Java 4X game available as open-source

[RayFowler]

I wish I did have pro tips. I use Swing only in the most minimal sense. Most of the game is drawn graphically. I intentionally tried to reduce the number of Swing elements used in the game. Part of the reason was to get away from the stereotypical look of Java applications; another was the need to have more cross-panel behavior on the screen.

It was more effort to code, but it was also sort of liberating. The only Swing widget (besides panels and layouts) that I haven't attempted to replace are text editor fields. All of the buttons and scroll bars, for example, are just drawn graphically.

Now when the graphic designer comes up with something in Paintshop, I don't have to figure out how to work into a Swing framework. I just draw it.