Add roadmap document

doc/index.rst

@@ -52,5 +52,6 @@ Improving Pygame Zero
 .. toctree::
     :maxdepth: 2
 
+    roadmap
     principles
     contributing

doc/principles.rst

@@ -9,6 +9,8 @@ introducting hurdles for programmers who have not yet learned to deal with
 them.
 
 
+.. _accessibility:
+
 Make it accessible
 ------------------
 

doc/roadmap.rst

@@ -0,0 +1,63 @@
+Roadmap
+=======
+
+Pygame Zero is an open source project, and as with any such project, the
+development roadmap is subject to change.
+
+This document just lays out some goals for future releases, but there is **no
+guarantee** that these targets will be hit.
+
+
+Gamepad Support
+---------------
+
+Github Issue: `#70 <https://github.com/lordmauve/pgzero/issues/70>`_
+
+SNES-style gamepads are now extremely cheap. For example, they are sold for
+a few pounds from the `Pi Hut`_, in packs of 2 at Amazon_, and even in some
+Raspberry Pi bundles.
+
+Gamepad support should not be limited to these specific models; rather, we
+should treat this as a lowest-common-denominator across modern gamepads, as
+nearly all more modern gamepads have at least as many buttons and axes.
+
+This feature needs to be added in a way that will not **require** a gamepad to
+play any Pygame Zero game, in order to follow the principle of
+:ref:`accessibility`_.
+
+.. _`Pi Hut`: https://thepihut.com/products/raspberry-pi-compatible-usb-gamepad-controller-snes-style
+.. _Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2?url=search-alias%3Delectronics&field-keywords=usb+snes
+
+
+Surface juggling
+----------------
+
+Github Issue: `#71 <https://github.com/lordmauve/pgzero/issues/71>`_
+
+Pygame experts make lots of use of off-screen surfaces to create interesting
+effects.
+
+Pygame Zero chose to consider only the screen surface, which we wrap with
+a richer ``Screen`` API for drawing, etc.
+
+The problem is that there is no easy path to using additional surfaces -
+Pygame Zero immediately becomes dead weight as you start to look past that
+curtain.
+
+We should look to smooth out this path to make Pygame Zero Actors and Screen
+work better with custom surfaces.
+
+
+Storage
+-------
+
+Github Issue: `#33 <https://github.com/lordmauve/pgzero/issues/33>`_
+
+It would be useful for users to be able to save and load data.
+
+The obvious application is save games, but saving and loading whole games can
+be pretty hard to get right. The simpler application would just be saving
+settings, customisations, high scores, or the highest level reached.
+
+Python of course has APIs for reading and writing files, but this has
+additional complexity that teachers might not want to teach immediately.