Hi there everybody! The Camelot project is progressing well. This month I’ve been polishing it up a lot, fixing bugs and testing on android. The game is working, the AI is working nicely on both PC and android, all the UI graphics and animations are done and the sound effects are in place.

What’s left to go? The online multiplayer is a bit tricky to get working. Currently, you have to host a server yourself via PC and other players on android or PC can connect directly to you. This often requires some port forwarding on a local network though- something which users may find off-putting. Ideally, a master server system which both PC and android can connect to via their internet connections would solve a lot of this. But unfortunately a system like that would be costly and require maintenance.

But despite this complication, the multiplayer is working when tested locally, which is great. Network multiplayer on PC and android might be a feature that’s just there if you want to dive into it, rather than a game-selling one. I hadn’t ventured into multiplayer gaming before this project, and my tools and knowledge are limited.

The iOS version will sidestep this issue by using iOS’s GameCenter matchmaking system. The iOS version is next on the list, and should be quite straightforward now I have an android version working to a good standard.

Apart from that, there really isn’t a whole lot more to do. I’m still playtesting a lot and coming across bugs to squish, but I think the big ones are fixed. I’m really happy with how it looks and plays, the sound and animations really add a lot to the feel of the gameplay. The AI is decent now, as far as my ability is concerned. They still occasionally screw up on the last play, something which I’ll continue to work on.

This project has been great to work on, I’ve learned so much. The AI in particular was by far the biggest challenge. There’s still a bit to go- I find the last 5% of game development can often take the longest/be the most challenging. As soon as you fix one thing, something else goes wrong, it’s a bit like whack-a-mole with bugs. But we’ve really got an awesome little game for you here!