If you read this blog, you'll know I had a crack at Java which if I'm honest, is above me. I have no doubt that if I devoted enough time and energy to it, I could get a reasonable grip on it, but the whole idea of me getting back into coding was to create things, and I don't really want to put myself through learning a whole new language (again) to do that. Making a windows application in itself wasn't too hard - I did make an app where the user could click a button which would generate two random numbers, add them together, then display the result (all in a fancy window) - but when it comes to graphics and animation, it's a whole different ball game altogther.
So I'm back on familiar territory with my DBPro GUI. I want to look into AI (artificial intelligence) coding, but I'm not going to kid myself that I'm capable of making anything mind blowing. Just a simple 'target acquisition - tracking - movement' style thing will do me to start with. But I also want it to take the form of something I love, and that means a game of some sort. So I have an idea for my first test program.
It will involve a user-controlled character and a number of computer-controlled ones. The idea (at first) will be to avoid the NPC's (non-player characters) by moving away from them. Don't get me wrong, when I say "character" I mean "coloured square" or something. Start with the basics I say. I hope to get the NPC's to track and move towards the player, but at the same time, not move over each other. I think that's more than enough to be getting on with!
I also have some ideas that can be thrown into the mix later on, and for that reason, I am calling this project...
Zommers! (Cue theatrical soundbite)*
*If you're an internet geek like me, take this soundbite as being the music from Dramatic Hamster..
