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I would agree if there were people in the community who got an idea how cRPG works, got the capability to manage it as in enough knowledge about the Module system and if it wouldn't need cmp to specifically patch WSE and the beta client for it.
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I may be able to help.
The biggest issue is the legacy problem of cRPG. Both technical and organisational. It was never planned.
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For example the team, it was never properly organised.
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Items in particular are especially problematic to put into a patch, because they have to be synched on the website and the game simultaneously.
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In cRPG we can't even test patches properly because it all has to be in sync.
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I've always wanted to streamline the way community models make it into the game, but I've never gotten to it.
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but I do intend to clean up some of the mess in cRPG as well - both technical and organisational.
1) i would like you to state if you intend to keep cRPG/Strategus alife in context of M&B2?
If you don't want a competitor to your own new game, i can understand that, but then you need to make this public and yes then cRPG will die, but you then can fully concentrate on your new baby and noone will later think they wasted time into something you didn't intend to keep alife anyhow. It was stated to me from diverent sides that this would be a possibility and before i or people i am close to would invest into keeping cRPG alife this i need to know.
2) Sebastian a member of Wolves is bugging me for a long time to get something done into the direction of RPG elements for his own mod, he may be someone who would be able to help keeping things alife. Have a look at his mod "
Battle of Europe", i would think here in terms of a merger, that but with the clear goal to have a M&B2 mod later on too and castles and towns really existing in Europe. Overall how it would look like is open for discussion i guess, Sebastian has some graphical artists but is lacking coders so you both may benefit.
3) 2) depends storngly on the answer in 1) if you would let die of cRPG/strategus there will be the intent then to implemented in BoE, elements of an RPG and of a Strategy game, then still with your influence as you made the groundwork for so many amazing concepts. I personally would prefer that cRPG/Strategus stays alife, as i just invested too much of my lifetime in this game and this community and aslong i don't see the new game i am not sure that i would then just switch to that one or BoE. Nolifers also have structures they can't just let go ;) .
4) Testing environment, back in the day before my burnout, i was quite involvend in programming, from what you tol me here and what i saw in the dev chat, i take it you haven't got all of the following
a) programming engine(sure)
b) test system which simulates the reallife environment
c) life system(which basicly is your test environment
d) scheduled, organized and structured test cases for certain releases
e) functinability tests
f) stress tests
g) an organized test crew with access to b), which after testing document their findings
i guess it is more like, you & cmp do stuff, you may look at each others code or just test it yourself, when no error comes out at the end you put it into a release and sometimes you put stuff onto a test drive and ask testers like me to ahve a look at it( seen it 3-4 times in 2 years, but may have missed out on several occasions as i am not always in irc)
Also within your studies you came to know that testing is a science for itself, some which shouldn't be neglected when you go for your own software. If in your studdies you neglected this subject because it can be fucking boring ^^, at one time you really need to get proficent with it! I know of few guys in your team which should have the needed stuff and knowledge to prepare documentations(f.e. Nessaj?).
Everyone knows better ^^, and i have surly not full insight into your routine nor how you set your systems, so my advice may again be mute, test environment also may seem as a huge overhead and depending on the size of a project not really nessarry to the full extent. It is upto you to judge, if but implemented and the processes streamlined for your purposes, you will have less hustle with things you afterwards like here explain to us or appologize for. That is apprecciated when you do it, but doesn't solve the problems.
F.e. the sync, yes a problem, still with some effort you can get a test environment set also for that issue.
Atm we are all your beta testers, so when we see problems we do post them anyhow, but at some point you need a defined test crew, which documents after each step of a test, but alos prepares test documentation in for front befor the tests are started, only then you get controll over testing, the outcomes and by that higher stability and less negativ feedback.
My personal offer is that i can bring people together have a look out for suitable additions for your team and help finding common ground. This is basicly what i do in this comminity in terms of Strategus and Clan Leading anyhow. In addition i still would like to be part of a test crew when you choose to organizee that a bit more professionally.
If you think that would be something you want or need send me pm with requests and we could talk more private also on teamspeak "cotgs.de" or in steam(kinngrimm).