Milestone

Hey all,
Today I've successfully finished porting and debugging the code for the server-side functions.  So, the server portion is up and running successfully (to a certain extent).  There is no graphical interface, but I've managed to track and confirm the motion of all the units and entities using only debug code.  Now I have to get started on adding all the new code involved (such as the network comm system).  After that, I'll start on the Client (graphical player interface) version in earnest.

HOLY %*#@&

Wow... Just found out something about the new language I've been using that blew my mind. Linked lists can be embedded into custom objects! That means DIRECT access to other objects pulled from other lists during previous iterations. And you can imagine in a real-time strategy game, where everything makes a target out of something else and with collision checks and whatnot, there is plenty of nested iteration to go around. This could pave the way to enormous increases in game speed. I wish I could bring this improvment back to the old version of the game to satiate those waiting for the new version, but alas, this is a result of some of the reasons I moved away from that language. :)
I won't rush into anything and probably won't modify my code to take advantage of this new discovery until it's all been converted, but based on preliminary testing I expect this to open a lot of doors; higher unit counts, better speeds, and possibly even larger board sizes.

Version Universal

Dune 2: TSHA vU is progressing. I've concisely separated the server/client modules from a design standpoint and am back into moving and converting the code from the previous project, making enhancements where available.
As for someone's comments on a mobile phone version: Dude, have you seriously thought about that? That's like putting a stock racing car on a sidewalk. Not really how it's meant to be used.
And since this touches on my overall thoughts on intellectual property, I'd like to add that I detest proprietary business models such as Apple's, and I think anything that can be infinitely reproduced (software and code in particular) should never be sold for profit. So, anything I create will always be free, and I'll be picky about which platforms I support. I'll support every operating system I can, because people are more limited in their choices there by many other factors beyond their control. But if you want to jump on the IPhone bandwagon, forget about me.

Major design decision

Hello all. I've been mulling over several major options for the future of this project lately, and the largest one has just settled itself. I have begun coding two separate modules, one dedicated server, and one client for the players. The server will handle calculations and physics, accept requests from clients, and allow administration of players and game tools. The client will display all the graphics and allow a player to interface with the game. Among my reasons for doing this include simplified network synchronization, centralized control, discrete programming, and most importantly, to create a general communications interface for any "player" that will pave the way for automated intelligence (i.e. computer players!). Obviously this will slow my progress for quite some time, but it will be worth it.

Progress ongoing

Things are carrying along nicely... Finished porting many modules in the past weeks, such as the GUI and sound/voice effects. Now working on the networking port, which is by far the biggest challenge. Don't forget there will be working versions for Linux and Mac also, so I have a lot of work ahead of me. So far, no major stumbling blocks, and I have about 5000/15000 lines of code converted.

Graphics update

Not a visual update so much as a handling update from a programmer's perspective. I've been reorganizing the bitmaps to use masks for the faction coloring instead of individually saved faction-specific unit graphics. This will save a small amount of disk space, but more importantly standardize the way images are rendered and reduce the code needed to iterate through drawing the units. It's something that's much easier to do now that I've switched to a new universal-platform language.

In progress...

The final release of the original project was loosed on the world in October of 2006. Now, I have begun re-writing and updating the code for additional players, features, and operating system support (Mac and Linux will be supported). It will take some time, perhaps another year, so have patience and enjoy the original unoriginal in the mean time.