Update Log
 

I'm keeping this log here to help motivate me to work and to remind me of what I need to do.

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January 23rd, 2007
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Whoops, haven't updated this in a while. It's strange how quickly time can fly by. Well as of right now Contiga is rescripting all of the systems from scratch. He says this will make things easier for him and more efficient, so I can't really argue with that. Supposedly it won't take him long to finish and then we can get back to scripting other things.

I've been doing some graphics for different creatures and such lately. Don't really want to discuss that though or it will be giving too much away. :)

Also I'm working on tiles for Samurai to give them a more japanese building sort of look and whatnot.

Mainly I've been hiring and introducing a lot of new staff to the server. The staff list currently:

(Administration/Development)
Konidias
Contiga
(Development)
Beholder
Scene
Sage Shadowbane
Codein
Darkvillin
(Scripters)
Tigairius
(Levelers)
Myst
Darklux
Zim5354
Lamer
(Assistant/Cooridinator)
JohnnyChimpo

I've just hired Lamer today. Some of you may remember him as LAT from the very first 2k1 server. I'm happy to have him on the team. I hope he can bring the old feeling of 2k1 back into new levels. :)

Our staff list is growing but I'd still love to have more scripters and graphics makers. Except the few positions I have open for those require the people to be very skilled. (with scripting I need complicated gs2 stuff done efficiently, with graphics I'm needing someone who can work with huge sprite sheets and match the style properly)

I'll try to update this thing more. Progress is definitely being made though. I have an estimated release date in mind but it's more of a goal than an actual date. So I won't mention it here because I know we probably won't reach it anyway. >_<

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January 1st, 2007
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- Finished scripting the answer box for npc chat and I've halfway implemented it for use in a class setup

- I've been experimenting graphically with a design for quick messages... I'm thinking having something down in the bottom left of the screen, probably like tooltips but you can drag and drop them... should be interesting once I flesh it out more

- Good news is that I've got Contiga, Beholder, Myst and Scene working again, which hopefully means a lot of progress will be made. :)

- I tinkered around with the npc character script today... I'm going to have to improve the random walking as it's a little buggy at the moment. I really want to finalize the npc character script so that I can get into filling them out and putting them around the world. I'm estimating that each NPC character will have hundreds and possibly over a thousand different phrases/questions/mini-quests that you'll get depending on what the npc is doing, the time of day, the weather, their charm level, the season and more. Players will even be able to have an effect on the future of the npc characters. I expect it to be a sort of Graal soap opera which should be pretty fun, and something to do when you're not pking or shopping or questing or playing events or participating in your kingdom... :p

To Do: Still need to work on the intro screen. I've written up some things I need to include in the tutorial but still have more to add to it. I also am going to work on all of the different events each day until they are all functioning again and improved.

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December 31st, 2006
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- Finished scripting the multiple pages and "charm" display on to the chat window. Completing the answer box tonight.

http://img379.imageshack.us/img379/8978/chattestpa6.gif

To Do: Put the script into an easy to use class and make all the adjustments needed so it's easy to set up chats inside npcs. Also need to set up reactions for answers.

- Also finished the push/pull block checking npc. I set up a simple quest room in which you need to push certain blocks on to certain squares in order to finish the puzzle. This is completed aside from letting Contiga fix it up a bit so that it doesn't lag as much.

Next Task: Going to make a nicer message system (for alerts and when you recieve items or whatever) and also work more on the Intro screen

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December 30th, 2006
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Started on the npc character chat window. I've got the window displaying with the character's name and chat text for the first page of text.

To Do: Add multiple pages, answer box and hearts data to the chat window.

Added sound effect for pulling/pushing blocks, using a blank gani with a sound parameter so that it can be heard serverside. (since blocks are serverside)

To Do: Make a test npc that can check if a block is on top of it (like on a floor square)

Other things to work on: Introduction screen, NPC characters, Shopping system, Eating/Drinking
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What happened to Eye? Also I hope you finish sometime. ^^

He resigned due to lack of interest. He's still going to help me with testing things and if I need something specific done.. but he's not working full time anymore.

I need people who can work several hours a day and also be easy to contact.

Several hours a day? Good luck dude. :p

Yea, not to sound harsh, but good luck finding that kind of people here.

Believe me, I'm not even bothering to look. I know that if anyone was willing to be that dedicated to the server then they'd contact me instead.

I'm managing to script this stuff on my own however, which is good. It will get done... the scripts just won't be as pretty or efficient as they could be. But everything will at least work. I figure once the server is public then it will get the interest of some scripters and they can help to fix up my poorly scripted stuff. :p

Probably one of your problems. There are a lot of players that haven't made it to the forums yet, and probably don't know what's going on with G2k1. I suggest looking for people on other servers dude.

Easier said than done. For one, I don't much respect the idea of going on other people's servers looking for staff... for multiple reasons:

1. they are already staff at the server they are on, and I am against taking staff away from servers

2. they don't know anything about 2k1 (if they did, wouldn't they know something is going on with it after all this time?)

3. if they don't even bother visiting the forums I really can't expect them to put much effort towards helping either. It's not like these forums are invisible.

Aside from that, there is more to hiring a scripter than just saying "you're hired". I have to make sure they fit into the following category:

- can script in gs2 very well and knows how to deal with clientside/serverside and making things efficient

That already narrows down the field a lot. Then:

- can work multiple hours a day for at least a few months and also be easy to contact

That pretty much kills it for everyone else. I want to get this server released within a few months, but hiring someone who is going to work maybe 30 minutes to an hour a day or every other day is not going to give me the results I'm looking for. It will give me results, but it's too frustrating having to wait on people to do things for me. I either need someone who I can rely on to get things done quickly, or I have to do it myself.

But really... 2k1 has been around since... 2k1... and it's not hard to keep up on what has happened with it. I don't really care to have a bunch of noobs applying for a position just so they can screw around and see all the content. :p The main problem is that anyone who is good enough and could devote the amount of time needed, are either too lazy or uninterested or lose motivation too easy...

Wow Koni, you wasted your time typing all that bull****.

There are plenty of people that haven't used the forums before and are good and different things like scripting and levels. I remember a few of them that never use the forums, or do it very little.

I have no idea how not visiting the forums makes someone a bad developer. I think you are smoking crack or something dude.

Aren't the forums a place to discuss development? Where do these great scripters discuss scripting? Sitting around on UN or something?

Instead of saying "there are plenty" why can't you tell me some names or direct some towards this thread or towards me. If you know of some then let me know, don't just tell me to hunt for them if you already know who they are.

Meh, people talk to eachother a lot on this game, mabey that's something you haven't experienced? And to be frank, the NPC forums aren't too great anyway.

If you can't take time out of your busy schedule to find staff I'm not going to help you.

I was only asking for help, you don't have to get all sour about it. Kind of defeats the purpose of asking you for help if I wanted to do it by myself.

"Well I just finished painting my house... want to help me paint my house?"

I'm with konidias here, why the heck would you brag about knowing good scripters, and then say "find them yourself", to me that was quite a rude thing to say, and makes me think you were not being truthful about knowing people and made that lame comment to cover it up.


Less attitude and more help is what konidias is looking for. :cool:

Meh, Koni shows in interest in finding staff, so why should anyone else find them for him. I'm not saying I know anyone currently... :/

Looks awesome, I love the chat box! Very nice :cool:

I'm working on one of these for my project :D