Re: [glob2-devel] Goals for the next release

[Kai Antweiler]

> I have summarized a basic list of pre-1.0 goals that I would like to
> achieve for the next release. Almost all of these are focused around
> making the game more engaging, pulling the player into the game.



> http://globulation2.org/wiki/Release_Goals

What do you mean by:
 "Alliances should be able to be changed in net games as well"
So simply everyone will change to the same side during the game,
so that everyone wins because the looser alliance is empty?


 "Serious consideration should be given to using a system like Guile or 
Squirrel in the game."

Using fullblown languages would be really insecure.  Hacker should at least
need to search weak spots in the code.  Simply letting them write a
campaign with scheme commands they want and distributing it, is not a good
practice.


 "Random numbers must be synced!"

Only the game play relevant ones.  And they are, otherwise the netgames
would fail.
Random numbers for (let's say) cloud movement don't have to be synced.
Btw: also stl/boost classes and algorithms that use randomness (like multiset)
are not allowed for gameplay.


> Our version 1.0 has to be ready to earn its title. All loose ends
> tied, bugs are fixed, settings are all meaningful, the game is well
> documented, the interface clean. I don't want to do any major gameplay
> changes like adding a building untill after 1.0.

I do.  And seriously we're talking about only freezing new development
until 1.0 for years.  I am getting sick of it.  We are not one step
closer to getting the network right.  In fact we are further away
since nuage left.
I not only want new features (after our next release), I demand them!
We don't get people into our team by telling them: "Your not allowed
to do the things you want.  They're good ideas.  We would need them,
but we are fanatic about that 1.0 thingy."
Instead of limiting the development we should encourage to document
new code and make it more maintainable and reusable.


> I think most of our game is done, we just need to get all of those
> little things put together to create the ultimate open source RTS.

Most people (for some reason) like that typing tutor like fealing
of other RTSs.  I don't think we will be the ultimate open source RTS.
But we already are: "the ultimate micromanagement minimizing RTS".


> So for the next version or two, its these things that I think active
> developers should focus most on.

Most of us only know small part of the code and don't have the time
to read through the highly entangled rest of glob2.  Even if some
changes seem inferior from the perspective of a glob2 coding experts,
it's often all you can expect.
Especially in open source where the developers frequently change, you'll
have a lot of coders that don't know the code much.  Forcing them to focus
on things they don't know is bad.
To be clear: setting priorities is a good thing.
But it still has to be absolutely clear that contributions in other areas
are welcome!
(And realistically will be more frequented than the main issues.)
>From my perspective increasing our workforce has absolute priority.


ps:
I still would like to have an easy way to change which graphic tiles
glob2 uses from inside the game.  It's a shame that shew's graphics are
lying around without being used.  Doesn't anybody know this part of the code.

-- 
Kai Antweiler