2024 Year In Review
It turns out 2024 was actually a productive year, who would’ve thought?! Packages, websites, servers, apps, and more!
While we haven’t released any major works such as videogames, we do have this snazzy new website and some work behind the scenes on servers for future, complex functionality. And a game hot in the oven, too! 😉
Read on for more information about what BigfootDS has been up to in 2024!
Released This Year
1. New BigfootDS Website
You can read all about this one over here: Website Overhaul, 29th December 2024
TLDR: New tech stack for some nice improvements to how the website behaves, and a more-solid groundwork for more-complex future features.
2. SuperCamo Package
A file-based NoSQL database system, built to basically be like MongoDB but in offline, embeddable or installable open-source applications.
In webdev, you would typically use MongoDB (and MongooseJS) as a NoSQL database - the database would live in some cloud-managed system, and your server would make requests to do data operations needed for your server and website functionality. That use case makes sense.
But the use cases I’m looking at (FOSS installable apps, as well as games) aren’t really compatible with MongoDB licensing. Or if they are now, then the idea that a business will change licensing on a whim to cause harm to my projects (looking at you, Unity) is not a position I want to be in again.
3. MiraBox Stream Deck Icon Pack
Basically just a “wait, I can do this?” resource pack for a stream deck. Probably works with the Elgato Stream Deck, or at least the raw graphic assets can be ported across to them - but the MiraBox stream decks are a fraction of the price of Elgato decks and just as easy to develop for!
If you want to use icons on your stream deck just like mine, then that resource pack is available for you to install and enjoy.
4. Unity Semver Updater Package
As part of some updates to the [Unity Automated Semver] GitHub Action this year, I split out some of the functionality into a standalone NPM package. This allows for some easier iterative development without disrupting anybody’s usage of the GitHub Action.
The GitHub Action went through a big overhaul this year, but it’s technically “Alex Stormwood” work - one day I’ll move that repository over into the BigfootDS account, but not any time soon. It turns out that there’s a few games studios actively using the action on projects for games consoles, so it’s even more important that this package to split the logic away from the action exists now!
5. NPM Compliance Helper Package
This is more of a “made for ourselves, put publicly for ease of usage” situation. We want to be able to appropriately credit the developers of NPM packages in things like games that are built with their usage, and existing NPM licensing/attribution/compliance tools weren’t creating outputs that I was hoping for. So, I’ve made a package to help shape some attribution data into a format that is easier for my games to use!
6. Branding Asset Repository
BigfootDS branding logos and other resources in one single “source of truth” location. Mostly a “made for ourselves, put pubicly for ease of usage” thing again, but still! 😉
7. BigfootDS Custom JavaScript Fetch Function Package
This is mostly a “made for education purposes, but actually I should use this in my own work too” thing. Adding custom request headers to every JavaScript fetch request should be easy - and it kinda is, but it’s really just tedious. So making a package that keeps that clutter organised away from the projects that need the custom headers just makes things nicer overall.
Axios? Nah. Minimise dependencies! Make your own dependencies so that you have more-secure and less-bloated dependency chains in your projects!
8. ReactJS Gamepad Utilities Package
This is really, really, “work in progress” - but it’s technically usable as it is now.
I’m building a videogame using webdev technologies. Some things just aren’t in a nice, polished state like what you’d find in game engines.
I miss Unity’s “New Input System”, but am really cautious about Unity as a business. Fantastic engine, terrible business. So, this package is part of me trying to get some engine-level features happening in non-engine projects.
It currently reads gamepad data - it’s a solid foundational package, and I want to build more-complex gamepad packages on top of it. Those will be “coming soon”, and needed for Patron Simulator to cover its Steam Deck platform compatibility!
9. BigfootDS Authentication Server Rebuild
Private source code, nothing to see publicly yet, but the server is deployed and running. Just need to update the new BigfootDS website to use it!
Overhauled with a nicer, easier-to-maintain architecture and tech stack, with TypeScript through it all now as well. Now, the authentication microservice’s tech stack is basically: TypeScript + ExpressJS + Bruno + Swagger + MongooseJS (MongoDB) + Postmark Email Integrations.
Started or Progress Made This Year
1. Godot Semver Updater
This is technically multiple things:
- One NPM package to parse and write Godot project settings files
- One NPM package to perform semver updates based on define update rules
- One GitHub Action to contain and use both of the above packages
Project settings parsing and semver updating are working - the project settings files are nothing crazy, and the semver update systems copied from the Unity Automated Semver GitHub Action and Unity Semver Updater NPM package mean I’m not starting from scratch here.
I got to the point of having to choose where the project version property of a Godot project should live within the Godot project settings file, since Godot projects (at the time of writing) do not have one built-in or standardised. Making that a customisable option would be a tiny bit of work, but is likely what I’d need to do there.
2. Sourcepool
The TTRPG content manager for self-hosted content lovers. Basically aiming to be a Jellyfin of homebrew TTRPG content.
Made some progress on this, then realised I would benefit from having an open-source alternative to MongoDB involved, so I went and made SuperCamo. Circling back to this project would likely involve an overhaul via TypeScript now, too!
3. Patron Simulator
Started a smaller-scale game project, since I just want to get something done ASAP!
Intending on this coming out in late 2025, so plenty of progress will be made on this in the coming year!
Been prototyping so far, and figuring out ways to build a game using open-source tools instead of typical, licensed game engines has been great. ElectronJS + TypeScript + ReactJS as the main tech stack works, but it does cause some hurdles for console game development - which can be kinda good for just getting a game done and launched? Focus on one platform, keep things focused, keep things progressing. I’m only a team of one, after all!
This game is all about systems, it’s not some cinematic narrative-driven epic that requires years to make - and it’s been real fun doing basic prototypes of systems and tech so far! Keep an eye out for more updates as the project progresses!
Summary
12 things.
Technically 13, since I also updated Planet Protector VR’s Steam assets to meet the new specifications.
Technically more, but I’m only counting things tied to the BigfootDS organisation on GitHub - but other projects released and updated exist on the personal GitHub account too. I should probably transfer at least the Unity Automated Semver GitHub Action across, but it’ll break the tool for a few studios in India and North America so I’ve been putting that off!
And not to mention, the day job at Coder Academy - I’m still teaching there! Webdev, here we go! Every year of teaching has improved my skills in both teaching and development, so here’s to another awesome year of growth!
The things I’ve been working on, building, and learning in 2024 have really been a matter of “what hurdle am I facing here?” or “how can I do this in XYZ tech stack?”. It felt like I was just revamping a few existing things, but really - it’s led to many separate tools and packages, as well as clearer and better-architected projects.
And the major works, to me:
- SuperCamo, created to fill a niche usage scenario with feature parity on par with standard, common usage scenarios.
- Unity Semver Updater Package (and the Unity Automated Semver GitHub Action), updated to reflect changing technical requirements in engines and increasing usage by studios across the world.
- The BigfootDS Website, overhauled to reflect a more-modern tech stack after a great student at Coder Academy showed some examples of their own work in this stack. Thankyou, Xander!
Thankyou for your support in 2024, and stay tuned for more updates throughout 2025! Happy New Year!