Development:Roadmap:0.6.0

Roadmap

Vega Strike Upon the Coldest Sea stable version 0.5.0 was released on 2008-04-24.

This is a task list for intermediate 0.5.x releases. The stuff that should get done before the until 0.6.0 release.

There are up to three sections in each roadmap release chapter:

• VS Engine relates to: modifications to c++, shaders, and python code (not including missions), repository structure changes, packaging system, support tools
• VS Data relates to: modifications to art, data, and mission scripts
• Other relates to: documentation, wiki, project web page, masters repository, project management

Each item should also have a tag attached at the end in the form of [development-coordinator{=username}, STATUS{=OPEN, ONGOING, DONE}]

0.5.1

VS Engine

• Add a "TexturePackingVersion" variable to xmesh [ONGOING] klauss
• Updates to the shader and it's textures in units.
• Preparation of cross-platform packaging system
• Separate bin and data tree structure
• Minor bug fixes.

VS Data

• Make a high quality graphics texture pack (hq-textures). This shouldn't require a change to code, except in vssetup, and the only change to data4.x would possibly be a config file change, though it's not necessary.
• Tutorial mission [ONGOING] pyramid
• Porting of old quests to new engine [ONGOING] pyramid

0.5.2

• Ray Collider. (alongside bsp collider tunable via configure switch ala how opcode was done). Wont be turned on by default until 0.5.3
• More shader fixes, texture updates/additions.
• Make tools and readers operate on a Proper XML format , this could be switchable via special comment at top of xml input. This is for backwards compat with non proper xml files in mods. To be made default in 0.5.5

0.5.3

• Ray collider turned on, BSP stuff removed.
• More shader fixes (should be pretty good by now), texture updates/additions
• Continue to work on proper XML parsing in engine
• update xml files in VS to be proper mode
• setup tool

0.5.4

• content creation tools: end user tools for helping with content creation. These should be a part of vegastrike code-base, to keep things in sync and reduce maintenance. [SPECIFICATION ONGOING] klauss, darkmage
• make proper xml mode default, remove code to parse obsolete xml-ish code.
• Get codebase stabilized in prep for refactoring graphics code.

0.5.5

• Refactor graphics code.
• Refactor sound code.

0.5.6

• Bug fixes.
• Texture additions/ etc
• Document refactored graphics and sound code.

0.5.7

• Thread graphics code and sound code with boost threads.
• Bug Fixing.

0.5.9

• Bug Fixing.
• Documenation
• Credits

0.6.0

• Minor bug fixes from previous revision
• Packaging

Unsorted Task List

Bugfixing

• Sourceforge Bug Tracker

list of bugs included for this release:

• The economic system needs a review (see forum thread)

Multiplayer

• Multi-player support beta [ace123]
• Server list support, ala Quake

Engine

• Get mac building under a unified central build file (if it doesn't use ./configure)
• Implement opcode's Ray Collider for ray-mesh collisions. [safemode, ONGOING]
• Rewrite vssetup so that it parses sane XML, leading the way to a more understandable config file setup.
• Fix multi-ship ownership loopholes.
• Faction level AI (or at least the imitation of one)
• Cubemap environment to replace sphere meshes [safemode, NOT STARTED]
• Make ships (ai too) dock sanely. (auto way points?) Super big ships cant dock inside small docking bays.

Python

• Make jumpoint wireframes HUD only. Allow for selective disabling/enabling of jump points via python.
• New campaigns. Some to put you into different factions to start out with (and thus different systems/ships).

Artwork

• Normal maps (for shaders) support for all units in game
• Cockpit graphics for all units.
• 8 faces for shields and cargo hud [pyramid, PENDING]
• Revision of planet types [pyramid, PENDING]
• File extensions review and standardization [pyramid, PENDING]
• Supplement missing cargo graphics and improvement of low-quality cargo graphics
• Improvement of space backgrounds
• Improvement of some low-quality star images
• Improve shield graphics for Target VDU [pyramid, PENDING]

Future Development Items

• Stats rebalance
  • See Development:Rebalance for detailed task list and information
  • Rebalance Countdown forums thread
  • Announcement and discussion in the forum
• Fine-tuning SPEC
  • Forum threads
    SPEC drive changes (thread started by pincushionman)
    spec system
• Inter-system SPEC travel (without jump nodes)
• Keyboard remap
  • Keyboard Bindings (thread started by Silverain)
  • See Manual:Keyboard layout for graphics/templates for new bindings
  • See Manual:Config:Advanced for the binding-syntax in the config file
• A hierarchical fidelity model for physics simulation so as to expand the number of objects that can be concurrently simulated [ This may already have been done in 0.5, Verification?]
  • Benifit: Improved ship spawn distances/locations
• Space dust
  • A forum discussion on the pros and cons of space debris and other means to get a feeling for speed
• Bump mapping (req. small engine rewrite? or transition to another rendering engine?)
• Re-working cargo organization?
• Phasing out all XMESH files
• Phasing out Launcher.exe (nearly done)