PROJECT: Source Code: Project Team

[Tamerlin]

Originally posted by MrBaggins
No one else cares about AI fudging like you do Tamerlin... its a necessary evil for game challenge.

I know, I just think we should not add any other cheating. The AI in CtP2 has so many things to learn from the basic game (air units, amphibious assaults, efficient trade, good city sites, efficient combat armies...) that it is IMO useless to add a dubious feature that will dramatically increase the fudging level.

[Martin the Dane]

Hmm. I would love to get my hands into some of that code, but unless we get some goals defined first, I'm afraid it will be a waste of effort to assign programmers.

But since we wouldn't be starting from scratch there is a possibility that a sequel or XP could be created using "volunteers", within a reasonable timeframe.

This leads to the core of my concern: If we do get the source-code, we’ll need to address the following. What do we want to achieve? Do we want to make a bugfix-release of CTP2 (ctp2 as it should have been) or do we aim at a CtP2.5 or even CtP3?

Finally an advice from a guy who spent untold hours analyzing the tile-file: don't change the tile file graphics system. It’s an ingenious system: it's compact, it’s simple, and most importantly it has built-in shadows, and two levels of transparency. Coding this will be a nightmare (I should know, since I already did it once, in a much simpler setting the static one time conversion from tga to .til). I know it would make life easier for the designers and modders, but this will most likely be at the cost of game performance.

[Tamerlin]

Originally posted by Martin the Dane
This leads to the core of my concern: If we do get the source-code, we’ll need to address the following. What do we want to achieve? Do we want to make a bugfix-release of CTP2 (ctp2 as it should have been) or do we aim at a CtP2.5 or even CtP3?

I can only express my wish but I would like a bugfix-release of CtP2 with an improved AI.

[tlatoani]

Originally posted by Tamerlin


I can only express my wish but I would like a bugfix-release of CtP2 with an improved AI.

I could be wrong, but I think that's the minimum the coders are aiming at. CTP3 will come later I think, with the mods.

[Locutus]

I agree that we should first attempt to create a bug-free version of CtP2 (with maybe slight enhancements but no major changes).

After that, I'd love to create a full sequel, with radical new features and concepts and improved graphics, etc... However, it could prove quite hard to agree on a single design for a sequel: we already have half a dozen major mods (and a couple of designs for mods that were never finished) with some huge differences between them. But that's something for the long term, I don't believe we need to worry about that anytime soon.

[Dale]

I'm all for the bug-free version. I love CTP2 as it is in SAP2.

[child of Thor]

yep me too - lets walk before we run

If CTP2 was just 'finished' when it came out it would have been a winner.

[MrBaggins]

well... it depends how you define 'bug' or 'finished'. I see a non capable AI (especially with regard to navy/airforce/invasion) as something approaching a bug. Thats fairly pervasive, but a necessary fix, never the less.

[LDiCesare]

I'm too busy coding Clash to do code on CtP2 when the source code is released.
I want to point out a few things, though:
Open source can go the sourceforge way, which would probably help managing of files, particularly ig there are more than 2 or 3 coders.
I think the first things to do are comment / document the code, fix bugs, and particularly fix the bug that crashes CtP2 when I play Cradle. An example of my crashing savegames is still posted somewhere on these forums .
I won't code myself, but could try to understand some bits of the code and put comments on them (particuarly the ai, since I work on the ai of Clash now), and suggestions of what could be done on that part of the code.

[J Bytheway]

With the recent minor revelation that the programming was done in MS Visual C++ 6.0, I suppose I have one more small advantage as a programmer, since I have a copy of that. Whether we will get all the associated project files and so forth, I do not know. If we don't, it might not be quite so helpful .

[LDiCesare]

I wonder whether the files need MSDev or whether a gnu compiler (for instance) could do the trick. I use MSDev at work and find it has two drawbacks: I don't like it, and it is expensive.

[Solver]

I think a GNU compiler should be able to do the trick, unless there's something msdev-specific.... might be some msdev header files included.

My wish of CtP2 changes is a bug-free version with other improvements mostly concerning AI. I like CtP2 the SAP2 way, and really, fixing bugs and AI would be good... although I agree that, we can never stop .

[Proteus_MST]

I´ve got Visual Studio,
so Visual C++ 6.0 is fine for me

[Locutus]

Originally posted by LDiCesare
it has two drawbacks: I don't like it, and it is expensive.

Hear, Hear!


Allegedly one of Mr Ogre's famous quotes is "gnu god, the open source deity", so I believe(/hope) we may be alright (figures, since he's putting so much effort in getting the source released)...

[J Bytheway]

I don't like it either, but it's not too expensive on student license. I got Visual Studio primarily for VB.