Ernest.dev

  • [AoNW] My attempt to build a hex-based 4X strategy game with Flutter and Flame

    Age of New Worlds is my attempt to build a hex-based 4X strategy game for iOS, MacOS, Android platforms with the kind of systems I love: exploration, expansion, city growth, production choices, research, turn pressure, and the slow emergence of a readable strategic map.

    At the current stage, the game already has the core loop in place. I can start a match, explore a hex map, found cities, move units, manage production, choose research, improve tiles, handle turn flow, and save or load the game. There is also a map editor and a growing set of developer tools around balance and content iteration.

    The interesting part, at least for this series, is not only what the game does. It is how the project is shaped so it can keep growing.

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  • Fast Sylius Plugins Contribution Setup

    If you want to start contributing to a Sylius plugin and don’t want to waste time on manual setup, DDEV is a great tool that helps you configure a working environment in just a few minutes.

    In this post, I’ll show you how to do it using SyliusTpayPlugin as an example. This project is a perfect fit — not only because of its technical specifics, but also because it’s active, you can get valuable code reviews, and it’s a great starting point for your Open Source contributions.

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  • Experimenting with Event Sourcing and Ecotone

    I’ve just published a new repo, a side project where I’m experimenting with Event Sourcing, CQRS, and the Ecotone framework in a Symfony 7 environment.

    This is a personal learning project, not something production-ready. The goal is to better understand how to design event-driven systems in PHP using real-world structures like aggregates, value objects, and projections. As a playground, I’m building a turn-based strategy game (inspired by Civilization) -just enough to have a meaningful domain to model.

    Right now, the repo includes:

    • Symfony 7.3 backend with Ecotone (commands, events, projections),
    • Early frontend setup using Vite, Symfony UX and PixiJS for rendering a hex map,
    • A bunch of evolving domain logic for turns, players, and cities.

    Again – this is an experimental setup for learning, so expect the code to change frequently. But if you’re also exploring Ecotone or curious how event sourcing might work in a Symfony project, feel free to check it out, leave feedback, or just follow along.

    github.com/ernestwisniewski/symfony-of-ages

  • Symfony 7.3 – New features that grabbed my attention

    Symfony 7.3 may be a “minor” release, but these five additions will shave boilerplate off everyday code, boost performance where it hurts and generally make life nicer for Symfony developers.

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  • Visiting the Westkapelle Lighthouse

    I recently had the chance to visit one of the most iconic landmarks on the Dutch coast – the Westkapelle Lighthouse. It’s not just a beautiful structure but also a place steeped in history, guiding ships through the treacherous waters of the North Sea for centuries.

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  • The 1953 Flood in the Netherlands: A History Lesson at the Watersnoodmuseum

    Living near the Watersnoodmuseum, I had long wanted to visit this place and explore the history of one of the greatest natural disasters in the Netherlands—the 1953 flood. The museum is located in Zierikzee, on the island of Schouwen-Duiveland in the province of Zeeland. It was here, on February 1, 1953, that nature struck with unprecedented force, flooding vast areas and claiming the lives of more than 1,800 people.

    However, beyond being a history lesson, the museum combines education with interactive learning. Multimedia exhibits, simulations, and games help visitors understand the mechanisms behind storms, their consequences, and methods of protection. The museum’s surroundings—beautiful nature and the proximity of water—make it a unique place on the map of the Netherlands.

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  • Projections – Transforming Events into Read Models

    In an event-sourced architecture, the entire history of changes to the application’s state is stored as a sequence of events. However, to effectively work with this data, we often need optimized read models. This is where projections come into play. In today’s post, I’ll show you how to set up and implement projections in Ecotone, allowing you to easily transform events into the current state of your system.

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  • Strategic DDD – Key Building Blocks and Their Role in Architecture

    Domain-Driven Design is an approach that helps build software reflecting real-world business logic. Within DDD, we distinguish building blocks – essential elements of domain modeling. Here’s their breakdown and application.

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  • Introduction to Domain-Driven Design: What Benefits Does It Bring to Business?

    In the world of rapidly changing business requirements, creating software that effectively meets user needs is a key challenge. This is where Domain-Driven Design (DDD) comes in—a methodology that places the business domain at the center of the application design process.

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  • Welcome to my blog!

    Hi! My name is Ernest, and I’m happy to have you here. If you’re interested in programming, Domain-Driven Design, Symfony, or simply want to learn what life in the Netherlands is like, you’re in the right place!

    On this blog, I will share my knowledge, experiences, and thoughts on both technology and everyday life in Zeeland. You’ll find content about software architecture, backend development in PHP, Ecotone, Sylius, as well as more casual posts about my passions and exploring the Netherlands.

    Want to learn more about me? Check out the About Me page!