Vidiot_X

Collisions looking better. Just about ready for Cheese to do his check every wall and angle thing.

Hi, I've started to add encryption to packets as well as other sensitive data. So the next release will include this. Still working on button code and topmost windows but should be ready for Wednesday. If I have time I will also be trying to get a name/password/chat server up and running next week. The idea being to off load these tasks onto another server freeing up the game/zone server to do the rest. Back to coding, - Rich -

^lol... We did everything else.. was a good night.

Yes. At first I'll make them smaller. But down-the-road they will be customizable as well as most of the game elements/objects (ships, bullets, bombs, map and more). I'm not sure if I can make them customizable in game but with the map editor for sure. I'm trying to get the editor (although still very alpha) up as well on Wednesday but we will see. I'm off to rock the drums and guitar with my band buds. Back soon. - Rich -

Hi, It's looking like I'll have a new client up about Wednesday (10/24). It will include the new window interface and other improvements. Especially nice is the radar which is now positionable, sizable and can be viewed full screen if need be. I'm way happy with the window interface as it will allow me to add settings and other options in game, plus it's so slick. I will also try to add a bomber class ship that will include mines. I have also fixed the negative energy bug where shooting at ship would sometimes show negative energy. All of this is server side as I intended and the server now makes the call on how much energy a player has. Keep rock'n. - Rich -

I have so tried to get that point across. Phoenix is all new and based on SubSpace and Continuum. It has been that way from the start ( http://www.subspace.co/topic/26037-phoenix-ss-wiki/ ) . Same basic game play but some things are going to be different. Hopefully for the better. So its helpful to look at my development process as a way to make suggestions as if you were going to update and enhance SubSpace. - Rich -

Hi Lone Outlaw, If there is one thing I have learned about a game HUD/Interface system is that it 'must' be configurable. I would agree that it is probably a good idea to have the HUD/Interface closely match Continuum's HUD configuration, allowing users some comfort and familiarity. But, many users (I'd say half) will want to customize the HUD and informational interface. For example yesterday I enabled the radar to work within a window and now (in game) I can position the radar anywhere on the screen by just clicking on it and moving it. That makes the radar highly and easily configurable in game with no hassle. Other HUD elements can be moved around in just the same way, letting the users decide what and where HUD elements should be positioned (even re-sized) at and if they should be displayed at all. Add to this the ability to 'skin' windows and a flexible and customizable HUD/Informational interface is achieved. I am still working out the window interface but this sounds doable and you pictures look like something I would consider doing. Th radar in your example is cool and adding an image to overlay on the current radar would work. But I am still thinking this through. Again, I will be deciding this here shortly. Really it is a question of management. If a zone were to open a stat window where would it go if it were minimized or hidden? This is a question I am still thinking through. A window manager will handle this but my concern here is memory and most importantly CPU/GPU usage. Having a lot of windows minimized or hidden will slow game performance on some systems. So forcing windows to be closed (not minimized or hidden) frees up performance. In a zone setting stats and other information could be centralized in a zone control HUD element. But, still thinking on this. Remember Phoenix is a whole new game, server and client. So, all good ideas Lone Outlaw. I will try to implement some of your ideas, but development is a fluid process and we may need to discuss this down the road a bit after I have the core of the HUD system up and running. Love the input keep it coming. - Rich -

Generally you will be able to set standard window options for say a chat window to have no window background. Other windows like private messaging windows will have the same option. Windows like system settings, system info and other system windows will have there own option for window settings. I will probably have a settings window for the settings for all windows. In addition server side BOTs can use windows and they will be able to (through scripting) set window options. HUD objects will "all" be based in a window. It's helpful to think of the windows as containers for these HUD objects. So, if I want to add a HUD element like an energy bar I would draw the graphic image for that energy bar to the window. In this case there will be no window background but the energy bar will be moveable by simply clicking on it or a clicking on a move tab. Other HUD objects can be setup with buttons (iconic) and other window devices. Probably a good idea to mention that I will basically be using buttons, list boxes, text boxes and a input device like text field boxes for window gadgets/devices (all custom and non-OS native). I may add menus at sometime later. Generally I think that most times a user would just close a window when finished with it, but yes I do need something. A tab style window manager might work fine. F3 sounds great. There are two ways to look at this. One is as you suggest put everyone in a pregame (pre- zone) lobby. To me the best place for this in the launching application. In Continuum this is were all the servers are listed. The other option here is to make zones the spot to work out from. This way you start in a zone and open a system, chat window and select whatever lobby/channel you would like for system wide chat. So I could have two border-less windows on the bottom of the screen showing zone chat and system wide chat. All good stuff to think about as the latter option keeps traffic zone oriented which zone operators would like I'm sure. Edit - Just saw your other post. - Rich -

You have a good point and one I have been thinking on. I plan to use 'F1' to open up help, 'F2' to open settings, and the 'space bar' or clicking on the chat window to access chat. Accessing chat should be easy that way, better then hitting 'T' or 'F9' for chat. I like and dislike the way Continuum accesses chat, but it so frustrating hitting the key for rockets with no response because random keystrokes have enabled chat. In the end many key commands will be mappable including chat. The blue window is going to be the game configuration gateway. To access it you will use 'F2'. from this gateway you will be able to access many of the game settings such as graphics, sound, music and more. As well as be able to configure user personal settings for key mapping, window configurations (like chat window) and communication like private messaging and system wide chat. System wide chat/messaging is every server within the Phoenix system. So you could chat or message with users on any zone. This means you can be (for example) sitting in a zone and pimping it out to all the other users connected to system chat who are sitting in other zones. In addition to this a system wide notification system will notify all zone users of current Phoenix news and events. Lost to do... - Rich -

Hi, @Lone Outlaw - Most suggestions cheerfully accepted. @all, Here is a picture of the particle system in action on the ship exhaust. Also I have removed the ship under light (will be a game option) and scaled down the bullets to match the ship size. You can also see the intro/help window (with the Phoenix logo) which will let you have access to help or game settings. The windows are now setup to auto-hide window borders when not selected. This default action gives a cleaner look for HUD elements such as the chat window in lower left. There will also be an option to hide window backgrounds altogether. Great if you want a classic look to chat but still have it moveable and scalable. I have also got the map/world editor up and running again. It's still early in it's development but usable. I will be posting a copy very soon so that everyone can start to get familiar with it. Make a cool map and I'll put it on the server to test. Look for a new client (also server update) very soon. Maybe this weekend. With the additions (ship exhaust for sure) the look and feel is coming together. I will also be changing the project name to just Phoenix, with "Space Combat MMO" under the logo. Thanks for supporting Phoenix. - Rich - http://www.phoenix.subspace.co/screenshot_strail.png

Hi, Well I can tell you from just messing around with the window system I have it will really open up the social aspect of the game. For example not only can you have a configurable chat window but also private message windows, system control windows (zone or match) and many other informational/communication style windows. Since the windows are scalable, and movable they are easy to use. They also can be maximized, restored and closed (if allowed). Because I can skin them and assign an alpha (opaqueness) they can be solid or semitransparent. This keeps the game in view and is way cool if you have a lot of windows open managing a zone or general info/communications. The window system also clips anything beyond it's scope and can scale text or graphics. I can even set a view port within the window to further restrict drawing as I do to accommodate window borders. In all a very useful window system. Additionally I can have "game-in-game" windows. This will allow 'instant replay' or spy on a ship view to be possible. I already support completely scalable game display. So it is already possible to do this I just need to hook-it-up. My only concern is the demand on graphics processing but I think I can squeeze what I need out of the radar system which is rendering in-view map parts at scale, not efficient. Rendering all that to an image for the map display will yield what I need in graphic horsepower, hopefully. I'll be adding buttons for windows today. Then menus, then back to fixing small collision bugs and networking. After that's done I will start a scripting framework to get a CFT game going complete with scoring (game wide and player level) - Rich -

Hi, I have been working up a window framework for Phoenix. I have a window interface that is selectable, moveable and re-sizable. The windows also accept 'skins' , one image for the window and a border image. The windows also accept text and images and automatically render to the window with clipping and scaling to text and images, as well as color and blending. So adding a menu and button framework should round out the elements for HUD, chat, radar, scoring and other interfaces. The cursors are also changeable and I'll probably use mouse move to show the mouse cursor. - Rich - http://www.phoenix.subspace.co/screenshot_windows.png

Yes there will be encryption and other checks for security. Aside from that the server is in charge of the game and clients can not act on their own outside of the server game state. So if client X tries to exceed a maximum amount of moves or updates a position inconsistent with its model the server corrects it and if need be ejects the player/client. By using an authoritative server security is greatly enhanced. As to the source code for this project that is something I am open to, perhaps sharing under license (no fee). When I started Phoenix SS I had envisioned developing a flexible game engine I could use on several projects. That still is the goal making SubSpace a beneficiary of my efforts. So I think it's doable. There are some concerns though that make me wonder who and what code. Server code and even the client code would lay bare the inner workings of security and network organization. Not something I'm in favor of. Although there is server code available for SubSpace I do not believe there is any Continuum code around. For good reason, security. With Phoenix the issue of security can not separated in to server and client. They both use the same physics and more to achieve client side prediction and security. So in the end this may be more an issue of who can you trust. I've been here a year researching, designing and coding Phoenix SS with little more then an idea that SubSpace could use a new lease on life. The simple joy of saving something you love. Not to mention a quick check on usage 2362 hours in game (SubSpace). So walking away or abandoning Phoenix is just not going to happen. I hope that once the editor. server(s) and client are in the hands of the community, the fears of flexibility and free access will be nullified. But to be sure, more to discuss here.

^Thanks. That particle editor is part of a library that I can include in this project. One of the few things I have not written. I will have to adapt it, but worth the effort. @All In order to log on to the server and have good game play always use the latest version of Phoenix SS New version of Phoenix SS: (A.88_F) http://www.phoenix.s...lient_a88_F.zip Some changes to ship collision. Experimental server messenger added. Server now logs player status' Server now logs chat. Misc fixes. Keep testing and playing.

Hi, The speed up on the ship really is sweet for game play. Here is an image of a ship exhaust particle effect I'm working on. I plan to include this particle editor into the map/world editor. It will be useful for a lot of effects from exhaust to explosions and even shield impact effects. - Rich - http://www.phoenix.subspace.co/particle.png

Hi, There is new client posted here: http://www.phoenix.s...lient_a88_E.zip Fixed parallaxing asteroid field. Some Collision Fixes. But still a bug' Fixed nasty array out of bounds error that killed server and clients. Added a parallaxing planet. Way faster ship. I think the parallaxing is better now. Here is a pic. http://www.phoenix.subspace.co/screenshottxtx.png

OK... I will fix this tonight... I have to run out for an hour or so. If the server is down I'll get it back up soon. This bug is player count and position related so I'll have to look it over.. back soon..

It looks as if the router change to it's setup has really helped, not only with logging on (no problems today at all) but with the ping rate or lag. I am really surprised at the decrease of ping times. Some from the other side of the globe will be testing in the next few days and I am anxious to see the ping times and Phoenix's client lag capabilities. So, I've done a quick calculation based on four players online (data throughput) and I believe my lowly DSL connection (.756 Down, .12 UP) could handle up to a hundred players with a bit of headroom. That is encouraging for home based servers even if in the end the player count is a bit less. My gut feeling is with more improvements to efficiency and limiting players out of view from being streamed to a client that a home based server is a reality. Good news for 'team low budget's" like me. I'll be working on the server and client tonight so it may be down sometime late in the evening. Keep testing and thank you for supporting this project. - Rich -

My mentor in coding just logged on from New Zealand and we were able to play no problem. Hello other side of the world.

It was me not clearing the screen on tile image background. So I just added a clear screen command and fixed. The other position bug is the server sending an integer instead of a floating point for position. That is also fixed too. Thanks for pointing those bugs out! - Rich -

@Lone Outlaw, OK, I think I have fixed the time image background problem. This should do it. New Phoenix client here: http://www.phoenix.s...lient_a88_C.zip Give it a try when you can. Thanks;)

Back up! IP: 72.161.222.80 Mike had a great ping and yours from Canada was excellent. Nice to see player pings.

Lone Outlaw, Server crash.. sec while I re init. new IP to.. sec

I'll fix it. I accidentally posted posted server enabled Phoenix SS. It's not ready yet so it will be fixed but later. Client only version up now.

Aside from Lone Outlaw's issue I'll be working on an automatic IP address updater. Maybe a 'PHP' page or something in Phoenix to make IP address updates automatic and easy. Also if you have a DX10/11 video card please let me know if it is working for you. Thanks.