Calm before the storm? Or DOA?

Buggi · Post by **Buggi** » 29 Jun 2005, 06:14

Not even being published in PC Gamer will push this site over the 52 user record for the forums. What is UP with that? Is the TA fanbase so small?

Why is the site so... I don't know... slow?

More posts than progress, more talk than code. Is everyone just sitting around waiting for something to happen? A 7 PAGE thread on target selection? o_O Endless complainer threads on the GUI, this bug or that feature; with no real progress on solutions...

Anyone else actually LOOKING at the code? I don't even need one hand to count the number of coders posting on this forum.

Everything I know about programming, every line of code I write I do so because I sat down and learned to do it myself. I wasn't taught, I didn't have tutorials, and forget about books. All this talk about "examples" and stuff. People, just dive in. Copy the source, tweak with it, break stuff, fix it. LEARN! It's the only way. You want to do a new GUI. There is a TON of GUI code to go through to do it right. Learn every line. Once you have something superb, post the information.

Heck, I'm trying to program the ability to add features to maps and asked to everyone for features to test with and got one... ONE response. How does anyone here expect anything to get done when they themselves refuse to contribute? I worked over 80 hours in one week to get the editor going, is no one willing to sit down and work a couple hours of their time to get me stuff to test with?

Don't ANYONE start on the "I'm busy" crap. Everyone's busy. I'm busy. But I LOVE to work on projects like this and do so with enjoyment. Like a master carpenter building a baby crib for his new baby.

Y'all took my crib and smashed it to bits.

-Buggi

Zoombie · Post by **Zoombie** » 29 Jun 2005, 06:49

I dont know how to program, I dont know how to make maps and im very very very very slow in learning how to make units. But Zwzig gave me a huge amount of cool things to help me on my way, and if i can grind out a SINGLE unit that works and is cool then i will have actually made an impact on the community! Also if you think this forum is slow iv been on a forum where i was gone from for three WEEK'S and there where an amazing 2 posts there from two people bickering about a pointless plot-line addention to a game that was cool enough!

Buggi · Post by **Buggi** » 29 Jun 2005, 07:04

I know not *everyone* can do something. Fans are fans. It was more to get the people to take action rather than sit and complain about stuff.

I had to get it out of my system. :)

-Buggi

[K.B.] Napalm Cobra · Post by **[K.B.] Napalm Cobra** » 29 Jun 2005, 09:05

I can never find the piece of code I'm looking for.

shnorb · Post by **shnorb** » 29 Jun 2005, 09:40

im busy

nah, really i am, but i dont think thats an excuse either. im trying to learn c++, but its a bloody slow process without enough time.

i can see why your so pissed off, and i think everyone notices it as well. its just something that is going to take patience. i know im going to have to be patient enough to last until the end of the year. then ive got a year of free time to learn all this stuff and help you guys out!

Kixxe · Post by **Kixxe** » 29 Jun 2005, 12:07

I cant. I promised myself to not jump to another program/project aging. Under 2 mothns, i jumped from Gamemaker, to lierox level making, to make levels in starcraft, to help whit a mod in OZ and about 3 other things i cant rembear. And i dint get halfway whit ANY of that.
Im sticking to flash. Im aculy learning and making something.

On another note, i am makin a gudie/startegy to help the newbs, i think i can finish it today if i have the time....

Post by **jcnossen** » 29 Jun 2005, 12:15

Personally I think the code is not really accessible at the moment. It only compiles properly on VC .NET 2003 and 2005 with some modifications. You don't even want to try it with VC6. The linux port can't be compiled on windows with mingw32. Maybe it's possible, but I spend quite a few hours figuring out scons and writing a makefile for it, so far without success. There are still some files (like Aircraft.cpp) that won't compile at all without modification. I'm not going to do big patches on the code, since the linux team is working on that too.
The few people that can code and want to contribute run into barriers like this.
I hope to get .NET on friday so I can get coding as well...

Triaxx2 · Post by **Triaxx2** » 29 Jun 2005, 12:24

Thing is, I'd love to fiddle with the code, but I can't playtest at all. My graphics card doesn't support the game, and I can't play because of it.

Min3mat · Post by **Min3mat** » 29 Jun 2005, 12:34

I can playtest, can't be assed to either learn how to code or code. I'm in this game for the playing and suggesting ideas

i do however rate replays, i'm about 1/2 way through one atm (xta 2v2CoolGame) :p so there i do do something...and btw noone helps me review replays and you don't see me complaining! on sites like gamereplays.org replays get reviewed overnight by 10+ reviewers with lots of spare time on their hands!!!

you don't see me getting that support!

BlackLiger · Post by **BlackLiger** » 29 Jun 2005, 12:52

I'm readin the code throughly before I even consider touching it to edit.....

Post by **jcnossen** » 29 Jun 2005, 13:24

I have to say I'm also amazed by the amount of wishes (I mean a wishlist c'mon, why?) that people post that the SYs are supposed to implement. Really this is a community project: if you want a feature, learn to code and implement it yourself.
Anyway, I'll stop complaining now :) It's not really productive...

AF · Post by AF » 29 Jun 2005, 14:33

can see why your so pissed off, and i think everyone notices it as well. its just something that is going to take patience. i know im going to have to be patient enough to last until the end of the year. then ive got a year of free time to learn all this stuff and help you guys out!

I now and I'm just as pised off as buggi is, this is a community that wishes thigns but doesnt do much save make content and go with other things not related to this.

As for code portability, I knwo what you mean, damn AI dll's wont compile and tog et them to I have to change the engine code slightly silly thigns like in unitdef.h

Code: Select all

struct 
{
...
} sound;

should be

Code: Select all

struct sound
{
...
};

and because I change it when I laod spring it says invalid AI dll, and spring wont compile in VC++6 or DEVC++4.9, although the AI dll will with a little editation. So far the onyl people who ahve doen anythign to help me or even suggest or promise help with AI are:
SJ (GlobalAI interface)
Triaxx(theory and threat matrix algorithm)
Min3mat(initial build orders)
Napalm (general + miscellaneous support).

To you I say thanks for at least being bothered, and to thse working on the linux port, good luck getting more support. And Buggi, when we've all done our stuff, and released it, the community will be appreciative for what work we've done, and if you're not satisfiedthen, you can leave it to soemone else and people will miss your work and whish they could do soemthing other than sit on their arse flaming and argueing, whishing for things.

Looks like I'll have to do that satellite/sensor view mode myself.

And as a side note:

TED Class, this could be of use to AI and a few other thigns such as defining whats a scout and whats a strike unit and showing up in sensor mode the right symbols etc... But what was it used for in OTA? And perhaps if someone could volunteer to go through OTA SWTA and AA and change them to a more appropriate descripter, soemhtign along the lines of:
SCOUT, CNSTR, FACTORY, STRIKE, BALLISTIC, DEFENSE, MINE, SPECIAL, AsSAULT, VTOL

And for those of you who arent sure about this, it is unit type idnependant (sea air land hover etc). Changing the Engine should eb a simple task of adding String TEDClass; to the unitdef.h etc..

aGorm · Post by **aGorm** » 29 Jun 2005, 15:20

The simple fact is... Time. Lots of people have no time. I know a bit of VB and would love to get to grips with better things like C+ etc... but I have no time. Its a miricla i get time to make maps, and i think that that will ahve to be the way i cointribute as I have no time do things other than things I know. So don't complane please when some people don't do anything.

aGorm

NMDANGE · Post by **NMDANGE** » 29 Jun 2005, 15:22

No offense guys but why do you want to use VC++ 6? It's so old.

2003 is a much more compliant C++ compiler.

AF · Post by AF » 29 Jun 2005, 15:37

Yes it's also a fact that most people are at least 10 times more likely to have a copy of it than 2003. It's also expensive.

The simple fact is... Time. Lots of people have no time. I know a bit of VB and would love to get to grips with better things like C+ etc... but I have no time. Its a miricla i get time to make maps, and i think that that will ahve to be the way i cointribute as I have no time do things other than things I know. So don't complane please when some people don't do anything.

I remember making whiteout, ym first map, a very simple one, completely white, no real texturing needed, flat height map. I knwo how long it takes and I'm saying that even 5 mins of coding can be worth a lot more than an I dont have the time

Felix the Cat · Post by **Felix the Cat** » 29 Jun 2005, 15:39

Some of us don't have the $$$ for a Microsoft programming product...

Post by **jcnossen** » 29 Jun 2005, 15:56

The simple fact is... Time. Lots of people have no time. I know a bit of VB and would love to get to grips with better things like C+ etc... but I have no time. Its a miricla i get time to make maps, and i think that that will ahve to be the way i cointribute as I have no time do things other than things I know. So don't complane please when some people don't do anything.

Ofcourse there are always a lot of people doing nothing because they have no time. What is worrying however is when there is nobody doing any coding, and that is what seemed to be the case the past few weeks (except the various new lobbies)

Warlord Zsinj · Post by **Warlord Zsinj** » 29 Jun 2005, 16:12

I don't really have much expertise to offer, and I have found with my experience at TA modding, I never have the time that needs to go into such projects, and offering time means a responsibility on my shoulders, which I don't need on top of all the other responsibilities which are keeping me from helping out in the first place.

mongus · Post by **mongus** » 29 Jun 2005, 19:42

Warlord Zsinj wrote:I don't really have much expertise to offer, and I have found with my experience at TA modding, I never have the time that needs to go into such projects, and offering time means a responsibility on my shoulders, which I don't need on top of all the other responsibilities which are keeping me from helping out in the first place.

wow, really not much you can do to help here...
you surely have time to post ...

Buggi · Post by **Buggi** » 29 Jun 2005, 19:50

I hate to break it to you youngersters but responsibility does not diminish with time. It grows, at some points exponentially throughout life.

So do not think you are waiting for a "calm" point before you do something. There's always another "thing" around the corner waiting to grab your time.

Oh, and Kixxe, excellent news on the tutorial. Just promise me you'll spell check before releasing it?

And Min3mat, you've found something you can do to contribute, something that at the moment no one is helping with. And honestly, watching replays is not the same as staring down the barrel at these laundry lists of requests. I'm glad you've found that in which you can help and do so joyfully.

BlackLiger... dude... it's not a book, it's code. And it's not very well commented at that. Just what are you reading?

Lets see some code! :D

-Buggi

Spring RTS Engine

Calm before the storm? Or DOA?

Calm before the storm? Or DOA?