Clearly you on the other hand know exactly what needs doing because the game is obviously doing so well since you've been on the team. Must just be my version that has fuck all players and stlll looks and plays like shit most of the time.
Chris: we don't have anyone with amounts of free time that Krenzo had. I've mostly finished what I wanted to do so I can finally explain this. In 2.24 shells and missiles cause amount of packets that client receives drop a lot. It's enough to spawn just a few (5-10) missiles to see amount of packets per second drop to 10-20 from 33. In 2.25 code I have missiles and shells that send data through the wire only once - when being spawned. 2.24 missiles/shells send update every frame. During a playtest we were spamming missiles from NF heavies with 10 people on the server and tickrate=100 without any bigger problems. (packets/s dropped to 80 afair)
Yeh but a large problem is, the last 2 years of releases have been bugfixes. It's not to say they aren't important, but the fact of the matter is, they need to be properly supplemented with new features or gameplay additions for the mod to actually progress.
HOLY SHIT! this Version (Version 2 itself i mean) has been out without a graphics or gameplay update in 2 years? My next statement is dependent on how long you have been thinking of implementing aircrafts. If (for a long time) { Usually you work towards the aircrafts first, fixing bugs every once in a while, not wasting your whole time on bugs then going towards aircrafts a few months after the bug fixes. } If (Recently) { Then I guess you are doing a good job so far? We would still like more dev blog posts as aforementioned even if it is the same thing with small tweaks. }
Aircraft have been in the planning stages for a long time, and currently there is a large amount of code done toward the implementation of aircraft. The problem is that there are no models for the aircraft yet, which has caused the development team to focus its efforts on other areas as there is not much use for aircraft code without aircraft models while bug fixes and other improvements will be useful with aircraft or without them. The lack of a graphics update is similarly linked to the lack of models and modellers to make them.
After 2 years since 2.0 you still need to invest 4 hours to get 1 hour of good Empires gameplay. This is my biggest gripe with Empires, which has stopped me totally from playing, since i don't have those 4 hours anymore. The amount of free time that is invested by the Empires devs is definitely above what the average source mod gets, take my appreciation for that. I just don't understand why gameplay issues like commanding, slippery slope, GUI have so low priority.
Because it's abstract and not easily fixed. There is no Cslipperyslope.cpp that you can just fix. It's a factor that is very hard to change or even identify, therefore it will only be changed, hopefully, over time.
Who you have doesn't alter what you need. Saying you don't have the time to fix it does not in any way stop it from needing fixing. Fixing minor bugs and optimising code in empires is comparable to welding a spoiler and painting racing stripes on a car that has just been crashed into a tree. It might look nicer but it doesn't mean anyone will want to drive it.
Chris: Yes, but I don't agree that optimizations aren't needed. Only most powerful servers can handle Empires at the moment and only with like 10 tanks per team. Most admins don't get server settings right and it's just unplayable.
Tbh, it would not be far off to say the devs are keeping the mod alive and healthy so that someone can come along and cure it. They're doing their best to keep the mod in good nick - fixing bugs, making the performance better, gameplay balances and fixes, so that it'll still be alive when someone comes along with the time and ability to move it forward. Or when our current devs free up more time.
I don't care exactly how you fix it but you must agree that it needs fixing. My suggestions are a way but if someone else knows a way that works, feel free to use that instead.
I don't mean to ruin this flamefest, but is there anyone looking through the art forum? A lot of people here are contributors to the mod, even if they don't/can't code. Doesn't take away their contributions. Chris releases particles, maps and models. You want him to code too? Is any dev looking at the new models? Or are we sitting in our inner circle and laughing at the community that so desparately wants to help? There are so many people willing to do something if you ask for help, yet all I see is: ark: Oh noes where's your art team now - Try the art forum mate solo killer: Oh noes you're stealing maps and I don't have any free time - Then ask someone who has free time. mootant: Oh noes I'm fixing missles and optimising code, I can't do everything - Then hire a scripter at least to help clear up balancing issues. Who's working on UI? Is aircraft on halt? What are plans for slippery slope? What is beerdude doing other than reverting previous changes (in regards to rax cost and apc spawn)? Who is in charge of infantry scripts and what are they doing/how far along are they? Defend the devs all you like, I have been here for a long time and it's Bull. Shit. Ask for help if you can't do it all, don't say you don't have enough time because that's the poorest excuse in the history of online modding. We've lost countless vets because Empires has stagnated in terms of gameplay and no-one is addressing that. I was personally developing some scripts to open up the gameplay and drastically make it more dynamic, yet I got no coding support. /rant
Stop whining biatchies , so far we've an awesome mod. So why do we care for new versions , devs are doing what they can on their free times , not paid. So stop whining , and just play the actual mod , which is a very good how it is. Some of you do not even realise that when we will have Empires v3.00 It'll be really different from what we know and will probably need a while to fix the gameplay. And for the moment I like empires how it is , it's the funniest game I've ever played.
Well talking about models , some modelers should understand they cant just re-make 1 of the models and we'll drop it in game , I see people making new barracks . But you have to understand that if you do a new barrack then you should do VF , radar , armory , refinery , repair pad etc... to go with it , because I haven't seen any barrack that looks like current style. Same problem for tanks or weapons. I dont even see why we need new models for actual stuff except NF barrack which is too high, but it doesnt really matter.
Interestingly I don't feel like adding C++ to my wide variety of other skills when the game already has coders, the coders job is to code, the artist's job is to art, if the coders only code things which aren't very helpful at the moment, the efficient solution is to get them to direct their efforts more wisely, rather than to simply demand that anybody with any sort of development skill immediately focus on learning C++. I learn new things as I require them, in the absence of modellers, texturers, or particle artists, I learned to do all three, because I need all three to map well because mapping is more or less playing lego with the art assets and a few rules to ensure the thing runs at the end. If you don't have the art assets you can't map, or at least you are limited in what you can map. I don't need code to map and unless I become good enough at it to the point where I can make my own game (which would take years, especially considering my lack of talent for mathematical subjects) it is of absolutely no use to me. It's also entirely different from my existing disciplines whereas 3d work is 3d work and 2d work is like 3d work only less complex. Coding is an entirely different discipline and usually coders and artists are kept in separate cages, only a few people can do both and they're usually the ones in charge of the project or something weird like a graphics or tools programmer, or possibly a designer. I tend to be of the opinion that a minor difference in style is justifiable when the previous style is a pile of shit. I'd rather have good looking if somewhat patchwork models than bad looking and homogenous models.
