[CF-Devel] Forgotten child

[crossfire-devel-admin at archives.real-time.com]

I really think that the development community has been given a bad 
reputation lately and from some people who couldn't take the time to do 
even a basic amount of research.  This problem has nothing to do with 
the coding side of the project and everything to do with server 
administration.  Players using 1.5.0 server could continue on a server 
for the next 100 years but with no expectation of game enhancements.
I think that perhaps the server listings have been getting lax and that 
real messages should be put in place on the metaserver list defining the 
release of a server, the client requirements and proper warnings to 
players of the server goals.  Also if the different server 
administrators would work together it should be possible to have some 
players (windows DX player) migrated off to a server that would be 
pleased to support them and provide a stable code base for their use 
(1.5.0 most likely).  I think more people are angry at the Metalforge 
server being updated than they are with any real development issues, but 
are mistakenly equating the two as the same issue.
I also must say that there have been a few very loud voices who are more 
interested in stirring up fear and loathing than in resolving any of 
these issues.  I know that being told that your player will be deleted 
is a pretty loaded statement, especially when it is unlikely that any 
such policy is being implemented.  Also logging into metalforge and 
shouting out that your characters are going to be deleted is even more 
of a diservice to the player community.


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       Yes, this is a problem.  I've considers locking CVS access so that 
     
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      only I can commit changes to the server.
     
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It is a bit drastic, however with the different CVS modules so long as 
there is still some access to modules like maps and arches and with less 
requirements for server changes now that spells and treasures can be 
done out of the server code this would be reasonable I suppose.  One of 
the goals of making things modular (like skills and spells and treasure 
are now - thanks Mark) is that this would be easier to manage and design 
can be more seperated from server code.

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      The root problem here is the questionable code check in, no?
     
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       One solution could perhaps be something like 'want to put a new 
     
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      feature in? Need to fix one of the outstanding bugs' or soemthing.  
     
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      But I'd hate to have to enforce such a notion.
     
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      I'd suggest more something like 'you commit code, fine, it breaks the 
     
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      game, YOU fix it'.
     
     
No, if it breaks it is removed makes more sense.  You can't force people 
to fix things correctly, but you can remove buggy code.  But on the 
other hand there has been some good code committed too I believe.

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       I'd also like to see more maps.  I don't know why more people aren't 
     
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      making them - that seems like one of the more noticable features that 
     
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      players would notice, eg, most everyone would see your maps.  Good 
     
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      maps probably get more acclaim than most any code feature.
     
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      One thing for making maps is testing. That's why some people wanted a 
     
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      server for Win32, to test their maps.
     
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      Though it seems to me that most people are either players or developers, 
     
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      thus not making many maps, but more playing or contributing to the code ^_^
     
     
Making maps takes a while, another thing is that making maps requires 
playtesting.  I have added a few maps in the last while and a LOT of 
objects and graphics for mapmaking with pretty much no response from the 
development community.  They are sitting there waiting to be tweeked or 
responded to. I wouldn't say that there is no work going on in this 
direction.  Of course it is strange that more mapmaking is't happening 
but then there are a lot of maps waiting to be committed or finished 
prior to being committed out there.


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