FrankenCiv: a hypothetical

[Aeson]

It depends on what you mean by tool and in what portion of the game.

melonJS is a javascript library. Basically a bunch of classes/functions that are useful in games in general. Bearing in mind I haven't used it at all and am just making this up on the fly ... say you want to load a save game. melonJS would (I'm assuming) have some sort of function that would open a file from storage. So that part of the process is already done because it's something that every game is going to do, generally in the same way. So it makes sense to have it in a game library so everyone isn't inventing the wheel every time.

But how to read the data in the save file and recreate the turn of the game from it would be up to us because our save files and game will have a different format than any other game.

If we build off melonJS, then it would be difficult to change it out for another library. You'd have modify all the calls to functionality in melonJS to instead work with another library. So basically, if we do decide to use melonJS, it will mean it's much easier for modders down the road to stick with melonJS than to switch to an entirely different library. However, a modder could probably still override any of the functions in melonJS if they wanted to.

As for the tools in regards to editing programs, any editor that can work with plain text will work. (I prefer Notepad++)

[onodera]

I imagine this process will be somewhat less nightmarish when split four ways, assuming we divvy it up clearly. Incidentally, why configure the "teleport" command only to remove it later? Why not just set movement from the start?

You will still need this command for actions like deporting your units from another civ's territory when they close their borders, it is also much easier to implement than movement.
To divvy the game up, you'll need to refactor it into loosely coupled chunks, so people don't tread on each other's toes. For example, GUI, game engine itself, AI and/or networking are the biggest chunks. Oh, yeah, and the ruleset itself. Each part can then be split further. The biggest problem is splitting the game engine and the GUI, since you cannot really test your changes without a way to trigger them. That's why so many games have a console.

[Lorizael]

I keep checking up on this thread because this sounds like a lot of fun. That said, I suspect I shouldn't commit to the project, because I should really be putting the majority of my energy into that whole getting a degree thing. Instead I'll just be a cheerleader. You go, guys!

[Sava]

That up to the designers.

I think the easiest way to do it would be to make it multiplayer only, so that we wouldn't have to worry about AI.

[Elok]

I keep checking up on this thread because this sounds like a lot of fun. That said, I suspect I shouldn't commit to the project, because I should really be putting the majority of my energy into that whole getting a degree thing. Instead I'll just be a cheerleader. You go, guys!

You could just swap out some of the hours you spend on playing Civ for making a Civ instead. Okay, we probably can't call it "Civ," but whatever. I assume fretting over the name is the last item on the agenda, except for Loin's Futanari mod. It's not like you're likely to become addicted; rewarding as it may be, it does sound like I'm signing up for a righteous PITA.

[Elok]

I'm guessing that HC and Reg aren't all that interested in this. Pity; they actually know this stuff pretty well.

[Lorizael]

You could just swap out some of the hours you spend on playing Civ for making a Civ instead. Okay, we probably can't call it "Civ," but whatever. I assume fretting over the name is the last item on the agenda, except for Loin's Futanari mod. It's not like you're likely to become addicted; rewarding as it may be, it does sound like I'm signing up for a righteous PITA.

True. And I am theoretically getting a CS minor. But I really am going to be quite busy. Come fall, I hope to be going to school full-time, working something like ~25 hours a week, and doing whatever I can for Apolyton's Beyond Earth stuff. Maybe this'll be something I can work on during the summer and then intermittently afterward.

Names: Apolyciv, Civylton, Apolyzation. Okay, you should probably put someone else on the naming committee.

[onodera]

I'm guessing that HC and Reg aren't all that interested in this. Pity; they actually know this stuff pretty well.

That's how anyone can tell you know next to nothing about programming. Yet.

[Elok]

Okay, they seem to know this stuff fairly well, then.

Names: Apolyciv, Civylton, Apolyzation. Okay, you should probably put someone else on the naming committee.

I was thinking "Ozymandias," but that probably goes way over the line dividing classy from pretentious.

[Lorizael]

Wow, codecademy starts you out really, really basic. Also, JavaScript has a lot built in.

[Elok]

Hey, basic is good.

[onodera]

I was thinking "Ozymandias," but that probably goes way over the line dividing classy from pretentious.

It gives the impression that the game will be as successful as Ozymandias's statue.

You can rename it whenever you want, game1 is good enough for now.

[Lorizael]

Hey, basic is good.

QBasic will always be my language of choice. Unless I want to, like, accomplish something.

[Elok]

It gives the impression that the game will be as successful as Ozymandias's statue.

You can rename it whenever you want, game1 is good enough for now.

I was actually going for "tribute to glories of the past" and "trampling down mighty kings," but whatever. And yeah, it's a generic title for now.

[ColdWizard]

QBasic will always be my language of choice. Unless I want to, like, accomplish something.

COBOL ftw!

(1985 standard.)