My C++ is still rusty, so correct me if i am totaly wrong.
I was going over the source tonight. In the resources file, it seems to load all the Bitmaps in the resources directory into memory at the start. Going over them, about 15 of them are not needed unless you are running the built in mission.
My questions
1 - Are we planning on having a built in mission or are we going to go with all external??
2 - Is there any other reason to load these that i am not aware of?
Jason
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One of the modules (i will get the name later) load a lot of BMP files. It loads the ships and the standard background, but it also has alot of the data from the old built in mission (Image files, Backgrounds).
Speaking of missions, i would like to see the ability to lock a mission so that a user cannot skip ahead. The ability to have a unlocked mission is important as well for tournaments. Branching in missions would be great to, but that can be a future task.
Jason
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What about keeping AIFC GPL loading external missions. This way, the projects will be more independent of eachother.
The Battle Simulator - As AIFC GPL is now.
A Battle Starter / Tourney runner - A program that launches the BS.
Singleplayer Mission Pack - The built-in missions.
Example Fleets - Example fleets (...)
This way, there would be 4 modules, all worked on side by side, no need to get something finished with the dialogs before you can release the new bugfix for the BS...
If so, we would want a way to compile (encrypt) mission files, so that people that download it doesn't try to cheat :)
Also, I think that the BS should only take one commandeline argument, which mission file to use. And then _all_ settings couldbe set in the missions file. We could also have a default.opt file that had all the default options in it, and if some options where missing from the mission file, it would use the default ones (this is so that every user can change them, instead of hardcoding the settings into the program).
Well I don't see how this solves the problem of getting the dialogues working?!
As far as I can see the problem has been moved to a different module (the Battle Starter).
It sounds like the mission editors out there would do for this.
The idea of adding command-line arguments is good.
We do need a tournament runner that's a great idea.
The problem with having several modules is that they have to be independent of each other for it to work.
For example if the mission or fleet formats change in the battle simulator module, fleet and mission modules need to be updated.
(As you can see in the task list, the fleet format is planned to change.)
If you would like to refer to this comment somewhere else in this project, copy and paste the following link:
I think players should be able to skip ahead at least while there are few missions to choose from. Otherwise they could get bored if they're stuck on the first stage of each.
What would be a good way to do the encryption? Remember that the souce code for the encryptor/decryptor is available. [This is not necessarily a problem!]
Players who can read it shouldn't have an advantage over those who can't. Hmm some sort of key system.
If you would like to refer to this comment somewhere else in this project, copy and paste the following link:
My C++ is still rusty, so correct me if i am totaly wrong.
I was going over the source tonight. In the resources file, it seems to load all the Bitmaps in the resources directory into memory at the start. Going over them, about 15 of them are not needed unless you are running the built in mission.
My questions
1 - Are we planning on having a built in mission or are we going to go with all external??
2 - Is there any other reason to load these that i am not aware of?
Jason
hmm if that's the case yeah it would be desirable to save memory. Which file(s) do you mean by the resources file?
We will have preset missions. They will probably be in external files but to the player will appear internal (like original fcomm).
One of the modules (i will get the name later) load a lot of BMP files. It loads the ships and the standard background, but it also has alot of the data from the old built in mission (Image files, Backgrounds).
Speaking of missions, i would like to see the ability to lock a mission so that a user cannot skip ahead. The ability to have a unlocked mission is important as well for tournaments. Branching in missions would be great to, but that can be a future task.
Jason
I just got an idea the other day...
What about keeping AIFC GPL loading external missions. This way, the projects will be more independent of eachother.
The Battle Simulator - As AIFC GPL is now.
A Battle Starter / Tourney runner - A program that launches the BS.
Singleplayer Mission Pack - The built-in missions.
Example Fleets - Example fleets (...)
This way, there would be 4 modules, all worked on side by side, no need to get something finished with the dialogs before you can release the new bugfix for the BS...
If so, we would want a way to compile (encrypt) mission files, so that people that download it doesn't try to cheat :)
Also, I think that the BS should only take one commandeline argument, which mission file to use. And then _all_ settings couldbe set in the missions file. We could also have a default.opt file that had all the default options in it, and if some options where missing from the mission file, it would use the default ones (this is so that every user can change them, instead of hardcoding the settings into the program).
Well, I think this is a pretty good idea :)
Vidar Braut Haarr
AmigoSoft Productions
folk@popmail.com
Well I don't see how this solves the problem of getting the dialogues working?!
As far as I can see the problem has been moved to a different module (the Battle Starter).
It sounds like the mission editors out there would do for this.
The idea of adding command-line arguments is good.
We do need a tournament runner that's a great idea.
The problem with having several modules is that they have to be independent of each other for it to work.
For example if the mission or fleet formats change in the battle simulator module, fleet and mission modules need to be updated.
(As you can see in the task list, the fleet format is planned to change.)
I think players should be able to skip ahead at least while there are few missions to choose from. Otherwise they could get bored if they're stuck on the first stage of each.
What would be a good way to do the encryption? Remember that the souce code for the encryptor/decryptor is available. [This is not necessarily a problem!]
Players who can read it shouldn't have an advantage over those who can't. Hmm some sort of key system.