Today, my Twitch bot responded to a chat command for the first time, and I think I just sat silently in front of my screen for a while afterward.
To understand why this moment means so much, I need to give you some context. For many years, I worked as a freelance marketer until ME/CFS tore me out of that life. It is a neurological illness that is invisible from the outside but changes almost everything from the inside: how much energy you have, how reliable that energy is, and what is even possible anymore. At some point, freelance work simply became unmanageable. So, I was faced with the question of how to fill my time when my body only allows limited windows of being truly functional.
The answer was Legends of Arthengard. Not because I had always planned on becoming a game developer, but because it is a task I can manage entirely on my own terms. No external deadlines, no pressure to be productive at nine in the morning. Just me, my computer, and a project that is slowly growing.
What I haven’t mentioned yet: This is my first serious programming project ever. My background is in marketing, not software development. I am learning most of this as I go. That’s why today wasn’t just a small step—it was a true milestone.
The bot responded to the #joincity command in the Twitch chat. It sounds simple. From a technical standpoint, maybe it is. But this bot, along with the Twitch login, is the absolute foundation of Legends of Arthengard. Without it, there is no connection between streamer and viewer, no cities, and no game world. Everything this game is meant to be depends on it.
Next up are the first real gameplay mechanics for version 0.1.0: constructing buildings, exploring the map, and performing the first farming jobs. The bot is ready. Now it’s time to give it something to do.
Thank you for joining me on this journey.