Development Update #31 - The JSON/DayScript Editor - 2

Important Message here:

Hello, my patrons! How are you all doing those last weeks/months?

I know things aren't as bright as we would hope so, but please respect the quarantine times and follow the regular steps of hygiene, okay?

If you're feeling sick even if it's just a normal cold, use a mask. The masks are out of stock? Check some tutorials online on how to make your face mask. Remember, even if a Fabric mask is not as effective as the ones doctors use on hospitals, but they are better than nothing! Think about others before yourself, and I'm sure we'll all get out of this situation better and more united as human beings! Wash your hands as much as possible too ok?

Game Development Status here:

Now, I want to talk more about the Script making for my game. The JSON editor is like 80% finished. It does have some lingering issues that I CAN avoid very easily, but I will fix them. However, right now what I need is to make a system that will make it at least 50% faster the work of creating a new day or editing an existing one.

My editor now can successfully do the following: 

• Create all the nodes for the information.
• Save all the information in a structured Dictionary variable.
• Grab that information to display on an information window without making me open the windows for editions every time.
• Delete the nodes and information in a structured way, not letting any node to be shown if there's no information in that area. 
• Loads the ASSETS.JSON file from the get-go (one less step for myself to do).

My Editor still needs:

• Save the created Dictionary into a JSON file.
• Open a JSON file, read it and add all the information correctly to the editor. 
• Clear every node and every information to start a new day.
• Show some dialogs to confirm the deletion of information and nodes. (However, I spaced the buttons enough for this not to be a problem right now)
• An autosave feature, if the editor ever stops or crash, making me able to check backups and open the most recent one. The backups would be deleted after a main - save - or - new file - is clicked. 

So, right now, and I mean right now (I've been working on this editor for this entire time non-stop), I'm working on Open a new JSON file and Save the current one. I need to check if it's possible to open and save new info in a new JSON file and existing ones without losing data.

I also need to deal with any inconsistencies GODOT itself has sometimes for a software. It's a game engine after all.

I'm trying to do it as fast as I can, avoiding any dumb-safe proofing the software because it's something I'll use. As long as I can keep backups of what I do with it, if some error occurs I can fix it myself now.

Also, out of bound texts will be no longer an issue. Since this editor uses the Game as a base, it also uses the same font size and box size of the main game, and the same font too!

It has a better "persistency" of some data, so I won't need to keep clicking on Wagner's name every new dialog just because his dialog uses five boxes. 

There is still room for improvement. But it's clear for me that maybe I won't be able to finish this by day 31. 

But don't worry, my schedule was already adapted for this type of situation, and on day 1 of April, I will start Karnal's day 3 story. I will split my work time into two things then, working 6 hours on this editor, and 6 hours on the story! It will be rough, but I'm not being lazy with this quarantine situation here! You guys help me so much every month you stay here for me. So I must give you as much as I can, even if it's not playable content. Working on this editor means that I won't have the previous issues I had with the previous two, and this also means I can fix, add or remove anything wrong with it now. This will make my work 50% faster on the JSON creation. Really it took me 15 days do port everything from TEXT to the editor, just for me to see in-game that tons of boxes were out of bounds, then I had to go to the editor, split the text into two, just to see the editor wasn't "grabbing" the speaker, nor the characters used when I clicked Edit that dialog! It was painful having to select like 5 items for a character + the correct speaker for that dialog every time I had to edit a text because if I did an OK without them the values would be replaced by nothing there! 

And when I tried to add a new dialog with Wagner talking like five times in a row, and every new dialog, I had to click: Speaker - Wagner, Character - Name - Wagner, Side - Left, Animation - None, Head - Happy, Body - Full.

Every. Single. Time.

For. 3000 dialogs.

That's not something easy to do. It traumatized me SO MUCH that I had to discuss with Wagner (he's a developer too, and a pretty good one), how he did that editor and tons of tips for me to create my own accurately.

When you play the game you will see a ton of stuff happening, but you have to know, from the music playing, the animation for the dialog working, the skip, the save, everything from the visuals to the very information that will give the correct music that needs to play, the correct speaker, character, animation to be played, etc. It's all for me. Writing every single line. Crying every single time after 10 hours working, and I see no development done. 

It's harsh, but I love when it's done, and it's working. And I want to invest so much more than time in this project and others in the future. And you guys are the ones who makes this possible. Thank you so much.

I will continue working now. But I want you all to check this gif I have of the current state of the Editor. It's quite different than the previous one, I had to do a ton of stuff manually, but it's coming together quite nicely.

Well guys, thank you so much for your help. I hope you all can continue helping from now on and next month I want to bring a new alpha with more content for you guys. I wish you all a safe week and next month, and we'll see each other soon because I'm also preparing the next Monthly Thanks Message.

I also want to say here that every time I get a new patron I will say a personal thank-you on Twitter. It's another way for me to show my appreciation for your time and investment in my project and myself.

Thank you all.