loftar late-2013 updates

2013 August 15
(21:06:48) <Dickson> waht kind of stuff are you guys currently working on?
(21:07:34) <loftar> Well, rewriting Haven is the main project.
(21:07:41) <nightfly> loftar: Thank you, and thanks for making such a unique game
(21:07:45) <loftar> But I've spent most of my time just cleaning up code and stuff like that.
(21:08:31) <Dickson> lol are u going to abandon salem?
(21:08:50) <loftar> No, of course not; but we still haven't managed to think of how to fix the gluttony system.
(21:09:03) <loftar> And before we've done that, most everything else seems a bit pointless.
(21:09:25) <ChildhoodObesity> loftar m8 do you have any plans 2 change the combat system at all
(21:09:49) <loftar> In Haven? Salem?
(21:09:56) <ChildhoodObesity> haven
(21:10:26) <loftar> That depends on what you mean. When we rewrite Haven, I'm sure the combat system will turn out different. :)
(21:11:12) <ChildhoodObesity> CooL
(21:11:42) <Dickson> well the haven system is awesome, maybe u can just turn salem into a 3d haven
(21:11:57) <ChildhoodObesity> lol
(21:11:57) <Seizure> Are you kind of suspending adding anything to the game until the rewrite is all wrapped up?
(21:12:02) <Dickson> or just use the same features for the food system and stuff
(21:12:46) <loftar> Not necessarily, Seizure, but we probably won't be making any *larger* changes, at least.
(21:12:52) <loftar> That would seem a bit wasteful.
(21:14:10) <Seizure> Yeah, I figured as much. Good to know we might at least get a few additions to spice things up, even if they are 'small'
(21:15:45) <Colesie> Hey loftar
(21:15:48) <Colesie> How's it going lol
(21:15:59) <Seizure> I was a little afraid of, because of the rewrite, nothing might be added in to the game because of possible incombatabilities
(21:16:04) <loftar> Well, ya know, lol, I've just expounded on that. ^^
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(21:19:10) <Seizure> wait... Is Haven 2.0 a seperate game all together? or am I just reading too much into that? xD
(21:21:06) <loftar> Well, I guess that's a matter of definition. I (and Jorb) consider it the natural evolution of Haven, but since it's a rewrite of all the content, it's not like you couldn't argue that it's a new game. :)
(21:21:38) <loftar> I don't consider it a separate game, though.
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(21:29:15) <Oddity> (21:21:48) <Colesie> Please keep a backup of haven as it is in w6 <-- And W3
(21:30:42) <loftar> Well, everything is in Git. If I wanted to, I could run the version where you could only cut down trees and pick up the log to your inventory.

2013 September 19-21~
(19:25:35) <Tonky_> ah have you been back to school, loftar?
(19:26:12) <loftar> No, not yet, Tonky. I'm considering doing that one of these weeks, however.
(19:27:33) <Tonky_> once you start school, we will be missing you more here i guess? :/
(19:27:50) <loftar> Nah, I've never let school take up any majority of my time. ^^
(19:28:12) <Tonky_> cool :) just receive the receipt of your time investment
(19:28:21) <Tonky_> (degree)
(19:29:04) <loftar> Well, I don't *really* think I need it; it's the norm in the CS departments for students not to graduate. ;)
(19:29:11) <loftar> They usually get jobs before graduation. :)
(19:29:30) <loftar> Which is a problem for Swedish universities, since they get paid by the state only when students to graduate. ^^
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(20:33:40) <Colesie> So how has haven 2.0 been coming?
(20:33:53) <Colesie> Still doing backend stuff for months?
(20:34:28) <Colesie> And do you have any ideas for possible changes you'd like to add along the way
(20:34:50) <loftar> Well, we've been playing with it, but I'll have to admit I'm still trying to wrap my head around everything.
(20:35:00) <loftar> It's beginning to feel a bit large with three different codebases swinging around.
(20:35:51) <Colesie> 3 being salem, current haven and haven 2.0?
(20:35:54) <loftar> Yeah
(20:36:03) <Colesie> Understandable lol
(20:36:21) <loftar> Then again, I've been playing a whole lot of catchup, as well. Perhaps that might be drawing to a close now that I've replaced both the forum and website.
(20:36:26) <Colesie> Must be hard to switch between games and think based on the different mechanics in each
(20:36:33) <loftar> And with the latest Salem client developments that I've been irking for literally years to do.
(20:36:40) <loftar> Yes, quite. :)
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(20:53:06) <loftar> Meh. There's a large part of me that doesn't care a whole lot about the game experience of you guys running around playing world domination. ^^
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(20:55:40) <loftar> Well, tea canisters would be nice. Unfortunately, this is Haven, and there's no good way to handle substances.
(20:55:46) <loftar> This is one of the reasons for rewriting it.
(20:56:00) <Colesie> seedbag type item for storing silk filaments?
(20:56:22) <loftar> Well, to be honest, the sheer amount of items that might result in worries me slightly.

2013 October 26
(06:32:01) <loftar> There is progress, for sure.
(06:32:11) <loftar> I'm not sure just what I should say about it, though.
(06:32:25) <Alg> hmm
(06:32:27) <loftar> As I just posted on the forums, it's a bit like having travelled five years into the past. :)
(06:32:37) <loftar> We have a player walking around and are pretty happy with just that. :)
(06:33:02) <Alg> thats progress
(06:33:26) <Alg> please tell me the client will preform better then the current one
(06:33:51) <claeyyy> no custom clients pls
(06:33:55) <Ella> O_O
(06:33:57) <claeyyy> everyone should be equal
(06:34:07) <loftar> Haven't we been over this?
(06:34:11) <Alg> its not possible
(06:34:18) <loftar> There's no way we could prevent custom clients even if we wanted to.
(06:34:19) <Alg> if someone wants to mod a client
(06:34:22) <Alg> they will
(06:34:31) <Ella> but
(06:34:37) <claeyyy> okay, but make sure people don't start to make script engines
(06:34:38) <claeyyy> for bots
(06:34:46) <Alg> yet again
(06:34:46) <loftar> Also, I think there is a fair and reasonable scope for custom clients. There's no one-size-fits-all UI.
(06:35:04) <Ella> i think custom clients arent a problem
(06:35:13) <claeyyy> but bots are :)
(06:35:23) <loftar> Sure, but that's *mostly* because the game mechanics suck.
(06:35:32) <loftar> I fully understand, really, that people bot farming, because farming sucks.
(06:35:48) <claeyyy> Farming is okay, but botting bluebells all day long?
(06:35:52) <loftar> Doesn't mean I like it, of course, but it kinda is what it is.
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(06:38:24) <loftar> Well, I agree that it sucks, but the root of the problem is the mechanics.
(06:38:39) <Alg> bluebells wilt
(06:38:44) <Alg> in b4 secret patch
(06:38:53) <Ella> make curios decay =P
(06:39:01) <loftar> Certainly, that's one option.
(06:39:12) <claeyyy> well, the bots are okay, but forage bots - not
(06:39:16) <loftar> We do have a few ideas stored up that we plan to explore, however.
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(06:40:17) <loftar> Arguably, one of the basic problems is that the world is far too lenient.
(06:40:31) <Alg> time to go ban people botting loftar
(06:40:32) <loftar> It shouldn't really be possible to have a dumb bot running around in the wilderness without dying.
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(06:42:45) <Ella> or get some kind of debuff when on a swamp tile that causes damage every time the char moves?
(06:42:47) <Ella> oh i dunno
(06:42:54) <Ella> i know nothing about this sort of thing
(06:43:53) <Alg> nothing can really be done
(06:44:04) <loftar> There are tons of things that could possibly be done. :)
(06:44:08) <Alg> the mechanics just make the game inheritantly bottable
(06:44:15) <loftar> Though not in the current Haven.

2013 October 27
(09:37:58) <loftar> Hm? Did Jorb tell you I moved? :)
(09:38:12) <Tonky> yup :)
(09:38:32) <loftar> I see. Well, it's quite fine so far, though I can't say I've settled in yet.
(09:38:48) <Tonky> still organizing stuff at new place?
(09:38:52) <loftar> As for Jorb, he's probably immersed doing something for the new Haven. :)
(09:39:01) <loftar> As I am most of the time. :)
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(09:39:35) <Rehpic> Does Jorb program in C/Java or is do you guys have a higher level design language?
(09:39:47) <loftar> Jorb doesn't program. ;)
(09:39:50) <loftar> Only I do.
(09:39:58) <loftar> And yes, it's C for the server and Java for the client.
(09:40:02) <Tonky> jorb scripts, right?
(09:40:23) <loftar> Well, there isn't really any "script language". To the extent that he does that, he writes C code.
(09:40:34) <loftar> Mostly following patterns that I've established.
(09:40:46) <Rehpic> does he have data files to define the design of elements of the game?
(09:40:48) <Tonky> you should teach him moar :p
(09:41:05) <loftar> Not to any great extent.
(09:41:09) <loftar> There is some data in the resources, of course.
(09:41:30) <loftar> But they don't relate to any mechanics, since they're mostly used client-side.
(09:41:38) <Rehpic> so how does he "do stuff for the new haven"?
(09:41:54) <loftar> Well, you know, he draws tilesets and objects and stuff.
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(09:43:37) <loftar> As Jorb says in www.havenandhearth.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=31289&p=406178#p406178 , "We wish to paint more vivid and varied pictures of nature in general." :)
(09:43:44) <loftar> So that would include new art. :)