Blockus Distributed Gaming System: Learning Journey 🚀

🎯 Project Learning Objectives

Technical Skills Checklist

  • Distributed System Architecture
    • What I’ll Learn:
      • Design principles of distributed systems
      • Communication patterns between microservices
      • Event-driven architecture fundamentals
    • Learning Resources:
      • Read “Designing Distributed Systems” by Brendan Burns
      • Complete online course on microservices architecture
      • Implement event sourcing patterns
  • Apache Kafka Deep Dive
    • What I’ll Learn:
      • Message queuing concepts
      • Kafka topic design
      • Real-time event streaming
    • Learning Resources:
      • Apache Kafka official documentation
      • Udemy/Coursera Kafka certification course
      • Build a sample event streaming application
  • Spring Boot Microservices
    • What I’ll Learn:
      • Spring Boot framework
      • Microservices design patterns
      • REST API development
    • Learning Resources:
      • Complete Spring Boot Master Class
      • Build multiple microservices in the project
      • Implement dependency injection and inversion of control
  • Angular Frontend Development
    • What I’ll Learn:
      • Angular framework fundamentals
      • Component-based architecture
      • State management
    • Learning Resources:
      • Angular official tutorial
      • Build complex component interactions
      • Implement reactive programming with RxJS
  • Game Logic and Rule Implementation
    • What I’ll Learn:
      • Complex game rule design
      • Move validation algorithms
      • State management for board games
    • Learning Resources:
      • Study existing board game implementation designs
      • Create a robust rules engine
      • Implement comprehensive move validation

🛠 Technical Challenge Tracker

Challenges to Overcome

  • Design a scalable event sourcing mechanism
  • Create a real-time replay system
  • Implement robust error handling in distributed system
  • Optimize performance for game state synchronization

📚 Learning Approach

Method of Learning

  1. Theoretical Understanding
    • Read documentation
    • Watch tutorial videos
    • Attend online workshops
  2. Practical Implementation
    • Code incrementally
    • Write unit and integration tests
    • Refactor and improve design
  3. Community and Collaboration
    • Seek code reviews
    • Participate in developer forums
    • Share progress and learn from feedback

🏆 Learning Milestones

Beginner Stage

  • Set up basic project structure
  • Implement first microservice
  • Create initial Kafka topic

Intermediate Stage

  • Complete full backend architecture
  • Implement game logic
  • Create first working prototype

Advanced Stage

  • Build complete distributed system
  • Implement real-time replay
  • Optimize and refactor

🔍 Project Impact

This project is not just about building a Blockus game, but about:

  • Deepening understanding of distributed systems
  • Mastering modern software architecture
  • Learning cutting-edge technologies
  • Building a complex, scalable application

💡 Continuous Learning

Note: This README is a living document. Checkboxes will be updated as skills are acquired, showcasing the learning journey.

Tips for Success

  • Stay curious
  • Don’t fear complexity
  • Break down big challenges
  • Celebrate small victories

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