Droid Engineer Archive
Thread: The droid programming language (first draft)
Terrarium, not sure if anyone is familiar with it.
http://www.windowsforms.com/Default.aspx?tabindex=6&tabid=42
Basically it defines an interface for a bug and you get to code the meat of its reactions. The server actually imposes time limits on execution time, security is enforced on any of the bug code, etc. If your code does not run in the time allotted it is stopped. The interface is very similar to what you have defined I beleive, haven't worked on a bug in a long time.
It seems to me that the major obstacles to getting this implemented are dealing with server concerns (storage space, execution time), and not forcing anyone to program if they don't want to.
I think making the language event oriented will take care of execution time. They can limit the time that the code actually runs, but the program will be able to get back on track at the next event. Since it's just plain text, storage shouldn't be much of a problem, they can limit the program size to a few kilobytes, and then compress it before adding it to the database.
It's been suggested that Droid Programmer should be a seperate skill tree or even a whole profession, that way people who only want to build droids can just buy the programs. There could also be simple programs thatare an option during the disk crafting stage.
As already pointed out, I'd like to reiterate why this seems cool, but isn't a good idea....
I personally am a programmer, but most people are not. You can't implement something that completely and totally can't be grasped by many of the users of SWG. You would cause a HUGE HUGE rift between those of us who can code and chose DE, and those people who chose DE but can't code. They deserve for their character to be just as good at droid making and use as you do. It must be based on their characters skillset, not their own skillset. That's the whold idea of an RPG. If I play an RPGgame and play a sniper assassin, I want to be good because my character is good at assissinating, not because in real life I own many weapons.
It really is that simple.
You want to play a sniper in an RPG, thats cool, your characters traits will make up for the fact that you have no idea how to be a sniper to a point, but if a real life sniper who killed people for a living played one in an RPG as well, don't you think they would do a better job than you?
I don't think a real life sniper would have an advantage over a non real life sniper in a properly designed RPG. Not at all. That was my point.
The language you are setting forth can't even begin to be remotely compared to the in game macros. Doing so only serves to illustrate that you as a coder don't understand the level of complexity you are proposing to the average person.
And you're forgetting one simple thing...
Anything you can macro, you can do by hand. The things this proposal is talking about are not that way. There would be no way to do the things you are talking about without the custom language, and if there was then you wouldn't need the custom language.
Now find a way to make these "disks" without having to script... IE propose a proper, simple, idiot proof GUI, and then you'd have something to really run with.
Please understand I personally could make great use of this, and I think it's a fantastic thought. However, as an implementable idea goes, there is about zero chance of this for the reasons I and others have specified.
Slythetove wrote:
I don't think a real life sniper would have an advantage over a non real life sniper in a properly designed RPG. Not at all. That was my point.
Are you kidding me? This isn't like AD&D where you can just say something and the DM just makes up for your lack of details. People who have real military training have a significant advantage over others in PvP games just due to the fact that they have formal training in it. People that run business's in real life have a significant advantage over people that don't in their businesses in SWG as well. Your character does not make decisions for you, you make the decisions and without having a wealth of experience to draw on you cannot be sure you are making the right one. There are a huge amount of details you wouldn't even know to think about without having done something in real life as well. Despite the typical PvP that happens in cities there are some people who try to employ a little strategy, going through years and years of training in warfare would probably give you an edge...
My proposal was to have predefined scripts that a DE could tweak or even develop entirely new ones of. That way you never have to touch it if you do not want to but if you want fully customized actions you will have to go se a DE who knows how to do it. If they wanted to make this more viable they could just have a huge variety of scripts and eliminate the customization altogether but I think thats what would add value to your products. They could have a huge amount of predefined actions you could choose from and map them to events. This doesn't necessarily have to be implemented as scripted programming to still be programming your droids.
PWT,
Re read what I said about snipers. I said in an RPG. NOT an FPS. You are not responding with a roleplaying game in mind. Yes it is more like Ad&D. Again, that's exactly the point I'm making.
