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Starsector 0.97a is out! (02/02/24); New blog post: Simulator Enhancements (03/13/24)

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Author Topic: Major Build Release  (Read 11542 times)

Histidine

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Re: Major Build Release
« Reply #30 on: August 07, 2015, 09:32:11 PM »

It would be kinda fun if Starsector was open source and we could gawk at the repository commit logs and such (and download/compile intermediate versions for testing). But I presume Alex has already made his decision here, and this wouldn't be much good for people who aren't code-savvy anyway.
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selkathguy

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Re: Major Build Release
« Reply #31 on: August 08, 2015, 06:09:35 AM »

It would be kinda fun if Starsector was open source and we could gawk at the repository commit logs and such[...]
I don't think a repo is necessary.  It's a paid product so having an open repo leaves you more vulnerable to a leak. In addition, there is no community code contribution to the main game (to my knowledge), so it would be read only.  I wouldnt want anyone playing a completely broken version of my game either, so there would be another branch for semi-stable development previews.  It's these development previews that I wish were a thing, but they could just be compiled occasionally.

Another problem with people compiling off the repo (unless you have proper revision organization which I think is unnecessary for this project) is that everyone will be compiling different code at different times and speak from different experiences.  With the development previews, it's a little easier to version.

There is always a balance, between frequent small updates and rare huge ones.  I believe the current pattern is very much on the latter end of the spectrum.  This isn't quite at "complaint" level yet, just more of a suggestion/request/assessment of whether or not I am alone in this.
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Tartiflette

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Re: Major Build Release
« Reply #32 on: August 08, 2015, 10:28:13 AM »

Of course everyone feel pretty much the same, but sadly every previous major update took roughly the same time, and the one after the next should be no exception either. After all, in term of core features there will be only Industry, Exploration and the Player Faction/Base left, and the latter need the formers. Maybe in a couple of years the updates might shift toward a more frequent rhythm as the development shift toward content rather than game mechanics.
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xenoargh

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Re: Major Build Release
« Reply #33 on: August 08, 2015, 02:56:04 PM »

Well, after the Framework, there's a fair amount of Content that really should get built, so that there's a lot of game to play.  This is one of those areas where what Alex is doing now is clearly aimed at that future-tense period, when getting the Content in will be a major priority. 

Now that Missions and long-term "relationships" with NPCs (both fleet-wise and in terms of dealing with semi-static locations) will be an area that's essentially Done, it'll be interesting to see how these final puzzle pieces get in. 

On the Open Source thing... I think that a bunch of people would be willing to help out or fork it to do various crazy stuff with the core engine; the problem there is largely that until the framework is done, there isn't much point in getting in the middle of Alex's vision, and he'd face more management hassles than it would be worth.  I sometimes think it'd be worth it, in terms of critique and small fixes (I know I'd optimize a couple of things I've profiled, lol, because they're low-hanging fruit), but probably not even that.

As it is, modders can do an incredible amount of Stuff that has largely not happened because we're lazy or busy with RL, not because it's impossible.  The only major thing that we can't mod atm that I feel like would open up a lot of things is that we can't mess with a lot of the low-level drawing code; that's made it difficult to do certain types of project without really terrible kludges. 

But I think non-coders would be very surprised by what's actually possible right now, though.  For example, with the AI exposed, it's possible to do stuff that doesn't look like SS at all, in terms of feel, like implement various forms of pathfinding, etc.  But if you're new around here, you're probably not familiar with all of the crazy stuff that's already been done, and most of the serious coders have been pretty quiet lately, because we have been waiting for the framework to arrive at a point where we won't have to rebuild our main code from scratch (in my case, for the fourth time, lol).

I think it'd be extremely interesting to see the source released or put up for sale at a reasonable price at some future date, post-Steam, when the game's done its main run, simply because I'm guessing by the time it's Done, Alex won't really want to look at it ever again; this has been even more of an epic than EV's development was.  But I can't imagine Alex letting us see / touch that stuff beforehand.  He's been remarkably nice about us pushing the edges of the EULA as it is ;)
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Soychi

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Re: Major Build Release
« Reply #34 on: August 09, 2015, 05:10:33 PM »

Of course everyone feel pretty much the same, but sadly every previous major update took roughly the same time, and the one after the next should be no exception either. After all, in term of core features there will be only Industry, Exploration and the Player Faction/Base left, and the latter need the formers. Maybe in a couple of years the updates...
Oh dear please no. If by couple of years you mean two years alright, but I imagine the game being done in the next 24-28ish months. Is that really (most likely) off by years?
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SafariJohn

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Re: Major Build Release
« Reply #35 on: August 09, 2015, 06:04:24 PM »

I estimate 3-4 years at least before this game is done, given the rate of updates thus far. I don't have a problem with it: Alex gives us a fun major update about once a year then modders expand that a lot further, the occasional cool blog post livens things up, and Alex is always around on the forums.

Even if Alex were to ditch Starsector right now, it would still be miles ahead of most games.

The way I see it, when we finally get to Starsector 1.0 it will be all the sweeter for how long it took to get there. :)
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Doom101

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Re: Major Build Release
« Reply #36 on: August 09, 2015, 07:49:35 PM »

I shall throw in my 2 cents here as well.
   As someone who has been around these parts for a VERY long time, SS isn't a game I play very often anymore, but most nights before I go to bed I click on its bookmark on my web browser, and take a look around. sometimes I may go a few days, even weeks or months between these checks, but the fact of the matter is, even though i've been here for 3+ years it's less about the game now, it's more about the community, the idea behind it all. Don't get me wrong here the game is the underlying background, the spine of the whole ordeal, but after seeing what the modders did with the game as it is already there is no doubt in my mind, that when this game does come out it will be fantastic. I choose the word fantastic because quite frankly even my considerable vocabulary doesn't possess a word adequate enough to describe the game or better, the idea of the game. When I check in I don't stay too long, I make a few posts, read the latest news and then go about my life. Because of the way I treat the forums i've never had an ill time here, nor have I ever experienced the feeling that alex is too slow, or that the community is dieing, in fact every once in awhile when I see people complain that the forum is dieing I hop over to the modding section and see nearly constant posts, new mods appearing, old modders helping out the newbies, it's amazing how an area so filled with life is just ignored when speaking of the forum as a whole. True my method isn't the most interesting way, and most of you will probably ignore me because you don't agree with the way I see it. But you have to understand there are many games out there on this little blue marble, and while you're away with them Alex won't mind, he knows how it goes, especially since he knows that when he does release an update, a blog post, or the game itself we'll all come back to him.

   Over the years i've met new people here, seen old friends leave the community, seen new people rise to fame in the community, and then seen them vanish into thin air, I've seen people get banned who I had once held conversations with, never to return. And more than anything else i've seen people show up out of the blue ranting, raving, complaining about why the game never updates, why the game sucks, or how to improve the game as a thin veil for just being a right ass. ( not saying this is the OP) Let me tell you something i've observed over my time here, these people, always disappear within a month, and never return. This game does not need them, this community does not want them, and we have no mercy.

The important thing to take note of here, is that it will happen, Alex is still here, he is still working, David is still working, and making them take time out of their day to tell people they are still here is just slowing them down even more.
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Megas

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Re: Major Build Release
« Reply #37 on: August 10, 2015, 05:47:15 AM »

I am busy enough with real-life and/or other gaming projects to not want to waste much time drooling over Starsector releases.  All the more temptation for me to cheat to reach the endgame (my favorite part of the game) quickly instead of grinding for days or longer if/when the next release comes.
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