Java: The Final Frontier

Next month, I will be mostly using: Java

I know, I know, it's a bit of a cop out starting with a language I can already use, but as any good developer will tell you: there's always more to learn. In my case I'd like to start programming games. Initially I was thinking about doing some kind of text based adventure, but that's far to predictable. Although it does help me out with my inability to draw on a computer. By hand, no problem. Anyways that's an aside.

So my project for next month will be to make a small graphical game in Java. I've got my literature all ready, Killer Game Programming in Java, and I've got my repositories all fired up. To start off with, except for playing about with the various Swing controls in Java, I've not done anything serious graphically. At all. That's my first big hurdle. I understand the theory behind double buffering, and painting graphics to the scree, but beyond that I've got no clue. Any additional resources I use I'll pass on to you, gentle reader.

What will my game be about? Well as I've got the lead up to next month to think about it I guess I'd better make it a good one. I'd like to program a game I'd like to play. None of this casual gameplay that's simple, effective and can make millions crap. I want a game that will appear to one person alone: ME! If you people happen to like the game as well then great. Also the project will hopefully continue beyond the month, as I know any game worth its salt takes more than a month to program. I'm going to be lucky if I can get a stick man moving across the screen by the end of the month. Even luckier if you can control it.

I'm a bit fan of games that are story driven, so I guess a good story is a place to start. I'm also a big fan of point and click adventures and RPGs. One of my favourite games of all time ever is Baldur's Gate 2, wo something in that vein would be nice. Final Fantasy is another of my faves, but JRPGs have been done to death. If I can get some kind on Mouse interface going and when you click the blokey on screen will walk to that location, I guess that's my main goal, to have the framework upon which a game can be made. So there, that's decided, I'm making an RPG in a similar style to Baldur's Gate.

My goals:

I guess I'm aiming with this project to first be able to display graphics effectively on the screen, as I learn more about graphics algorithms and stuff I can evaluate which one is the best for me. If I buy any additional books then I'll let you know as well.
Next I'd like to have a mouse driven interface, where you click and the person walks to that spot.
I'm not worrying about the game logic for now.

So that's the plan. I may start a bit early as I can't wait to get my teeth into the project. Finally I've got a reason for installing SVN on my PC.

A Change of Direction

I know I don't update this very often. In fact, after reading many sites about blogging I know that this journal is probably only read by one person...occasionally (hi Mal!) but I've decided I'm going to try and update you more often. Not only with progress on my various comics (it's going well, Mal!) but with how I progress through the world of software development. I've been really trying to get into it recently and as being a developer is a job I'd love to do (until I get there) then I've decided to work hard at it and try be the best damn developer out there. I'm going to take you with me on this journey, and provide you with comics where appropriate.

First things first, I've been looking at the blog of a guy by the name of Ryan Farley. He wrote an article called Becoming a Better Developer. One of the main ideas I've come away from this blog with is the "Try out a new technology each month." I like this idea. At the moment I dabble in dotNet and have a...juice-about with Java (no, that sounds all kinda of wrong). I know I'd love to properly get involved with C++ and PHP among others. I'd also like to go more in-depth into ASP.NET with C#, something used in the work environment, and push Java to its X-T-REEMS!!! Maybe not that far, but trying out writing a game in Java would be nice. It's the one that was thrust apon me (some have greatness thrust upon them, I had Java, talk about short straw) and I'm determined to do something with it that makes me go "hey! Look what I can do!" My final year project from Uni is something I'd love to port from Java to dotNet, not because it needs it but I know the code well and I think it would be a good exercise. So I'll update in a bit when I've decided what I'm going to look into starting with July.

I've bought a new toy...

So the time has come where I've finally bitten the bullet and bought a PS3. If you know me, which you probably don't so stop trying, then you'll know I'm a massive XBox 360 fan. I still am though, although the PC will always be my platform of choice. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I'm now like that kid you hated at school because he had BOTH the Snes and the Megadrive. Oh, and he has an Amiga too for the Monkey Island Games.

Now down to the nitty gritty of the console. It's a great machine, although they've not really modified the design of the controller since the first dual shock came out and that's a bit annoying as I'm not too keen on the placement of the analogue sticks, but it is free to play online and there are some decent games for it.

I have been berated by my 360 Bretheren though for buying it, although I don't really care as I can now get the latest releases that are coming to one console and not the other, such as Ghostbusters, although apparently you can buy the American 360 copy because it's not region locked.

The format order is still PC, XBox, Playstation, so if the game's out on PC, that's where it's going baby. Unless of course there is a very good reason for not buying it for that format.

So yeah, I'll give you an update ont the games that I'm using to distract myself from my own mortality as soon as I buy some more.

K-man out.

New things to come...

Hello my tasty morsels of internet land.

So, here's a new post about the comics I've currently got in the pipeline. Currently I'm working on 3 projects, one is close to completion, one is pending development and the other has been started but I'm waiting until I finish the sencond one before I push on with it.

1: Brown Bottle Bear

This is the tale of an alcoholic teddy bear and his attempt to turn his life around and save the city. This comic still has elements of the cartoony style I like to draw but I'm trying some new things with regards to inking, etc, in that I'm no longer just following the lines, I'm trying to add depth. Time will tell with this one though. I hope to have this one finished be the end of the month, and I certainly want it finished by the Birmingham con on October.

2: FAWK #2

This comic has been on the go for about a year now. I can't seem to get it finished at all. Numerous attempts have been made but to no avail so far. Now, though, after getting the public (my mate's) reaction to FAWK and having him laugh whilst reading it I know that I could be on to a winner here, so I'm trying to get the new one done. Chapter 2 will have more of a story line to it, but I'm still working to the rule of a joke-per-page, which keeps it interesting for me. Although, it does mean I have to come up with 16 different jokes. Oh well, out come the knob gags I suppose.

3: A Tale Of a Hard Life

Now this one is where I need to buck up my ideas in terms of the art I produce. The reason why I need to wait until FAWK is done before I move on to this one is that I need to improve my backgrounds before I can follow on with this. I've got 1 page done already and the art is some of the best I've ever produced (not that that's saying much though).

I'm really looking forward to finishing Brown Bottle Bear, I hope you enjoy it. If people do then I might make more, although it's difficult to know. I'm trying to draw comics for myself and not for other people, that seems to be a good way to go forward.

I've also been asked to help out with two further projects, but that's an aside and I'm not at libery to talk about those at the moment. I'll keep you updated with how Brown Bottle Bear is getting on tomorrow after I've done some more of it. The trouble is it's taking me so long to ink I've got a stack of pencils and not enough time to ink and make it look good, but the more I practice the faster and better I will become and it's all part of the learning experience.

K-man out

Version Control...

So I've been trying to write things for a while now...mainly I've been trying to write a novel, but also I write technical documentation for all the pieces of software I take a fancy to writing. When I'm making a new piece of software I create a new Repository in Subversion (my method of choice) and I stick the technical documents in there.

Now...as I mentioned earlier I've been trying to write a novel, well aren't we all? But I thought, if I write something and I want to keep ip, but decide later to change it, then want to change it back...how can I do this effectively. Essentially I want something that will remember my changes and keep an ongoing draft number, a bit like a version number. Then it struck me!

I CAN USE SVN!

I've not tried it yet, but I'm tempted to give it a go tonight. Version controlling my novel? Wow! The future!