Forums / DQ: Empires - Community / Off Topic / DQ: Empires further development?

Posted By Message Emperor L [ Posts : 1237 ] [Post Date: 07-Aug-2007 22:06] A while back Green said that because DQ:E development is frozen because of work on DQS, maybe it would be possible for someone to continue development on DQ:E. As I said before, I am studying Computer Science at university (just finished my first year and on summer break now) and may be able to help. I understand quite alot about how things work...and can probably learn anything I dont know. I know quite a bit about HTML and CSS for making web pages, and have been learning Java for a year and know the basics of it, and will continue that next year hopefully (depends on exam results ). Also I recently looked at XML and XHTML and a little while back was looking at SQL. I understood all that I have seen on those things and can probably learn anything else if I dont know it... Is there anything else thats nessasary? You said Unix for resetting galaxys, I will try to learn that also... You said also a while back that it could either be continued for web, or writen with downloadable client. For now I think that continueing it for web would be easier, the second option would probably be alot more difficult, although maybe eventualy I could help with that... Anyway, if you do want someone to continue DQ:E development, what sorts of things should be changed/added etc? There are lots of ideas in the suggestions thread, they wont all work, but a few things may... Quote I prefer to give DQE sources to some clever students - if we found them - to be able continue DQE development for web. Also, theoretically it can be rewritten in "real" game with client, like Massive Assault or similar. But we have no time for this - at least while we did not finish DQOS we will not continue DQE development - as exception - only as consultants. Quote Quote Do you mean a download game or something? I looked at the Massive Assault game, and that looks amazing...but isnt that sort of what OS will be like? But in space and things? Yes, I mean downloadable client - BTHW, it is very easy to implement it, because all logic are in SQL database - so, all what you need - to "clone" CGIs abling them return XML data instead of HTML document. I have been looking at sites about XML, SQL and alot of other things that may be useful to know to do something like this. I found the site http://www.w3schools.com/ really useful, I still have lots to read but anyway... The way I understand it (I could be wrong ) is that these CGI's right now read and write information to the game database using SQL. They also do all the game calculations etc use this information to generate HTML pages and every page we see is generated this way... To make the game as you said, the CGI's need to be changed to return XML. This will then be used to transfer game data to the client that is downloaded and runs on the player computer. Changing the CGI's is quite easy you say. I looked at alot of stuff about HTML and XML and I understand all that I think...still need to learn about what CGI actualy is, but I read about something called ASP and from what I read they seem to be used for the same sorts of things, maybe in a different way though... The downloadable client will have to be totaly writen from nothing I guess, and this will read the XML sent from the server and also create XML output to return data back to the server. Creating the client part will probably be a big task, but from what I understand of it, you could use the UML to generate HTML pages also, and if done this way (with a few changes) you could keep the game browser based, but send information to and from the server with UML, this would be one step on the way to making the game the way you said, as the CGI's will be changed and make the XML, ready to use later, also, in some ways these changes could be an advantage with the existing system, because from what I read, you could maybe do some actions without having to totaly reload the page each time using something called an XML Http Request...but I am not totaly sure about that yet...but it would probably make the game run a bit faster (expecialy on slow connections) because the page wont have to keep being loaded every time something changes, like ordering units, buying from market etc... Also, when the downloadable client is made, both that and the 'old' style game could both be used, giving 2 separate interfaces, one 3D that must be downloaded, and a browser based interface that can be played from anywhere with internet, without downloading anything... I dont know if it would all work that easily...I still have lots to find out...but I think I am starting to understand This message was edited by Emperor L Emperor L [ Posts : 1237 ] [Post Date: 08-Aug-2007 01:39] Ok, here are some thing I found from looking at suggestions, they should be quite easy (hopefully) to do... Turn clock, to count down to next tick. This can automaticaly reset after tick based on galaxy turn time. Think this is quite easy with javascript... Alliance requests do not expire, but user must either cancel request, or alliance leader refuse request. Make messaging size limit bigger. Maybe 4KB or 8KB. Add images for planets that dont have orbital or surface views (may take a while, but should be quite easy...) Display NAP above planets that players alliance has NAP with instead of Neutral, display Neutral for neutral empires without NAP. Planet range search from a specified location, not just home (have home as default). Increase the size of numbers of ships/units that can be entered when ordering ships/nodes/hordes. Limit payment for individual merc missions to a resonable ammount, maybe 9999999 or 99999999. Have an option to send a message to an alliance leader (without knowing who leader is, maybe give alliances a messaging ID and sending a message to this will automaticaly forward to the alliance leader. Filtering for colonisation ships Improve the human orb-base screen to show all planets (even those without orb bases) to make it easier to find planets without bases. Also when in a star system and on the orb base menu, highlight the planets in that system. Have different symbols, (under planets) for orb base status: ordered, reparing etc, only visible to base owner, not to other players. A bit more complex changes: In queue (for humans and fagur) highlight the resources needed in red if the empire does not have enough. Most useful for humans when population may not be enough on that planet. Make the messaging system better by having an address list, maybe limit this to players who have planets in explored stars only (players you have contact with, or who your alliance has contact with). Also allow message to be sent to several players (may have problems with spam, not sure...). One option is to allow player to block messages from certain other players. Give mass orders to fleets, be able to select the check box (now used for filtering) and give an order to all selected fleets...change 'filter' to a command so that all filtered fleets do not do the command. Keep the show all button. Have a way of scanning a sector of the galaxy (or an ammount of quadrants around a point) that indicates if a merc base is present, wont give exact location of the base, and may not be totaly accurate, depends on resources used. Give an alert if a message or join request is recieved while player is logged in. (not sure if this is possible) Be able to cancel orders that are already building (humans and fagur) or already morphing for krong. This will give some loss of resourced depending on how much time has passed. Allow both alliances and individual empires to declare war/NAP. Very big and difficult changes: Path finding for fleets (automaticaly take shortest and safest route. Avoids BH and enemy star systems/fleets, uses WH if it makes quicker route. Add new galaxys (galaxys 6-10) Change tacticle map to be easier to use, more filter options, drag and drop fleet paths, show star images (without galaxy background), have a description of colors etc. Make BH chain reactions happen slowly (over several turns, not all in one turn). Thats a few possible changes maybe... This message was edited by Emperor L Emperor L [ Posts : 1237 ] [Post Date: 14-Aug-2007 01:15] Ok, I know what CGI is now Common Gateway Interface...I just looked at a site about it...I dont quite understand it all yet, its quite complicated, but I am starting to understand what all the stuff in the URL at the top of this page is all about now, like the = ? & signs They are sending information to the CGI's and by the look of it, the ones on this page www.dqempires.com/cgi-bin/mlist?fid=13&tid=996 are sending the information about what forum and thread I am viewing, so the server knows what to send back...fid=13 must be the id of this forum (off topic) tid must be the id of this thread (DQ: Empires further development?) and other stuff like login ID and stuff is there also (I wont post that bit obviously) so the server can identify what login is requesting it... Anyway, this bit all seems quite complicated in some ways, but I understand the basics...also it says it can be writen in any language, so maybe I could try it using Java, also I dont have any server software, (I am not exactly sure what this is), but I hope to get a new computer soon and I read that something comes on the windows disk to allow you to use a normal PC as a server, so maybe I will try to use that, and maybe even link an old computer to that and have a simple network with client and server iAgressor [ Posts : 110 ] [Post Date: 11-Sep-2007 17:31] respect to Emperor for supporting this game// U are the real fighter -) Emperor L [ Posts : 1237 ] [Post Date: 11-Sep-2007 23:58] Quote respect to Emperor for supporting this game// U are the real fighter -) Yeah, DQ:E is a great game, and its a shame we dont have more players. Anyway, I dont know if the devs found this message or not...I am going back to uni soon, so wont have so much time free...but if you do want help then just let me know, I will try my best to do some things. Emperor L [ Posts : 1237 ] [Post Date: 13-Sep-2007 01:42] I have had an idea, maybe for now just a little re-balancing is needed, just to give some new life to the game. One thing I would suggest is to re-balance merc a bit. As far as I see it, mercs should be about stealth, and appearing and dissapearing. But right now this is not the case, mercs almost never use cloaking, but instead build tons of defences, and this makes the base more of a super weapon, than a hideout. I think the best option would be to increase the cost of defence, but decrease cost of propulsion and cloaking. This will make mercs more about stealth, hiding in an area and moving quickly, than about strong attack power. Something like the following: ~Mercenary Fighter~ This is the main unit for raiding for mercs. Double the ammount of resources each fighter can steal from a planet. Set HP to 25, but attack to 10. Set vunerability to 25 ~Mercenary Spy Unit~ These are the main stealth attack force of mercs, fleets that contain only spy units (no fighters) should be invisible, and also to owner will have the spy unit symbol. Double maintenance cost, but only charge when spys are active. (not idle) Set vunerability to 2 ~Assembling module~ Double production rate, but double maintenance costs. Set HP to 500 Set vunrability to 100. ~Propulsion module~ 1 propulsion module will move 10 units with 3 speed. Double maintenance costs, but only charge maintenance when the base is moving. Maintenance is free all other times. Set HP to 200 Set vunerability to 500. ~Science module~ Half cost, half maintenance, half science output (basicaly double the ammount of mainframe space used for science). Set vunerability to 100, set HP to 200. ~Comcenter module~ Set cost to 1000. Set HP to 500 Set vunrability to 500. ~Cloaking module~ Cloaking module will cloak 10 base modules, half cost, set HP to 500, set vunrability to 500, half maintenance. ~Defense module~ Set HP to 5000, set attack to 5000. Set vunrability to 1500. Double maintenance. ~Other changes~ Quick buy only costs 2x price. Thats just a sort of basic idea, not sure if those exact numbers will work...what does anyone think? I think this will mean that finding the base will be harder, but once you do, it will be much easier to destroy. This will make mercs hide more, as they should. Also, moving the base will be easier and cheaper, this makes escape easier, but also leaves them visible and open to attack at other times...