Greetings, reader! It has been almost a year of maintaining this blog with my bare hands. I don't really have anything particular to say, so this post is just a random status update, like my previous ones in August and January.
Among the biggest changes: I removed the redirection pages from last year, and I added a C folder for small (one-file) games or programs I make from time to time.
Also, I wrote the simplest RSS blog feed I could write just for fun, but since it's a bit clunky (e.g. you can't click on links in there), it won't replace this blog. For now. Muhahahaha! Anyway.
Game things
I joined the latest FediJam by starting a sailing game in space. I was inspired by the Vendée Globe (famous sailing race near where I live) and Kerbal Space Program. Initially in 3D with Godot 3, this week I started remaking it in a more cartoonish, dirtier 2D look in the high_impact "game engine".
This framework is in C and very smol (my wonky prototype, which is starting to take shape, is still less than 100 kB zipped, which is relatively impressive). I especially like the built-in music format. No sampling, but the instruments can somewhat sound like a trumpet, wind, strings, epiano, and various drums. And even more compact than MIDI!
Tech things
I discovered ways to improve my workflow on my one-file C games/toys (should I have called the folder a toybox?). Neat tools/software like:
- musl-libc (a reimplementation of the standard library)
- tcc (a better compiler)
- The C script magic string, to put at the beginning of the file: #!/usr/bin/tcc -run. I can then execute the file directly. No more manual compiling!
- Functions like popen. For example, I can call aplay with it, and since aplay accepts raw audio data, I can make sounds in 3 lines of code.
Also, I made C prototypes on my smartphone with the Termux app. It's not very comfortable, but it works.
Conclusion
There is no conclusion.
See ya in the next one!