[DGD] map maker in lpc

[Noah Gibbs]

  I don't think you're crazy, and it's understandable that you have limited time to work on projects, three kids or no.  With that said, I really think you should come up with a small, focused vision for what to build *first* in this map maker, and how to plug it into an existing game library.  You'll find that open source project get *way* more momentum if people can easily try them out.  That means making it runnable extremely early, before you have a lot of contributors, so that you can *get* contributors.

  It also means making it do something simple and fun *way* earlier than when it can do everything you're talking about here.  For instance, you could make it a terrain generator for GurbaLib, have it crank out extremely simple dungeon crawls, and then slowly add more complex objects (and eventually wilderness) from there.  Or you could go a different way and make it a wilderness generator for MudOS, come up with some kind of fun wilderness game and later add buildings, objects, underground stuff...

  These projects could get to the same place from very different directions -- and to build what you're talking about, you'd have to build to the point where they would do so, whichever direction you started in.  But if you start out with a fun game from early on, you'll find that you can get *way* more people to contribute code.

  So that's what I'd say -- that you've got a fun vision for late in the project, but you should do some shorter-term planning for early in the project.  If you come up with something that will take years get really running (and that's what you described below, at least on a "many casual contributors" basis), then it's very likely that it will never go anywhere.  If you plan something that you could release on your own in a month and then *extend* to the huge eventual vision, you'll be way more likely to have people helping by then.

--- On Sun, 6/22/08, chris . <psych_mayo at hotmail.com> wrote:

> From: chris . <psych_mayo at hotmail.com>
> Subject: Re: [DGD] map maker in lpc
> To: "All about Dworkin's Game Driver" <dgd at dworkin.nl>
> Date: Sunday, June 22, 2008, 9:01 PM
> im going to start a source forge project on this map maker.
> Ill be ambitious with 
> this map maker, and it will be a monster. I have some first
> thoughts on it which i 
> will share with you now, so that we can all have a share in
> the initial direction of 
> this project.
> I would like a map maker that can make not just terrains,
> but buildings, with 
> common household objects inside (think morrowind), and
> tangible 'platforms' 
> which can be sat upon, stood upon, and would have a mapping
> of other 
> commands too.  And you could also build forests, and
> abandoned lots, and there 
> would be more frameworks that would provide the know how
> for coders to build 
> to their imaginations content.  I would want this map
> builder to build things in a 
> unique, realistic, and especially non-repetitious way.  I
> am thinking of a complex 
> program with a lot of parameters, and it may be a nightmare
> like sprintf code in 
> lpc can be, but i feel it can be clever with organizization
> and proper OLC, and will 
> help make a name for ourselves.  Between us, i have sensed
> possible arrogance 
> at times from some members of the community, however i only
> wish to shine light 
> that i am not an idiot, but am merely a father of 3
> children and always in a rush and 
> not always timely to articulate my thoughts like i wish i
> might.
> If we worked on this together i think it will help get them
> on board, id like to see the 
> whole community contribute to one project instead of
> everyone fighting for their own 
> projects to reign.  Im crazy with ideas and i know you may
> think im crazy but i am 
> mad with ideas and i cannot help myself.  For now i would
> like to stress my 
> commitment to writing a killer map maker program.  I am to
> begin making a 
> sourceforge on it now.  I will use the name dgd/lpc map
> maker.  You will find an empty 
> slate there where we can begin drafting thoughts.  I will
> on my initiative write a vision 
> of the code structure for this program, and you will be
> able to call me on where my 
> ideas can be better, and you will be able to add ideas of
> your own from there.   But 
> if you have any words and thoughts to say, from what i have
> said so far, than please 
> say them now so i have your input before i write this
> vision.
> Thanks all
> chris
> _________________________________________________________________
> Earn cashback on your purchases with Live Search - the
> search that pays you back!
> http://search.live.com/cashback/?&pkw=form=MIJAAF/publ=HMTGL/crea=earncashback
> ___________________________________________
> https://mail.dworkin.nl/mailman/listinfo/dgd