Alpha on the Horizon

Hey Everyone!

Exciting progress to report on my Tridimensional Chess project! This week has been focused on getting the core gameplay loop and networking up and running, and I'm thrilled to say both are now functional!

Gameplay Progress:

I've successfully implemented piece movement, capturing, and pawn promotion.  I've also managed to get the attack boards working correctly.  This was extra tricky getting all the children pieces to follow along and relocate, but I was able to find a solution and now attack boards are in play!

Networking Success!

Perhaps the biggest win this week was getting the network functionality working. Players can now connect to a game server and play against each other. I opted using Godots high level networking for communication, and using Noray to bypass necessary port forwarding.  This was a bit of a learning curve, but I managed to implement a system for player identification, game state synchronization, and handling disconnections gracefully. There's still room for improvement in terms of network optimization and security, but the foundation is there. I'm particularly excited about the potential for cross-platform play down the line.

Next Steps:

• Refine Gameplay: Implement move validation, check detection, and consider adding special rules like castling and en passant.
• UI/UX Improvements: The current UI is very basic. I plan to create a more visually appealing and user-friendly interface. This includes improving the 3D board representation and adding clear indicators for game state (e.g., whose turn it is, check status).
• AI Opponent: A single-player mode with an AI opponent is definitely on the roadmap.
• Testing and Balancing: Thorough testing is essential. I'll be looking for playtesters to help identify bugs and balance issues.

I'm incredibly excited about the progress I've made this week. Getting the core gameplay and networking functional is a huge step forward. Stay tuned for more updates as I continue to develop Tridimensional Chess!

Thanks for reading!

Quiet :)