16th Feb
Whew. Still doing markings. Done all the uni and griff gradient versions, too. Must upload soon!
Been making a 'theoretical breeding generator' in JS. You manually design both parents, click a button and a random possible offspring is calculated. All 3 of them have auto-updating images. It's quite nifty.
Gotta add markings next... zzz.
And maybe a random option for each parent. Not sure how to update their dropdowns to show the selected genes though.
22 Feb
*kicks self* UPDATE MORE OFTEN
Um, well. The theoretical breeding generator was finished. https://jsfiddle.net/bufforpington/atgLj7bv/12/
Absolute chore. Then... I realised the 'simpler' genetics Mythnest is meant to have, really aren't much simpler than the main game.
Just fewer base colours, and paint marking shapes. I had originally planned it to be really simple and fun (colour wheels, straight inheritance of markings etc) but this is a mess! Really complex.
But I don't wanna lose all the code and genetic-design already done (I'm quite proud of the GGRRBB genes for handling full colour spectrum).
So I've decided that the main game will have its genes massively simplified. It's already a big complex game by itself, with other stuff to do - battling, crafting, world exploring, customisation, island management... and players might find super-complex coat breeding a chore on top of the RPG stuff. I want it to be easy to get a decent coat, so you can move on and focus on their skills.
Mythnest can stay as a breeding-focused side-game, with the full crazy genetic system. Much more challenging, for those who like that. I don't think most players of the main game will enjoy wading through an ocean of alleles.
I've also decided to stop using Imagick to generate the main game's images. Will instead use the CSS many-premade-parts approach, same as Mythnest. Imagick scripts are still useful to resize, recolour and save all the markings etc in the range of colours. Yay automation!
Both games can use the same colour palette, markings and everything. I'll have to do some messing-around with CSS and opacity to see how the paint/horn textures can be re-created. For example, a semi-transparent 'crackle' image could produce a marble effect on top of various colours... or an opal glitter layer, etc...
By my calculations, 54 image parts are needed (the lightest, mid and darkest colours of 18 palettes) to create 234 colours (that's with the 13 shade system; could change it easily). That's per body part/marking, per breed...
I'll have to do some resizing, so sprites (or maybe little portrait squares? aww) use even tinier versions of images. Every kb saved matters.
Back to some main-site coding...
- realised with embarrassment that the Message page has been broken for ages, and fixed it. >.>
- removed the pop-up box so messages/convos are listed on the page now. Much wider and nicer.
- attempted to add pagionation to messages, but for some reason the buttons don't appear, and it stops the tabs working. Strange...
- removed Flock Check stuff from the template class. Now the lists of groups and griffs are loaded with AJAX, the first time you click the icon. Doing those queries with every page load was pointless!
23 Feb
- added AJAX pagination to news articles and comments.
- made a review page, so mods can edit articles, set as draft/published etc.
News system is now 99% done, yay! Comments can be hidden by mods, but currently there's no page for admins to view/reinstate/delete them and punish bad users.
- also made a pet spotlight carousel thingy in JS, it loops through some divs. Will be good to have on the front page later, with every month's Most Beautiful Creatures as voted by community. Ittermat also suggested putting it on user profiles, so they can choose some of their pets to feature. I like that, will try it soon.
24 Feb
Re-thinking the nest system. Instead of making users create nests to move eggs into, have a pre-set range of nests to choose from, with fixed names and backgrounds etc. New users start with 3 basic ones (one for griffs, one for equines, one for dragons) and more locations can be unlocked.
Each nest has 12 spaces for eggs/babies, and accommodates certain breeds. A sea dragon egg doesn't belong in a straw box under a griff-hen... likewise, a griff chick would drown in a rock pool.
There's still the 'starter nest' that holds/suspends all babies until they're moved to a proper nest. So you could collect some sea dragon eggs, but not be able to incubate them until unlocking the rock pool and having spaces in it.
I feel like this is much more realistic (?) than letting users create nests in various environments and plonk babies anywhere.
Code will be waaay simpler (can now have nests as numbers 1-20) and a DB table can be dropped (no need to check for user's nest ownership, status, details etc).
Oh, and more opportunities for named NPCs and notable locations. Worldbuilding
... 10pm update: done. Yup, a hundred times simpler than the previous mess. Woo!
25 Feb
Finally, paypal integration! Well, in sandbox mode. Haven't tried it live yet. I hope there won't be extra fees taking my money away, while testing...
26 Feb
Trying to clean up/improve some things. DB tables need a massive cleanup, rearrange, esp regarding user info. I decided that the stuff looked-up all the time (every page) might as well be bundled together in the main Users table, and all the daily and all-time counts of stuff-done (like adopting eggs, battle wins etc) should be in another table. Profile table will be left only for bio, avatar, preferences.
Profile page now includes /master and /mythic (creature) profiles, I need to get rid of the separate roost page, so aging etc happens when the profile is visited. And move all the AJAX for renaming, managing pack, friends etc over there. That'll be a big job... still in dire need of a nice layout too...
I thought of a great way to improve explore map efficiency - instead of having every single 'room' be a separate file loaded with AJAX, I need to try and include more together. Use JS to switch between sets of graphics, XY positions, and collision detection tile arrays. So an entire house might cover 5 maps, and you can go upstairs or in different rooms, and they're all still the same location - when you enter the front door all 5 maps are there, instead of having to load each room as you go between them.
This will be Difficult. o.o
27 Feb
Holy crappp this computer. Have restarted 7 times tonight, so far. Crashcrachcrashcrash every 10 minutes...
And endo being annoying as usual. Fab.
Did manage to finish an AJAX version of Dinocanid's raffle mod. Seems to be working, satisfied. One is a lottery where a single user gets all the money, other is an item raffle where up to 10 users get rare items like gemstones etc. Can't post screenshots any more, because sta.sh and its expiring image URLs have gone to crap x)
Whew. Still doing markings. Done all the uni and griff gradient versions, too. Must upload soon!
Been making a 'theoretical breeding generator' in JS. You manually design both parents, click a button and a random possible offspring is calculated. All 3 of them have auto-updating images. It's quite nifty.
Gotta add markings next... zzz.
And maybe a random option for each parent. Not sure how to update their dropdowns to show the selected genes though.
22 Feb
*kicks self* UPDATE MORE OFTEN
Um, well. The theoretical breeding generator was finished. https://jsfiddle.net/bufforpington/atgLj7bv/12/
Absolute chore. Then... I realised the 'simpler' genetics Mythnest is meant to have, really aren't much simpler than the main game.
Just fewer base colours, and paint marking shapes. I had originally planned it to be really simple and fun (colour wheels, straight inheritance of markings etc) but this is a mess! Really complex.But I don't wanna lose all the code and genetic-design already done (I'm quite proud of the GGRRBB genes for handling full colour spectrum).
So I've decided that the main game will have its genes massively simplified. It's already a big complex game by itself, with other stuff to do - battling, crafting, world exploring, customisation, island management... and players might find super-complex coat breeding a chore on top of the RPG stuff. I want it to be easy to get a decent coat, so you can move on and focus on their skills.
Mythnest can stay as a breeding-focused side-game, with the full crazy genetic system. Much more challenging, for those who like that. I don't think most players of the main game will enjoy wading through an ocean of alleles.
I've also decided to stop using Imagick to generate the main game's images. Will instead use the CSS many-premade-parts approach, same as Mythnest. Imagick scripts are still useful to resize, recolour and save all the markings etc in the range of colours. Yay automation!
Both games can use the same colour palette, markings and everything. I'll have to do some messing-around with CSS and opacity to see how the paint/horn textures can be re-created. For example, a semi-transparent 'crackle' image could produce a marble effect on top of various colours... or an opal glitter layer, etc...
By my calculations, 54 image parts are needed (the lightest, mid and darkest colours of 18 palettes) to create 234 colours (that's with the 13 shade system; could change it easily). That's per body part/marking, per breed...
I'll have to do some resizing, so sprites (or maybe little portrait squares? aww) use even tinier versions of images. Every kb saved matters.
Back to some main-site coding...
- realised with embarrassment that the Message page has been broken for ages, and fixed it. >.>
- removed the pop-up box so messages/convos are listed on the page now. Much wider and nicer.
- attempted to add pagionation to messages, but for some reason the buttons don't appear, and it stops the tabs working. Strange...
- removed Flock Check stuff from the template class. Now the lists of groups and griffs are loaded with AJAX, the first time you click the icon. Doing those queries with every page load was pointless!
23 Feb
- added AJAX pagination to news articles and comments.
- made a review page, so mods can edit articles, set as draft/published etc.
News system is now 99% done, yay! Comments can be hidden by mods, but currently there's no page for admins to view/reinstate/delete them and punish bad users.
- also made a pet spotlight carousel thingy in JS, it loops through some divs. Will be good to have on the front page later, with every month's Most Beautiful Creatures as voted by community. Ittermat also suggested putting it on user profiles, so they can choose some of their pets to feature. I like that, will try it soon.
24 Feb
Re-thinking the nest system. Instead of making users create nests to move eggs into, have a pre-set range of nests to choose from, with fixed names and backgrounds etc. New users start with 3 basic ones (one for griffs, one for equines, one for dragons) and more locations can be unlocked.
Each nest has 12 spaces for eggs/babies, and accommodates certain breeds. A sea dragon egg doesn't belong in a straw box under a griff-hen... likewise, a griff chick would drown in a rock pool.
There's still the 'starter nest' that holds/suspends all babies until they're moved to a proper nest. So you could collect some sea dragon eggs, but not be able to incubate them until unlocking the rock pool and having spaces in it.
I feel like this is much more realistic (?) than letting users create nests in various environments and plonk babies anywhere.
Code will be waaay simpler (can now have nests as numbers 1-20) and a DB table can be dropped (no need to check for user's nest ownership, status, details etc).
Oh, and more opportunities for named NPCs and notable locations. Worldbuilding
... 10pm update: done. Yup, a hundred times simpler than the previous mess. Woo!
25 Feb
Finally, paypal integration! Well, in sandbox mode. Haven't tried it live yet. I hope there won't be extra fees taking my money away, while testing...
26 Feb
Trying to clean up/improve some things. DB tables need a massive cleanup, rearrange, esp regarding user info. I decided that the stuff looked-up all the time (every page) might as well be bundled together in the main Users table, and all the daily and all-time counts of stuff-done (like adopting eggs, battle wins etc) should be in another table. Profile table will be left only for bio, avatar, preferences.
Profile page now includes /master and /mythic (creature) profiles, I need to get rid of the separate roost page, so aging etc happens when the profile is visited. And move all the AJAX for renaming, managing pack, friends etc over there. That'll be a big job... still in dire need of a nice layout too...
I thought of a great way to improve explore map efficiency - instead of having every single 'room' be a separate file loaded with AJAX, I need to try and include more together. Use JS to switch between sets of graphics, XY positions, and collision detection tile arrays. So an entire house might cover 5 maps, and you can go upstairs or in different rooms, and they're all still the same location - when you enter the front door all 5 maps are there, instead of having to load each room as you go between them.
This will be Difficult. o.o
27 Feb
Holy crappp this computer. Have restarted 7 times tonight, so far. Crashcrachcrashcrash every 10 minutes...
And endo being annoying as usual. Fab.
Did manage to finish an AJAX version of Dinocanid's raffle mod. Seems to be working, satisfied. One is a lottery where a single user gets all the money, other is an item raffle where up to 10 users get rare items like gemstones etc. Can't post screenshots any more, because sta.sh and its expiring image URLs have gone to crap x)