How I built this

My latest coding experiment is a Command & Conquer style RTS game called Battle Drones. This game features two armies of drones, both flying and ground-based, battling for territory and resources. Unlike previous experiments, this one is actually enjoyable to play. Claude, an AI, was instructed to "Make it a LOT more fun" to achieve this result.

The game supports multiplayer between nearby devices using audio to synchronize the game state. Battle Drones is a browser-based game that works on both mobile and desktop devices. It has multiple play modes, several maps (including a random map generator), and even multiplayer support for two devices within microphone range of each other.

The development process involved 12 major iterations and 321 commits, mainly by coding agents, primarily Claude Code. Initially, the goal was to build an RTS game playable on a phone, inspired by the 1995 original Command & Conquer and its 1997 sequel, Red Alert. The game was coded in TypeScript, a language the author had minimal experience with.

Claude helped create a mobile-friendly RTS game, but the first version was just a proof of concept and not much fun to play. The second version improved graphics and added AI vs. AI mode. By October, Claude was upgraded to Opus 5.5, which significantly enhanced graphics and gameplay. Claude generated new sprites using the OpenAI GPT image API and introduced new unit types, buildings, and varied terrain.

After numerous iterations, Battle Drones started to resemble a real game. However, the author felt that coding agents could create a game that looks like one but doesn't provide genuine gameplay enjoyment. The author shared this belief with someone over dinner and decided to give the models another chance to prove the point. Claude was prompted to "Make it a LOT more fun," and the results were remarkable.

The latest version of Battle Drones (v7) includes 3D models for buildings, vehicles, and landscapes, entirely constructed by Claude in TypeScript code. The game has also been enhanced with new visual polish and additional infantry units, such as troopers, rocket squads, snipers, and a Condor troop-carrying aircraft.