5 Free, Must-have Tools to Start Out Gamedev

Ever wanted to get into game development?

Yes?

Then read on!

You probably have wondered how to start out making your first game. Maybe you tinkered around with scripts or mods but never made something all by yourself. Fear not, for this article will give you an insight how to start out your development without much hassle.

Out of incredible amount of tools that exist to create games, I now present you 5 tools you should use starting out your first 2D game.

1. Editor: Unity 3D
   

   Unity is a cross-platform, user-friendly 3D engine that allows you to quickly get a game and some gameplay running without worrying too much about the technical side of things. It features a huge asset store and many tutorials that help you kickstart your game development. The engine can also be used for 2D games.
   

2.  Graphics Program: Krita
   

   To create all the game art you need, you will need a graphics program. A good choice here is Krita, which is a powerful tool to create your assets. I've used many graphics programs in my life, from Photoshop to PhotoImpact and Paint Tool SAI - and Krita has an astounding amount of features for a program that is open source.
   
   
   
   
   

3. Map Editor: Tiled
   

   If you want to make a game, you will also need create a world for it. The map editor Tiled comes very handy here. It allows you to create terrain brushes, add images and objects to the world and define properties for each. All in all it's a great editor that is free for you to use. To load Tiled maps into Unit3D, you can get this plugin to add TMX support to your project.
   
   
   
   
   

4. Music Editor: Bfxr
   

   What's a game without sound? With the free-to-use program Bfxr, you can create your own sounds from scratch - without worrying about permission or copyright.
   

5. Organizer: Trello
   

   If you do your daily dose of development, you also need something to help you keep track of your tasks and bugs! (Believe me, there will be many...) Trello helps you to do just that and get organized. You can create to-do lists and spreadsheets very easily. It's also available as mobile app. (Thank you @PeculiarCarrot for pointing out there is also Hack 'n' Plan for this purpose!)

If you want to check out a larger choice of tools, I recommend you to check the resource page.

Happy coding! If this inspired you, make sure to show me what you've made!

Guide: How to store data in Java

Imagine creating your own application or game. When you first start out, you may keep and generate your data in code. As you progress you may find how inefficient and cumbersome this turns out to be and perhaps contemplate moving all that to external files.

How do you store the growing amount of application data? What formats do you use to store them?

There are endless methods to store and retrieve data for your project. Before reinventing the wheel by creating your own parser and file format (which is an enormous effort), one must contemplate what requirements your format needs to fulfill.

For example: Does my data need to be...

• ...flexible and extendable?
• ...compatible with different versions?
• ...easily editable?
• ...easily maintainable?
• ...as compact as possible?

In Java, multiple ways of storing data for your projects exist. I want to explore some of the technology that exist to do that. A summary can be found below. Click on the format to jump to the details.

Format	Syntax	Legible	Complexity of saved Data	Extendability	Libraries		Potential Uses
CSV	Simple	Yes	Plain	Changes must be adopted manually	none		- export or import data across programs
.ini Format	Simple	Yes	Tree with depth 1	Changes must be adopted manually	ini4j		Configuration files
XML	Bloated	Yes	Tree	Changes in classes can be ignored (data won't become incompatible)	JDOM JBAX		- Configuration files - Game data
JSON	Clear	Yes	Tree	Changes in classes can be ignored (data won't become incompatible)	json-simple		- Configuration files - Game data
Binary	None	No	Tree	JDK: Changes in classes may cause saved data to become unusable Kryo: Changes in classes can be logged, preserving compability	JDK, Kryo		- Networking - Game data - Temporary data - Compressed binary files

CSV

 

Comma Separated Values. This is probably the most basic format you can use (it's also one of the oldest, being around before personal computers even existed). CSV files can be easily written programmatically. No additional parsing needed. If you need to keep it as simple as possible (e.g. you only need to store a lot of Strings) you're good with CSV. It has the advantage of being editable with programs like Excel or OpenOffice, which can be very useful tools. However, the second your data uses a tree-like structure (objects in objects) you get dangerously close to creating your own parser, eventually ending up reinventing the wheel. Don't go there ever!
CSV extremely handy for tasks like storing configs or as export format - I've seen it being used for translation files - but other than that... try to stay away from it.

Back to table

Windows .ini file

 

Before starting I want to point out that this is the only file format I haven't gotten into much detail, but want to mention it regardless.
The .ini file format is a rather ancient remnant of the past, being in use ever since Windows XP and earlier. It strikes out due to its simplicity. Because .ini files allow you to pack your name-value pairs into sections or groups, they can be very handy even to this day. Another plus: you can read them and edit them with any text editor. These kind of files still won't allow you to store an object in an object, but are easier to use than CSV. They make great configuration files - as long as you keep the data you want to store simple. Keep in mind it's likely unsuited to store larger amounts of data. You're welcome to try it out and get the ini4j library implementation for Java.

Back to table

XML

 

Due to its nature, XML is a format that supports storing of objects in other objects. Its syntax is rather bloated which results in a rather large file size. XML is readable and easily editable, and that is why it is commonly used in a variety of applications, like storing configs and also more complex data itself for games and software alike. It is supported by many frameworks. For this reason, it is also being used to export files across different programs.
When I dove into XML I was using a custom JDOM serializer. That pretty much ended up being a nightmare because I was reinventing the wheel! Since you should probably not do the same mistake, you can use Serializer like JAXB to turn your data into XML files with greater ease.

Back to table
 

JSON

 

JSON is an acronym for "Javascript Object Notation". It is a readable format that supports complex object trees. Unlike XML it's syntax is compact, so the file size is small in comparison. It also comes with a large support across different platforms and is a very flexible format to store your data in, for configs and complex data alike. This is due to the fact some JSON serializers can be configured to ignore data in the file if it could not be found in the class it is attempting to serialize. If the serializer can't find the object's field in the file, it simply leaves it to the state you declared or initialized it in the class. This makes it a very flexible and pleasant to use format, since it works without making your data itself incompatible. Some game frameworks or engines (like LibGdx) also ship with a JSON Serializer. If you're not working with such a framework, you can use json-simple (version 1.1.1).

Back to table

Binary

 

Another method to store your data is to simply store it in binary, as 1's and 0's. The upside is, your data won't be readable by anyone (well, partially). The downside is, you always have to call your binary serializer from code to store your data.
When working with Java standard serialization, you will encounter problems deserializing your objects from a file once you've changed the class. The code will terminate telling you the object cannot be serialized (because you changed, added or removed a constructor, methods or field). This can be disastrous if you are recklessly making changes to a class, just to find out you just made hundreds of bytes of binary data incompatible. Good luck redoing all of this!

To avoid this, there are libraries like Kryo that allows you to 1) create customized serializers for each class and 2) add version control for each field you are storing. Point 2) may give you some control over adding compability, but you will be left with unused code fragments you can't remove. If you do remove them, Kryo will kry that an old, deprecated field in your code is missing (excuse the pun). This allows you for some control but is still not as flexible as JSON, I've found.

However, there are some neat things you can do with binary files, for example controlled binary serialization (only store the bits of data you need using your own definition), creating your own compressed data formats, and much much more. One important thing about binary is the fact it's used to transmit data over a network.

Back to table

Summary

The most flexible format I have used for saving large amounts of data that is easy to use and maintain is without doubt JSON, followed by controlled binary serialization (Kryo). With a decent serializer, XML can also be very powerful despite of its large file size and bloated syntax. CSV and .ini are rather simple formats and very handy for simple config files that don't change frequently during development. Which of these formats you will use eventually and for what purpose - you decide!

How To Make Your Game Articles More Interesting

Browsing IndieDB and a few other games sites I have noticed many indie dev folks write very dry and boring articles about their games and development, often bloated with technical details (to be fair, it happens to me too sometimes). Being a dev myself, that doesn't bother me, but most readers will click these articles away after just a few paragraphs or even sentences. I think that's a missed opportunity to grow an audience right there.

So how can you possibly make your articles more attractive? 

How do you write an interesting and compelling article?

How do you make people stick around with you longer?

Having read and observed quite a bit about this topic, I have compiled a list that may help achieving this.

• Add all kinds of multimedia content (gifs/videos, pictures) to your article.
  If you blog about games, your pictures and gifs you post doesn't necessarily need to be about games. E.g. when talking about making music, you might write: "Don't be like a keyboard cat", followed by the appropriate cat gif and by a set of do's and don't's. You probably notice I've done this above.
  
  
  
• To allow people to quickly skim over your article, divide it into small sections with headlines.
  Some people do not want to bother reading everything, just the parts that seem interesting to them (I'm like that, too). You can keep your sections as short as possible by using pictures to split up large texts into smaller chunks that are easier to read. 


• Use an interesting format that goes along with your content.
  Important statements in bold or as headlines, whitespace and images to create reading pauses, allowing the reader to contemplate what was read. Each time you're writing an article, imagine you're orchestrating a little movie into your reader's heads.
  
  
• Use a writing style that includes humor, wit and lyrical means.
  For example, make use of metaphors, aliteration, hyperbole, rhetoric... How about adding a witty headline? The possibilities are endless. Feel free to play around and develop your own style.
  
  
• Put your own stamp on it, keep it personal and engaging!
  Add an interesting story if possible. Tell a tale or anecdote serving as a transition to what you are trying to tell and sell. Tell us how this one bug you discovered yesterday was turned into a feature!
  
  
• Less is more, keep it short.
  Don't bloat your article with too much technical details. Avoid text walls!Make your audience (including the not so tech-savvy ones) interested for more, so he or she comes back to you. You can, of course, e.g. briefly explain how your game mechanics work, but I suggest creating a separated, more technical article intended for fellow devs and technically interested people.
  
  
• Spread your content. Instead of trying to put all of your material into one post, it's often better to make two posts. Firstly, you can market those posts at different times (more people will see it) and also have more articles to spread around on your social networks. Secondly, by disclosing a bit less information readers are likelier to come back to you for more.

Feel free to add your own suggestion in the comments! Feedback is welcome and appreciated!

CamoTactics: Editor, Map Previewer, Skill System

 This is a more technical article discussing the recent features I implemented in the last three months.

I'm happy to be back, developing this game. So let's talk about some of the recent things I have been working on: editor implementation, database changes, improvements to the skill system, and other technical things, which I explain in more detail.

Editor Implementation: Create your own data!

I've been working on an editor implementation, that currently works as a proof of concept. Some objects are a pain to edit manually and having a visual and idiot-proof interface to do that is nice to have.

It's capable of fully automatically creating a display component using properties information defining how a class should be displayed (like a Weapon in the picture to the left). For example, hit points are being displayed as spinner component with a range limit from zero to infinity: that means you cannot enter values below zero. For defining projectile IDs (that specify the caliber of a weapon), an ID editor helps choosing one valid projectile by getting all projectiles currently existing in the database.

The method of fully automatically generating a display component like this can also be used to display objects in the GUI, due to its modular nature and compability between frameworks. Spares me to create info screens manually!

Database Improvements: I don't care what framework you're on!

All data is now saved in binary or JSON files. The database managing sprite sheets is now compatible across different frameworks (libgdx as used by the game, java swing as used by the editor). The game will know what type of images are needed and loads the correct image classes. What files (that means, image, binaries or JSON files) should be loaded is freely configurable, too, which will be a paradise for modders.

I am also working on controller bindings so I can implement gamepad support and changable controls.

Skill System: All your perks are belong to me!

The skill system got a redo as well, going from a purely mathematical/formula approach to a more "perk-based" or percentual approach. A test setup of this you can see below. The output consist of total experience, the current experience in this level, followed by a list of skills or properties.

The plan is to make it possible to train skills by using them and degrade them if you don't. The effectivity of all skills improve as you level up.


Let's take the first property as example:

"Hitpoints [100]: 142 - 21%" 

It's basically interpreted as:

Attribute [BaseValue]: CurrentValue - Skill%

Hit points are affected by a skill called "Hard as a Rock", which is 21%. So if you are Lieutnant rank with 21% of this skill (which isn't much at all), you will have ~142 hit points available. The BaseValue is multiplied with Skill% and then calculated together with the rank of your character. If you level it up enough by taking damage and killing enemies in melee, your hit points can increase up to 500 and more.

Map Previewer: Hello world!

A while ago I created small, tile-based engine in Java Swing out of boredom. Turns out it can be used to preview and plan out CampTactics maps!

 

It is very handy for two reasons:

1. It uses the same tile scale, so it can be directly compared with a CamoTactics map, and
2. Prototype maps are fast and easily created using a simple image editor (like MS Paint). That has its advantages, since creating prototype maps with the map editor Tiled gets tedious and time consuming after a while.

Like this, I just set up a so called color key that maps one color to a texure. Who would have thought this little engine would be so useful! :)


Next week, I'm going to work on the visual stuff a bit more and (if I have something to show) make a lot of screenshots!

Status Report #7: CamoTactics is Back! - Weapon Mods, Unit Graphics, Interface

The silence around CamoTactics was mainly caused by a switch to a much better framework (March-June), followed by profound real life changes (August-September). However, since end of October, I fortunately picked up development again.

A lot has changed during that time.

The necessity of changing frameworks arose after I figured out that the input polling system was going frenzy with updates once too many bots were on the map. In fact, it didn't make any sense at all since, what does AI have to do with the fact you're pressing a key on your mouse or keyboard...? Nothing at all. What a baffling bug that was.

So that ate up much of the performance that was needed elsewhere, e.g. rendering, making the game very slow and resource-demanding. The error likely was somewhere deep, deep down in the library I was using and therefore not in my power or knowledge to fix. Restrictions imposed by the libraries' way of handling things were another issue I had.

Thus, instead of having to deal with all these problems (which likely will magnify as the game's development progresses), I decided to switch frameworks instead:

In retrospect, that decision is probably the best thing that could have ever happened to CamoTactics.

I managed to improve the overall visual appearance, for example:

• canon turrets rotating around the correct center (no more funny looking tanks!)
  

• bullets spawning at the correct canon position (no more hitting yourself with bullets!)
  

• canons finally being positioned correctly (no more canons wobbling around next to your vehicle!)
  
• smooth camera movement
  
• inventories with better functionality (no more sluggish drag 'n' drop!)
  

As you can probably tell, there is a first implementation for language support, too.

• inventory icons grow in size when hovering over them (more interactivity!)
  
• better graphics for tanks and soldiers (more eyecandy, just in time for Christmas!)
  

And yes, those are in fact different uniforms and skin colors here.

Uniforms will eventually also affect how your avatar in-game looks, too:




...and much much more, as you can probably tell! All this goes along with a variety of things I could not do before, e.g. adding glow effects, mobile port... the list goes on!

But not only visual appearance has improved.

Since libgdx makes use of your GPU, performance also made quite a leap, see the table below.



The values are approximations, using my desktop, with approximately the same circumstances. Those are enormous differences... especially considering the advantages! It's like trading in your crappy Fiat for a fast and comfortable Mercedes - which is pretty neat!

Migrating the game to the new framework also made me realize how crappy the old one actually was. If you ever get into gamedev: spare yourself a lot of work and choose your tools wisely. Means: don't drive a Fiat if you can have a Mercedes.

Despite of not being able to run CamoTactics from the period from September till December, I was able to do some important changes to the source code that were long overdue (I was just not able to test it). But I want to discuss that and a possible next release in next week's article.

Full development can resume now, as I just got new awesome hardware!

(I can play Fallout 4 on this!)

Look forward to more regular updates! Thanks for staying with me and following CamoTactics!

Stay tuned!