[TuxKart-devel] Getting Started.

[Steve B. <sjb...@ai...>]

Looks like a lot of people from GoTM are already subscribed here,
I think we should kick off with a more comprehensive ToDo List.


Here is the ToDo from the TuxKart thread over on HP GoTM with more
of my comments.   Please chip in with suggestions (and volunteering):


1) Better kart dynamics (skidding, etc). I didn't think I needed that at the
    time - but enough people tell me it sucks without it that I have to agree.

We talked some about using ODE physics for this...that seems possible.
This is a concrete decision we have to take - we can't start off on one route
and change our minds.

Does anyone have much ODE experience?   I've played with it (with mixed
success).

Either way, we want some variety in the Kart's handling - so we can vary
the power, the tyre grip, etc, etc.



2) Better eye-candy (smoke puffs, skid marks, etc).

This is fairly simple - the PLIB library supports particle systems and
most of these things can be described that way.  We need some hooks in the
game engine to turn them on - and someone to paint some small textures for
the particles themselves.

Do we have any particle system gurus?   I've done some work with them...but
it's not like I don't have anything else to do here!



3) Improved collision detection (sometimes a kart will fall through a hole in
    the terrain)

Two choices:

    If we go with ODE, it has it's own collision detection - although you
    can supply your own.  Dunno if it's fast enough though.

    If we don't go with ODE - or if we don't want to use ODE's collision
    library - we can just try to fix whatever the bug is in the present
    system.

I guess we need to work the ODE decision first.



4) More tracks, better 3D models in general...this game was designed for a
    graphics card that could draw maybe 1000 polygons at reasonable frame rates.
    Modern cards can to a thousand times more than that.

We've had a couple of ideas for new models.

Basically, we have three catagories of model:

    a) Characters and their GoKarts...we need (IMHO) at least six of these so
       that we don't have to run all the same characters in all of the races.

    b) Racetracks.  Some of the present ones are OK "as is" - others need to be
       dumped or radically improved.   I'd like to get a thread started with
       ideas for new tracks.

    c) Special effects, road hazards, weapons & collectibles.  These tend to
       be quite easy to do...we just need a list.


5) Better enemy AI (OK - *some* enemy AI!) - at present, the enemy karts just
    steer to try to follow a curve laid down through the approximate center of
    the track..

Um - yes.  Help!  Who does good AI?


6) Split-screen Multiplayer maybe? MarioKart is a lot of fun in multiplayer -
    so TuxKart would be too.

I can certainly handle this...in fact, I think I'll work this today.


7) Stuff like high score tables, option pages, action replay....

Yep.  LOTS of annoying minor details here.  Ability to select a player,
ability to select a course using screenshots, ability to pick difficulty
levels and show kart properties (eg Speed, Accelleration, Grip, Damage
resistance).


8) An improved 'bridge' from Blender to '.ac' format. (or maybe a '.blend'
    loader for PLIB).

It's not clear whether we have to improve TuxKart's handling of '.ac', improve
Blender's exporter, or write an entire new '.blend' loader for AC3D.  Comments
please?


9) Shadows under the Karts, Environment mapping for shiney chrome exhausts, etc.

I've already added simple spheremapping...it looks good on Grumbel's new kart.
Shadows are very easy - but they have to track along the ground - I can do that
easily.


10) Considering getting network play working.

I checked the TuxKart code - and there is very minimal network code there, it'll
need a complete rewrite I suspect.   Probably we should leave this until/unless
someone passionately wants to do it.


---------------------------- Steve Baker -------------------------
HomeEmail: <sjb...@ai...>    WorkEmail: <sj...@li...>
HomePage : http://www.sjbaker.org
Projects : http://plib.sf.net    http://tuxaqfh.sf.net
            http://tuxkart.sf.net http://prettypoly.sf.net
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