Traveling Twice the Speed of Sound
by Netwyrm · 04/18/2017 (12:46 am) · 6 comments
Well, it's been a while since I posted a blog. The last quarter hasn't really been about working directly on the game itself, though, but instead working on the hundred and one other things that are necessary to production.
Let's see... revamped the website entirely, which was a massive undertaking in and of itself. Made an effort to make it enjoyable to visit in and of itself, particularly for a player who likes to poke around. The website is now forced to HTTPS for every request.
Learned about firewalls, how to set them up quickly and simply, and then explain to them what you want them to do. Then I got involved in writing lots of verification support for the web server, custom-made filters to do things like count parameters and validate each GET and POST request as well.
Learned about integrating with PayPal backends in order to unlock purchases automatically.
Survived the Windows 10 upgrade on all machines running Windows in the stack. This was actually relatively painless, at least until I went to rotate passwords as one normally does every so often...
Created support forms so help questions can be collected and auto-entered in a database.
Got to work creating a GUI, which although simple and completely unrefined is at last providing a sort of "brand identity" that is maintained consistently across both the website and the client.
Struggled and struggled with a patcher utility I purchased, up to and including learning a smidgen of C# to short-circuit it after a download so it stops checking the install before letting users play. Still not happy or satisfied with it, but after three releases its a little closer to what I want, and now it too uses HTTPS to download the updates.
Got through the process of obtaining a code-signing certificate, and then figured out how to sign the binaries for the client and patcher with it at the command line.
Now I'm finally, this week, back to work on textures, having learned a bit more. I'm still working with really simple tools, Milkshape, UU3D and GIMP, but with each pass things look a little better--here's a texture added to one of the "blank" statues shown in an earlier blog:
Anyway, if you want to check out progress to date, visit World of Antra and sign up today!
About the author
My adventures in T3D are chronicled at http://www.worldofantra.com. Please be aware the subject is sword-and-sorcery, and the occasional bloody or bare body part may be in scope.
#2
Thanks for posting. I see I managed to implement a new array of firewalls and not cut you off this time! :)
I do have a Twitter account (@worldofantra) -- thanks for the suggestions. TBH, I don't grok Twitter, or Facebook well--that I use "grok" unironically ought to be telling in and of itself lol.
I have a good deal of respect for your accomplishment in completing and shipping Airship Dragoon -- so I'll take your suggestion to heart and set to figuring it out (currently have zero idea how to attach a picture or use a "hashtag")!
04/18/2017 (10:13 am)
Hi Steve,Thanks for posting. I see I managed to implement a new array of firewalls and not cut you off this time! :)
I do have a Twitter account (@worldofantra) -- thanks for the suggestions. TBH, I don't grok Twitter, or Facebook well--that I use "grok" unironically ought to be telling in and of itself lol.
I have a good deal of respect for your accomplishment in completing and shipping Airship Dragoon -- so I'll take your suggestion to heart and set to figuring it out (currently have zero idea how to attach a picture or use a "hashtag")!
#3
04/23/2017 (10:06 pm)
[dupe]
#4
Been reading much about the subject this week, it seems the custom has spread into other services. It's a memory exercise involving string retention, like trying to remember what one called variableX six months ago when you wrote a subsystem. Wonder if it suffers from the Dunbar number limit!
Anyway, thanks again for your suggestion, which got me off my duff and looking into it!
04/23/2017 (10:09 pm)
Well, Master Acaster, now you've sent me off #downtherabbithole, so to speak :PBeen reading much about the subject this week, it seems the custom has spread into other services. It's a memory exercise involving string retention, like trying to remember what one called variableX six months ago when you wrote a subsystem. Wonder if it suffers from the Dunbar number limit!
Anyway, thanks again for your suggestion, which got me off my duff and looking into it!
#5
And yeah, twitter isn't quite as intimidating as it seems. Lots of companies and people use it purely for updates and announcements, rather than trying to treat it like a community in itself. So just occasionally logging in and dropping a tweet or two linking to updates with the appropriate hashtags can be enough to get a bit more attention.
04/29/2017 (9:09 am)
Looking good, sounds like you've been pretty busy!And yeah, twitter isn't quite as intimidating as it seems. Lots of companies and people use it purely for updates and announcements, rather than trying to treat it like a community in itself. So just occasionally logging in and dropping a tweet or two linking to updates with the appropriate hashtags can be enough to get a bit more attention.
#6
Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment!
Your encouragement is most welcome--because yes, I do find it intimidating.
There's just so much of it--and everything on twitter seems to turn into an argument and I don't have energy to spare!
Anyway, thanks again for posting. I do keep at it, and would love to see y'all visit the site at www.worldofantra.com if so inclined. I can only learn from the wisdom of folks like you and Steve.
04/29/2017 (4:18 pm)
Hi Jeff,Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment!
Your encouragement is most welcome--because yes, I do find it intimidating.
There's just so much of it--and everything on twitter seems to turn into an argument and I don't have energy to spare!
Anyway, thanks again for posting. I do keep at it, and would love to see y'all visit the site at www.worldofantra.com if so inclined. I can only learn from the wisdom of folks like you and Steve.
Associate Steve Acaster
[YorkshireRifles.com]