Just wanted to say hi (and test my posting here). I'm from the old school of Trade Wars and was working with John over the last couple of years (has it been that long) on conceptual ideas for the new TW. I'm also the author of a new game programming book based on my CDX library (a C++ DirectX wrapper) and the author of a much talked about 3D modeller for The Sims.

Yup, that's about it.

-liB

hmm 3d modeller for sims, ok your on the eis team, ok,

Here is a request for you,

You see I think this game is highly more marketable then what it currently is, it just needs an update, the back ground engine is fine for the server end, it just needs a proper client interface to make it back into being a compditor with the current mmpogs out there.

By making a client that interprates the current output of the servers and gives it a gui you may just get closer to making it a major mmpog, instead of a relic of bygone days or a back water MUD.

Make a TW client looking at the current helpers out there it would not be hard to make a client application that would give us mouse/graphics to how tw works, I seem to remember maritech at one time toying with the idea, at that time the hit thing was rip graphics.

this is a TW2002 Client I am thinking about not a helper, please someone if this is out there tell me about it.

first graphical mapping would be a square showing the current sector and leads to boxes around that sector but only the ajacent sectors. The surounding boxes would be blank except for a sector number until a desnity scan was done then the density would show up under neath the secor number. or is a holo scan was done it would show information in the boxs sort of like swath does on their map.
This map should be clickable so people can move via it or type a sector into the main input text box if they want to move more then one sector at a time, or want to set up a warp path. Note this shows only the sector your in and the surounding sectors only, this adds for a new scanner that can do a depth of 2 or more sectors away. THIS IS NOT INTENDED TO BE A ZTM or of those ilk.

There sould be a series of buttons (mouseclickable) for the standard menus, (some items could be sub menued better, like fighter control and mine control and photons could be put under the combat buttons). The command buttons should directly tied to and analogious to the regualr commands not scripted commands. (I am proposing a gui for the game not a helper/scripter)

Graphics for things could be preinstalled into the client instead of downloaded new so they would come up faster on home systems, and be in alot higher detail then the standard ansi.

As you can see the Idea may be worth rolling with...

khelben

I think your trying to stretch TW into something its not which is a top of the line fully graphical video game. I dont think it could ever get to that point and still be anything close to the same game that it is now. Yes some improvements and additions would be nice but I think your asking a little much of the game itself.

Yeah this isn't a game that uses high graphics. How many players enter a game and hit cn2 right away, who needs graphics. Granted those ansi graphics are from the old school, ie never updated, but still they slow the game down. Get into a competitive game, and one graphic slows down and your dead, see you tomorrow. On the other hand, I feel some updates could be made, but I'm in no position to state what. I think we had a post on here a couple months back about a possible 7th lvl citadel, and other suggestions. Great to see that someone is on to help JP, he seems to be very busy with this and other projects I'm sure.


HHH
-Cerebral Assassin

LOL. I was hoping I wouldnt have to post this, but the date of that post is 02/28/2001.

2001!

wow, thats the best laugh I've had in a long while, just about pissed my pants.

LOL...Darn...missed that one. Let me get back in my pod and get out of here.

Hahaha...well I'm an a**...oh well, shouldn't a post that old be deleted...oh well...it happens...


HHH
-Cerebral Assassin

quote:Originally posted by khelben

hmm 3d modeller for sims, ok your on the eis team, ok,


first graphical mapping would be a square showing the current sector and leads to boxes around that sector but only the ajacent sectors. The surounding boxes would be blank except for a sector number until a desnity scan was done then the density would show up under neath the secor number. or is a holo scan was done it would show information in the boxs sort of like swath does on their map.
This map should be clickable so people can move via it or type a sector into the main input text box if they want to move more then one sector at a time, or want to set up a warp path.
....
There sould be a series of buttons (mouseclickable) for the standard menus, (some items could be sub menued better, like fighter control and mine control and photons could be put under the combat buttons). The command buttons should directly tied to and analogious to the regualr commands not scripted commands. (I am proposing a gui for the game not a helper/scripter)




I tried about a year ago to make my own helper like this. It worked... kinda .... One of my friends who can't seem to figure out tradewars used it for a little while but all it let him do was get *sd* faster with out having to use the keyboard. A friendly GUI might get more people to try the game though, and a certain % might stick it out.

as a side note: I wonder what % of new players stick it out for lets say 1 year?

Most newbies these days aren't worth having...too many years of playing games with cheats in them.

I don't know, Lord, but I've been playing for about 12 yrs now with a short (2 yrs) hiatus when I took out my back. Twar is the only online game I play and as my corpie likes to say, I'm rather addicted.