[Discussion] Interest in a Java Pokemon API?

[Atheriel]

It is incredibly easy to fork a project, especially on Github. Essentially:

1. Fork (i.e. get your own copy of) the project
2. Make changes
3. Submit changes to your version (commit)
4. Submit a pull request to the original (there's even a button for this)

It was easy to learn, and I've contributed to projects in the past this way without much effort.

 

[UnderMybrella]

I'm actually creating a Mystery Dungeon kit, in a similar format. As for interfaces, I learnt the main use of them when creating another game. This is where Interfaces > Classes.

Say we have an Ability. Ability is a class. Then, we have a Pokemon, with it's updateState method.
Ability has a method. This method is called effect(), and receives a Pokemon. It then does everything it needs to.

Now. Let's say there are 10 abilities. We would like to avoid creating 600+ files for Pokemon, so we have 1 generic class that will do everything for us (Maybe some other helper classes too).

The updateState method looks something like this:

Spoiler:

public void updateState(String state)
{
Ability a1 = this.primaryAbility;
if(ability instanceof AOvergrow)
(a1(AOvergrow)).effect();
... etc
//And then again for secondary effect
}

This is ridiculous. For every ability in the game, we add an extra 2 lines, and, with secondary abilities, that's 4 lines per ability!
However, with Ability as an interface, it's one line!
this.primaryAbility.effect()!
Sure, more classes, but you could narrow them down. You'd find a way :)

 

[Atheriel]

Thank you for the pull request, Anglican. I will be putting up something more official for this project in the Resources section when I have time.

 

[oxysoft]

Why hardcoding the abilities and moves? Register all the altering effects you need these skills (we'll call abilities and moves "skills") to know about then create a small program to create skills and register effects to them. Good abstraction will be needed in this scenario and this kind of system is exactly what I am planning for in PokeSharp.