Plan for Vince Gee
by Vince Gee · 06/02/2005 (7:54 pm) · 10 comments
Shhhhh, don't want to wake anyone up :) Well, I've completely missed my goal deadline of releasing my resource... oh well, I'm comming to grips... now I got some questions that I need answers for before I release this mess....
First, the download is too large to be uploaded... so if I can't put the zip on a public website how do I distribute it?
Second, I'm not real sure how useful this resource will be, the reason I say this is because of the somewhat more advanced things I do in it. This isn't to belittle anyone, I just read everyone elses resources and they are sooo clear and simple... mine is like 10 pages of instructions. (I plan to include all the mod'd files in the download, cause I know I missed some things)
Thirdly, This thing is sooooo raw... I mean so things I'm doing are cool, but the interfaces are raw, the code is raw, (Bug free atleast) but still if your not familiar w/ a good bit of torque I think you'll be lost...
So, my question is this... Should I just keep refining this resource or should I just get it out there so maybe 3 or 4 people can use it?
I am thinking that I'm not gonna publish it out yet, and if anyone wants the database model and code, just email me and I will send you a link to the zip.
If the overal community response is to publish it out, then thats fine to.
Just so you can understand the scale of this monster I've built, I've gotten in damn near everything you need to make players persistent, inventory persisten, being able to change AI behavior while the game is running, skill tracking (Like getting better at shooting etc), attributes (Like being able to configure players hitpoints any way you want) defining properties of weapons which can be over written on just one instance (Like renaming your crossbow to 'Vince's Crossbow') and many other things that I felt were neccessary for a basic persistent world.
Now, the majority of the code is C++ with a ton of console calls, but their is also a ton of Torque script in this as well, since I built administration screens to handle configuring everything that I manage in my code.
I've built administration consoles (Gui's) to do things like summoning players or mobs to you, changing inventory items etc at a GM level. I don't want to push something out that loses people but I also worry that at the rate I'm going, when I'm finally done w/ this I'll be old and gray... so, you guys tell me...
Kick it out w/ bugs and some stuff unfinished?
or...
Keep refining and pushing it out then?
Vince
First, the download is too large to be uploaded... so if I can't put the zip on a public website how do I distribute it?
Second, I'm not real sure how useful this resource will be, the reason I say this is because of the somewhat more advanced things I do in it. This isn't to belittle anyone, I just read everyone elses resources and they are sooo clear and simple... mine is like 10 pages of instructions. (I plan to include all the mod'd files in the download, cause I know I missed some things)
Thirdly, This thing is sooooo raw... I mean so things I'm doing are cool, but the interfaces are raw, the code is raw, (Bug free atleast) but still if your not familiar w/ a good bit of torque I think you'll be lost...
So, my question is this... Should I just keep refining this resource or should I just get it out there so maybe 3 or 4 people can use it?
I am thinking that I'm not gonna publish it out yet, and if anyone wants the database model and code, just email me and I will send you a link to the zip.
If the overal community response is to publish it out, then thats fine to.
Just so you can understand the scale of this monster I've built, I've gotten in damn near everything you need to make players persistent, inventory persisten, being able to change AI behavior while the game is running, skill tracking (Like getting better at shooting etc), attributes (Like being able to configure players hitpoints any way you want) defining properties of weapons which can be over written on just one instance (Like renaming your crossbow to 'Vince's Crossbow') and many other things that I felt were neccessary for a basic persistent world.
Now, the majority of the code is C++ with a ton of console calls, but their is also a ton of Torque script in this as well, since I built administration screens to handle configuring everything that I manage in my code.
I've built administration consoles (Gui's) to do things like summoning players or mobs to you, changing inventory items etc at a GM level. I don't want to push something out that loses people but I also worry that at the rate I'm going, when I'm finally done w/ this I'll be old and gray... so, you guys tell me...
Kick it out w/ bugs and some stuff unfinished?
or...
Keep refining and pushing it out then?
Vince
About the author
www.winterleafentertainment.com
#2
contact me on supportingit@hotmail.co.uk if you want to chat about it.
Cheers.
06/02/2005 (8:39 pm)
If you need some web space to post the files, I'll host a site for you if you like. It will be along the lines of blah.dailytarget.com unless you have a domain name already (in which case you probably already have hosting).contact me on supportingit@hotmail.co.uk if you want to chat about it.
Cheers.
#3
06/02/2005 (10:08 pm)
I am very interested in what you've been working on. I would say release it and let the community help you refine it. Just my 1.5 cents
#4
Kick it out w/ bugs and some stuff unfinished and use the community to help you refinie it.
06/02/2005 (10:31 pm)
I think the best answer is:Kick it out w/ bugs and some stuff unfinished and use the community to help you refinie it.
#5
06/03/2005 (4:12 am)
Simple: do both. Seems to be the popular answer as well :)
#6
06/03/2005 (5:15 am)
Hey Vince, email me a copy of it please.
#7
06/03/2005 (6:24 am)
I am very interested in what you are working on. Bugs and unfinished features looks to me as you are getting enough people interested that could help with that.
#8
Vince
06/03/2005 (6:46 am)
Ok, then I guess I do a resource this weekend.. the tribe has spoken.. :)Vince
#9
If the resource really ends up being that big, you can distribute it via bittorrent. I'd be willing to seed for a little bit (until the others in the house complain :] ) Hopefully we can get the website setup this weekend as well.
06/03/2005 (11:28 am)
Vince, If the resource really ends up being that big, you can distribute it via bittorrent. I'd be willing to seed for a little bit (until the others in the house complain :] ) Hopefully we can get the website setup this weekend as well.
#10
Normal techniques for handling this type of scenario:
1) Email it to someone at GG directly (and you can send it to me if you like, check my profile for my email address)
2 Host it on an .htaccess protected web page that you directly control, and only provide the login information via protected/private GG forums. This isn't a long term solution, but can be useful for "alpha/beta" distribution of a resource work in progress.
And on the note of when/why to release: works in progress are actually good, as long as you make it clear in the discussion, and update the status in the resource discussion as things change--and especially if you whatever reason you wind up discontinuing development--that saves heartaches for those that discover your resource later, only to find that you've decided to not finish it!
06/03/2005 (1:06 pm)
Just to jump in here with a semi-official distribution statement: In accordance with the EULA, you cannot release this to non-TGE licensed individuals (assuming there is actual c++ code in the resource). That would mean that bittorrent is not an option, nor is "no access control" web sites/ftp sites. Now, we aren't extremely vindictive about this--we simply don't want Torque code spreading across the internet any more than it already is!Normal techniques for handling this type of scenario:
1) Email it to someone at GG directly (and you can send it to me if you like, check my profile for my email address)
2 Host it on an .htaccess protected web page that you directly control, and only provide the login information via protected/private GG forums. This isn't a long term solution, but can be useful for "alpha/beta" distribution of a resource work in progress.
And on the note of when/why to release: works in progress are actually good, as long as you make it clear in the discussion, and update the status in the resource discussion as things change--and especially if you whatever reason you wind up discontinuing development--that saves heartaches for those that discover your resource later, only to find that you've decided to not finish it!
Torque Owner Robert Pierce
Also, a good idea, may be to just e-mail it to people that request (and since I heard Torque Source, then SDK owners of course).
Whatever you choose, I am looking forward to this resource, although quite different from my project, it sounds like a nice thing to learn from.
Robert