After roughly 24 hours of coding, I've removed and fixed every error in the game and added a few other optimizations as well. This is unedited gameplay footage WITHOUT any editing or loading screens. #coding #gamedev #programming #godot #solodev #indiedev

#coding #godot #programming #gamedev #indiedev #code

MAJOR optimization updates should be coming to this next update. There aren't any MAJOR hiccups so far outside of a few priority issues in controls causing crashes (i did a dum-dum and forgot to have 'no input' periods during screen transitions), but I aim to please and respect lower-specked users.

Soooooo my Debugger's kinda angry with me since I haven't really fixed any of these issues since I started working on this game..... Next major update is gonna be a while since I want to get these problems cleaned up for future development. #coding #gamedev #indiedev #solodev #gamedev #programming

Second playtest is done, this one on a drastically outdated computer. Found a lot of optimization bottlenecks which I'll hopefully fix before the next update. If anyone is interested in playtesting my game while I watch on video chat, listen to input, and ask questions, feel free to message me!

My very first time watching someone playtest my game, and the first thing @u9-artimus.bsky.social draws after discovering terrain manipulation is a phallus. We as humans are such simple-minded creatures. #gamedev #indiedev #coding #programming

Star Dancers v0.0.014 is AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD! A lot of QoL updates for players, plus multiple optimizations and bug fixes! kryptickralo.itch.io/star-dancers... #indiedev #gamedev #solodev #space #survival #programming #coding #godot

Star Dancers v0.0.0.14 will be dropped tomorrow sometime, and use any feedback to semi-polishing a few things before I start adding more content to the game! For now, however, I must sleep.

It's such a simple thing, but finally having an icon for my game just makes it feel so.... official? It's hard to explain.

The next Star Dancers update will add a lot of QoL additions and planet save data. Also made a LOT of backend improvements, totally NOT because I haven't organized a single thing since starting this game over a year ago and threw everything in the main file.....

Organized as much as I (my attention span) could, and managed to hook everything else back up with minimal effort. Shoutout to the @godotengine.org UID system for making project management a little easier. Now I'm no longer sifting though my files like:

Clean, simple, and efficient, just as God intended: #gamedev #godot #solodev #programming

Me sifting through my game's almost archaic files back from when I was starting to learn Godot.

Before releasing the next update, I'm going to trim down and organize the game's files TREMENDOUSLY beforehand. I've been disorganized and just throwing scripts and scenes everywhere since the start. Then I get to do it all over again! 😅

Finally implimented PLANETARY save data. It works by only saving the blocks you've modified, cutting down on load times and file size simultaniously. #gamedev #indiedev #solodev #space #godot #coding #programming #StarDancers #survival

I've DRASTICALLY underestimated the complexity of planet orbits using my current system, so I'm now working on Planetary Exploration. Currently working on a save data system for terrain manipulation. Here's the first test, which KINDA works aside from registering proper border tiles.

Good News: There isn't really any good news. 😅 Bad News: After tinkering with my previous idea, I've discovered that the whole star system can't function on the scale I wanted, even when scaled down to x0.025 of the initial scale.

Making a couple more changes for simplicity. The reason I developed the current coordinates system was because I was smooth brained and didn't consider scaling down assets to avoid floating precision issues in Godot. If I scale it down, I won't even need to reposition everything between chunks.

One of the biggest problems I've had with Star Dancers is the coordinates system in space, which was previously gauged using sprite initial sizes and thus made distances and coordinates ALL types of wonkey. It was also the SECOND thing I developed in the game, and although I managed to get it to...

This month's snowy weather in a nutshell:

Growth is when you look back on yourself and cringe, and should be taken with pride. Just peeked back at my coordinates system and instantly felt disgusted at how jank it was. Gonna to a little rework of it, I owe my future self that respect.

A little peak at how the block system calculates Collision Boxes. Each mass of blocks is essentially one big box that recalculates it's shape each time a block in it is modified. Was a pain in the rear to work out, but it runs fairly well so far.

Fixed an issue with the game crashing because I'm an idiot and forgot to START PLAYERS WITH AN ACTUAL STARSHIP!!! You live and you learn, I guess. 😅

This recent release has been shedding a LOT of light on my developing flaws, and it's been a big help in making future releases more user friendly. This is why play testers are critical for development. If there's something they can't figure out, it's likely a development flaw on OUR end.

Star Dancers: Seeds of Eternity OUT NOW! I even added a few buttons to my socials, AND a feedback form for anyone who wants to offer suggestions, point out bugs, or share lasagna recipes with me. kryptickralo.itch.io/star-dancers... #gamedev #indiedev #coding #pixel #solodev #programming #gaming

I, uh, might need to fix that.....

Me: Spends DAYS working on a simple mechanic, barely making it functional when it only should have taken me 10-15 minutes. Also Me: Pumps out feature after feature and optimizes multiple scripts in the span of a few hours. Star Dancers v0.0.0.13 will probably be released this evening. 😅

ACCURATE(ish) PLANETARY ORBITS ARE UP AND RUNNING! The video's x1,000,000 speed for preview purposes, and so you can see the elliptical orbit showing the push and pull of celestial masses based on their distance from the sun. #gamedev #space #indidev #solodev #coding #programming #pixelart

I'm HOPING to have Star Dancers v0.0.0.13 out by the end of the month (possibly by Monday, the 26th), which will put more functionality into the Galaxy Map and offer a lot of quality of life improvements for navigation. The next few updates will likely revolve around optimization and debugging.

Just did a LOT of studying about mass, orbits, rotations, sun stages, and I honestly don't think the orbit system that I'm aiming for is going to be as difficut to acheive as I thought. Orbits/Years themselves are fairly straightforward. Rotations/Days are, generally speaking, chaos.

YOOOOOOOO, LET'S GOOOOOOOO!!!!!! I managed to finally unique planetary orbits working!!! This is obviously just a "bare bones" debug setup, but it's a start. Gods I hate math. #coding #programmer #indiedev #solodev #gamedev

The planets themselves aren't really lining up themselves, BUUUUUT, at least I'm getting somewhere.

So I've made a LITTLE progress so far. I managed to generate non-circular orbits earlier, but I had issues with them lining up with planets properly in the way I wanted. If I can JUST get some unique orbits working, I'll consider it a win. The math for orbit times can wait.

Soooo.... I might get a little mad sometimes when I'm coding. I plan on running through and 'cleaning up' my code when I get closer to an official release, I promise. 😆 Each picture has an ALT description attatched giving a little context behind it. #solodev #indiedev #coding #programming #gamedev

So I kinda hit a wall with implementing the advanced orbit system, so if I don't make any progress with it today I'll take a break and work on something else. Best case scenario: I actually do it. Worst case scenario: I simplify things for now and go back to it later when I know better.

I used to work as a night-shift Patient Care Technition, and one of my favorite things to do when waking up patients to take vitals was saying: "Hello, we've been trying to reach out to you concerning your car's extended warranty!" Those that didn't laugh when getting the reference were like:

So I just discovered that I did not, in fact, have my inbox open. It was just set to accept people I follow. 😅 Should be fixed now, my bad!

Star Dancers DOES use AI in its development, but I like to maintain transparency in HOW it's used. TL;DR: AI is used in debugging and personal learning. I DO NOT use, nor have any intention to use AI for anything front-end related content like art or music. kryptickralo.itch.io/star-dancers...

I've managed to make a *little* progress with the orbit system. I've got the core mechanics down for orbit, it's just a matter of math tinkering, testing and stubbornness. And coffee, lots of coffee. Gods I wish I paid attention in math class back in Highschool.

Okay, I think I've decided to start working on Planetary Orbits, which TECHNICALLY means I lied about being done with the Galaxy Map but 🤷 This is going to SUCK, especially since I'm trying to do big-brain math on tiny brain. When I say orbit, I'm not JUST talking circular.

You can now select planets by clicking on them, is a tip I garnered from a friend a few days ago. I'm embarrassed at how long this took me. Now that Map functionality is complete (for now), I need to figure out what to work on next. I'm kinda bad at planning😅 #indiedev #gamedev #StarDancers #space

A little bit about myself. -hobbyist indie dev -Work in mental health field. -Night shift (F) -Fav games are Sonic, Monhun, NO Man's Sky, Terraria -Caffeinated Bean Broth Enjoyer - Love 2 eat -Artist on occasion -Kinda foul-mouthed -Also kinda dumb, idfk

If you ever hear me complaining about player feedback, just know that I TRULY AM appreciative and respect your opinions. I'm just American, and thus genetically obligated to bitch about every slightest inconvenience despite living in a first world country. Legit tho, I love you all. Stay hydrated.

Personal Game Dev Tip: Don't fully develop games on state-of-the-art hardware. A lot of devs (especially AAA) use modern game tech as a crutch to offset bad optimization, then blame it on "bad PC specs", which is flat-out disrespectful to less fortunate gamers. #RespectYourPlayersTech

I may be pouring a little TOO much love into the map mechanics. Added the ability to zoom in and out and focus on individual planets. Also changed around the UI to allow you to focus on the system's sun itself. #indiedev #gamedev #Godot #StarDancers #Space

Updated the map to only display Scanned and Visited Planets in a Star System. Undiscovered planets will be replaced with an 'Undiscovered Planet' shader, and have their names other other details omitted. #indiedev #gamedev #StarDancers #solodev #godot

The Brainrot System: One of the funnier Star Systems I've come across while working on my game.

Finally modified the save system to keep track of player's last visited star systems. Needed to make the system flexible since the save files grow similar to that of Noita or Starbound where data is generated ONLY after visiting new areas. #indiedev #gamedev #godot #space #gamedev

FINALLY BACK TO DEVELOPING AGAIN!!! -Added a lot of stuff I'm too lazy to regale here, more info in the link! Simply put, you can now explore the barebones of the galaxy. Game still sucks tho.... kryptickralo.itch.io/star-dancers... #gamedev #indiedev #godot #solodev #StarDancers

I'm still working on Star Dancers, but development has slowed down due to a LOT of things happening in my personal life. In the meantime, here's the beginnings of Terrain Manipulation! #stardancers #screenshotsaturday #indiedev #gamedev #godot