Work on Multiplayer Now

[aegidian]

With reference to https://bb.oolite.space/viewtopic.php?t=390

Is it perhaps time I started concentrating on Oolite multiplayer, or should I continue making the Oolite single player universe more interesting?

[Puzzler]

I notice that at the moment the poll stands at:

work on Oolite Dogfighter: 0
add in all the stuff to Oolite we've been asking for in single player first: 0
take a long holiday: 1


Do you need a rest?

[aegidian]

Xmas and the New Year have been somewhat... taxing.

[atze]

if you are interested i'd offer to spend time on the network-code if you get the entities split into physics and graphics.

i'm doing appkit since nextstep 2.1 so i have some understanding of obj-c
(yesterday i got a nextdimension, finally after 15 years i own the computer of my dreams!)

[aegidian]

if you are interested i'd offer to spend time on the network-code if you get the entities split into physics and graphics.

There's no need for that.

The physics (dynamics) is entirely handled by [Universe update:(double)delta_t] and each entity's [Entity update:delta_t] which it calls, and the graphics by [Universe drawFromEntity:(int) n] and each entity's [Entity drawEntity:(BOOL) immediate BOOL) translucent] which it calls.

A server would simply not call [Universe drawFromEntity:(int) n], substituting instead a method to collate the changed information from each entity for transmission to each client.

The client Universe (and therefore entities) would have to have two ways of updating: one from existing entity data, and a second method correcting the existing data based upon information received from the server.

[Murgh]

were I in your shiny shoes, I think I'd try to get an idea of the momentum and what point in time would be most fruitful spent in touch with able mOolti collaborators, vis á vis your level of motivation to march on. SPOolite has fulfilled so many of its goals (except perhaps Space Dredgers and a utile surrounding culture? ) that a deserved break should come soon.

but if you'll go on holiday only to return entirely inspired about a new, unrelated project, I'd like to see your foot chained to the desk.
you'd get toilet breaks.

assurances, Sir.

[Frd_Prefect]

I agree with Murgh, given the reletively short period of time that oolite has been in existance you have worked wonders with it, and although multiplayer options would be all very nice, I personally don't see the rush.

I am happy to devote a little time into writing some MP code myself, alhough I do have several other projects on the go at the moment so it may have to wait a few months.

Personally, given the choice, I would go spend a few weeks on a warm sunny beach some where

[jonnycuba]

Although I would dearly love Moolite, I feel that if you need a break then that is what you should do...Recharging the batteries is always a good idea when a major swath of a project has been completed. When I'm finished at college in July, the first thing I'm going to do is go away for a month to somewhere hot!

Oolite 1.4 is a triumph Giles!

[winston]

If you are making a networked version and need a server with a decent amount of bandwidth, I can offer a server complete with development tools (the GNU compiler kit, which should include Objective-C) with absolutely no strings attached. The server is in Telehouse East in London so has plenty of bandwidth. The latency is good enough that we have had players from as far away as eastern Canada getting a decent game of RTCW Enemy Territory.

The only possible issue is that the server runs Linux not OS X (I doubt you'll find an OS X server for rent - you'll have to co-lo a box to do that) which means you'll need a traditional Makefile to build the executables rather than whatever Xcode uses for build control.

However, personally, I'd like to see the single-player stuff expanded a bit more. Landing on planets would be nice (Although, I suspect that will require many many round tuits to do well, so I'm not expecting that feature!)

[GusGus]

I think you really deserve a holiday aegidian.

just promise us that you'll come back to Oolite and us.

[Olentzero]

Looks like the holiday is winning, Giles. I just upgraded to 1.40 and I agree - it's a triumph. You should take a break and recharge, then start thinking about what you'd like to do next. Even if it's not Oolite.

easy, gents, put down the noose...

[Darkbee]

Out of curiousity, and perhaps this should be another discussion, what do people think that is missing from Oolite as it stands (aside from multiplayer).

I mean, are then any major features that people would like to see that perhaps deserve attention.

1) Landing on planets always gets mentioned but I think that is a real tough nut to crack.

2) Space Dredgers and large ships. Maybe that might be worth doing but it is going to bring anything fundamentally new to the gameplay or is it something that is just cool? (MAYBE the same could be said of landing on planets)

I think we have to give Giles credit for the major features that he has already implemented like:

Ship Yard
Communication Log
Passenger/Cargo contracts
New AI ships (i.e. mining) ...Not to mentioned the continually improved AI in general

My point for bringing this up is that:
a) I think a break is well justisfied given the already rapid development of the project
b) Maybe it really is time to move onto network play (only after a long break though of course)

What are other's thoughts?

oh and as an after thought, just because Giles isn't working on the game doesn't mean other people can't do stuff with it, so I don't think we have to fear it dying a slow and lonely death.

[aegidian]

Also, I'm continuing to fix things that come up, irrespective of any 'break' I might or might not be taking.

[NoSleep]

Take a break (although I voted for the Dogfighter ).

[RmB303]

Only just started playing this game - AMAZING. (even better than Frontier on the Miggy)
Judging from the rate of releases from these boards, the coder needs a rest though.
I did vote to keep working on the single player game though