The Globe - (Fan) Gaming Interaction Application

[luksamuk]

Never thought I would use this session actually.

I present you guys Globe - an application created to (localy, for a start) copy the purpose of both Xbox LIVE and Playstation Network, by providing the game developers an OPTIONAL* platform where players can store their achivements, share their game progress or even chatwith other friends who are playing the same game to share experiences.

It is being made using Multimedia Fusion Developer 2, in order to make it for an easy opensource app, where everybody can contribute. Any help, suggestion or criticism is ALWAYS welcome.

*Optional: not opening the application won't interfere on the game's performance.

There's a screen of the current look (12/6/2010):

The photo features:

- Interactive Games Played system: From this upper bar, you can access all achievements unlocked for the game you select;

- Chat Bar gimmick: uses your User ID to connect to the Chat. Fully working via Moo, but still WIP;

- Lower Toolbar: You can monitore date, time, PMs and Friend's requests.

- Globe button: an interactive button inspired on Windows OS where you can access your accounts settings and change visual themes via a compact menu.

Already made:

- Chat (50%);

- Globe button + Menu (12%);

- Upper Games Bar (12%).

- Changeable wallpaper

Known noticable issues:

- Unfriendly workspace with HORRIBLE colors.

I want this program to be completely opensource. If you are interested in it, you may post your suggestions here. I need people to discuss the effects (workspace colors and icons' positioning), the features or even the code with me.

If you want to help me with the code, I'll have to talk to you first. Letting anyone change Globe could make cheating easy for the games with required support. Right?

Notes:

- Tab-styled UI, suggestion by gsoft

- Programmers can make their own visual effects ingame for achievements; you don't have to call the program.

- While the game is running, the application will be minimized to tray.

- The application may be started with Windows in tray too.

[GSF]

Sounds interesting, but as you said, the workspace is very unfriendly for now. Currently, I'm horribly busy with tons of work, but I'd like to whip up some layouts later.

As an initial point, I recommend making a skinnable interface-

and change visual themes via a compact menu.

Whoops, need to read with more attention, lol.

Anyway, I recommend making it work with a bunch of PNGs and a .ini file, array or something that would list the positions, properties (invisible, motif, etc) of the different elements.

A tab-based interface would be good as well. Add basic tabs (games, messages, profile, config, help) that can be reordered and customized (skinnable icon, tab color, whatever).

EDIT: Also, judging from the horrible outline in the texts, these are strings converted to Active objects. Stick with regular strings. MMF2 can handle them like pretty much any active object (just toggle off the 'display as background' property), allowing letter-by-letter output, color edits, parsing, and most importantly, different languages via regular text files (.ini, arrays, whatever.)

If I have any substantial layout to show I'll post it here.

[LarkSS]

I think it would be best that you start a discussion around here regarding the format for the achievement system. It should be easy to support, not make any use of registry keys, and preferably not require your application to be running in order for achievements to be logged, though the last thing may require registry keys to work effectively... hence discussion is necessary!

[Asuma]

What about using the Achievement format system you did you me LarkSS?

[flame6753]

I like the idea. I had a similar idea a while back. Will the globe be an application or an applet?

[luksamuk]

@gsoft: Right, took note. Tabs are cool. I've been aiming for a Windows-inspired "fake OS". But it may give it some originality, after all.

@LarkSS, Asuma: I already started working on that using the same system that Worlds has.

The main idea, Lark, is to make easier for the programmers to make a game with achievements by only calling The Globe to show on the UI that the player's just got an achievement. This way, you won't have to program your own achievements system... unless you want to make your own visual efects.

Oh wait, that's a good idea. I'll take note of that too.

When the game is running, The Globe may minimize to tray.

@flame6753: I don't know exactly what's an applet. But I'm planning it to be an application.

And other thing I was thinking of: you may call the game through The Globe's menu.

-notes are being added to first post-

[flame6753]

Oh, by applet I meant like will it be embedded on a web page like flash or java and require log in to a server. But Application sounds beast.

[LarkSS]

Nono you guys misunderstood me. I was referring to an external format which game developers would have to abide by in order to log achievements within the globe application. Fangames can't support it if they don't know what your application is looking for. (For example, ini, xml, etc. This is why I mentioned registry keys in the first place.)

Edit: Reading your post thoroughly, you're saying you require your application to be running for achievements to be logged. I guess that's fine, but you still need to specify what a fangame has to do in order for your application to detect that an achievement was made, since it can't do it on its own.

[luksamuk]

@flame: I've made it support login on the local machine for now, but I want to put a network online soon, even if I still dunno if I could make it.

Nono you guys misunderstood me. I was referring to an external format which game developers would have to abide by in order to log achievements within the globe application. Fangames can't support it if they don't know what your application is looking for. (For example, ini, xml, etc. This is why I mentioned registry keys in the first place.)

Edit: Reading your post thoroughly, you're saying you require your application to be running for achievements to be logged. I guess that's fine, but you still need to specify what a fangame has to do in order for your application to detect that an achievement was made, since it can't do it on its own.

Lark, That's EXACTLY tha main feature, and yet the main issue, of this application.

Programmers should be able to do the thing you said. I'm already preparing it. Th game pictures you can see in the upper bar of the application are located on a hidden folder, that will include a log with the name of the image file, the path for the game application runned and its name.

About achievements, every game would have to install hidden files into its desired hidden folder (wih the install program must have to create). In these files, there will be principally a log file with the achievements' names, descriptions and the achievements count. And also their respective pictures, numbered from 0 on, so the game could recognize them. (I don't know how yet, but if someone knows how to pack all of this data in only one file, I wouldn't mind developing a separated miniapliccation for developers to make it with ease.)

But the real big issue is that this app is opensource, so anyone would be able to add their own game.

A common idiot could easily create a new MMF2 app that calls an achievement worth 500 gamerscore, for example, that he created himself. And that would mess up the whole thing.

I was thinking on subscribing every fangame so The Globe could know which games are or are not fake. I was thinking on making it using a online hidden archive (but I'd need network), or releasing "Wave" archives containing the name of the games subsribed (yeah, evn encrypted, this seems unsecure.)

Does anyone have a fine suggestion for that?

[LarkSS]

I don't like the idea of hidden files and forcing an installer. Instead you should see if you can load an icon directly from the game's exe, or from a .ico file selectively if the user provides it (otherwise it falls back to the exe icon).

Since you require the globe to be running as the fangame runs for achievements to be, well, achieved, you could use a communication extension that sends data directly to the globe when an achievement is earned. Developers could request their game be added to the globe's database along with a list of values which represent different achievements (1=achievement1, 2=achievement2, etc). These values are sent to the globe as they occur and the globe deciphers them into achievements.

The data related to achievement selection can be stored within an external encrypted file to prevent the need to update the entire globe application as new games are supported. This way, the globe checks if new games are supported, and autodownloads a new file containing the new games and achievements. The file can be stored right alongside the globe application, as with proper encryption hiding it shouldn't be necessary. I like knowing where files are going in any case.

Edit: Just having you note the bolded part of my post. This means that developers need to figure out what variables to use for their achievements, and how to send the data to the globe, which is what I meant about creating a standard. Same goes for the option of having a .ico file with the game as I previously stated; it all needs to be clarified before this application can be supported.

[luksamuk]

Lemme bump this a bit.

I don't like the idea of hidden files and forcing an installer. Instead you should see if you can load an icon directly from the game's exe, or from a .ico file selectively if the user provides it (otherwise it falls back to the exe icon).

Since you require the globe to be running as the fangame runs for achievements to be, well, achieved, you could use a communication extension that sends data directly to the globe when an achievement is earned. Developers could request their game be added to the globe's database along with a list of values which represent different achievements (1=achievement1, 2=achievement2, etc). These values are sent to the globe as they occur and the globe deciphers them into achievements.

The data related to achievement selection can be stored within an external encrypted file to prevent the need to update the entire globe application as new games are supported. This way, the globe checks if new games are supported, and autodownloads a new file containing the new games and achievements. The file can be stored right alongside the globe application, as with proper encryption hiding it shouldn't be necessary. I like knowing where files are going in any case.

Edit: Just having you note the bolded part of my post. This means that developers need to figure out what variables to use for their achievements, and how to send the data to the globe, which is what I meant about creating a standard. Same goes for the option of having a .ico file with the game as I previously stated; it all needs to be clarified before this application can be supported.

Hmmm... got it.

Well I've been figuring out a bit on how game developers are going to make their games have support for The Globe. So I had some conclusions over everything you said here. I know it took forever for me to answer this thread, but oh, let's go.

Explaining the aspects of the previous picture on the spoiler:

- THE GLOBE GAMEDATA DEV TOOLS: A (VERY simplistic) program detached from The Globe itself - opensource for developers.

1. Game Pictures. I want The Globe not to be only used by fangamers that use MMF2, so I am giving the users the freedom to choose whichever picture they want for their games, better if they are in .PNG format, which allows transparency. You will choose two pics, one 112x108 and other one 48x48. I decided this for two reasons: first because I'm developing a new dashboard design with some aspects of Kinect's dashboard and second, because I either don't know and don't have much patience to figure out how to get an .exe icon. lol.

2. Achievements. VERY EARLY. The screenshot shows that there is a button to choose its image, but I removed it, because of time; I want a Technical Preview yet with no User support this SAGE, because Sonic Worlds Level Collab will have support, along with a beta of Sonic Phoenix, although this last one's achievements won't be supported by later versions of The Globe.

But still, developers could define if their games are going to have achievements, change their names and descriptions.

Now the explanation on how it works:

When you're done with these files, you can build a file containing all of the pictures and encrypted data (fear not, program will make it for you). Then, when you build your game's installation, you will have to configure it to be copied into AppData\Globe folder. When The Globe starts or you either make it check for new games, it will detect the files on this folder, install their data and delete it (I couldn't make it for a more evident folder like Globe's installation folder because it's much more practical to detect a file in a fixed path). And then, you will also be able to open the game through The Globe (figuring how yet) and see/earn its achievements.

Guess that's it. There ARE other thing I'm going to put that I'm not remembering now. And I admit that I STILL NEED help with some programming and with the visual.

I'll soon post a new photo of the new board.

EDIT: Achievements shall be earned like this: When you make the file to be installed on the AppData directory (or to be copied, if your game is zipped), the program will also create a list with 8 random numbers for every achievement. When you earn it, the programmer will have to configure the game to call The Globe somehow and say "oh, achievement 12345678 of game X has been earned".

Suggestions? Complains? Advices?

[P3DR0]

Suggestions? Complains? Advices?

Make better graphics. Don't be cheap, use alpha channel.

[GSF]

Hm, I suggest making GUI adjustments for better OS integration:

First of all, get the spinbox (also called spinner) extension for the "Number of Achievements" field. The plain counter with two small buttons isn't convenient because typing a number is impossible, making repeated left-clicking a must.

Second, once again, don't use Active-ized strings for your texts (Game Icons, Achievements). First of all, it looks odd because of alpha channel issues. Second, it means fixed fonts and sizes.

Use regular string objects. Simply uncheck the "show as background" option to make it appear over objects. By using strings, you can make multiple language implementation very easy.

Third, use active system boxes. These serve as fixed color backdrops, with one important difference: They use the colors (and fonts) as defined in the system. They can hold text, which is handy. Replace the gray BG with active (or background) system objects as you see fit. Protip: Use Active SBs if you need to change their properties or text in runtime)

Fourth, the buttons need some alignment. The Load and Clear buttons for the game icons are not aligned, which looks bad. To fine tune this, simply use the "Position" boxes in the Properties window. Check the Y position of the first "Load" button, then set the other "Load" button's Y position to the same value, then repeat with the rest.

Also, the Save/Load/Build buttons are in a kinda odd place. Make them a bit bigger, and place them at the top left, where common programs have their "File" menu. Add any other buttons to the right of these for commands (Help, View, etc.)