At the start you think, ah this is easy. Then as you dive in, you realize you only saw the top of the iceberg…
Changing plans
So, last time I said I would first make all the necessary assets… Well, turns out that was not the right approach. Since what I mostly need to learn is working in Godot, it makes more sense to use placeholder assets first. That way I can focus on understanding the mechanics and writing the code. And if I mess something up, it is not such a bad feeling as when you already have your final graphics in place. 😅
I am really grateful to the r/Godot community for the constant stream of new insights. And to everyone sharing free assets on itch.io — you are so kind! It really helps me dive straight into learning instead of spending all my energy on assets at the start.
On the subject of AI: I have moved away from using it to learn Godot. It just does not work for me that way. I learn much better by trying things, hitting a wall, and then actively searching for solutions.
The process so far
I now have the basic structure set up in Godot for the different screens in the game. I started with the StartScreen, since it has the fewest features and required the least code. Even so, it has already taught me a lot. I know what I want to achieve — I just do not always know how to get there yet. So I spend a lot of time switching between Godot, the Godot Documentation, and good old Google.
So far I have learned how to implement sprite animation sheets, insert text labels, and connect buttons to a script. And it has been really fun! I kind of forgot how much I enjoy learning something that genuinely has my interest. 💜
Combining stories
My overall vision is to combine the magical fairy world with a solarpunk modern world in my game. At first I was not sure how to make that work, since @itsCloudyDay and the Walk In The Forest world feel so far apart. But I found a way to make it work in the worldbuilding! 😁 I do not want to give too much away yet — it will only really become relevant if this all takes off. What I will share is that Chloe and the fairy Moira have known each other since childhood. 💜
About local AI
In the last post I mentioned looking into LM Studio instead of Ollama. But apart from using AI as a coding assistant, I also want a local AI as a personal planning assistant. Due to my autism I struggle quite a bit with planning my weeks in a way that feels balanced and does not overwhelm me. I am also working on building my own planning app, and I want to integrate AI into it. Based on my research, the approach I want to take combines Ollama, Gemma, and Open WebUI — hosted on my old Desktop, and accessible from my phone and Mac through the Open WebUI interface. I have all the steps thought out. I just need to implement the plan.
But, as you might know, real life sometimes gets in the way. So stay tuned for more coding adventures soon! 💜