instance, while step 1 ("decide to write a RL") might normally be over in the blink of an eye, step 15 (adding "unique features", fine tuning) is usually a sisyphos work, which might take years given a "normal" development cycle.

What language are you using? From looking at your log, I get the impression that this will be playable in a browser?

Anyway, it seems like you're doing fine up until now :) Cheers, and good luck.

As always,
Minotauros
Title: Re: 15 Steps Roguelike
Post by: ido on January 07, 2010, 05:24:08 PM
Yes, I filled in the time in the first 2 days by using it to write the design of the game, which is also something I normally don't take the time to do.

One advantage I can see until now is that I know pretty much exactly what I have to do every day. I use the smaller steps to either do design, research or to refactor the code.

The game is written in JaveScript using html5's canvas element, which is supported natively on the latest versions of firefox, chrome, safari and opera. Sadly microsoft doesn't seem to put canvas support at a very high priority, so IE users will have to use one of the other browser if they'd want to play the game.

-Ido.
Title: Re: 15 Steps Roguelike
Post by: ido on January 07, 2010, 09:31:43 PM
Day 8 (http://www.tametick.com/2010/01/15srl-day-8.html) - another one of those "lean days" - I mostly already had everything is data files so I've done some sourly need refactoring, bug fixing, a couple of small features and tweaking.
Title: Re: 15 Steps Roguelike
Post by: ido on January 09, 2010, 10:22:53 AM
Day 9 (http://www.tametick.com/2010/01/15srl-day-9.html).
Title: Re: 15 Steps Roguelike
Post by: ido on January 11, 2010, 09:23:07 AM
Back to work now after the weekend- day 10 is starting :)
Title: Re: 15 Steps Roguelike
Post by: ido on January 12, 2010, 09:55:48 AM
Day 10 (http://www.tametick.com/2010/01/15srl-day-10.html) - steps 9 and 10 proved to be harder to implement than I thought, so will most probably bleed into day 11 as well.
Title: Re: 15 Steps Roguelike
Post by: ido on January 13, 2010, 11:02:23 AM
Day 11 (http://www.tametick.com/2010/01/15srl-day-11.html) - things are getting tight as the to-do list keeps getting bigger and the tasks more difficult...
Title: Re: 15 Steps Roguelike
Post by: corremn on January 14, 2010, 01:00:04 AM
Bring it home baby!
Title: Re: 15 Steps Roguelike
Post by: george on January 14, 2010, 02:03:54 AM
yes, I am rooting for you ido!
Title: Re: 15 Steps Roguelike
Post by: ido on January 14, 2010, 10:09:08 AM
Thanks guys, moral was getting really low here... Real life interfered yesterday, so day 12 is starting today.

I'm gonna start it by working on the level generator, moving between levels and generating appropriate monsters for each level (I already have all my monster types implemented, just not their spells/special moves) since this is much more important that the other stuff on my todo list, and frankly I'm sick of dealing with the magic/item systems atm :)

Will report back tonight or tomorrow morning(CET).
Title: Re: 15 Steps Roguelike
Post by: Fenrir on January 15, 2010, 12:29:56 AM
...moral was getting really low here...
Fenrir smirks.

I think you meant "morale", ido.

The great wolf snickers.
Title: Re: 15 Steps Roguelike
Post by: ido on January 15, 2010, 09:41:50 AM
Day 12 (http://www.tametick.com/2010/01/15srl-day-12.html). The map generator doesn't provide a lot of bullet points but it was one of the most crucial elements - it now really feels like a game :)

Going to push forward with whatever remains to complete this game, no need for the guide anymore...The end is near!
Title: Re: 15 Steps Roguelike
Post by: ido on January 16, 2010, 09:24:05 AM
Day 13 (http://www.tametick.com/2010/01/15srl-day-13.html).

It feels strange adding all the features I normally add at the beginning this late, this has really been quite a change in my normal development cycle :)
Title: Re: 15 Steps Roguelike
Post by: ido on January 16, 2010, 02:08:42 PM
Very preliminary screenshot:
(http://i.imgur.com/AbKyr.png)
Title: Re: 15 Steps Roguelike
Post by: george on January 16, 2010, 07:38:05 PM
three cheers for ido!!  :)
Title: Re: 15 Steps Roguelike
Post by: dweller on January 16, 2010, 07:57:14 PM
Good job!
If only I have been so far with my roguelike :) I am trying to make it with 15 steps too, but have big fear of generating the dungeon and especially implementing AI.
Title: Re: 15 Steps Roguelike
Post by: ido on January 17, 2010, 09:37:24 AM
Day 14 (http://www.tametick.com/2010/01/15srl-day-14.html).

Almost there...

One day left - but that day will have to be Tuesday since I have a seminar to present tomorrow.
Title: Re: 15 Steps Roguelike
Post by: Etinarg on January 18, 2010, 12:59:38 PM
Best of luck with both, the siminar and the final step, Ido :)
Title: Re: 15 Steps Roguelike
Post by: ido on January 19, 2010, 11:12:58 PM
Day 15 (http://www.tametick.com/2010/01/15srl-day-15.html)!

I didn't manage to implement everything, but the incomplete (yet playable) version is online.

If anyone is interested in testing it out please email or private message me.
Title: Re: 15 Steps Roguelike
Post by: getter77 on January 20, 2010, 12:03:14 AM
Congrats!  I arbitrarily "trust" in the concept of a 15DRL moreso than a 7DRL, and as such look forward to what the final shape of the game assumes down the line once you've rounded things out.
Title: Re: 15 Steps Roguelike
Post by: ido on January 20, 2010, 12:08:29 AM
Well the main difference is that I had a working plan laid out for me by the roguebasin article - that really proved helpful, especially at the beginning.

The other difference is that because 15 days is quite a lot of time the days ended up not being consecutive...it ended up spreading over 20 days.