Welcome to my third installment of Friday Fun, the blog post where I talk about what’s been going on with my game development in the past week.
Documentation Automation
My big victory this week is the automation of the documentation for the scripting API for Dehoarder 2. Over the past few years, the database model for Dehoarder 2 has become quite formidable. Luckily, I have been providing “XmlDoc” comments on all of my database objects and attributes. So the documentation was all there in the code, it just needed to be brought out into a more readable format.
Enter Doxygen, a program that exists to mine these automatable comments from code, and transform them into various formats, like HTML and LaTeX. The LaTeX output can then further be used to generate a PDF file.
I set up a Doxygen project, pointed it specifically at the bits of code that are being exposed via the Lua Scripting API, and let it run. Then I tweaked some settings and ran it again. Then I fixed some documentation and ran it again. Then I did some refactoring and ran it again. I iterated that process until Doxygen reported no warnings about undocumented code and had a 641 page PDF document that described every object, attribute, and function in the Dehoarder 2 Database Object Model.
Granted, it’s not perfect, and I did run across a handful of bugs with Doxygen. (To be fair to the page count, if one of the bugs were fixed I expect the page count would drop by at least a third.) But it’s a far better and more consistent result than what I could have produced manually, was produced in hours rather than weeks, and when things change the documentation can be easily updated with a flick of the wrist.
I had thought about dropping the tome of a PDF file with this post, but then thought better of it. Without a version of the game to use it against, it’s not worth much at the moment, and I don’t want anyone to rely on anything in the document at the moment because too much of it will still be changing. Instead, I’ll just tease a screenie of the PDF file since I don’t have much else visual to show off this week.
By taking a few hours to automate this process, I have saved literally person-weeks and person-months of bookkeeping work that I can devote to making Dehoarder 2 better. That’s why I call this a big victory.
PFW Full Release in Less Than Two Weeks
With the current round of feature development for Dehoarder 2 wrapping up, it is time to start focusing on the impending transition of Prepare For Warp from Early Access to full release. There is still more playtesting to be done, maybe one or two minor QoL enhancements at this point, and new trailers, screenshots, hero graphics, and other marketing bric-a-brac need to be created to reflect the current visual state of the game (which annoyingly has improved significantly since I last made trailers, screenshots, hero graphics, and other marketing bric-a-brac).
Three Months
It has now been three months since I made the change to work on game development full time. In that time I’ve been making good on my promise to release a finished, polished version of Prepare For Warp on Steam. The architectural base for Dehoarder 2 has solidified and grown by leaps and bounds, and the game now sports a Mod system that promises to be world-class. I’ve even put out several feelers about game development contract work.
I’ve never in my life been happier with my work. So far this has been an amazing, magical journey, to see what I am capable of when I am truly able to self-direct and do what it is that I was born to do.
With continued hard work, application of talent, and hopefully a fair bit of providence, I hope that I will achieve success in this endeavor and see it last.
Still Here? There’s More of Me on Patreon
If you’re still reading, then you probably like reading the stuff that I write. Did you know that I make a point of writing about my daily progress every working day on Patreon? Please consider becoming a Patron. For just a $3 per month “Ninja Cat” patronage, you get access to my Daily Standup posts. “Beta Cat” level patronage will grant the earliest possible unfettered access to test builds of Dehoarder 2 beyond my innermost circle of advisors. Plus, your support will help to enable me to continue doing this work.