Introductions! Dev post #1 5/6/25

Hello Everyone!

I am pleased to announce that the Project currently known as Project Lance is in production! It has been a few weeks since I started but I wanted to start documented the journey! 

I hear you, not another game that is coming out. Why should I care?
Let's get down and dirty about this project and what I am doing with it.  

Project Lance is first and foremost a passion project. Yes I plan on releasing it when its 1.0 but that isn't as important to me as making something that I would have loved(and will love today!) as a kid.  Since I am taking this approach, I think this will take longer than some other projects on this site but thats okay! I will not be going through a premade engine, I am using libraries though. This might change later if I decide I want to make everything in-house. 

Why?

Why is the big question I think I have heard a lot when I mentioned I want to design a lot of the components that will eventually go into it myself. Well, I also want to learn! I want to learn how to make good systems for a game and this is a great way to do it. I am planning on making a game that is good. This can only happen if all parts of the project are good. For example, you can't have a good hamburger if the buns are moldy or if the meat is bad.  In this context the best way to make sure the meat isn't bad is to raise the cow and butcher it yourself. We will see if this actually comes to though.

So, what next and what now?

I have a goal of getting something playable out in 2 years.  Ideally I would like it to be a release but I understand I don't know everything and won't rush something I think is good. Thats the next how about the now? I created a few hundred files these past three weeks, hooked up SDL3 and jury rigged a very VERY simple void where mindless squares charge at each other and fight until the other colored squares disappear.  Currently Object orientated due to only having that available in the past jams I worked on. It does what I need it to to start building and testing systems before fully committing. I started this past week on moving to ECS and it has been a nightmare. I think this is the right move for military units at least so I am happy I am making the move relatively early in this projects developmental life.

Current week goals:

Move from Object Orientated to Entity component system(for those cute colored squares at least)

simple automated team creation based on weighted values

improve upon the navigation system when the move to ECS is finished.

Finally,
Thank you for joining me on this journey. I know I will mess up and it might even be massive. I am happy to do so and happy to improve my methods and improve this project through them.