As anyone experimenting with vegaserver will know, as a beast the multiplayer envronment is kinda insane... That .py server it prequsites execution of, tho functional, doesn't strike me as too great..(Potential Replacement ?) seems to be able to be crashed easily ( by bots that has found forms, usually, and attempt spam) -=- accounts are not generated over HTTPS, and account auth/validation takes place plaintext, too, in fact, all comms between vegaserver and http_accountserver.py take place in an unsavoury fashion(Easy for testing and possibly acceptable on LAN, but unsuitable for "untrusted" environments, like the internet)... I don't seem to note any form of account or server management, either.. Fabrication of an account already existing results in the "original" account being overwritten - Potential for abuse lies within - There appears to be sincere lag in between launching missiles, and them being fired -=- There's no NPC's (bounty hunting missions aside) -=- Long story short, this needs a blast with the spice weasle. Bamn.
Input appreciated.
User chat:
- * Ideally need some sort of "frequency management" - Can limit broadcast to say a "sub-channel" applicable to all of same faction, or possibly opposing ones, Some sort of buddy/friendlist. Current options are global (server-wide, akin to "normal" IRC operation) or spefcified (To preselected user, akin to IRC's "PM" function)
* Desperately needs additional functionality to provide basic admin functions, ie:- - White/blacklist maintainence (Currently, I don't think provided, in any capacity)
- Basic sever manipulation / control (Ideally prequisites hierachial structure to users, Don't need everyone with admin...)
- Some sort of MOTD like functionaly would be good
- - White/blacklist maintainence (Currently, I don't think provided, in any capacity)
Custom Menu:
I wonder if it's possible to push this from the server, as it does the ships/maps in use....
would require following functionality:
- * Similar in-flight functionality to the mission/cargo/upgrade computer whilst docked. Interplayer realtions requires more than chat, and docked trade... Would be good to donate money to other players, or demand a toll fee for passing thorugh your system(or just existing)...
* Fleet management (for Faction leaders / fleet commanders)- - Needs ability to relay orders to fleet, in terms of movements or targeting... Converge here, fly in formation to there, attack that... Move here, protect this.... Some things (like target priority) once changed would ideally reflect across faction/fleet members HUD. I think might be at least possible to issue optional tasks to faction/fleet members by making the output of this populate a "mission template" and have it offered in applicable players computers. If owning more than one ship in the multiplayer didn't kill the player, I'd suggest this could be used to move a players (unpiloted)fleet around, whilst in flight... Allowing multiple cargo ships to follow pre-plotted course, and user-piloted escort...
- - Needs abiltiy to relay orders to faction, in terms of trade and production goals(Once Nido's Markets apply), and general stratergies. Possibly a per-faction MOTD.
- Needs ability to admin faction ie: control of faction members, and hierachial positions of
- Inter-faction relation: ie: treaties, pacts, aliances and inter-faction diplomatics
- Fabrication and distrobution of resources, and resource management(on a per-user basis for delegation) * Resource Management (For owners of resources)
- Needs to interface, both on a macro (Universal) level and micro (Individual) level with production facilities(ie: factories, shipyards, fighter bases, research stations) and resource collection/fabrication facilities (mining stations, etc) to enable control over production, in "macro" mode by indicating general intention and allowing some "AI Governer" to specifically set through the chain required to fabricate, and in micro mode allowing the user specific control(Preferably with tiered production lists) over production.
- - Allow user to update/edit contact details / password
- Allow user to repawn with another ship selection (Currently require account refabrication, would be good to eventually have this tied in to the available ships produced by your faction)
- Import/selection of ship liveries (might be good for additional per-faction markings)
- Social (see "Social Aspect" below)
Social interaction is, basic chat function aside, entirely unaddressed... I'd personally suggest swapping up the chat function with XMPP(not looked into what used current)
Reasons supporting of XMPP:
- - Free and open source
- Cross platform
- Supports encryption via OpenSSL, with additional layers of GPG and OTR
- Supports vid/voice/text
- Reliable: Served as backend for Gtalk, Facebook's IM - whatsapp was effectively a broken XMPP implimentation - in personal tests it's been remarkably resilient.
- Extendable - It could potentially allow for almost any future use you could desire
- I've already got a server rolling
For the social tab listed above, could manage your "friends", and possibly using something like PHPBB's framework(ie: access similar, direct from SQL) access some sort of "forum" -=- Frontend similar to, and backend linked to, the "docked" mission/ship/upgrades/cargo/news computer -=- and can via template create tasks(TTL might be clever), or accept others tasks ...
For a loose visual aspect, I'm loosly faced with this...
I'm sure it used to have a border, and some definition to the buttons, but meh - I drew some in, I'm not syaing I think that's how this should look - Just adding some definition for demonstrations...
Next one is pretty much the same beast, but I've highlighted the "three sections" of data output, The left most could potentially hold more data -=- The upper and lower yellow corners on the right side to it's border could function as up/down scroll, with green section being position indicator( Be good to also consider for keyboard control of menu). The upper section containing "mission" I know holds loads more data, but it hides behind the third, lower pane ideally would need to self scroll / loop ...
The buttons on the right hand side need re-organising, The above additions will not entirely fit in with the current menu structure, but fortunately, on some screens the buttons are currently redundant, and I've noticed the buttons can change depending on which section you're currently in, so it should be possible.
I've noticed anothe rmenu in the multiplayer, With no better name, I'm calling it the "bar menu":
About the only thing I've noted to "work" in that is the bounty, not actually encountering another player in the server yet I've not entirely been able to test...
Ideally would need to figure out how to interact this, from the other parts of structure... I've noticed with the previous menu tho, ig goes "out of line" whilst under mouse:
More to come, I'm just too lazy