FreeGameDev

The ideal client/server interaction (taking this as user experience)

The user should not ideally not have to use both. One has to go inside the other, and we sort of have half implemented ways of doing this (web plugin and ingame-browser plugin). We could skip the ingame browser idea as well, and just implement the functionality natively using the python plugin system.

At the very least, I'd like to be able to do this in-game

Create a new map, setting its name/path. Activity is created automatically from this, and automatically req'd and selected for fast editing

Clone map that is currently being played. Again, set name/path (use sane default, username/mapname) and make activity automatically

I'd like to see a better lobby too, but that would include a whole slew of changes that I've been asking for for long.

List:

* Each map must have a preview image, autogenerated or user-set

* Lobby should have an activity browser, showing latest activites played/most popular activities (other than the constantly req'd ones

* Lobby should have a portal that gives you an editing sandbox

* Activity comments should be usable in-game

* One activity per map asset! Unless we decide that we want multi-map activites in the future, or that they can serve some kind of meta function

I had a string of thoughts regarding some aspect of this, even before reading your post.

α - the list of games is likely to explode to a point that it will no longer be easy to navigate on-foot.
β - rather than provide a dedicated portal for each game, such a feature could be restricted to the top 3 (5, 10, or whatever seems appropriate..) The rest of the games are available in the main listing.
γ - scatter terminals around the lobby, which can be used to access the in-game browser / game list.. alternative to terminals might be handheld devices each player looks down at, when a button is pressed.
δ - maybe the lobby is a space station or something comparably futuristic.. might be nice to give it a specified style someday.
ε - other ideas for a lobby theme: in the clouds / heavens.. a bar.. (add your own!)

I probably missed the point of your post, but I felt that it was at least related enough to share those thoughts. Sorry if I rambled off-topic.

It's on the topic of lobby improvements that I kinda talked about

I agree that the lobby needs a major re-think architecturally, I experimented myself with a "Matrix" like lobby where everything is white with only portals in the room, looked pretty cool imo. One wouldn't list all the activities as portals, as there wouldn't be enough space, although including some sort of search functionality to allow you to play maps that aren't in the "most recent / most popular " category would be nifty too.

Handheld terminals could work, but then it should do the entire ui/menu system, like Playstation Home.

Thanks for the feedback

I think the key thing that needs to change is that local editing (and map cloning) should be apart of the map creation process by default. The map list already is completely inundated with tons of maps that people just cloned because they want to test something out. Having a huge list of assets (many of which are clones of each other with no real changes) is confusing in my opinion.

You should be able to get a listing of published maps in-game, and clone one locally and start playing around with it immediately. This will minimize the amount of interactions between client and master server, allowing for the user to get up and running right away. You only share it (upload it to the server) when you want to make it public.

There are a ton of refinements that can happen here, for example:
* You currently have to upload asset packs (e.g., textures and skyboxes) separately on the website when you upload your map, since they're not actually a part of the map but a dependency.
* We should make the upload process for all assets seamless with in the game.
* We should be uploading as a binary diff of each file in an asset pack instead of the entire tarred pack.
** Consider some form of version control, but that's down the line.
* Have texture config in a .json file that is bundled with the map, not configuration with textures themselves. That way you can modify textures imports and blending without having to upload the entire texture pack to syntensity in the web interface.

I'm sure we can up with a lot more improvements from those that do a lot of map editing, but I think the fundamental change that needs to happen here is that map editing happens local by default, and you only publish maps that you actually want to A.) share with the public B.) have multiple people work on (multiple owners).

The master server should be a tool that assists with editing, but right now it is mostly a hindrance. (Note: A lot of the feedback I have comes from GK as well, as I have been working with him on getting the Metallblech assets set up).

rapiscan {l Wrote}:I think the key thing that needs to change is that local editing (and map cloning) should be apart of the map creation process by default. The map list already is completely inundated with tons of maps that people just cloned because they want to test something out. Having a huge list of assets (many of which are clones of each other with no real changes) is confusing in my opinion.

You should be able to get a listing of published maps in-game, and clone one locally and start playing around with it immediately. This will minimize the amount of interactions between client and master server, allowing for the user to get up and running right away. You only share it (upload it to the server) when you want to make it public.

Hmm, I didn't even think of that. Separating local running/storage from the server side, definitely a very good idea. While we are on the topic of pointless maps, we really need someone with access to the DB to go in and clean the asset list out. I bet 90% of it is all cruft, and that needs to be culled.

rapiscan {l Wrote}:There are a ton of refinements that can happen here, for example:
* You currently have to upload asset packs (e.g., textures and skyboxes) separately on the website when you upload your map, since they're not actually a part of the map but a dependency.
* We should make the upload process for all assets seamless with in the game.

Should be relatively easy, the upload_asset command can upload any asset at the moment, it just needs a propper binding/ui

rapiscan {l Wrote}:* We should be uploading as a binary diff of each file in an asset pack instead of the entire tarred pack.
** Consider some form of version control, but that's down the line.

Ooooh yes, I've been harping about this since I joined the project. I tried getting kripken and Bill/zot to work together on implementing xus, which would give us all the features we need and more, but neither of them got the ball rolling (Kripken moving to a permissive license was a peace offering in this regard, Bill doesn't like the GPL :\ And still he made no move to help out, sigh)

rapiscan {l Wrote}:* Have texture config in a .json file that is bundled with the map, not configuration with textures themselves. That way you can modify textures imports and blending without having to upload the entire texture pack to syntensity in the web interface.

I'm sure we can up with a lot more improvements from those that do a lot of map editing, but I think the fundamental change that needs to happen here is that map editing happens local by default, and you only publish maps that you actually want to A.) share with the public B.) have multiple people work on (multiple owners).

The master server should be a tool that assists with editing, but right now it is mostly a hindrance. (Note: A lot of the feedback I have comes from GK as well, as I have been working with him on getting the Metallblech assets set up).

The rest I agree with as well, especially with the master server being more of a hinderance than a tool at the moment. But anyhow, we'll have to see who implements it. Bioselement has been working on something for months now, but it seems like that project is becoming more of a general purpose CMS for the Fedora project than anything else :\

my 7 ideas for client and for lobby

1. make controlable computer were is website of sintensity
2. make board who is online in sintensity
3. make playermodel select (like from sauerbraten)
4. make image of map <- nice idea TheAncientGoat
5. make biger lobby <-can be good for maps
6. make empyt portals for active maps
7. make small sandbox

thats my ideas what i wish
maybe is it can be real

1. make controlable computer were is website of sintensity
I don't get what your saying
2. make board who is online in sintensity
In game?you could use Irc to generally see who is online and lurk #syntensity-ingame channel on freenode to get upadates when they enter maps
3. make playermodel select (like from sauerbraten)
Don't get me started
4. make image of map <- nice idea TheAncientGoat
no comment
5. make biger lobby <-can be good for maps
Currently don't see the point
6. make empyt portals for active maps
We do that already
7. make small sandbox
A new map is generally small and having edit permission makes it sandboxy

andrix its my ideas

david_cz {l Wrote}:adrix(not andrix) its my ideas

What?I don't get it?

you get it but its my ideas what i wish in this game

*off topic on*
Domnívám se, že používáte translate.google.com. Možná pak pochopíte, co je míněno.
(I suggest you try translate.google.com. Maybe then you better understand what is meant.)

Btw: I used it to turn the english text into Czech ... and i am from Germany.
*off topic off*

-.- joen im can english

adrix89 {l Wrote}:1. make controlable computer were is website of sintensity
I don't get what your saying
2. make board who is online in sintensity
In game?you could use Irc to generally see who is online and lurk #syntensity-ingame channel on freenode to get upadates when they enter maps
3. make playermodel select (like from sauerbraten)
Don't get me started
4. make image of map <- nice idea TheAncientGoat
no comment
5. make biger lobby <-can be good for maps
Currently don't see the point
6. make empyt portals for active maps
We do that already
7. make small sandbox
A new map is generally small and having edit permission makes it sandboxy

you are comentator beacouse you coments my coments and its good but its actualy my idea for syntensity and im have very big imagination.soo if you want you can make laucher of game or you can make this launcher and exe im need criticali beacouse im cant play this game and im want it

david_cz {l Wrote}:you are comentator beacouse you coments my coments and its good but its actualy my idea for syntensity and im have very big imagination.soo if you want you can make laucher of game or you can make this launcher and exe im need criticali beacouse im cant play this game and im want it

Can somebody translate this?cause got no idea what he is saying most of the time
Anyways why doesn't it launch? if you have problems drop by on irc(if you don't have irc search for xchat-wdk) on irc.freenode.net channel #syntensity

andryx im good at english -.-