Signup thread for FreeAC

Blake · February 12, 2002, 00:49

This is a signup thread for a possible Free SMAC project.
For much more detail, follow the link to the
general thread.

Blake · February 12, 2002, 00:57

I'll go first.

I’m an almost C++ programmer (iow, I’m learning the language, and know how to do some cool stuff with it), I’m also part way through a university degree, and know stuff about software engineering, basically how to write good, modern software. I have also done stuff on User Interfaces. I understand the workings of SMAC and strategy games in general very well, and have good intuition when it comes to game design and balancing.
So, basically I would help or lead in coding and design.
And run a mile from any art, writing or sound work.

For me, this would be like a first software project. I could dedicate probably 5 hours a week (much more in holidays, much less during crunch times at uni), not counting the time spent in forums.

Frankychan · February 12, 2002, 01:07

I would help out, definetly!

Unfortunately, I am not very good at the programming aspects of the game. I would be honored to be a writer. Creating factions, dialogue, and plot intrigues me very much so.

Besides--->just to have my name in a game's credits would be good enough!!!

Mr. President · February 12, 2002, 03:14

I would also like to help out any way I can. Sadly, I'm not much of a programmer either, so I could do plotlines, factions, and social structures. Franky's already offered this, which makes one programmer and two writers, so I understand completely if I am not required. (Hopefully you'll get some more programming people.)

GeneralTacticus · February 12, 2002, 03:16

I'd be in for Beta Testing (when this project gets that far), but since I don't know much about coding or anything else, I'd probly not be much use for the designing... however I probably could do some suggestions and basic plot work.

Closey · February 12, 2002, 03:46

Great idea man!

I'll help any way I can.. which would be.. uhm.. Well.. I'm not that good a coder.. or a musician.. I might be able to whip some 3d graphics up.. maybe.. (Dependen on the quality needed I guess

)

Other than that I could for sure offer my time as a beta tester

I could host the project online too if you'd like me to.

As I said, great idea! There ought to be enough people around here to make this project a very promising one.

Archaic · February 12, 2002, 04:49

I've done professional work in radio (Voiceovers for ads), so I could help with some of the sound aspects. I don't exactly have access to anything professional ATM, but what I can create should be suitable for your needs. All I need is a script.

I could also help with some of the writing aspects, though I'd prefer to steer away from anything I might end up doing the voice for.

aaglo · February 12, 2002, 06:03

I would love to join, if I could only do something usefull... But I don't think I can...

I though would like to be informed about this possible project....

Cybergod · February 12, 2002, 14:24

I'd just love to be involved in the project, but I have no idea about programming (C++ etc.). As I made many factions so far and have participated in Beyond Alpha Centauri (go here to read it at the AC Fiction forums --> http://apolyton.net/forums/showthrea...threadid=36651), plus I have the ucoming Ultramind mod.

I can surely make/program new factions if neccessary (in the General forums you said around 16 factions, which I think would be wicked!

).

Kassiopeia · February 12, 2002, 17:36

I'd like to join the field of work with Frankychan and Mr. President. That is, writing fiction and maybe innovating factions.

SPasmofiT · February 12, 2002, 19:20

I can do:

Java (Swing, JDBC, JSP, Servlet)
HTML, DHTML, XML
JavaScript, ECMAScript
CSS

I can do the site for the project, or something. Or maybe you'll decide to do tha game in Java, so that it will be available to ALL platforms.

The latest Java version, 1.4 is pretty fast, so I don't want to hear people whining that Java is slow. Anyway, the decision is not mine.

I can do the site, at least.

Closey · February 12, 2002, 19:30

Hope you don't mind, but I've started fiddled around some with the site. I figured since I could host the site I could just as well start making something too.

I'll get a domain for it as soon as we decide on what the name will be (I like the sound of FreeAC tho)

Hmm.. using Java as the platform might be cool. As you said, it'd be able to run everywhere.

Haven't been working much with Java, so I don't know all that much about it, but you think it'd be able to handle a game like FreeAC without being too slow?

Blake · February 12, 2002, 20:51

C++ is not bound to any one platform, I intend to use MingW on my windows box for development, so basically any platform with a gcc compiler (and supported by the library I intend to use) should be able to compile the game. The list of platforms supported should be quite exhaustive.

Anyway, Java will be slower than C++, if you want to use fast graphic routines in Java you generally end up having to use machine specific code anyway, defeating the purpose of using Java in the first place.

However, only the main program needs to be written in C++, supporting utilities (the most important would be the faction editor) could be written in Java. This wouldn't be a bad idea, because C++ isn't well suited to writing such utilities, and the alternative which would usually be used, VB, isn't cross platform.

edit: So, until I see proof that Java can handle a game of SMAC's complexity, on a reasonably low end system (400MHz), I intend to stay with C++.

Sprayber · February 12, 2002, 23:54

well, guys I suck at programming. But I got one hell of an imaginiation. So maybe I can help somehow.

SPasmofiT · February 13, 2002, 05:27

GCC can assure you only text-interfaced applications. For GUI, one must use Qt, GTK+ or something else.
Also, C++ is VERY messy, especially when dealing with pointers and extended librarier, which are not cross-platform (networking, gui). It needs a lot of work to produce usable and safe code.

Java's performance has greatly increased with the latest release of the SDK (14RC1). For testing, you should check out the following software:

Java 2 SDK 1.4 itself comes with decent demos
Project Mars : http://freshmeat.net/redir/mars-sim/12553/url_homepage/ : a open-source Java-based simulation of Mars colonisation (we might even get to reuse code)
www.javagames.org
Try one of the IDEs available for Java... especially the free and open NetBeans (www.netbeans.org)

I can't really change your mind. You have to do it yourself, but, in my experince, I can tell you that using obscure widgets toolkits for gcc, and hoping for portability is impossible, risky AND will burry the project.

Java also has great mecanisms for networking, sound api, xml parsing (conf files), full scree graphics, 3D graphics and many open components are already available.

Java IS NOT applets. The applet we usually see on the web are Java1.1 and now, Java reached version 1.4.

Also, since FreeAC will be a turn-based game, we won't need masive resource associated with real-time gaming.

I have experince as a C/C++, PHP and Java coder, mainly for web use, but also client-side. This is just an opition. But I don't want to see Java ignored because "it's slow", even if it isn't.

Java may be slow when building Quake 3, but for a game like SMAC or FreeAC, it should be fine. Besides, there are more Java programmers that C/C++ ones (I will fetch the statistics URL on request).

You might also want to consider Python + Qt or Perl + Qt, a setup chich will run on Windows and all major unices, but you'll have some restrictions on distributing ActivePython or ActivePerl for Windows and resources are scarse.

Patashu · February 13, 2002, 16:54

Sounds good. can I beta test when(if) it's done?

Blake · February 13, 2002, 20:03

I actually intend to use mature, proven libraries for cross platform compatibility.

However you have provided some more details, most of which sound good. At present my net connection is too slow for any large scale downloading, but next week I will be on a high speed connection so will d/l Java 1.4SDK and give it a look.

For stuff like scrolling and updating the map in a TBS you still need decent power (TBS games can often require huge numbers of calculations).
RTS games often have less on the screen than a TBS game (for example, in most RTS games there is just the landscape tile + tree + a few units (but rarely in most tiles) - while in a game like SMAC there are many more layers, like in a single tile landscape + grass + farm + condensor + road + crawler, there could be up to 2-5 times as much stuff to draw every time the view shifts)

Anyway, the coding hasn't started yet, and wont until some more design is done. I'll try to keep an open mind regarding java and look into it more next week.

johndmuller · February 13, 2002, 20:32

I would be happy to volunteer.

I have a substantial amount of professional experience in various aspects relevant to this project, including coding, systems & software analysis/engineering/architecture (whatever you want to call it), database stuff, testing/debugging, standards browbeating and ego stroking. My programming is probably a bit rusty and no doubt out of date, but would be servicable after a learning curve; the rest of the stuff I would be pretty much OK off the shelf. I could put in several hours a week at least. (You do realize that someone has to put in time on the order of xx hours per day, don't you?)

I think I could contribute good stuff in the areas of initial design, coordination, testing/debugging and being a details PIA.

Kirnwaffen · February 13, 2002, 21:41

I'd hook up as a writer if you'll have me. I don't know how long you're planning to keep this project running, but I might eventually be able to code (no professional experience, currently going through courses in C++).

Admiral · February 13, 2002, 22:44

*sigh*
if you need another writer, then i'll join. If you don't, then i'll download it when you are finnished.

Kassiopeia · February 14, 2002, 05:29

Btw, I can write HTML, so editing a text to HMTL form would succeed when done by me.

Blake · February 15, 2002, 03:35

Allright guys, if you havn't yet head over to our new forums, register and get posting.
(We can still use more people too. Ideas and opinions are valuable, so even if you have no skills of any kind (

) you might want to offer some feedback...)

Forum Index

A welcome thread

Climate Model

A thread on Terraforming and the raise terrain problem.

Random ideas and gibberish.

Proposal for a new Victory type (It's positively evil

)

Some tech tree ideas

Last but not least, are we Civ'ing or are we MOOing.

Dreifels · February 22, 2002, 16:30

you can count me

Vultur · February 25, 2002, 09:42

I'm a coder/translator(italian and french)
I program in C and I can work on map/diplomacy/commerce/AI... algorithms. I'm not good in graphic and sound, but I know how to do simple mathematical model (example: population growth with limited resources). In addition I have a tons of idea

to make the game more realistic.

Blake · February 25, 2002, 14:49

Good stuff.
Head on over to our new domain,

www.freeac.org

or our new forums
Someone (else) good at algorithms and stuff is just what we need, there is a lot of models to design and refine. I'll be handling the graphics and sound, so no worries there.
Ideas aren't in quite so short supply as coders, but the more ideas the better

.

t_ras · February 25, 2002, 15:42

I'm a info.sys ing. student in the technion (israel)
and know c/c++ probably well enough for coding for you
(unfortunatly may be even for more....

i'll be happy to help.

well as ametter of fact i hate doing graphics and GUI,
but i'll be happy to take part wih the internal algoritms part.

who's the programing coordinator?..

some one will need to do that,no
4 some ones will be needed:
1-graphics coor.
2-GUI coor.
3-algoritms coor.
4-overall...

well- just tell me who's the boss and what to do...

Blake · February 25, 2002, 16:41

I'm the project co-ordinator and coding co-ordinator. (in fact, until three posts ago I was the only programmer

)

We are still at the design phase (and I'm really not interested in doing much coding until we have a better idea of what the game must be able to do).

What you can do is go to the coding or science section of our forums and take a look at some of the threads. Models and algorithms can be developed now. If you have ideas for a uncovered model (say, population model) then start a new thread.