Blog update - Lua Debugging
Max
Technical Director, Unknown Worlds Entertainment Join Date: 2002-03-15 Member: 318Super Administrators, Retired Developer, NS1 Playtester, Forum Moderators, NS2 Developer, Constellation, Subnautica Developer, Pistachionauts, Future Perfect Developer
Technical Director, Unknown Worlds Entertainment Join Date: 2002-03-15 Member: 318Super Administrators, Retired Developer, NS1 Playtester, Forum Moderators, NS2 Developer, Constellation, Subnautica Developer, Pistachionauts, Future Perfect Developer
Comments
And that concept art looks awesome <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile-fix.gif" /> Keep up the good work.
This has been one of the most exciting bits thus far besides the video or the creep growing.
The use of LUA as a high level control will help you prototype new features faster.
and performance testing should determine which bits get ported to C/C++.
I hope you guys do get some money out of the debugger.
here's to the future.
Cheers.
You can see a video demonstrating some of the features <a href="http://common-lisp.net/movies/slime.mov" target="_blank">here</a>, and might at least be able to poach some useful ideas from it.
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Tool development -- like many aspects of building a product -- involves tough trade-offs. While tools improve your efficiency in the long-term, they cost time to develop and can cut into your short term productivity. I'm almost always in favor of building good tools since I believe the benefits extend beyond the productivity increase they offer.
For example, if it's easy and painless to develop script code, then as a programmer you will be more willing to write code, even if that code may ultimately be thrown away. This means you are more willing to try out different design ideas, which will ultimately lead to a better game.
So I do think this is a good avenue for us to pursue; Charlie is working on the NS2 code, so that's still moving along while I've been working on Decoda. One of the great things about our situation (being independent of a publisher) is that we can afford to do the things the "right way" without having to worry about missing a milestone or upsetting the schedule.
Max
actually a debugger is more like beginningware...
I envy people with the skill to code something like that on a whim and so quickly.
have you considered making the lua debugger a plugin for something that already exists like Eclipse?
I hope you post your thoughts on the blog more often (even tiny-small updates are great <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/wink-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=";)" border="0" alt="wink-fix.gif" /> )
Btw how is that technology release coming along?
The picture looks VERY VERY GREAT, i know its an conzept but the colors and the quality is very great.
Ah good i save my money on paypal to buy this game next year =)
Tool development -- like many aspects of building a product -- involves tough trade-offs. While tools improve your efficiency in the long-term, they cost time to develop and can cut into your short term productivity. I'm almost always in favor of building good tools since I believe the benefits extend beyond the productivity increase they offer.
For example, if it's easy and painless to develop script code, then as a programmer you will be more willing to write code, even if that code may ultimately be thrown away. This means you are more willing to try out different design ideas, which will ultimately lead to a better game.
So I do think this is a good avenue for us to pursue; Charlie is working on the NS2 code, so that's still moving along while I've been working on Decoda. One of the great things about our situation (being independent of a publisher) is that we can afford to do the things the "right way" without having to worry about missing a milestone or upsetting the schedule.
Max
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Ah, ok. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/wink-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=";)" border="0" alt="wink-fix.gif" />
I defiantly think this could make you a few bucks because as you said, there aren't very many good Lua Debuggers.
Keep up the good work and keep those updates coming! <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/marine.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="::marine::" border="0" alt="marine.gif" />
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Awesome! This is great news, to me at least. "ns.wad" while good, never had enough variations. I think you may want to have environmental models centered around this too.
And even though it might not be in the scope for NS2 in right now, since I bet you want the game released sometime; I think it's definitively something for the NS universe in the future.
Yeah I have to agree on the varying the themes for NS2. So far that artist who's done the released stuff in your blog is nothing short of amazing. I'm just curious here if I can get an answer; will there be any outdoor environments? Is this something that the artist is planning and could we see some outdoor textures for like the exterior of a building, different life-forms besides the Karaa and so on? It's just that I began thinking when I played Metroid Prime, which contains alot of varying lifeforms, not all of them are useful but they add to the atmosphere so immensly (and also curious what kind of concept-art your NS artist would be capable of monster/character design wise <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tounge.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":p" border="0" alt="tounge.gif" /> )
And even though it might not be in the scope for NS2 in right now, since I bet you want the game released sometime; I think it's definitively something for the NS universe in the future.
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We've actually posted artwork by 3 different artists (Nate, Cory and Christian), but I agree they are all amazing. We'll probably be saving any significant outdoor stuff for a future expansion or game so that we have the time and resources to do it right
Max
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We'll probably be saving any significant outdoor stuff for a future expansion or game so that we have the time and resources to do it right
Max
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Maybe this should go into the FAQ? Just to clear it up for those who want jeeps, F16 and all that stuff.
I'd love to hear what the first version of the debugger was, sounds suspiciously like something that seemed awesome until you tried to use it <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/wink-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=";)" border="0" alt="wink-fix.gif" />
I hope you guys release the LUA debugger/ide alongside the game.
make ns2
<img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/sad-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":(" border="0" alt="sad-fix.gif" />
i thought you sourced yourself out enough last year to get the cash to concentrate on ns2? yet you plan on selling the debugger?
make ns2
<img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/sad-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":(" border="0" alt="sad-fix.gif" />
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Making a debugger is going to speed development, meaning they are going to do it no matter what. Why not spend a little extra time to make it look pretty enough to sell?
Anyway, nice entry. I'm glad you guys aren't rushing things too much. The earlier in development you make the tools, the more benefit you are going to get from them <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile-fix.gif" />
i thought you sourced yourself out enough last year to get the cash to concentrate on ns2? yet you plan on selling the debugger?
make ns2
<img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/sad-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":(" border="0" alt="sad-fix.gif" />
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Max is not the only person making NS2. While he works on the debugger (which will greatly improve productivity in the long run) the rest of the team is still concentrating very hard on getting things done.
i thought you sourced yourself out enough last year to get the cash to concentrate on ns2? yet you plan on selling the debugger?
make ns2
<img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/sad-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":(" border="0" alt="sad-fix.gif" />
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We are. If we thought it would be faster to make NS2 without Decoda, we would (but it's not).
I think there's a good chance we'll release the debugger with the game as well, so it will speed your development of mods also.
Loving the concept art that keeps springing up too, definitely the mental image I envisaged.
puzl & I had a conversation a while ago that summarised it quite well, I feel. The gist was 'Make everything 'feel' logical and cool, you can work out the game balance bits around it'. At the end of the day, titles have sold despite having little to no initial balance, but oozing cool. Likewise, the great road of games is littered with titles that were balance genius, but simply weren't much fun to play.
- Shockwave
Tool development is an important part of the overall development.
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And too often neglected!
I think there's a good chance we'll release the debugger with the game as well, so <b>it will speed your development of mods also</b>.
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Ooh! Good point.
<!--quoteo(post=1625469:date=May 7 2007, 11:58 AM:name=Shockwave)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Shockwave @ May 7 2007, 11:58 AM) [snapback]1625469[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->And too often neglected!
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QFT.
I agree that good tools will lead to a more modular design and higher productivity in the end. (although I suppose there is <i>some</i> balance point) And come to think of it, those good tools will certainly make it easier to expand custom content.
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puzl & I had a conversation a while ago that summarised it quite well, I feel. The gist was 'Make everything 'feel' logical and cool, you can work out the game balance bits around it'. At the end of the day, titles have sold despite having little to no initial balance, but oozing cool. Likewise, the great road of games is littered with titles that were balance genius, but simply weren't much fun to play.
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I've always felt that good balance was intrinsically linked to fun gameplay. And here I am referring not only to balance in terms of just stats interacting, but also the various features of the game that complement and play off of each other.