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From: lon z. <zi...@gc...> - 2004-09-20 19:25:33
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Hi Laurent,
I just took BOTP .5 pre alpha 2 for a test run. It looks good, the =
pictures are a nice addition.
Here are some questions I had for you :
LAKE HABITATS
FORMULA
VIRGIN (slider ) 100k-------->1M
The slider seems to be adjusting acidity, but it is unclear what action =
a human would do to change the acidity. =20
I think it would be good to use pH as the unit for acidity. =20
It would be helpful if the player could click on an information box =
for each topic as they try to make decisions about changing a subsidy or =
tax and how that might affect the results. The information boxes are in =
the FILES section OLD MANUAL at the BOTP SITE - YAHOO, (near the last =
end of the old manual document).
Here is the Acid Rain information box from p39 in the old manual:
Acid Rain=20
=20
=20
Acid rain is caused by burning fossil fuels. Coal burned in power =
plants and steel mills makes up most of it; but cars contribute as well. =
The nitrous oxides and sulfur dioxide from burning fossil fuel mixes =
with water vapor in the air; when rain, dew, or snow fall, it contains =
the nitric acid or sulfuric acid from the pollutants.=20
=20
=20
Acid rain is particularly dangerous, because it is so politically bland. =
=20
=20
It does not grab headlines. It does not strike in a sudden dramatic =
catastrophe like an oil spill or a nuclear power plant accident. It =
doesn=D5t leave mangled bodies or dying creatures for the television =
cameras. Instead, acid rain happens every day. Its effects are dilute, =
only adding up to significance after several years. Its causes are =
diffuse, spread over hundreds or thousands of miles. But the =
consequences of acid rain are just as disastrous. =20
=20
=20
Acid rain kills fish and could poison lakes and streams so completely =
that no forms of life could survive.=20
=20
=20
Acid rain destroys forests. The acid attacks the leaves of trees. In =
the soil, acid rain causes the bacteria to release more methane gas, =
which in turn contributes to the greenhouse effect. Much forest land of =
Germany has already been damaged by acid rain.=20
=20
=20
Acid rain damages property. The acid attacks paint on cars and =
buildings, corrodes exposed structural metal in bridges and roads, and =
eats away at stone and masonry. The cumulative effect of the damage is =
estimated in tens of billions of dollars every year.=20
=20
=20
The future will probably reveal even more pathways whereby acid rain is =
wreaking its havoc.=20
=20
Another example is the card for CARBON DIOXIDE from page 43 in the old =
manual,
Carbon Dioxide=20
=20
=20
Carbon dioxide is a simple compound: just two oxygen atoms attached to a =
single carbon atom.=20
=20
=20
Its ecological significance lies in three facts: 1) it is the output of =
many biochemical reactions in which hydrocarbons are oxidized; 2) it is =
the input for biochemical reactions in which hydrocarbons are built; and =
3) it contributes to the greenhouse effect.=20
=20
In the original version of BOTP , this information would come up =
along with the visual for Carbon Dioxide or Acid Rain.
I tried the STARVATION POINTS and am not sure this is working quite =
right. I clicked on STARVATION then selected POLICIES so that I =
might make a decision about something that would alleviate world wide =
starvation. I decided to try increasing the beef tax to reduce =
competition for grain supplies and make more food available. I was not =
able to get to the formula for increasing the beef tax to help the =
starvation problem.=20
Thought you might like to try that one your self.
lon
=20
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From: Laurent V. <bl...@in...> - 2004-09-11 01:32:21
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>We now have a list of images we still need; it is a little bit >longer than I was expecting. Laurent, do we have potential images >for any of those, or nothing at all? > > There are a lot of images in the 'Pictures' part of the Yahoo Group, but I think I downloaded all the ones that were available around the beginning of july. For some factors there were several possibilities, but the rest is completely missing, I fear, except for the original images provided by Chris. Those are somewhat out of fashion but we could use them as an alternate game theme. >If at all possible, I would like to stick with landscape format for >all of the remaining subjects. I anticipate that it will be >difficult to design an interface to work well with a mix of >orientations and sizes. > That's sensible enough. Laurent. |
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From: Laurent V. <bl...@in...> - 2004-09-08 18:47:20
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>Laurent, do you have a list of images that we are still missing? > > Yes, included in this message. >What is the official image size? > The current client can accommodate almost anything but I agree that a standard image size is nicer to the player. Currently, images are about 400x300 pixels. Most of them are in 'landscape' layout, some in 'portrait' layout (~300x400). There is no need for a strict size as there was for the DOS version. >Are the ones we are currently >using already cropped to the correct size, or is that a task that we >still need to do? > > All current images are close enough to the 400x300 format. If we want a perfect fit some day, that will not be a problem, only a boring job :o) >Also, where does the programming stand, do you have much more to do, >or is it basically ready for testing? > The engine is done. What's missing is some wrapping to make the game more 'gamely'. So there is still some work to have functions identical to the original game. But the framework is far more open than what the 'technology' of the 90' allowed. This means that if we want to make some simpler simulations with fewer factors, that will be only a matter of configuration. There are sill lots of functions that I would like to add to the 'final' product (look at the tasks on the SF project age) but they are not mandatory for a first good release. Regarding testing, I'd say anybody could test and record any bug or possible missing feature on the SF site. We will analyse, prioritize and code with the time available. > When we put together an idea >for the new interface, do you want to make the changes to the code, >or is that something you can hand over to Bill? Bill, are you still >interested in helping out with the Java? > > I have no preference. However, I think that if other programmers are to work on the code, we should give precise boundaries to one's "code real estate". I will try to make some progress on the missing parts of the game as soon as possible. My schedule is somewhat full these days... Have a nice say. Laurent. |
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From: Laurent V. <bl...@in...> - 2004-08-30 18:54:42
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>Now that we have a project manager, I think this project can get >moving. Kelly will be asking for volunteers for specific tasks, so gird >your loins and stand ready to get to work! > > First, congratulation Kelly for your new status on the project. You can count on me for any information you need on the current state of the project. I you wish to manage the project development on SouceForge, I will gladly give you all necessary access rights. The only thing I need is your SourceForge identifier. If you don't have one yet, you can register freely. I have already set up some tasks regarding development, but you can add everything you want. As a reminder, I can tell you that SourceForge (SF for short) provides lots of tools for project management: source version control, file releases, discussion forums, mailing lists, bug and enhacements tracking... >And thanks for all your help so far. This project is going to work and >we're going to make a good product available to gazillions of students >everywhere. > > Sure Chris! That's what we're heading for. Laurent. |
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From: Laurent V. <bl...@in...> - 2004-08-26 11:22:28
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I am now back from my vacations, far away from any computer :o) >Laurent is doing far more than his fair share of the >work; we can't ask him to handle the programming and the project >management, too. > And you forgot to mention I've got a daytime job too :o) Anyway, I do agree it would be a relief to have some help regarding project management. If we continue to have the project on SourceForge, I will give all necessary access rights to anybody interested. In the meantime, I will try my best to juggle my 'paying' job, coding and project management. Have a nice day. Laurent. |
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From: Laurent V. <bl...@in...> - 2004-07-27 19:28:48
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Dear members of the "Balance of the Planet" team, I have still things to announce tonight. First, I have created a mailing-list on SourceForge associated with the project. It's called botp2004-devel and it currently has three members, Lon, Anders and myself (sorry Lon and Anders you will probably receive this email twice). You can subscribe to this list on the SourceForge site so that we can compare Yahoo and SourceForge lists and choose the one that we prefer. Until then, I will post my messages on both lists. Second, I have made a new release tonight (called 0.5 pre alpha 2, CVS tag r0_5-pre-alpha-2 :o) which contains the following enhancements since yesterday: - all photographs uploaded in the Yahoo group are included (about 40), but still 88 missing: that's why the released files have put on so much weight ; - internationalization support in the standard graphic program, with an almost complete french translation included ; - a bug corrected that prevented the program to end when the program window was closed with the 'X' button ; - changes in the internal event-dispatch design to better support both synchronous and asynchronous events. If you have any comments, don't hesitate to use all available communication means (project forums, mailing-lists, direct mail...). And don't forget to register an account on SourceForge and tell me your account id so that I can make you members of the project. Thanks for your time. Laurent. |
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From: Laurent V. <bl...@in...> - 2004-07-26 19:38:39
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It's me again. I want to tell you that I made the first official SourceForge release of the project. I labelled it 0.5-pre-alpha-1 and you can find the files I release at the following URL: http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=115130 As requested by the SourceForge 'contract of use', this release supplies both binary and source distributions. You are warmly encouraged to at least try the binary distribution: I have tuned the simulation engine and the equations to match as much as possible the original game. Thank you for your attention :o) Laurent. |
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From: Laurent V. <bl...@in...> - 2004-07-26 16:38:02
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Just a test message. Cheers! Laurent. |
