[Fineus]

Welcome to the Source Code Project forum, allow me to answer some questions so that people know just why it's no longer called by its old name.

Firstly, The Source Code Project is going to be the largest development of the source code for FS2 on the internet - a joint endeavor between HLP and FSW, it well enable coders to interact and to create a single package that really gets the best out of the code without there being hundreds of little alterations which may conflict. This project shall result in releases of garunteed working "patches" (for want of a better word).

Secondly, "why not create a separate forum for the SCP and keep the old one separate?" well, as the largest single collective of source code alterations on the net it becomes more of an important factor than your average joes campaign. This is not a storyline, this is re-writing and improving a game we all love and as such it deserves to stand out a little. Also, there is already a collective mass of ideas and developments floating around here, to re-write them in a different forum would be a waste of time. If anyone has any developments not relating to the SCP but perhaps relating to something they've done themselves or want help with then this is still the place for that - the main focus of this forum is the source code, but with a single massive project as it's core.

Thirdly, the SCP - as I've said - is a joint venture between Hard Light Productions and FreeSpace Watch of the VW network. HLP will provide both this public forum as well as an internal forum, VW shall play host to the website and files on the project. Cross links will be posted on both sites to tie it all neatly together.

Finally, the project website and other stuff is still some way in coming - everyone is still really busy but this is a start which is better than nothing. It's now publicly known that this is going to happen and peolpe can start planning for that and asking questions (something I encourage in this instance because you might ask something we haven't thought of yet).

All in all I'm really optimistic about this, the source code is a much needed boost to the community and if we get it right we can acomplish some truly great things.

So without further ado, enjoy!

[Ryx]

  <----   add this smiley

[Alikchi]

Woot!
You've got forums and webspace and maybe a site, all you need to do now is code

[IceFire]

This people, is where things get immensely cool

[Nico]

two questions:
1) why a private forum? it's public stuff no? hiding stuff would be kindda unfair.
2) exactly what have been done so far? Concrete stuff I mean, stuff that works. I keep wondering, to be honest.

[Inquisitor]

Ditto to what venom said.

[an0n]

We demand unfettered access to............

[Fineus]

Glad there's approval (more or less ) so far...

In answer to Venoms questions - the private forum is for things that don't need to be public - the messy side of things. Administration doesn't need to take place in the public eye because then everyone will want to have an opinion and nothing will ever get done. By making the private forum with access to those on the staff (not necessarily all of them - just the core administration) things can be taken into a place and talked out carefully and a decision reached quickly, as opposed to every Tom, Dick and Harry coming along with a different wish which means things need to get changed again. One thing that's certain is that there will be clashes in interests - some people may want white out glows from pointing your ship at a sun whist others may want that reduced or even removed. It's a little example of the possibilities.

As for what's actually been done so far - not to much, we've got a whole shed load of ideas around the place (with more coming in all the time) and as far as I know Bobboau is the only one to really acomplish anything with his glow points adjustments. But you have to understand that this will take time. It's a very big thing and to expect a load of instant results (as I understand it) is simply not going to be possible.  Also on the VW forums Komet has made a mod which does a load of pretty cool stuff, though I'm not sure if it uses the source code or simply puts all that in an .EXE from which it runs.

Like I said though - fast, good results may be expecting to much. But I've come to understand that every little helps - trying to do everything in one bulk go means nothing really gets done (for people like me anyways) so consider this a little start to a big thing.

[Mysterial]

Originally posted by venom2506

2) exactly what have been done so far? Concrete stuff I mean, stuff that works. I keep wondering, to be honest.

I'm going to be working on the Linux port, as soon as I can find penguin to figure out why it won't compile for me. I couldn't raise him on either email or ICQ.

[Inquisitor]

To a certain extent, a great deal has been done. In another light, very little has been done.

Very little has been actually committed to CVS, because people seem reluctant to committ to CVS, or don't believe that the CVS we got is official, or don;t know aout CVS, or don;t understand CVS (pick one ).

It's possible that you might be over thinking the administration of this, FYI, but since I have no visibility into whatever you are thinking, I can't address it.

Most of the admin so far has simply been granting (albeit few) people access to CVS, and that I need to have done via email anyway. I dunno, if it is to be like an open source (like, not actually AN open source) project, just about everything needs to be out in the open. That's the only way we can attract new developers to the mix.

IF I could ever get the attention of you or Ice, maybe I could talk thru some of these issues

[Nico]

well, from what i've gathered, the thing is going in every direction for now, and doesn't focus much. I think it should be a "one thing at a time" project. everybody asks for stuff, and nobody really works on anything. Don't get me wrong, I'm like everybody, i'd like the things I need to be done first, but I know it's not possible, i'm not that stupid (hmm, or maybe I am, but whatever ). Anyway, I think people should say: ok, now we do THAT, and people should work ok it, and only even think of trying something else only when "THAT" is done. my 2 cents ( you might think this goes w/o saying, but it goes even better by saying it ^_^ )

[Inquisitor]

Venom:

Help me do the design doc

37097749

We have a crapload of features to sift thru, to create a definitive list of stuff to do.

[Fineus]

Venoms hit the nail on the head - the exact explanation of the admin part of this and the need for an interenal forum. From there people can prioritise things so that we make sure we remove the table limit cap before we make the suns look prettier or something - so that the important stuff is done first and nobody is left waiting around for things to happen that their own projects may rely on. If we do all that deciding publicly I'm fairly sure there will be more disagreement than anything else and nothing will ever get done. Once this is done we can work out what needs to be done and then those who can do it can step forwards and get on with it, those who want to help but can't at that stage can be looking at other stuff and getting information together and so on, thus we make progress much faster because background research in other stuff is being done at the same time as other bits and pieces are being coded.

Inq, I'd really like to talk to you about this on ICQ - can you tell me some time that you'll be online with some spare time? I'm fairly busy in college at the moment so it may take time to find a suitable time for both of us but I see you as having a whole shed load of incite on things and I'd like to fill you in on your questions as well as best I can.

Venom, also - if you've any questions or anything then contact me on ICQ if posting them up here isn't convienient (failing that email me) - The more information people have, the better we can get things done on this one.

[Inquisitor]

I am usually on ICQ all day, just about everyday.

I'll be on when i get to the office this morning

[Nico]

well, I'm at college now, so no ICQ.
yosh, in the order of posts:
inquisitor:
I'd glady help for that, but seeing I'm not a programmer... Well, my only advice would be first to remove the annoying limits ( gotta make a list of those limits... mmh, size of the various tbls, number of entries in those tbls, number of ships in fred, number of glows on ships, etc etc ).
Once this is done, fixing what is screwed up by this ( having to many ships breaks mplayer I think ).
After that, enabling what is already ingame but isn't available to player ( various commands, the glide lightning, enabling remapping of certain keys - sliding-, dunn, mmh, all that kind of stuff)
And so on. by order of priority I think.
Well, voila.

[Inquisitor]

It's more than that, Venom. There are 2 VERY long threads that need to be turned into one master list of things to do, then we prioritize that list (much like Tbird is suggesting we do in a private forum).

Step one: get the list in one document, cut and paste from both threads
Step two: remove superflous stuff and duplicate suggestions.
step three: order the list
step four: discuss it with the team
step five: reorder the list and maintain the list as new bugs are found, or suggesttions made

The key is to capture EVERYTHING that people want, and prioritize later.

Email me at [email protected]

-edit-
Thunder, I am on now

[Bobboau]

how are you/we going to prioritise this, buy ease of implementation (how I'd do it), by coolnes, by personal opinion of what is more important/

[Stealth]

Hey Thunder, let me know if you need help with anything, or if there's anything I can help with!

~Stealth~

[Inquisitor]

Look at the steps.

First step is prioritize, based on personal opinion more than likely, step after that is share with team, the reprioritize as needed

I would say things like coolness factor, technical complexity, available programmer talent (for instance, if no one knows DX8, then it will be unlikely we can do DX upgrade related tasks), and of course, how loudly the community is screaming for a particular feature.

[IceFire]

Maybe Thunder and I can help by posting news about the Source guys looking for someone to do some DX8 stuff?