This section is for those developer-types that want to know just what drives Potential RPG.

Essentially, the game feeds off the life force of the developers. The entire system has been designed and developed from scratch. The components of the software provide a general framework for dynamic, efficient, scalable, persistent, distributed, coordinated communication.

Note: This software is still under development, so some of these features may change or not fully exist yet.

The following sections explain the core features of the technology and the major components of the architecture.

All the software products (e.g., client and server) are built around a set of core features:

• Byte Packing
  • All data is translated to-and-from a strictly defined byte form by the byte packing system
  • This supports data persistence, network traffic, and client cache
• Content Distribution
  • This system dynamically distributes game data to remote clients
  • Content is versioned and cached by the client to avoid redundant dissemination
  • When content is updated (in the server), it is automatically distributed to interested clients
  • Content updates only include changed components of the content (to avoid full content sending)
• Content Persistence
  • Content is persisted to an abstracted data store
• Communication Protocol
  • Client-server chatter uses a wicked-efficient communications protocol

Potential RPG employs a conventional client-server architecture.

“Usul, which is the strength of the base of the pillar.” – Stilgar to Paul, Dune

The Potential Server (yet to be given a more clever name) provides the following capabilities:

• Content management and distribution
• Client connection, player login, session management
• Game system processing and rules enforcement

The Potential Client (what runs on the player's machine) has the following features:

• User interaction, content rendering
• Variable geometry rendering engine
  • Supports hex and rectangular tiles, with optional tile overlay (x,y “tilt”)
  • Sprite and special effects rendering

Everything is being developed in the Java Programming Language™ from scratch.

: More info on the super-keen software design/features.