[Opde-devel] End of year

[Filip V. <f.v...@ce...>]

Hello everyone!

First, sorry for me not writing here much lately. Everything is ok and work
is done, but I did not find time to write some of these pseudo-periodic
reports to let everybody know what's happening. My fault, sorry.

*So what's happening these days?*

Well. First of all, it's been another year for Opde already, so the project
is now 2 years old. Let's hope more years will come at least as successful
as the previous two. This year was about object system, all filled with
links and properties. We have a working object database loader (and saver,
which is not used yet, but will be for savegames). We can merge gamesys with
mission databases while loading, or with savegames (not tested, should
work). A work has started to expose all the services to python, which is
finally the chosen language for the specific things like scripts or in-game
GUI interfaces. Some graphic improvements were implemented as well, for
example the STATIC_GEOMETRY, and we finally are able to display objects.

We have 3 new active members this year: Displacer, Duzenko and Patryn.
Finally, I don't feel alone in this project :)

Force wanted to join the project, but then realized he won't have time. This
means the physics are free if anyone would like to look at that. Ali showed
some interest already.

*What's next?*

The big target now is the 0.3 release. Three things are basically missing
till we can say it's done:
1. Cleaning up the temporary code, finalization of the existing services as
possible (mainly the newcomers - LoopService and InputService).
2. Complete python bindings, with a new bootstrap script written in python
(that'll load dtype and pldef scripts, initialize graphics, show menus,
etc).
3. QuickGUI bindings, GUIService

For the 0.3-0.4 version span, the plan is bit unclear, but let's say it
should be this:
1. Physics (with collisions)
2. Script subsystem (ScriptService, ScriptMessage classes), a propper way to
describe script messages, message routing
3. InheritService modifications : Methods to work with metaproperties (code
to handle those is there, but have to expose addMetaproperty,
removeMetaproperty methods)
4. ObjectService - finally. Name to ID, ID to name.
5. DamageService - this thing is new. Handling of object damaging (and
slay).
6. Sound (?)
7. Finally - interaction.

The 0.3 - 0.4 will probably take another year or so. Final product of it
should be a basically functional engine (some script messages and scripts
implemented), without the AI. AI is planned for 0.4-0.5. This may change,
sure.

Just to describe the plan even further: 0.5-0.6 : finalization of scripts,
stabilization (we should have a working game then, with some bugs to be
squashed). 0.6 - 0.7 Improvements... Loader for FM's, starting work on
Dromed successor if interest is shown. Squashing bugs. 0.7 - 1.0 :
improvements and fixes, editor work.

Well, that's it! I'm looking forward to see some interaction in the upcoming
months :)

Volca