Serialized object data is inherently fragile. A change in one class effectively renders any serialized data that includes the class (even deep within the object graph) unusable. This article describes how I have (potentially) addressed this problem in my MMORPG platform. Read the rest of this entry »
Alpha5 (v0.5.0) was released earlier today… and then v0.5.0.1 to fix some issues that were found almost immediately by the intrepid playtesters. Alpha playtesters should see this forum topic to learn why…
I expect everyone to be walking around at Level 16 with Double Battleaxes and Expert Regeneration skill by tomorrow.
… That gives you one hour until tomorrow. Have at it.
I haven’t stopped typing since last Friday’s incremental release, so here’s another for-the-sake-of-Friday update, which includes two dozen fixes and enhancements. Alpha playtesters can read this forum entry for the details.
For RPG Alpha Playtesters, I’ve released an incremental update (v0.4.1). Why? Mostly because it’s Friday. Also, I’ve tampered with (er, improved) a lot of code since the last release. See this forum topic for details (and comments on future releases).
All the tasking for Alpha4 is complete (… or brushed under the rug of a later release). Alpha Playtesters are invited to read the details, then try it out.
For Alpha playtesters, I’ve posted an incremental release (on the roadmap to Alpha4) with some important enhancements to island building. See this playtesting forum topic for details.
I’ve been coding furiously since … well, since 2005. Over the past week, I’ve implemented the steepest spike in the project’s SLOC History.
Posted this morning, Alpha3 v0.3.1 is an incremental release on the roadmap to Alpha4, introducing Player-Created Islands. There are some known issues and limitations, but basic functionality is testable. (This is the secret alpha bonus feature mentioned earlier.)
Disclaimer: I’m not promising how this feature will manifest itself in the final game design, but I’m very excited about the potential.
Alpha playtesters should see this forum topic for details on testing the new feature.
Just a couple notes for Potential Playtesters… Read the rest of this entry »
I’m trying to settle on a sensible software versioning scheme for Potential RPG. The most familiar structure is X.Y.Z, which I’m calling Generation.Feature.Incremental.
The generation is the major version of the software. A feature release indicates the completion of a set of available features. Incremental releases may include bug fixes and enhancements, as well as new features that might not be fully integrated or ready for a feature release.
Incremental version numbers are treated as steps toward the next feature release. The test environment (including Alpha testing) should see all incremental releases. However, the production environment (when there is one) may skip some incremental releases, but should see all feature releases.
In practice, this versioning plan may be too linear. For example, a bug that affects the production environment may need to be fixed before any next release is ready. What is more, the latest incremental release may include features not ready for the production environment. Branching is the revision control mechanism that deals with this, which must be accounted for in the software development process and release management scheme. For Potential RPG, I will probably resort to a fourth patch level version, indicating something was fixed outside the mainline of development.
In addition to the software version number, I also include an edition (”Alpha3″), which is a marketing version name, the repository revision whence the product was built, and the build date/time.
Here’s a handy article on retrieving the Subversion revision from within your Ant build script. Anyone with further advice/insight into the exciting world of version management is encouraged to comment.
I am proud to announce the Potential RPG Alpha3 edition! The focus of Alpha editions is to introduce gameplay features, bringing us closer to a feature-complete Beta edition. Alpha releases are for approved playtesters only, but steady progress is being made toward a more open Beta edition.
Some of the outward improvements in this edition include:
This edition theoretically fixes several bugs and performance issues, but Alpha playtesting is greatly needed (and appreciated). If you’re an Alpha playtester, have a look at the new gameplay (and have a look at the outstanding tasks).
Recent Improvements Tome of Lore