V2 plan changes (spread the news!)

[Tim]

As I've really started digging in to the code, I've slowly come to the realization (more like acceptance) that my goal for v2 work was overly ambitious. I knew both the changes to the weapon system and bringing back in character classes were big changes and would need a lot of work (not to mention the UI changes I've been wanting to do). I've been weighing decisions about this for a while now and found myself making sacrifices in my plans in order to meet my self set goals. The hard truth of how much actually time I've been able to spend coding has been a factor as well, as much as I hate to admit it. When faced with all these hard truths, I've decided I'd rather focus on each of these changes individually and implement what I want fully rather than add in parts of each now and have to go back in later to change it to what I want.

So in the end, I've made some changes to the schedule. I'm not completely happy with what these changes will mean for v2, but I think it's for the best. It's either this or push off v2 for another few months and I doubt any of you want that any more than I do.

Old plan for v2: (goal date of end of year)

• Weapon system changes
  
• Add in Character classes
  
• UI changes
  
• Fix V1 issues and make minor tweaks
  

New plan:

• V2 (Goal date: some time in December/January)
  • Weapon system changes
    
  • UI changes
    
  • Fix V1 issues and make minor tweaks
    
  
  
• v3 (Goal date: Spring)
  • Character Classes
    
  • More UI changes
    
  • Other (more work which at this point is still undefine as to what all will be put in)
    
  • Fix V1 and V2 issues and make minor tweak
    
  
  

I haven't gone through and broken out my todo list yet, but this is about what I'm thinking. There will be some UI changes in both v2 and v3, as I'm going to include as many as I can in V2 without holding things up too much. I also haven't forgotten the feedback the v1 changes have received and there needs to be some tweaking of a few things that I want to make sure gets in there.

The main problem I have with this plan is skills. Current skills won't work with the new weapon system, but I don't want to take the time to make a skills system that will just be replaced by the new character classes. Also, the skill system will be a large chunk of the character class work, so doing that part of it for v2 is out of the question unless I want to push things out. So v2 will be a skillless version of the game. This will impact some of the balancing issues I was planning to do for the new weapon system, but shouldn't have a largely negative impact.

The only other thing that's left up in the air is channeling. I really want to bring it back for v2, but without classes it would mean either all can channel or none can (I'm not going to implement a temporary or random system to decide this. Things must be fair.) Haven't decided which way it will be. Likely will throw up a poll about this in the near future.

With the changes to the schedule, I'm getting fairly close to having a stable enviroment for testing. With activity in v1 dwindling, I've decided I will make the test site public to all again before v2. Helped me find a lot of bugs and kept people interested. Just be prepared for things being somewhat unstable like they were before v1. The current v1 release will stay online for a while, though depending on activity may go offline after the test site is opened. I'll play that by ear, but promise to give about a weeks notice before it drops. Also will give some notice (not necessarily a week though) before the test site goes live. I would guess it should be sometime in the next couple weeks.

Go Team!

[Tintomara]

I'm very, very excited about this! I really kind of love testing, with the sudden weird occurances that that brings When the real thing starts, there are set prerequisites, and you know what will happen... Not that that isn't fun, too, I'm just very excited to test new things!

[Mat Cauthon]

Me three ;D

[lilith]

me four!

[Hugh Longshanks]

Me five, Tim. That sounds superb - far better than any of us could've hoped. Keep up the good work.

P.S. Sorry, haven't been able to log on much, if at all, in recent weeks. That should change, I hope, with Christmas break, the new semester, and v2.

[alSeen]

man i cant wait for v2. i know i basically new to the games but they are awesome. also how will there be no skills? i mean how will it affect gameplay?

[Tim]

Try out the test site. That's pretty similar to hot the game play will be.

[tommy]

what is the test site

[Tim]

The test site refered to in the above thread was the V2 test site. Since V2 is live now, that test site is down. There is a V3 test site, but it is not currently open to the public as it is unplayable most of the time due to some of the half done changes that are out there and the database gets reset quite often at this point. Once it is stable enough for people to actually play, I'll post a link.

[alSeen]

if u need someone to try anything out, i have a lot of time to spare.

[Mat Cauthon]

Is there still a site up for V1 ?

[Tim]

Nope. I only have a limited amount of databases my host lets me have, so I had to take v1 down so I could have a v3 test site. Sorry!

[Mat Cauthon]

Well I hope the test site for V3 will be up soon because I am beginning to suck in this version

[jamie]

well no offense, but post that link soon cause we'll some what be your beta testers.