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Beta & Poll and questions for the community
Posted: Sat Oct 22, 2005 8:47 pm
by Bannor Bloodfist
We are having discussions within the CTP Project Team.
What we are thinking and talking about is after we release our first set of 10 tilesets (plus that one reskin), was to possible release the other 3 groups in packs, as BETA sets.
This would open the sets up to the community to start using them, WITH the understanding that they are STILL BETA sets and WILL REQUIRE fixing.
Our intention here is to get the content out there sooner, and maybe get YOU, the community, to help us spot and fix the bugs.
We would open up a special forum to accept bug reports, AND show you the bug reports already on file (to hopefully not get duplicate reports that way)
We are thinking that Release One will be stable as it is released, releases 2-4 would be beta, and WOULD NOT BE REQUIRED to use the first 10 sets.
Each of the additional beta releases would have updated control files so that you can add each group either singly or as a whole to your projects.
So, what do you think, is that an interesting proposition for you?
Posted: Sat Oct 22, 2005 9:30 pm
by lord rosenkrantz
The BETA release is a good idea, but only IF the naming convention fo the models is the final one. I mean, as long as the mdl's won't change their name or ORDER in the final release, all areas built with the beta version while waiting (or contributing) for the final one won't be disrupted.
For that task, is mandatory that from the SET distributed with the beta version no tiles are removed ever. It is possible to add new tiles or groups, since they won't disrupt any area, but removing a single tile would be a catastrophe. I imagine you know already, but better safer than sorry, right?
Posted: Sat Oct 22, 2005 9:38 pm
by Bannor Bloodfist
[quote=lord_rosenkrantz]The BETA release is a good idea, but only IF the naming convention fo the models is the final one. I mean, as long as the mdl's won't change their name or ORDER in the final release, all areas built with the beta version while waiting (or contributing) for the final one won't be disrupted.
For that task, is mandatory that from the SET distributed with the beta version no tiles are removed ever. It is possible to add new tiles or groups, since they won't disrupt any area, but removing a single tile would be a catastrophe. I imagine you know already, but better safer than sorry, right?[/quote]
Yep, we know. Which means that the possible 'Beta' releases would still be AFTER we get the first set out the door. We have some adjustments to make to those other sets yet, otherwise they can cause crashes.
So yeah, we would hope to make them as stable as possible, but still have possible walkmesh or graphical type errors.
Some of the set files as they currently stand, will NOT be the same once released. So those adjustments would have to be made prior to any such release.
Posted: Sun Oct 23, 2005 8:24 am
by lord rosenkrantz
Yup, makes sense.
I felt I was better to point it out just because I went through the trouble of restarting from scratch the area building in my PW once I couldn't avoid anymore a reworking of the tilesets I am using.
Initially, I tried to save time by NOT going through renaming all files and sets I was using. Bad move. Soon it became clear that from using a custom naming convention I would have had advantages easily outnumbering the disadvantages. And so, all my already built areas were gone. Trying to convert them would have required more work than rebuilding them in the toolset.
But since that day, I have planned the work in a different way.
1) All mdl's used have been renamed following the particular naming convention I have developed.
2) Only exceptions are standard bioware's materials, although the .set files (and all .ini and .2da) are always custom
3) Only changes allowed after the areas that have been already built are changes on the single tile, usually the required bug fixes. Of course, I start to build a particular area only after I have become happy with the required .set
4) A minor exception is when I need to use a different grass value. Meaning: say I am using a custom rural tileset with a lot of extra content. I build my 70 areas with it, and then, when finalizing the areas, I need to differentiate them accordingly to the geographic settings of my gameworld. Half the island is covered by tall red reeds, that give it a "savana-like" appearance. I develop only one rural .set, and once it reaches its final stage, I create a copy of the .set, .itp, .2da files, I adjust the 3d grass settings (or whatever I need to change and is harmless to change), I add it to the hak (it uses the same .mdl's of the parent tileset), and with a GFF editor I change the tileset the areas I am fine-tuning are flagged with.
I am doing the same with the slightly different forests I need to create in game. I can have as many options I need at the cost of one single tileset (and a few extra ASCII files)
So again, the way I see the matter, all fixes on models are welcome even after the BETA release has been used to build areas. It doesn't disrupt anything and might in particular be useful for PW developers.
Posted: Sun Oct 23, 2005 9:53 am
by Primogenitor
Beta would be nice
It would only be useful though if the .set isnt going to move any tiles around, though groups not being complete & tiles missing from the end of the list isnt a problem. Even if people dont actually build things with it yet, it would still be nice to find out exactly what is there & get an idea of the sort of things builders can & cant do with it.
beta
Posted: Mon Oct 31, 2005 1:08 pm
by Guest
Bring thath stuff out, please!
I´m ready to make bug testing.
Any thing yow need, make the call!:D
carlos
If you ever need some of my stuff, use it.
One word about whath already i have seen in story archives:
wonderfull!
Posted: Mon Oct 31, 2005 4:24 pm
by Bannor Bloodfist
[quote=mondego]Bring thath stuff out, please!
I?m ready to make bug testing.
Any thing yow need, make the call!:D
carlos
If you ever need some of my stuff, use it.
One word about whath already i have seen in story archives:
wonderfull![/quote]
I am not sure that I am understanding what you are telling me here.
Are you offering new content to us? Or skills maybe with fixing tilesets?
I did a search on the vault using 'Mondego' as the author name and I can find no content that you have released?
Posted: Mon Oct 31, 2005 5:54 pm
by lord rosenkrantz
[QUOTE=Bannor Bloodfist]I am not sure that I am understanding what you are telling me here.
Are you offering new content to us? Or skills maybe with fixing tilesets?
I did a search on the vault using 'Mondego' as the author name and I can find no content that you have released?[/QUOTE]
Ditto. Maybe Carlos uses another alias?
Posted: Mon Oct 31, 2005 7:12 pm
by Guest
Posted: Fri Nov 04, 2005 9:56 pm
by Guest
I recommend sending out a newsletter email for this poll. In fact, I haven't received one in a long time.
But yeah, I'm all for releasing the 10 set and then do the rest in beta stages.