Feature freeze and the road to 1.0

Okay, I think it's about time that OINC became a stable 1.0, and I'm making a decision - the extension now has a feature freeze.

This means that no more features will be added - the extension will remain as it is currently, undergo intensive testing while I respond as quickly as I can with bug fixes, and then when we're all pretty sure it's stable, I will write the documentation and release the extension with an installer and documentation. Further features will be added in the updates 1.x, rather than at beta stage now.

The time frame? I'm hoping we can pull it off in around two weeks. In the next few days, I will release a beta with a hell of a lot of bugs fixed (including the crash-on-close bug, finally..!) and I'm hoping the forum members here can rip it apart and track down every last bug.

..that's the plan!

By the way - version 1.0 of the OINC extension will not include server functionality. As the server code is prone to security holes and will receive far more regular updates than the client extension, it makes more sense to exclude it from the stable extension releases. The server (which now has auto update functionality) will continue to be labeled beta and tested independently of the extension, alongside the Python, Java and other upcoming implementations.

If you plan to remove the server, can you make a server oinc object?

Eventually, but not for 1.0. I'm currently in the process of making a server wizard, which will make it easier to make simple custom servers without any programming, and there are a couple of public servers up already.

Jamie, please can you work on the OINC Server extension :( I have been waiting so long for something better than Moo, and when it arrives it has no server functionality, excluding using Java, Python and C++. What I want to do is way to complicated to do in C++ or any other language for that matter, and it is just not possible for me to learn a different language.

I bought MMF2 to use MMF2, so shouldn't the Server Extension be a priority? I'm sure I am not the only one who is waiting patently for the Server Extension. :<

I'm at a feature freeze to try and get the client stable and released (this is essential for some commercial products). Perhaps after that.

izac: Perhaps if you made a post about what you're actually trying to do, we could help you out (what implementation to use, how to code your server, design, perhaps even provide some source for you to use, et cetera) ;)

Mathias, it's not as simple as just "If the server receives something from this player, do something", it goes a lot further than that. The server is going to be extremely smart; I am planning an online shoot-em-up and the calculations, logic and what ever else I plan to do is just a massive and overly complicated job in any other programming language. Anti-cheat and databases will also come into play.

Simply put, just about everything is going to be server-sided.

You're exaggerating a bit here. Why would it be hard to make a "game world" (what you would probably call logic) that works according to your MMF code? Doing the server, and especially if everything has to be serverside and work with databases/anticheat, in MMF, is "overly complicated".

Now do that post of yours so we can actually help you (unless you don't want to be helped)! :)

Well, the first and most important part of the server would be to collect everybody's individual data: i.e.: X,Y,Dir,Animation,AngleX+Y etc, and store it all and blast it out to everyone in different messages according to how many people there are, for example:

Message one would contain the first 4 people on the list:
1,2,3,4

The second would contain the 5-8 people:
1,2,3,4

and so on..

That's the start.

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What language is the easiest?

I think it's possible in VB6, is OINC available for VB6 yet as an OCX?

I'm doing something like this right now with MMF2 for my game...

My game has multi-players all with their own space ship... each one sends it's x/y/angle/direction/speed.

when player thrusts, everything stays in sync pretty darn well...

on up arrow press i send thrust for that ship, everyone who see's that ship on their screen see's it thrust, turn, fire weapons, etc.

Now, I know what you're saying about wanting the server to keep track of everything so nobody can mod their player.

I think you can create a server for this in MMF2. I have a server app that keeps track of objects in space (asteroids, etc) and i made that with MMF2. Eventually, this app will also keep all the stats for each player and handle the database activity on them all.

Sounds like good stuff Tuna!

If the OINC Server become available as an ActiveX or an OCX for VB6 all my troubles will be over.

VB6 FTW

I'm a VB6 developer as well, but I don't think they plan to release an OCX... I could be wrong, anything is possible.

WinSock isn't difficult to work with in vb6 via api calls, etc, and there are plenty of resources towards that topic.

I thought you preferred to used MMF2? Did i mis-read one of your previous posts?

I'd PREFER to use MMF Tuna, but I've used VB6 for such a long time, and it's so quick to develop with, there is no messing about in VB6.

I must just say a big thank you for the OINC extension. You brought MMF2 to another level! (I'm sorry for not counting the MOO family though...)