Developer's Update
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Board Administrator
Member # 1
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written Tuesday, January 6 2004 16:52
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Blades of Avernum is still in beta. The first two scenarios are ported and being gone over. Za-Khazi Run is being ported right now. I'm working hard on adding more stuff than usual to Za-Khazi Run. A lot of it is just, well, plain and uninteresting. I'm putting a lot more flavor and care into it to keep the interest level up. I will be adding more beta testers soon, so, if you're a Mac user, keep an eye on the beta tester application form. I have 2 experienced scenario designers in the beta, and would like more. When we ask for applications, be sure to give your scenario design experience. Be warned! Beta testers are no eligible for the scenario design contest (due to the extreme head start). I am giving serious consideration to making the editor (not the main program) open source. I hope to have the Mac version out in March. However, considering how demanding this project is being, there is a small chance it might slip to April. We'll see. - Jeff Vogel Spiderweb Software http://www.spiderwebsoftware.com [ Tuesday, January 06, 2004 16:52: Message edited by: Spidweb ] -------------------- Official Board Admin spidweb@spiderwebsoftware.com Posts: 960 | Registered: Tuesday, September 18 2001 07:00 |
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Guardian
Member # 2238
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written Tuesday, January 6 2004 17:03
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Well good news about Za-Khazi... I'm sure it will be much more enjoyable this time. Bad news, though, that I'm currently Mac-less. Perhaps I'll get my chance to help with Window beta testing, though I doubt that. The estimated release dates sound right where I was expecting, so I'm not too suprised about that. It's not a long wait... and perhaps I'll be playing Doom3 or Half-Life2 in the wait :D (also doubtful). I am, however, frightened by what effect this will have on a community waiting for release. It's happened before, people just lose interest during long waits. But an idea of open-source editor seems an incentive. Great. We'll be looking for the next update in... oh... a month? -------------------- DEMON PLAY, DEMON OUT! Posts: 1582 | Registered: Wednesday, November 13 2002 08:00 |
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Babelicious
Member # 3149
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written Tuesday, January 6 2004 18:02
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Making the editor open-source would be an extremely good move. From my experimentation with BoE and the observations of others, many major flaws in BoE were focused in the editor. However, I think that if you're going to make any of your software open-source, your best choice would be Blades of Exile. Think of the advantages. 1) The issues that BoE currently has would finally be resolved. You see, not everybody is going to expect BoA to replace BoE. I, personally, prefer Exile to Avernum. I like 2D better than psuedo-3D. Many excellent scenarios have been developed for BoE, and will probably never be moved over to BoA. BoE currently has many unresolved bugs. These grate on the community to no end. 2) It's old software. I doubt that any of its code is of great monetary value to you by now; as far as I can tell, your new games barely if at all derive from the Blades of Exile code base. If you're worried about people stealing your code, I suppose you could use a restrictive license that forbids commercial reproduction. That's not technically open source, but if you must... 3) It would generate a whole load of good will. You see, a lot of us are still rather peeved over Spiderweb's continuing refusal to fix BoE's obvious and glaring bugs. Given access to the source, the community can and will fix these bugs. And they will thank you. For example, I personally was not planning on purchasing Blades of Avernum. However, if you open BoE's source, I will purchase it. It's a small profit, but the small ones accumulate. In the long run, opening the source of BoE will generate great profit for Spiderweb Software, both in goodwill and continuing sales. You have a scrupulous and understanding community. If they were not willing to pay for your software, they would not. The small number of people who warez BoE will do this whether or not the source is open. -------------------- I've got a pyg in a poke. Posts: 999 | Registered: Friday, June 27 2003 07:00 |
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Board Administrator
Member # 1
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written Tuesday, January 6 2004 22:12
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Hmm ... I should have been more clear. I'm thinking of making the source code for the Blades of Avernum editor available. It hadn't even occured to me to release the source code for the BoE editor. Though, now that I think about it, if I released one, I see no reason not to release the other. -------------------- Official Board Admin spidweb@spiderwebsoftware.com Posts: 960 | Registered: Tuesday, September 18 2001 07:00 |
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Warrior
Member # 1505
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written Wednesday, January 7 2004 11:08
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Sorry for the question that I'm sure has been asked before, but where is the beta sign-up forum? -------------------- -Newtfeet Posts: 151 | Registered: Saturday, July 13 2002 07:00 |
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Infiltrator
Member # 737
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written Wednesday, January 7 2004 11:19
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I don't think there is one yet; You should check the News section on spidweb.com regulary as they announce the beta-testing there. -------------------- Who was born in a house full of pain Who was trained not to spit in the fan Who was told what to do by the man Who was broken by trained personnel Who was fitted with collar and chain Who was given a pat on the back Who was breaking away from the pack Who was only a stranger at home Who was ground down in the end Who was found dead on the phone Who was dragged down by the stone Posts: 595 | Registered: Tuesday, March 12 2002 08:00 |
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Babelicious
Member # 3149
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written Wednesday, January 7 2004 13:05
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Oh, I understood what you were saying. I was just saying that you should make Blades of Exile open source as well or instead. -------------------- I've got a pyg in a poke. Posts: 999 | Registered: Friday, June 27 2003 07:00 |
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Guardian
Member # 2238
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written Wednesday, January 7 2004 15:57
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*cough* In addition to. *cough* I realize many's point of BOE having so many great scenarios that would be lost in translation, but also consider the point of the many new, brilliant scenarios capable with the new engine. It's like writing an interactive short story, authors can do the same great things without the same great story. -------------------- DEMON PLAY, DEMON OUT! Posts: 1582 | Registered: Wednesday, November 13 2002 08:00 |
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Board Administrator
Member # 1
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written Wednesday, January 7 2004 16:00
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One other bit of news of general interest, that I forgot to mention. When you make a new party in BoA, it will be put into a brief tutorial scenario. So, for the first time, an Avernum game will make an effort to teach neophytes what is going on. Of course, the tutorial will be skippable. - Jeff Vogel Spiderweb Software http://www.spiderwebsoftware.com -------------------- Official Board Admin spidweb@spiderwebsoftware.com Posts: 960 | Registered: Tuesday, September 18 2001 07:00 |
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Warrior
Member # 1427
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written Wednesday, January 7 2004 16:55
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I can only think of one flaw with open sourcing the editor. Someone could change the editor so that it doesnt bother asking about the password for passworded scenarios. Of course, being open source and all, someone could make more ways to protect your scenario, but its something to think about. Posts: 73 | Registered: Wednesday, July 3 2002 07:00 |
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The Establishment
Member # 6
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written Wednesday, January 7 2004 17:25
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There are no more passwords in BoA as far as I know. -------------------- Your flower power is no match for my glower power! Posts: 3726 | Registered: Tuesday, September 18 2001 07:00 |
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...b10010b...
Member # 869
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written Wednesday, January 7 2004 19:07
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Passwords were never a foolproof system anyway, and some designers already choose to release scenarios without a password so bugs can be more easily fixed and players can see how the scenario was created. -------------------- The Empire Always Loses: This Time For Sure! Posts: 9973 | Registered: Saturday, March 30 2002 08:00 |
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Babelicious
Member # 3149
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written Wednesday, January 7 2004 19:27
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quote:This was possible with a bit of hacking and the BoE editor. BoE scenario passwording is absurdly insecure, and any system where one has both the protected data and a local method to access it will be broken eventually. -------------------- I've got a pyg in a poke. Posts: 999 | Registered: Friday, June 27 2003 07:00 |
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Warrior
Member # 246
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written Wednesday, January 7 2004 21:58
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quote:And even if somebody didn't have the ability to do that, most likely they'd still be able to reach the scripts. So even then it'd be insecure. And maybe with it open sourced, somebody can write a scripting engine for BoE that compiles into nodes. Flex and bison anyone? :D Posts: 117 | Registered: Friday, November 2 2001 08:00 |
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...b10010b...
Member # 869
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written Wednesday, January 7 2004 22:49
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The scripts will probably be accessible with an ordinary text editor even if the BoA editor isn't open-sourced. They are in Geneforge, after all. -------------------- The Empire Always Loses: This Time For Sure! Posts: 9973 | Registered: Saturday, March 30 2002 08:00 |
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The Establishment
Member # 6
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written Thursday, January 8 2004 08:21
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Yes, all scripts are accessible and created in text editors. -------------------- Your flower power is no match for my glower power! Posts: 3726 | Registered: Tuesday, September 18 2001 07:00 |
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Warrior
Member # 720
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written Thursday, January 8 2004 10:54
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Will there be some sort of "script checker" to make sure that you didn't leave out something silly or perhaps misplaced or mispelled an operative word (or left out a semi-colon or some such thing)? Only for us scripting-inept people, of course. ;) [ Thursday, January 08, 2004 10:56: Message edited by: Daravon ] -------------------- -Daravon Posts: 104 | Registered: Friday, March 8 2002 08:00 |
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The Establishment
Member # 6
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written Thursday, January 8 2004 12:24
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When you run the scenario and the script is called the engine will tell you the line of the error and try to diagnose the problem So the answer is yes, it's the game itself. -------------------- Your flower power is no match for my glower power! Posts: 3726 | Registered: Tuesday, September 18 2001 07:00 |
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Board Administrator
Member # 1
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written Thursday, January 8 2004 13:54
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Passwords are gone forever, for several reasons: i. Most of the creative work is in the scripts, which are just text files. ii. I completely lack the technical skill required to make a secure system. iii. I've never really felt that the gain of the security was worth the hassle (in terms of lost passwords, etc.). - Jeff Vogel Spiderweb Software http://www.spiderwebsoftware.com -------------------- Official Board Admin spidweb@spiderwebsoftware.com Posts: 960 | Registered: Tuesday, September 18 2001 07:00 |
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Guardian
Member # 2238
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written Thursday, January 8 2004 15:07
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1.And dialogue pics are definitly in? 2.Reversed stats screen final? -------------------- DEMON PLAY, DEMON OUT! Posts: 1582 | Registered: Wednesday, November 13 2002 08:00 |
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Triad Mage
Member # 7
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written Friday, January 9 2004 02:16
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1) Yes 2) You don't really notice it at all. -------------------- "At times discretion should be thrown aside, and with the foolish we should play the fool." - Menander ==== Drakefyre's Demesne - Happy Happy Joy Joy Encyclopedia Ermariana - Trapped in the Closet ==== You can take my Mac when you pry my cold, dead fingers off the mouse! Posts: 9436 | Registered: Wednesday, September 19 2001 07:00 |
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Guardian
Member # 2238
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written Friday, January 9 2004 06:58
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Oh I don't mind at all. It might even be better. I was just wondering if that was just an experiment or not. Good news on dialogue pics tho :D . I'm trying to think of some other questions to ask but my head hurts and our recent snowing beckons me to shovel... -------------------- DEMON PLAY, DEMON OUT! Posts: 1582 | Registered: Wednesday, November 13 2002 08:00 |
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Warrior
Member # 3610
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written Friday, January 9 2004 12:49
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Any chance we can decide what races are availible, and even code new races in? Posts: 129 | Registered: Tuesday, October 28 2003 08:00 |
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The Establishment
Member # 6
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written Friday, January 9 2004 14:15
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No. -------------------- Your flower power is no match for my glower power! Posts: 3726 | Registered: Tuesday, September 18 2001 07:00 |
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BANNED
Member # 4
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written Friday, January 9 2004 17:07
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Well, that's not *entirely* true. It would be possible to give the party a new graphic and half-assume in the scenario that they are a new race- Rakshasi, for example- and set their Resistance skill extremely high to account for this. It doesn't work perfectly, but it works. What I'm more concerned with is being able to script with race. In A3/E3, there were somewhat-passive nephils who didn't attack the party if there was a nephil in it. Can we as designers pull these kind of stunts in BoA? -------------------- * Posts: 6936 | Registered: Tuesday, September 18 2001 07:00 |