Future Organization?

Hey <img src="/center/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />. I have started this thread to start a discussion about the current level of planning involved when it comes to creating a bonus pack.

It seems that currently the bonus packs come out "whenever" without any sort of planned or expected dates. As a developer I find this frustrating as if a bonus pack isn't ready when I am, I will just release my extension myself.

Now I have several ideas that I would like to include in Platinum Bonus Packs, but I need motivation besides just holding the ideas....

I feel as if a better level of organization is required for this program. I would like to have tentative completion dates and incentives to create, better testing, and more organization when it comes to patches and feature updates.

I don't see why Clickteam can't share the bonus pack technology so that we can create independant packs that are hosted and approved by clickteam. For example I could release a pack of my OWN extensions, have the source registered with clickteam, but I would have more control over how, when, and what the pack contains.

There is nothing wrong with a Vortex 2 bonus pack <img src="/center/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />
If you have some ready to go then thats all that is needed, no use waiting till enough is done from other people.

I could make a pack containing updates to Lua, EasyXML, Platform Swing and including Web Browser, Audiere, EasyScrollbar, Frame Size, and perhaps even Sprite Array.

That would be an awesome pack <img src="/center/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> and more then enough.

I thought about making a LIJI fun pack with my (coming soon) mini projects <img src="/center/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />
Colorizer (Change the colors (not only by HSL <img src="/center/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />) of a selected area)
3D Actives (Turn normal actives to 3D (flat) sprites)
Get Movement (Get the speed, angle etc of a chose active)
Easy Detector (Checks collisions in offsets without extra objects)
and maybe
Crasher (Pretty usless but crashes your program by a division by zero, might be useful if you need the program to crash and make the user think it's some random one :P)

I like the idea of extension developers making enough objects for a bonus pack creation <img src="/center/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

Perhaps you guys could consider themed ones as well? You know "Adventure", "Isometric", "Board Games", "RTS"...etc etc.

So there would be a set of objects that do certain aspects of a game, that would be great..anyway just an idea.

Jason

Yes one of the problems I feel the bonus pack model has currently is managing updates. Sure we can send updates to Yves but who knows when they will make it into the update and then who knows who will actually download it :P.

I think that both one-dev and themed packs are an interesting idea. A minimum of 4-6 good extensions would be good and we could personalize it. Instead of numbers for the PBP's we could use names to distinquish them. Something worth considering.

As for updates, perhaps there is a way to manage them? I do suggest a time period that allows reports to accrue, unless the fix is critical. So far, we have had less problems with the BP extensions than I expected and it takes a while, sometimes, for deep bugs to be discovered by a user. The change to MMF2, (compatibility) seems to have generated more problems than in the past, it seems.

Couldn't we create a private, Dev forum for info on PBP updates so that Yves can monitor them, communicate, and comment? An example would be, he could keep an eye on the number of updates and decide when to publish the fixes. That way, both Yves and Devs know what's going on and when. A Dev might find out that a pubilcation date is coming and get a patch in beforehand.

I am hoping that we get more projects going here, (Alpha/Beta) so that we can start working on a potential pilot for some form of public testing. I would like to get that going by the end of the month, that is, if everyone is with me on it. If it does not work out, we can go back to private invitation-only testing.

I personally would be willing to develop a number of new extensions for a chance to help get Jamagic back into a supported product <img src="/center/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />.

Vortex2, it would be great if in co-operation with Clickteam you could make an object that could host Jamagic sessions in MMF2 and vise vera. I think by intergrating it would be great.

LIJI
Colorizer (Change the colors (not only by HSL ) of a selected area) - Nice idea
3D Actives (Turn normal actives to 3D (flat) sprites) - Many would like this.
Get Movement (Get the speed, angle etc of a chose active) - Useful.
Easy Detector (Checks collisions in offsets without extra objects) - Useful for gamers.
and maybe

Crasher (Pretty usless but crashes your program by a division by zero, might be useful if you need the program to crash and make the user think it's some random one :P) - Yes and its not useless, it could be used to discourage piracy if applied correctly.

i.e. Make your application with a two part key. The first part of the key is released with a keygen to some warez sites. Your application should work for 30days say. Now if the second part of the key which is tested later fails your key test use the random crash object randomly through the application. That way the keygen looks good and no hacker can be bothered to crack your app. Naturally you offer a patch on your website for subscription customers, and again you apply the same process.

The only comment &amp; suggestions would be if you could have different types of crashes. ie. application crash, system lockup, mouse lockout, keyboard lockout, jam ports, system slowdown by x%, memory leaks, blue screen of death, system resets, etc.

You could also consider a method of making custom message like microsoft does. i.e. Your application has crashed to help us develop a better products you are invited to send a core dump. read the contents of the message, send message, don't send.

So its not as useless idea IMHO as you think LIJI.