Voxel Game development - Creatures and Spells

...for gameplay has been achieved.
My voxel engine (written in Rust using the Bevy game engine), has finally a core gameplay loop implemented!
Sponsor: Quadratic - The Data Science Spreadsheet
Check out the project on Github: github.com/quadratichq/quadra...
View open jobs here: careers.quadratic.to
Whilst I've previously only programmed voxel engine technologies like
hot reloadable rust code, ambient occlusion, block texturing, mesh generation, multithreading etc... I'm now shifting focus to gameplay development.
In this devlog, I go into detail how I implement game AI and spells.
The AI library I'm using is a Bevy plugin called big-brain. The spell system is completely self made, which I might release in the future once it's stable.
My discord group:
/ discord
Want to support me?
Patreon: / tantandev
Monero: 43Ktj1Bd4Nkaj4fdx6nPvBZkJewcPjxPB9nafnepM7SdGtcU6rhpxyLiV9w3k92rE1UqHTr4BNqe2ScsK1eEENvZDC3W1ur
Resources (The tech I'm using)!
bevy game engine: bevyengine.org/
game_stat: github.com/TanTanDev/game_stat
physics (3D and 2D): github.com/dimforge/rapier
inspector ui (runtime tweaking): github.com/jakobhellermann/be...
hot reloading using dlls/so files: docs.rs/dlopen/latest/dlopen/
benchmarking: github.com/bheisler/criterion.rs
world generation: my own custom implementation is not open source at the moment.
other rust libraries, that I recommend:
game engine: github.com/not-fl3/macroquad
Graphics rendering api: wgpu.rs/
multithreading: github.com/zesterer/lagoon
profiling: crates.io/crates/profiling, using Optick feature
#tantan #gamedev #voxelgame

[@Tantandev]

Let's show Quadratic some love for supporting rust developers, by at least staring their github page! github: github.com/quadratichq/quadratic careers page: careers.quadratic.to/

[@woosix7735]

looks cool!

[@nicholasmolen9662]

This is actually the first sponsor ad in any video that I've been happy to check out. I've been looking for something like this

[@marvin_dale]

I've found having a build first refactor later mentality helpful too. If I spend too much time thinking of the best ways to do things I end up doing nothing, nice video!

[@Tantandev]

Yeah consciously thinking: build first refactor later. Helped me a lot with avoiding analysis paralysis

[@rpxdytx]

I am a developer that is so lazy, that philosophy for writing code was: Build first. Refactor on 30th February

[@gamedevcraig]

@@Tantandev it also gives you a real world test case. You can see the result you’re looking for and figure out if that is the result you’re going for or if you need to tweak it. Once know this you can figure out the appropriate level of abstraction.

[@eboatwright_]

TANTAN! Love these videos, and can't wait until this version gets into playtesting! Also, congrats on another sponsor!

[@fractalcounty]

I just recently got into game development with zero programming background, so the work you’re doing is essentially black magic to me. Still, it’s insanely fascinating and I love seeing your creative approaches to problem solving. Thanks for making these awesome videos

[@CreativeSteve69]

I have been loving these videos a ton lately. Keep it up Tantan.

[@s.sviatoslav]

You are doing here some cool stuff! It’s hard to tell what drives you, but please continue ❤

[@duduken20]

Even tho I never used Rust I love your projects and enthusiasm! Good luck!

[@Skeffles]

Great devlog! Really cool to see some combat and AI in your game.

[@karzhartz1327]

Your videos are always amazing and inspire me...thanks

[@mraine9266]

Eyyy that's awesome, I was waiting for Your upload. Part of my game's design is also based around something like spells that can do practically everything. Possibilities that system like this can create are really awesome. My current implementation focuses on adding them to equipment and equipment modifiers and later on I will use them to create certain situations, for example spawn enemies near a village to make a siege scenario. It's awesome to see, that You are doing something similar

[@draido-dev]

Can't believe that you finnaly share some new news about the voxel engine 😄 never give up 🙂 btw just wanna ask something, when you start did you get views like now? Just sayin' 🙂

[@Tantandev]

views like now? hmm... well no, after 1 year doing youtube I believe I had about 2000 subscribers, it's truly an exponential growth, I had to spend a year to get decent enough on KZbin, with the knowledge from that time, things started picking up

[@brodown64]

I’ve been trying Bevy for a bit becuz of your vids and have been thinking about making devlogs for my game, keep it up

[@terry-]

Nice, your videos of using Rust for games definitely spiked my interest for learning Rust at some point (when I have time xD). I'm a game developer too. Something that helped me a lot to be more of a "game develop" than a "game engine developer" was studying game design, prototypes and target audience and play-testing, for you know, make a game that someone will want to play and enjoy, hahaha. Good videos. Cheers!

[@halotroop2288]

I'm really liking what I've seen so far in this series. I found this channel while I was looking for components to use for my own Rust project, since that's what I'm learning now. And my end goal (after learning all these) is actually really similar. I want to make a voxel game, too. And the way you're going about it really interests me! Keep up the good work. ❤

[@Tantandev]

Oh sweeet!

[@renatocesar9972]

nice video. The spell system is gorgeous

[@doce3609]

Banger video again. Love the Rust content. 👍 Keep doing what you do AND ... Etcetera

[@WitherBossEntity]

Nice editor choice btw

[@Tantandev]

absolutely love Helix!

[@jonathanadamsson6201]

Jag är alltid imponerad över hur dedikerad du är till ditt projekt! Ser fram emot varje ny video : ) Har lekt lite med Rust och även Bevy tack vare dig

[@Tantandev]

oj, kul kul!

[@MartyRob]

Great upload! :) thank you

[@twomur_]

i really love the idea of your magic system for your game this sounds sick!! spell idea: you can shoot a slow water ball out and the more water spells you shoot at it, the bigger it grows! the bigger the ball = more damage

[@Gandalf_the_Black_]

I've been giving the build first refact later mentality a go, but I've only done the building so far. It mostly works, but I'm dreading the refactoring!

[@costelinha1867]

Cool to see the voxel game still being updated, I myself am thinking of starting a new project possibly. But I think I'll use some other framework like Macroquad instead of the Bevy engine, just for the sake of it. (And also cuz I think it will be closer to the pygame experience I was used to, still love the ECS tho.)

[@theseatoad]

I always use Minecraft sounds for prototyping too

[@djeanql]

Vad kul!

[@lolcat69]

Finally a new video :)

[@pohyart]

I cannot help it, but the crab, of all things, should be your friend/companion! :D

[@zaixrx]

Great!

[@supercrazy9060]

You had been mentioned in Dani!

[@philtoa334]

So Kool : Crab Melee .

[@niuage]

Must be hard to wrap your head ECS at the beginning, but damn, your videos really make me want to try it.

[@spacefishaviation276]

Very cool. I like voxels, little squares but not squares actually cubes.

[@ilyabasisty]

Hi, thanks for your wonderful videos. They really motivate me to continue studying bevy for my home projects) I have a small question. How and where do you plan tasks for yourself and keep records of current affairs? Whether you use kanban or stops at notes in a notebook.

[@Tantandev]

I'm not super consitant with setting up and sticking with tasks, but I use a website called: hacknplan

[@dialog_box]

4:52 i'm embarrassed to admit how long it took me to realize he was saying cast not cost

[@jacques-dev]

Yay ❤

[@titaniumtomato7247]

Well I think the transition shader is very cool and sexy

[@nomadshiba]

wish there was something like bevy, like data-orientated, on rust, plain and cool, but not bevy

[@Jkauppa]

priority state machine (minecraft-like) is easy to make, no external libs required

[@Jkauppa]

game named "noita" (witch) should be fun game mechanics

[@Jkauppa]

in 3d voxels tho, its a 2d game

[@TeslaPixel]

9:13 Would this not be improved by giving each spell an animation property and matching over that? For example, a 'punch', a 'fire punch' and a 'water punch' may all use the same creature / player animation, just with a different (or none at all) emitted projectile.

[@shm236]

@Tantan have a twitch? I'd watch live dev from him, seems like a fun dude.

[@lixou]

tantan video :D

[@diadetediotedio6918]

I do like GOAP for AI, it is very smarty but costly

[@shmoopey1650]

Nice ironman armor

[@RoamingAdhocrat]

I saw a mud-crab the other day.

[@Tantandev]

that is very pog!

[@hbarudi]

In your game, can the player add and remove blocks and make builds?

[@echoptic775]

Is there a chance to share the ai code, at least the farming simulator one?

[@qu765]

You probably won't do this, but Ive always though that too many voxel games have the same _voxel resolution._ Ive always though that *4 blocks per the height of the player* (or 1 block = 1 foot for even higher resolution) would be much more interesting, because then plants can have branches and similar stuffs. Might not fit the vib of your game though.

[@williamwallace234]

0:31 every game I've ever made!

[@mardev2967]

Would be co if the enemies who picked up these weapons could learn the spells too. Then you could keep feeding a crab equipment until it becomes a super wizard

[@Tantandev]

No way I'm gonna add cosmetics for every creature, but you comment makes me imagine seeing a crab in full armor+shield+staff, that would be a sight to see haha

[@ValerioZryan]

I will learn rust

[@ColinFox]

at 1:00, your code has a typo. You have `jump_strenght` instead of `jump_strength`

[@elmer5455]

kung

[@Chloroxite]

Wait... Is this gonna be cube world??

[@3bomb]

🦀 CRAB 🦀

[@waterisaneurotoxin7788]

No spell crafting?

[@mwang3875]

Hello Heath Ledger

[@heraclitoqsaldanha6133]

🦀

[@rmcoutinho]

*Voxel Game*

[@aqua-bery]

Why do you prefer Ubuntu over other distros and windows? Edit: It's Pop!_OS not Ubuntu

[@kaczok61]

It's PoP_OS

[@Tantandev]

I enjoy doing things in the terminal (opening up my projects, file management is all faster in terminal) Window handling works better (PopOS has vim-motions built in) I dualboot however, when I need windows specific things like video editing. Windows + PopOS.

[@aqua-bery]

@@Tantandev ah makes sense, I used to use pop_os on my laptop but currently I run nobara. It's mostly because i still haven't found something that works perfectly for me

[@aqua-bery]

@@kaczok61 my bad I'll edit the comment

[@kaczok61]

@@aqua-bery Both of them are Debian based distros so it's not huge mistake

[@fraser21]

I feel like all the .step .when style code could be made WAAAAAYYYYY nicer by rewriting your AI into a coroutine.

[@dvd6795]

Wouldn't make it funny and challenging if the crabs picking up wands and casting enough spell can learn the spell forever like the player? Like if a crab picks up the fireball wand and cast 10 fireballs all crabs for the rest of the game can cast fireballs all over the world!!This way the player have to make sure not to let some random crab with a wand alive for too much time...

[@Tantandev]

haha, I feel like that would be very hard to balance, and I feel like that would only ever make sense, if the crab had a baby, inheriting the spell knowledge, but I'll probably not have mating in the game lol

[@thexadgaming]

First!

[@clonkex]

Congrats on pronouncing etc correctly lol. Most people say "ek cetera" for some reason, even though there's clearly a "t" in "et".

[@Nolanyoyo]

4th

[@CamdenVaughan]

I’m always having to tell myself to stop optimizing

[@swanandx]

Build first, refactor never. If it works, don't touch it 🤣

[@process-env]

why is everyone calling it voxelengine even though the development uses polygons?

[@roryb.bellows8617]

In what world is this from scratch? You’re using a full ass engine

[@Tantandev]

The entire voxel engine, I made as an external library, all the rendering atm is custom written. The entire spell system is also an external library, with optional bevy support. Bevy gives me a powerfull ecs amongst some other things, I'm not gonna do every single thing from scratch.

[@oamioxmocliox8082]

69th comment. ;)

[@noahprussia7622]

Imbalanced audio, favors right side

Rust is so incredibly ugly, one of the biggest blockers for me. Imagine rust with C++ or even TS -like syntax.