Devlog #11.2: Trailer Logic and Pathfinding

I’ve almost finished all the vehicle logic.

Pathfinding

A working pathfinding system is now in place using AStarGrid2D. This system works with vehicles both with and without trailers, and handles both on-road and off-road navigation.

Trailers

Trailers can now couple to vehicles with the correct hitch and follow them around in a realistic manner. The coupling mechanics work as they would in real life.

Finishing Touches

The vehicle logic still needs some fine-tuning, and I haven’t tested it yet with every vehicle type. I still need to implement the articulation system for the articulated dump truck.

Devlog #11: Vehicle logic

I am currently working on the vehcile logic

Vehicle logic

There are alot of variables now that determain the behavier off the vehicles like engine and weight

Sprite scaling

I have fixed the scaling of the sprites.

Last things for the vehicle logic

I still need to implement the trailer logic and pathfinding.

Devlog #10: Factory logic

Just returnt from vacation, and i forgot to make a devlog before i went so i dont fully know anymore what i changed.

Factory logic

I have implemented the core factory system. Factories can now receive resources, process them and output the procesed resource. I haven’t fully tested the logic yet since the UI and vehicle systems ( needed for input/output) aren’t complete.

More

I have probebly done more but i dont know anymore because i have been a way for a week.

What is next

My next priority is implementing vehicle logic, but first i need to fix vehicle sprite scaling. Currently all vehicles are 11px wide, which makes a dump truck as wide as a car. I want to make everything a consistent scale (probably 5px = 1m) and update all sprites accordingly for a more realistic appearance.

Devlog #9: Supplychain

Been working on the supplychain structere last 2 days, including new sprites

Factorys

I have made new factory sprites. All sprites are new i am not realy happy with how the steel and wire mill look but the rest look prety good i think.

Resources

I have also added a couple new resources their are 4 resource types now: copper, coal, gold, iron. The resources spauwn in mixed vains on the map determent by a NoiseTexture2D.

What next

I am now gooing to work on the logic for the factorys and i want to take a nother look at shadows because the didnt work last time but i have found a otherway to do it i want to try.

Devlog #8.1: UI and lighting

Today i have been focesing on the inviorment

UI

I have now linked up the hole UI. In the last devlog I had already shown the ui but now it also linked up properly with the game.

Day Night cycle

I am currently implementation a dynamic day/night cycle. Right now, the timing and transitions aren’t lining up the way I want them to, so i still need to do some fine tuning .

Shaders / shadows

This is where I’ve been strugeling. I’ve been trying to figure out how to implement proper 2D shadows. The issue is that the built in directional shadows in Godot aren’t really designed for top-down games. They make the sun’s shadows look infinitely long and completely distort the perspective. Every custom solution I’ve tried so far looks terrible. I’ve easily spent about 5 hours making custom shaders making a static shadow, but I’m still stuck.

If you have any experience with top down 2D lighting or custom shadow shaders in Godot, please let me know in the comments!

I could really use some help right now. The biggest problem is that the fastNoiseLite texture doesnt calculate the same in the shader as via the cpu which is also the thing that is hindering me in the ovelays.

Devlog #8: Made UI

Been working on the UI this weekend. its nothing special yet but it is good enough for now.

Garage menu

I have made a menu where you can see all your vehicles. It is pretty simple but i need it for programming the vehicles.

Shop UI

I have made a shop ui where you can buy the actual vehicles. The are sorted by type. You can see the stats and capabilities and you can decide if you want to buy the vehicles or if you want to finance it.

Exstended selected tile UI

I have also made some improvments and additions to the selected tile ui, you can now choose a variant if the selceted tiles has them like the factory. You can also see what number is connected to what if you hover over the ui.

Overlay

I am also working on a overlay so you can see the height, temperature and humidity I am doing this with a shader but it is not working how i expected at the moment because the shader doesn’t line up with my terrain.

Devlog #7: Fresh foundation

As i mentioned in devlog #6, i am rebuilding the game in godot. I am almost done with the essentials and development has already almost doubled in speed.

World generation

I have build a biome system using three noise textures to determine temperature, altitude, and humidity. Each tile uses these values to determine which biome gets drawn. This means the world has natural variation and will hopefully look less boring. It also sets up the foundation for biome specific resources and mechanics down the line forcing players to make a bigger network.

Road placement System

You can now place roads this works with terrainSets which makes it easyer to draw roads. Roads are the only thing you can place for now.

Vehicle Pathfinding

I’ve also made a simple pathfinding script using the built-in NavigationAgent2D. The destinations are hardcoded for now. I’ve heard AStarGrid2D might be better suited for grid-based pathfinding in my case, so I’ll be researching how to implement that.

What i still have to add

Before I’m back where I was with the Greenfoot version, I still need to add:

• The factorys and their system
• The trailers physics
• The garage menu
• A couple small things

devlog #6.1

Terrain

I am almost finnished with the prosidural generation of the map which is gooing to make for way more variation in the game and beter planing were to place youre base.

Develog #6: switching engines

Spent the last week trying to fix the UI and physics in Greenfoot, and honestly? It’s just not happening. Greenfoot wasn’t really built for games like this the UI support is basically non-existent, and getting clickable buttons to work properly is way more of a pain than it should be. And i decided it was no longer wordt fighting for.
So I’m switching to Godot. I’ve made some prototypes in it before, so at least I know the basics, and it’s way better suited for what I’m trying to build. The downside is development is gonna be paused for about a week while I set everything back up and rewrite some stuff. But after that? Should be able to move way faster, which will hopefully make up for the lost time.

Devlog #5: Major System Overhaul—Resource Economy & Vehicle Expansion

it has been a bit since my last devlog i have some major changes this version. It is nowhere near done yet but it is almost playable. here is what changed:

Added two new resources

I have added sand and gravel that are used in multiple new recipes

Changed the economy: from currency to resources

I got rid of the money system because it gave the ability of players just focusing on one resource. Now players need to use all the resources like iron ore, copper ore, sulfer ore, sand, gravel and many more. You have to mine all resources and process them
This forces the player to actually spent time making a supplychain with diffrent mines and factories. This way it feels less as a idle and more like a managing game.

Added new factories

I have added new factories using the factory system i made last time these factories all require two or more inputs. Some factories make concrete from gravel and sand, others make PCBs and other compilicated stuff.
I plan to add more in the future but for now it is way beter than before.

Added a bunch of vehicles

I have added multiple new vehicles:

• Bulk carriers - Can move ore and loose materials
• Flatbed trucks - Move finished products (pallets ore IBCs)
• Trailers - These can attach to diffrent vehicles and extend capacity
• Concrete truck - Transports concrete
• Construction Vehicles
  • Dozer - Removes the building
  • Excavator - Now needed for quarries
  • Asphalt Paver - Changes roads from gravel to asphalt

I am planing to add more construction vehicles so that every building needs a construction vehicle to build instead of the building just appearing out of nowere.

Rebuilt the UI

The old ui didnt fit anymore there where to many tiles and the route tab did not support construction equipment, so i made a new tile ui that groupes the tiles in road, factory and mines. I have also made a new vehicle ui which i call the garage this shows

• The vehicles you own
• The vehicle shop
• The abilities of the vehicle:
  • It can hook a trailer
  • It can carry bulk cargo
  • It can carry flatbed cargo
  • It can go offroad
  • It can destroy building
  • It can pave roads
  • It can mine

it’s way better than before but you currently cant buy the vehicles yet

Roads have levels now

Roads can be upgraded: gravel -> cement -> asphalt. Gravel roads are cheap but slow, asphalt is fast but expensive. Upgrading is expensive but can speed up your production or reduce the number of vehicles required to keep the factory full. The road level doesnt effect offroad vehicles and some vehicles may get a max speed in the futer

What i still need to do

It is the same as last time because i had to many new ideas and no motivation to implent mutch backend stuff

• Levels / progresion - It is just a sand box now
• Beter end goal - There is not realy a endgoal
• A tutorial - The game becomes increasingly complicated so hard without any guidance

Devlog #4

Finised the factory system

Finised the factory ui / recipie ui that now tracks input output and procesing time

Added new sprites for the vehicles now have 2 types a dumptruck form the drill and a flatbed to the sellpoint

Stil need to add

• Change detection system
• Levels / progresion
• Beter end goal
• A tutorial

Known bugs

• When you edit the route it deletes it self
• When you delete a route it doesnt delete the vehicles

Devlog #3

Added a factory system

it is not fully done but there is a basic factory system now so you cant just infinatly take recources from the factroy to the sell point

Devlog #2

Finshed the game

I have finnished the main gameplay loop

I still want to add:

• A tutorial
• Levels / Progresion
• More recources and factorys / recipes
• Better end goal there is nothing to save for right now
• failsave for when you delete the path with vehicle on it

Devlog #1

I have made some improvements on the game i am curently making in greenfoot (java engine) i am using this engine because i have used it before for school