Issue #2 - WOL Update

[Thetaris]

Heh, some major problems in this update, but it's chugging along nonetheless which is always a good sign. Enjoy.

Update/Patch Notes: Issue #2

World of Lorin
Beta Version 0.16

Overall: 1.9%

Progress Notes:
-Made all four facings of the character.
-Oh, finished DRAWING the four directions of the character!
-OOPS! The map sizes were wrong. It was 7,000X2,000, then after I posted that 7,000X21,000 (yes, very large) and now much different due to certain loading issues.
-Have fixed a major problem concerning lag, due to be explained in the latter.

Actual Progress/Numbers/Statistics:
(please note that this progress IS ONLY FOR THE BETA. That means, it is not the progress for the actual game release. Hence, these will be shorter, and less realistic.)
NOTE: RIC stands for Read in Comments- the comments will further explain the change or significant difference. This won’t apply to every change.

[Graphics]
Map: 21%
-Part 1: 95%
-Part 2: 0%
-Part 3: 0%
-Buildings: 0%
Player: 100% (no further graphic addition for player until Beta version 0.5)(RIC)


[Code]
Player movement: 47% (RIC)
Environment- 2%
-Effects: 0%
-Interactability(is that a word?): 5%
Construction: 0%
Harvesting/Gathering: 0%
AI(animals): 0%
Networking: 30% (RIC)
-Applied: 30%
-Server-based: 0%
Interaction(P2P chat, fighting, trading): 0%(RIC)

[Staff]
Admins: 1/1 [0 needed]
Moderators: 0/5 [5 needed]
Beta Testers: 2/5 [3 needed] ||Pie||Dee||____||____||____||
Programmers: 1/3 [2 needed] [Requirement has changed!] (RIC)
Graphic Designers: 1/15 [WE NEED THEM!!!!! DESPERATELY! I’M SO SORRY FOR LIEING!] (RIC)

Projected Completion Date:

Note, this is based on current progress, staff and personal future commitments.

February 20th


//**// Comments //**//

Map Rewrite:
Phew! That was quite an exhausting period of programming. I gained a lot from it though, as now the game has severely changed- right at the perfect time. A major issue with the speed and fluency of the game relating to internet speed AND computer specifications has been resolved, and has hence caused quite a change. The Beta Island Map, which is an isle that is quite detailed, has three zones- which have now been split up.
Due to this, what wouldn’t have been a problem now is. This dilemma forced me to literally rewrite the physics, the networking and redraw much of the map. Hence, this has added an extra 10 days to the due completion date, however, this will definitely rise as a result of this issue.

Graphics:
Oops! So maybe I’m not an awesome graphic designer. With the time-consuming 3D program I planned on using to make isometric graphics becoming a planet-size-time-consuming-unstoppable-monster-thing, I reverted to simple 32X40 graphics for the player for now. Hehehe, the entire thing uses about 50 non-transparent pixels… Which leads me to my call for graphical help! Otherwise, the Beta will be released, and you’ll have to sit behind a black outline of a … (can I call it a) man? Maybe it’s a… dog, or a ghost, or a seashell? Don’t know.

Player Movement:
…has been a real b**ch. I’ve had to:
a) program the screen to follow the player, which lead to a problem:
b) make the program follow the player EVEN WHEN he changed into a different form, ie facing up, or facing down.
c) Ensure the player didn’t create two of himself/herself when they moved up or down or left or right.
d) Ensure the previous direction the player was facing, was deleted
I ended up just about giving up. The movement had to be a big circle- if you press left, you change into Object_Player_Left. While in that form, if you are still holding left, you move left. If you release left button, you stop. If you press up, you change into Object_Player_Up. If you press right, you change into Object_Player_Right. And so it goes on… It’s hell! It’s giving me the same headache I had not long ago. Ouch.

Networking:
As per the recent map change, the map has been severed into three separate zones. This means, when you are in one zone, you are in a certain part of the Lorin world, and that all has to be told to the server. And what happens if you decide to go to the next zone? What happens if you drive a bike to the next zone? What the server crashes while you’re in the wrong zone? All these things and more I had to implement, and I had to rewrite the networking code, and apply what is sent from one peer to the other to this code. I started it, and I’ve sent it off to someone a little more experienced than me to create the new code as per what I need.

Programmers:
You don’t need to know any programming language to join this.
Note, however, this is a temporary position until I actually change the game to a code-based program.
Right now, it’s drag and drop, and all I need is some people to drag and drop actions for characters, click buttons to design the map and add grass to it etcetera. It’s all very primitive and understandable.

Overall:
Progress is picking up. I’m happy with how it’s going, even though some of the older players of Cantr are against it, thank god I have Pie who will support me to the death. J

[Peanut]

I can give you some pointers to movement if you're interested.

[Dee]

Come on people, even if you don't like the idea, just help him make his dream come true, please????

[creepyguyinblack]

Sounds interesting, i'll hold my breath til something playable is along.

[Thetaris]

I can give you some pointers to movement if you're interested.

Slow to reply, sorry, and you probably won't read it now.

I've actually recoded and done a top-down view, so movement requires one single image, that simply is coded to rotate per arrow key instruction. It also makes it so much easier to follow, and so much easier to network.

[Jos Elkink]

I am slightly surprised and a bit disturbed by reading about how you are creating a game exactly like Cantr (while so far, many of the gameplay aspects are unique), that you are offering people to move their characters, and that you are trying to recruit entirely on our forum, without any email to me with your plans in advance and to ask what I think of it! I mean, your ideas don't sound bad, and I'm not necessarily opposed, but it would definitely have been far more proper to ask first.

That said, could you please email me personally what your plans are in terms of 1) recruiting among Cantr players; 2) what your plan entails about combining the two games and copying maps etc.; 3) to what extent you are going to reference to Cantr. We might be able to agree on something, but you definitely should discuss this with me, before using our forums to advertise your plans.

And do read the roadmap if you haven't done so yet.

[nitefyre]

Perhaps, Thetaris, you should've heeded some of those concerns in your http://www.cantr.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=7197&start=0, which many of the oldbies brought up.

[Thetaris]

I've already called it off within several posts not exactly in these ones, without formally proclaiming it...

From that link fyre gave me, it sounds almost exactly like what I had said to the forum not long ago, I had said I'd start it in 2D, then move it to 3D if I got a chance, etcetera...

So yeah, I've called it off due to lack of interest and flaming.

For clarification, I was hoping to talk to you about copying player and map data for the experiment, but as you can read, I did call it off.

However, I'll make a more formal post about it.

[Peanut]

Comeone.

Don't give up so fast.