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

• [ONGOING] (klauss) Add a "TexturePackingVersion" variable to xmesh
• [ONGOING] (klauss) sound refactoring phase I - basic functionality
• [ONGOING] (klauss) movie support
• [OPEN] (?) Updates to the shader and it's textures in units.
• [OPEN] (?) Preparation of a cross-platform packaging system
• [FINISHED] (safemode) Separate bin and data tree structure. Note: those who have data4.x already, set your client to not pull external repos or cancel when it tries to download data4.x. Then move your current data4.x alongside /bin, renaming it to data. Updates should work seamlessly and recurse into /data and /bin afterwards. Newcomers can just pull win32.
• [FINISHED] (Ace123) Rename data4.x to data and patch corresponding source code where necessary.
• Minor bug fixes.

VS Data

• [FINISHED] (safemode) Make a high quality graphics texture pack (hqtextures). requires a manual edit to config file to uncomment hqtextures line. This will be resolved with new vssetup. drop hqtextures down next to data4.x to use it.
• [ONGOING] (pyramid) Tutorial mission
• [ONGOING] (pyramid) Porting of old quests to new engine
• [ONGOING] (pyramid) Higher pay for combat missions.
• [OPEN] (?) Units retexturing including bump maps. List of required changes needs to be prepared.

0.5.2

VS Engine

• 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
• sound refactoring Phase II would add mixer channels (a feature to get seamless blending with music, comm chatter and sfx)

VS Data

• [OPEN] (pyramid) Extensions renaming (.image, .texture, .sprite).

0.5.3

VS Engine

• [OPEN] (safemode) Ray collider turned on, BSP stuff removed.
• [OPEN] (klauss) XGUI support for scripts
• Planet specific shaders.
• More shader fixes (should be pretty good by now), texture updates/additions
• [OPEN] (safemode) Continue to work on proper XML parsing in engine
• update xml files in VS to be proper mode
• setup tool

0.5.4

VS Engine

• [ONGOING SPECIFICATION] (klauss, darkmage) 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.
• 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

VS Engine

• Refactor graphics code.
• [OPEN] (ace123) Make jump points be drawn on HUD only.

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

• sound refactoring Phase III would add environmental effects
• Bug Fixing.
• Documenation
• Credits

0.6.0

• Minor bug fixes from previous revision
• Packaging

Generic 0.6.0 Roadmap

This roadmap is in need of further break down to tasks and assignment of those.

• Factions rework
  • Hierarchical factions (e.g. *_citizen, affects *)
  • Allowing for non-factions (privateer is already our nonfaction, we just need to fix some of the behavior.)
  • Faction-level AI
  • Ability for player joining a faction
• AI micro (ship, fg), macro(fg/faction), and faction-level AI
• Content Creation Tools
  • Prerequisite: straight XML
  • System Editor
  • Unit Editor
  • CSV Editor (MPL, faction_ships.py, units.csv)
  • Mission Editor
  • Campaign Editor
  • Config Editor
• Multiplayer
  • Persistence (systems, bases, flight groups, …)
• Building/Packaging:
  • Move to cmake
• Documentation
  • Document the general function/flow of the game
  • Engine internals, API (development documentation)
  • Python bindings
  • Should we use the builtin python documentation standards for documenting this stuff--maybe in the stubs folder?
• Engine rework
• Audio subsystem overhaul
• Support for texture versions

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)