Let us help

[Claytonious]

Hey, BTS, you have so many truly loyal fans here and a lot of us have serious technical expertise. Why don't you take advantage of this tidal wave of loyalty for the game by making it possible for us to make improvements to the game?

For example, I am a software developer and I would be happy to do things like write a system to streamline PBEM games by automatically mailing turns between two players, write a nice lobby interface once the TCP/IP patch is complete, etc. In fact, I am extremely confident that I could have written the TCP/IP patch for you if CM had been Open Source (I have written synchronized distributed applications in the past, one of which was a game, and am currently developing a massively distributed business application.) I'm sure someone would tackle the idea of an adaptive mesh for the terrain so that it could be rendered with far more polygons at a higher frame rate, etc. etc.

I can quite understand if you don't want to go completely Open Source, but maybe you could at least have a throrough non-disclosure/non-profit/non-ownership agreement and share the source code with those of us who show a genuine interest in adding something to the game for free?

Please don't misunderstand me - I think BTS has done a GREAT job on this game and you must be excellent developers to have pulled it off! I am only saying that we can give you an extra hand in smoothing out some of the details you haven't had time to address.

[aka_tom_w]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Claytonious:

Hey, BTS, you have so many truly loyal fans here and a lot of us have serious technical expertise. Why don't you take advantage of this tidal wave of loyalty for the game by making it possible for us to make improvements to the game?

For example, I am a software developer and I would be happy to do things like write a system to streamline PBEM games by automatically mailing turns between two players, write a nice lobby interface once the TCP/IP patch is complete, etc. In fact, I am extremely confident that I could have written the TCP/IP patch for you if CM had been Open Source (I have written synchronized distributed applications in the past, one of which was a game, and am currently developing a massively distributed business application.) I'm sure someone would tackle the idea of an adaptive mesh for the terrain so that it could be rendered with far more polygons at a higher frame rate, etc. etc.

I can quite understand if you don't want to go completely Open Source, but maybe you could at least have a throrough non-disclosure/non-profit/non-ownership agreement and share the source code with those of us who show a genuine interest in adding something to the game for free?

Please don't misunderstand me - I think BTS has done a GREAT job on this game and you must be excellent developers to have pulled it off! I am only saying that we can give you an extra hand in smoothing out some of the details you haven't had time to address.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Great point!

I'm not a programmer but its seems that the mods for the Graphics that have been done by others like Gunslinger, Tiger, Mangua and the like have REALLY added to the great look and feel this game because the textures are modifiable. But everything else is hardcoded no one else can really help out with any other issues like PBEM file swapping or TCP/IP or more simply the 3D models for rubble and iron girder bridges.

Just a thought, you would be surprised how much all of us really do want to help out.

Thanks again for the GREAT Game!

-tom w

[russellmz]

i remember reading one of the really low numbered posts when i was looking for info on the ai's development when i noticed a post mentioning an unsuccessful mod contest from bts. (not enough quality submissions or something)

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