The Energon Pub

Ok after much discussion with Seibertron and his vision and my vision we have come up with how this is going to take place. Some of you may agree with it and some of you may not. If you are willing to offer constructive criticism and comments I am all open for it. That does not mean ideas will get implemented right away or at all. I will say that I am open to ideas though.

I plan on keeping the community up to date with the progress of the game. I am also going to let you guys help out with certain aspects of the game which I will announce when I am ready for those things. They will include graphics, story lines, flavor text and other things. For now I just want to get the scripting done.

The first release version will pretty much be a cleaned up version of what we have now including the map. This is being done to create ease of adding content to the game in the future expansions. And, yes there will be expansions.

The core module will consist of only Autobots and Decepticons. Future factions will come with expansions.

Feel free to ask any questions you may have on the new version.

The Core Module Progress:

1. Character Creation - Programming in Progress

2. Missions

3. Map and Map Missions

4. Arena

5. Armor - Programming in Progress

6. Weapons - Programming in Progress

7. Alternate Modes - - Programming in Progress

8. Robot Modes - - Programming in Progress

9. Battle Scripts

10. Graphics

The only thing (and god only knows i've lost track of the number of times i've said this over the years)

Missions - OUT.
Arena - CHALLENGE ARENA

The war should be about the map, introducing it simply as a third option will just divide what few remaining forces there are.

And incentives aren't going to cut it.

You're probably right Burn, but remember the current lack of mission participation is as much down to all us Preds having no oposition as it is about the actual arena dwellers.

Having been a pred for a good long time now, I have to say I fully suport the shedding of the beast factions for now.

Heck let's just let him get the bare bones out for now. Things like the challenge arena can come when we got a solid game set in stone. However FTR I wouldn't mind the challenge arena myself.

Honestly it seems to be the best policy just to start small and work it on out as getting too big too soon seemed to mess things up in the past.

You have listed "Character Creation". What does that mean? Is it basically the same set up we have now or will it change at all and how?

Datamatrix wrote:Heck let's just let him get the bare bones out for now. Things like the challenge arena can come when we got a solid game set in stone. However FTR I wouldn't mind the challenge arena myself.

Honestly it seems to be the best policy just to start small and work it on out as getting too big too soon seemed to mess things up in the past.

You're missing his point Dyna. He dosnt want the Challenger arena *as well*, he wants it instead of the Arena. So it needs discusing before the code is writern, as discussing it after would result in wasted effort. And the fact Mogwai has stated he isnt yet wroking on that aspect of the game leaves us with an ideal opotunity to discuss it.

Fett 526 wrote:You have listed "Character Creation". What does that mean? Is it basically the same set up we have now or will it change at all and how?

In general it will take place the same way. The layout will be different and the levels will go much higher. It will also be an interactive real-time creation. Using a nifty little thing called Ajax. It will give real time updates as to whether a bot name is taken, tactics for altmodes and robot modes will show up without reloading the page. You will have a character summary that is constantly updated throughout the creation process without reloading the page.

So ... time to update the Pre-Pentium computer?

Mogwai Prime wrote:

Fett 526 wrote:You have listed "Character Creation". What does that mean? Is it basically the same set up we have now or will it change at all and how?

In general it will take place the same way. The layout will be different and the levels will go much higher. It will also be an interactive real-time creation. Using a nifty little thing called Ajax. It will give real time updates as to whether a bot name is taken, tactics for altmodes and robot modes will show up without reloading the page. You will have a character summary that is constantly updated throughout the creation process without reloading the page.

Cool beans.

Now I hate to bring this up but I have been out of the loop for a while...with the new set up will there be a reset of character? if so will it start from scratch with no characters and such?

Burn wrote:So ... time to update the Pre-Pentium computer?

Shhhh it's a secret it's HMW - Vista.

Fett 526 wrote:

Mogwai Prime wrote:

Fett 526 wrote:You have listed "Character Creation". What does that mean? Is it basically the same set up we have now or will it change at all and how?

In general it will take place the same way. The layout will be different and the levels will go much higher. It will also be an interactive real-time creation. Using a nifty little thing called Ajax. It will give real time updates as to whether a bot name is taken, tactics for altmodes and robot modes will show up without reloading the page. You will have a character summary that is constantly updated throughout the creation process without reloading the page.

Cool beans.

Now I hate to bring this up but I have been out of the loop for a while...with the new set up will there be a reset of character? if so will it start from scratch with no characters and such?

There will a complete reset of the game for the new version. I will try to do a character name transfer so that people can keep their bots, but no promises on that for now. Everything will be reset though and everyone will start from scratch.

Mogwai Prime wrote:

Burn wrote:So ... time to update the Pre-Pentium computer?

Shhhh it's a secret it's HMW - Vista.

In the immortal words of Darth Vader...
"NNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!"
insert James Earl Jones voice

Mogwai Prime wrote:I will try to do a character name transfer so that people can keep their bots.

I think, as long as you have the clashing names stuff working, and have all the canon charecters blocked to the general player, there's no real reason to waste time and effort trying to transfer existing names. I like the idea of start completly from scratch again, with a completly blank slate and a restriction to the maximum innitial number of charecters, be it becuase of funds or special unlockable content.

EDIT: Whilst you're about, what sort of performance information and the like will be provided automaticly. I ask becuase myself and Bun-Bun are looking at ways of improving my XP Games spreadsheets (yes folks, Im thinking of bringing em back!), and I wanna know if they will still be relivent come V2 (if they will, we'll spend more time refining em).

yadda yadda gestalts yadda yadda triplechangers

I'm all for the idea of throwing out missions and the arena as we know it. Instead lets focus on the map and the challenge arena.

And as much as it'll irk several posters, can we go back to just Autobots and Decepticons again?

Mkall wrote:yadda yadda gestalts yadda yadda triplechangers

I'm all for the idea of throwing out missions and the arena as we know it. Instead lets focus on the map and the challenge arena.

And as much as it'll irk several posters, can we go back to just Autobots and Decepticons again?

Gestalts, triplechanges and the other various forms will come out with expansions. Right now it will be one robot mode and one alternate mode.

And, as stated earlier the core module will only contain Autobots and Decepticons with future factions being release in expansions.

How will the switch to Pred/Max be? Will there be other factions as well? Will it be something the player can switch or would it have to be you that mass switches a player? How will it effect the players current alt modes?

Fett 526 wrote:How will the switch to Pred/Max be? Will there be other factions as well? Will it be something the player can switch or would it have to be you that mass switches a player? How will it effect the players current alt modes?

That will be it's own expansion and it will be a surprise . They will be coming back though. When we reach that point I will give the information out on it. But, that's down the road from now.

Mkall wrote:yadda yadda gestalts yadda yadda triplechangers

I'm all for the idea of throwing out missions and the arena as we know it. Instead lets focus on the map and the challenge arena.

And as much as it'll irk several posters, can we go back to just Autobots and Decepticons again?

This pretty much covers my opinions. ^^

But I'll take whatever comes, as long the admin panels work

Psychout wrote:

Mkall wrote:yadda yadda gestalts yadda yadda triplechangers

I'm all for the idea of throwing out missions and the arena as we know it. Instead lets focus on the map and the challenge arena.

And as much as it'll irk several posters, can we go back to just Autobots and Decepticons again?

This pretty much covers my opinions. ^^

But I'll take whatever comes, as long the admin panels work

The HMW admin panels will be fixed also.

Mogwai Prime wrote:

Psychout wrote:

Mkall wrote:yadda yadda gestalts yadda yadda triplechangers

I'm all for the idea of throwing out missions and the arena as we know it. Instead lets focus on the map and the challenge arena.

And as much as it'll irk several posters, can we go back to just Autobots and Decepticons again?

This pretty much covers my opinions. ^^

But I'll take whatever comes, as long the admin panels work

The HMW admin panels will be fixed also.

Yay!!

Mogwai Prime wrote:

Fett 526 wrote:You have listed "Character Creation". What does that mean? Is it basically the same set up we have now or will it change at all and how?

In general it will take place the same way. The layout will be different and the levels will go much higher. It will also be an interactive real-time creation. Using a nifty little thing called Ajax. It will give real time updates as to whether a bot name is taken, tactics for altmodes and robot modes will show up without reloading the page. You will have a character summary that is constantly updated throughout the creation process without reloading the page.

ooooooooOOOOOOOOOOOooooooOOOOOOoo AjaaaaaaX I seem to remember hearing something about that a few years ago when I got out of programming whne i burnt myself out on it haha, I think i remember it being akin to php, meets sql, meets java, on a crack sandwich. heh

Mogwai Prime wrote:

Psychout wrote:

Mkall wrote:yadda yadda gestalts yadda yadda triplechangers

I'm all for the idea of throwing out missions and the arena as we know it. Instead lets focus on the map and the challenge arena.

And as much as it'll irk several posters, can we go back to just Autobots and Decepticons again?

This pretty much covers my opinions. ^^

But I'll take whatever comes, as long the admin panels work

The HMW admin panels will be fixed also.

You could fix the current one enough so we have control over missions. That would be pretty cool and I might even give you half a thumb up.

I have one question for you Mogwai, Will you be changing the Alt-mode list?

Oh Btw, Congratz/Thanks for getting the spot as the new Dev of HMW

Warrant wrote:I have one question for you Mogwai, Will you be changing the Alt-mode list?

Oh Btw, Congratz/Thanks for getting the spot as the new Dev of HMW

Yes the altmodes will be changed in a couple of ways. As soon as I get home I will be making a post on how they and the robot modes will work.

I say take your time. Its nice thinking of light at the end of the tunnel. So to speak.