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 An Announcement - May '03 | KAding recently posted an announcement about his absence as well as some upcoming updates. Here is what he said:
Hello everyone,
Yes, I am still alive . There have been several reasons for my rather long absence, although none of those reasons is a good enough excuse to warrant it . Occasionally I just need a break, I did exactly the same when I was QOR CO, I would just disappear occasionally, sometimes for a few weeks, sometimes even for months. So you guys better get used to it  . I have been a bit busier in my real life as well. I have not stopped working on the game though, although I probably put it in a slightly lower gear. Some stuff just isn’t as much fun making as other parts, I enjoyed making the lobby for example, while figuring out bugs and working on network routines is a pain in the ass . Anyway, I deeply apologize for my recent absence. Now lets get on with business.
Let me summarize what changes the next version will include (v0.8. Keep in mind that I might be forgetting a few things, I have…ehm…lost my notes . All this has already been implemented. All I have to do now is create a backup server running the current version of the game (v0.864c), in case the authentication server goes offline for example.
Give me 1 to 2 more weeks for that, then I’ll upload it and rejoin the community! I promise! Any way, the changes:
The game:
• The game now supports different floor types
• It will no longer be possible to multiply weapons
• You can now use “/score” and “/time” in the chat box to get some info in case you are not playing yourself
• Login has been implemented, everyone will have a unique ID
• It is now possible to join a room while a game is in progress
• Soldiers will now remain in the game as ‘ghosts’ (and can be killed) if someone leaves during a game.
• It is now possible to rejoin a game if you have been disconnected from it. Say, you have a short power outage and get disconnected. You can then rejoin the room and continue playing!
• Grass is now shown properly on Ati Radeon graphics systems
• Several minor bug fixes have also been taken care of
The server:
• A lot has happened to the server ‘under the hood’ to prepare it for authentication, stats and remote management.
• A ‘ban management’ system has been added, which allows you to easily ban certain usernames or IP addresses for a specified time period. This will also be stored on disk, so it won’t be gone after a reboot.
• It is now possible to do a soft restart of the server. If a game is in progress it will be discontinued, but this way it is possible to reinitialize the server without having to restart the whole program.
• There is now an option to log all server activity to a file. You will be able to see who joined, what was being said and the games that were played.
• You will now be able to password protect a game, meaning the only people who know the password can get in. In case you want to do private regiment training on your own server, without annoying people barging in .
Admin tools:
• The servers can now be remotely controlled by MPs. Meaning if there is a problem or certain settings need to be changed, the MPs will have the power to do so.
• A tool was developed for MPs to easily ban people from the rooms
• Within a few days after this release we should have several official servers online that should be up 24/7 with a decent connection.
The lobby:
• The lobby will now show properly which map being played on a server
• Instead of just being able to see who is in a room, you will also be able to see who is playing exactly, who is on what team, what phase the game is in, the time left before the game ends and the current score.
Like I said, there are probably a few other changes I am forgetting right now. Most work actually went into stuff like the authentication system as well as the ability to rejoin a game. Especially the latter was quite tedious and frustrating and probably the main cause of my disappearance .
It is however also something I am most exited about, since it is useful in two ways:
First of all the system is now capable of letting newly connected people join in a game that is already running, which means it will now be easy to create truly open games, where people can join mid-game for quick fun. This isn’t in yet, but it will be soon.
Secondly, we all know that many people are still having stability problems with the game, in the sense that you might get booted, the graphics are screwed up or you are having connection problems. Now all these problems have many causes, and I am convinced these problems will diminish the further we get in development, keep in mind that this game is still very much beta!! Anyhow, if you get booted out of a game for whatever reason you can now at least rejoin. This means there won’t be many games anymore with uneven teams, which made them very unfair. This was a requirement for stats.
Speaking about stats....They are now my no.1 priority. If (and that is a BIG if ) this version is decently stable we could have stats on a short notice, within 3 weeks from now.
So my list is now as follows:
1. Set up preliminary stats
2. Include a truly open game made, where people can join mid-game
3. Further bug fixes
4. Good technical support so we can better fight the bugs
If we get that up and running, well, then we can get started on the fun parts, like actually adding new gameplay features to the game! I know this is all going very slowly, but I’d be willing to bet we achieved more in 7 months here then 2am did in a few years . And I’m not even getting paid!
Right. That’s about it. I once again apologize for my recent absence. I hope people are still playing the game . If not I’ll just keep working on it anyhow .
I also sincerely apologize to the staff, since I let them down. It’s just too damn easy to simply disappear on the internet, so we’ll be taking measures to stop me from doing that in the future .
Bandit, the experimental version of the game for map testing should be back online now! Give it a try, if it does not work post here!
Once again: I’m sorry!
KAding
You can read the original thread HERE |
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smlutz - May '03
Great Can't wait for those stats to be up and running!
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