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Newspost Update

Nov 30, 2005 incarnate link
FYI.

A couple of points:

1) 95% functional UI does not mean anywhere near "finished". There's still a lot of polishing and things before we'll be ready to release it. But it is nearly fully Functional, which is cool.

2) If the EC-88 is replaced, the original will stay around as some odd or humorous variant, for those nostalgic. As previously mentioned.
Nov 30, 2005 Celkan link
Yum.
Nov 30, 2005 thergvk link
horray for the bus!
Nov 30, 2005 Harry Seldon link
For the lazy folks:

The work planned to be finished on Monday has pretty much taken until today (Weds) to complete. Much of the "NPCs and PCs treated similarly" code is in place, but there's still work that needs to be done before we can actually start rolling out new features based on this development. A lot of them are fairly simple technical issues, making sure a user taking a mission with NPCs is in the same group (to avoid aggression in case of a collision), or creating a way for NPCs pirates to determine a good intercept sector for a given convoy, and so forth. With luck, however, we hope to have a production-ready Escort mission by early next week (hopefully Monday). The Pirate missions will take a little longer, due to some added development needed for those cases, but they should follow soon enough.

In UI news, things are moving well. I'm actually able to use the new client on a regular basis now, giving Ray feedback on usability and design issues. The station menu is pretty much functional, but is still lacking some controls, and also lacking some graphical-prettyness in some areas. It's cool to see the client usable, though: 95% of the actual functionality is in place, but there's a whole lot of minor stuff that Ray is still implementing, as well as some "new" features that I want him to add. People may run into some issues with existing console scripts and special binds and things, simply because the new client interface doesn't function exactly like the old one, but it'll only mean minor re-scripting. I'm confident that it'll be a major improvement all 'round, and am happy to see the interface shaping up so well.

I've been doing a little administrative work here and there, as has been noted in newsposts on here. Most of my time is still directed towards the interface and other new graphics (like ships), but some server and site upgrades are going to be necessary, and I'm doing that when possible. I have a mailing list server up and running, to actual do regular (monthly) notifications of events and the like, but I'll be holding off on using the list until after the new client is out. I'm also working with Andy on some new mission interface / development stuff, which I'm very excited about but won't discuss in-depth until it bears more fruit.

Luis is still working on some new ships for us (potentially, a replacement for the EC-88, and perhaps a number of variants), I may post some concept art later this week (we'll see :).

That wraps it up for now. I will post again by next Monday, at least, to either announce the new Escort missions, or announce they won't be out on Monday ;). Keep your fingers crossed.
Nov 30, 2005 wylfing link
Keep the EC-88 as a shuttle. It would be valuable for escort missions where the ship that needs escorting isn't hauling cargo, but (for example) a VIP.
Dec 01, 2005 Eldrad link
Yay! Looks like it's coming along well. Can't wait to see Escort/Pirate missions.
Dec 01, 2005 Doukutsu link
Awesome. Keep the updates coming! Extremely helpful. Thanks!
Dec 01, 2005 smittens link
Luis = Person? I thought that was the new code or something that you guys wrote!

Sorry man!

And Eldrad displaying emotion? He must be quite excited
Dec 01, 2005 LeberMac link
Luis Zardo. Is he Brazillian?
Dec 01, 2005 mdaniel link
you devs need to put up a page with some pics of you guys, in action at work so to speak... would be nice. Maybe for the holidays?
Oh, are we getting cargo gift boxes this year?
:D

M. Duncan
Dec 01, 2005 icbm1987 link
As long as the EC-88 replacement handles exactly the same.

:P
Dec 01, 2005 zamzx zik link
naw. make it diffrent
Dec 01, 2005 incarnate link
Well, it can't handle exactly the same, since it'll probably be a somewhat different shape, and the distribution of mass will be a bit different. But I am aiming to keep it in the same general "role" where we've all come to accept the EC-88 and derivatives.
Dec 01, 2005 softy2 link
Just a thought, if you guys are going to introduce a new ship type, why not make it into "useful" ship instead of an introductory ship? The Wraith or the Centurion are prefect start up ships I think.
Dec 01, 2005 icbm1987 link
Well... you know what I mean.

But can the freebus stay free? Or better yet... could you be paid to fly it? :P
Dec 01, 2005 Dark Knight link
Naa, 'cuz then Genka would be richer than hell.

He'd probably corner the samo market or something.