Update#77 : Playing With Coordinates and Mapping

Today I came to a decision, to do something which was contrary to what I wanted to do for a long time.

With regards to in-game messaging... My hope was to let the mail formatting system automatically handle the detection and linking of spatial coordinates. As I approached this task, I realized that there was a flaw in my strategy, due to the fact that I would allow proper names to be used in coordinates, to make things nice and easy for users. The problem showed itself when I realized that names could contain spaces, which would be problematic for efficient detection methods...

So, the solution for which I was hesitant but have now embraced, is to use 'tags' in the messages - like BBCode - that players can put around the coordinate that they are trying to share. While this does take a bit of manual work (for which I will try to make a shortcut/action link) it will allow you to link your friends to exactly the position and view level that you want to link them. This is significant because a single point coordinate could be valid for several map views. For example, a basic planet address could be used to view the planet's overview page OR view the planet's surface map. The overall solution carries one further advantage: by using tagging instead of scanning, it helps to avoid some of the processing effort that would otherwise be required to [do all of that stuff].

This brings me to another bit of news regarding mapping and coordinates, with relation to players. I realized that I could make a small expandable icon/link/popup/app-thing... it would be a coordinate validation tool. It would normally be just a small button/icon in teh corner that isn't much, but clicking on it would load a mini-page containing the validator, which you would use to make sure that the coordinate that you're looking to use (or share) is allowable and will work; and also provide various links and transformations for the location.

The validator doodad will also help me a lot with testing and development.


Revealed: A location might have several methods by which to address it. For example, you could refer to a star or planet by either its coordinate OR its given name. It might sound complicated, but you'll enjoy it when you can address your planet by name instead of a collection of letters and numbers!

Update#76.5 : Well Then..!

The last few pieces of cleanup that I had to do were relatively quick to finish. So, that's done!

Now I get to go and enjoy some sleep, before a nice busy day tomorrow. I'm not sure yet what I will be busy with, but I'm sure that it won't be anything of my own planning... unless I'm lucky, in which case I get to do some more awesome things in my project, and will get to claim this progress or that... I don't expect it, but I hope.

Prepare for the worst, expect the best! Yay optimism!

Update#76 : Full Return

Unfortunately, I didn't get to finish all of the cleanup that I was hoping to do before the weekend. Fortunately, now that that weekend (AnimeNorth convention!) is passed and all sorts of other stuff is behind me, I'm excited again to work... maybe I keep saying that but it's even more true now!

It's pretty annoying for me, too, that I keep rapidly alternating between these up and down periods of work on the project, but at least it keeps going. Aside from the entireity of my school careers, I've never had such a massive and large and long project; it's difficult some times, and I can admit that. As long as I don't have a real deadline, or anybody to have to answer to, then I can just keep going and make it as great as I want it to be... as great as we all want it to be.

Update#75 : Late Spring Cleaning

Lately I realized that my code-writing style has really evolved and somewhat matured since I started, leaving a lot of my older code looking undeveloped and rushed by comparison. I'm taking a little more time out of forward development to clean up the old code and bring it 'up to par' with my modern programming style.

This is all part of my effort towards ensuring that this project doesn't collapse like the last time, where 'immature' code was one of the factors that plagued my last attempt and eventually brought it to a halt. I won't have that happen again.

Update#74 : Decisions & Delays

Just a week late; not too bad, right? Sorry. Needed the extra time for myself to get other things taken care of.

I felt like announcing a minor but-major-in-the-long-run decision that I made today. I almost feel bad about it because it counters a decision that I made a few months ago that I even announced here. I've decided that - due to the nature of the resource and the abundance of it - volatiles will be an upkeep resource for some things; maintaining large populations (cities) at least will cost an upkeep for volatiles, to represent the production & consumption of food and and other chemical substances.

As mentioned, this resource will be highly abundant throughout the UNIVERSE, so it shouldn't be a big deal. It just seems appropriate that these resources should be actively and constantly consumed at least a little, since that's just a fact of life.

It will also make sure that there is actually a practical value for the resource (especially for market trading) instead of an over-abundance everywhere; which could still happen. We won't really find out until the game starts!  Yeah yeah I'm working on it..

Update#73 : Break Time

Lately I've been finding it hard to stay focussed on the project, which is partly why I haven't posted any updates since the birthday. Because of this I'm taking a full and total break for the rest of the week, and I'll try picking it up on the weekend. A few days of not stressing over it and getting distracted, some time to clear my head, I think that's what I need.

I'll try to post an update on the weekend when I start to really get stuff done.