[Fry_Day]

I'm talking about things that are changed purely internally. For example, I want to change the current particle-rendering code to make it render particles sorted according to texture, which should improve frame-rates, but it'll require an additional particle index array.

Should I just ask here? As this is a general discussion forum, most of the questions aren't technical, so I was wondering if there isn't a more fitting place for things like this.

[Inquisitor]

Here or the email list. Probably less noise on the email list.

[Fry_Day]

E-Mail list?

[Inquisitor]

oops, email me, i will mail you the instructions.

[Bobboau]

post things like that here, maybe we should have an internal forum for this sort of thng though

[Inquisitor]

That's what the list is for Bob...

[phreak]

i can't check my email at school. however i can check the forums.

[Bobboau]

yes, and I didn't even know about the email list thing till now

[redmenace]

Please no internal forums. Those suck. I mean I understand the complaint of people poking and yelling that they want this or that. But I like this forum because all of the talk is up front. and you see what is going on. it also keeps people interested.

[phreak]

i think an internal would be used to work out ideas without others interfering until we're done.  We'll still float ideas in the public forum and see what people think about them.

[Bobboau]

yes there have been times were I have wanted help from others (T&L for example) and I don't think I get the right amount of attention from fellow coders as I would in an internal forum.
I think an internal forum would help to make us operate more as a team rather than as a bunch of relitivly independent coders trying not to step on anyones elses toes too much.

[Flipside]

I know what Redmenace means, but the fact is that, particuarly when you exchanging reams of code etc, that you NEED a private forum, where stuff isn't going to get swallowed up in waffle.
We wouldn't see any different kinds of posts on the Source Code forum than we are now, just not the ones with long stretches of C++ and technotalk So, for example, if Bobboau had an idea for something, he would use the internal forum to talk 'shop' to the other coders, so everyone knows what and how he is changing the code, and then we would get a post saying 'What do you think of.......'.
This, as far as I can tell, is no different from what happens now, except the coders will be more aware of what is being changed

Just my bit

Flipside

[Bobboau]

actualy if i had a new Idea, i'd probly come here first, to gather public opinion, and user stats

the implementation of the idea would probly be held in the internal forum, especaly if it involved meddeling with any of the many internal systems.

[Flipside]

So, if I get this right, you would have a 3 stage system :-

1: Soundoff. Public.
2: WIP & Beta Testing. Private - For the big problems
3: Testing and ideas. Public - For the little problems (hopefully) and tweaking.

Anything that gets us new stuff quicker sounds like a good idea to me, and Beta Testing privately means you do not have 30 people at once telling you something

Flipside

EDIT : Also, as you say, a lot of the code you would be discussing will have no 'visible' change to the game, it might make it run faster or more efficiently, but it would not actually 'change' any in-game elements

[phreak]

yea.  we just have to pitch that to inqui and co.

[redmenace]

I completely realize the problems with the public forums and its suscribers. But the thing is the have a non elitist forum is good. I love the way this forum is now. With a internal forum it gets to the point of elitism. Maybe you can have a forum that only those with write access to CVS can post in. But something that every one can read if they choose.

[Inquisitor]

bob, I sent you instructions for the email list almost a year ago. I still have the email I sent

The email list is where all the commit notifications go, so you know when someone commits somethign to CVS. It's also a good place to ask what a specific comment is.

Nothing we do is secret, but the list is low volume. So the signal to noise ratio is greater than the forums, where everyone chimes in on things. It's probably useful to get a hotmail (or whatever) account just for the purposes of dealing with SCP stuff, if for nothing else than notification of CVS commits.

Send an email to [email protected]

with Subscribe fs2source-dev in the body. If you are not a developer, PLEASE do not post.

I am ok with private forums, btw. I like forums too

[redmenace]

Inquisitor, please give some thought to the before mentioned compromise.

[Target]

Originally posted by redmenace
I completely realize the problems with the public forums and its suscribers. But the thing is the have a non elitist forum is good. I love the way this forum is now. With a internal forum it gets to the point of elitism. Maybe you can have a forum that only those with write access to CVS can post in. But something that every one can read if they choose.

Yeah, what he said. I may not understand everything you guys talk about, but I sure find it interesting to follow your progress. Also for anyone wanting to learn how to do stuff, I'm sure being able to see your code and techniques would be helpful.
A read-only forum sounds like a good idea to me.