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2010-02-16 16:15:38
80 votes, rating 5.8
80 votes, rating 5.8
FFB Client Development Update I
High time for an update: some of you are most likely believing this project to be dead. Not true. December (due to holidays) and January (due to repeated illness) have been very slow months in terms of development, but I've finally made some good progress this month (so far).
Refactoring is finished. I have revisited most of the existing code, changed names and - most importantly - reduced the code by an overall 25%. Specific commands for client updates are replaced by a more generic mechanism to generate and transfer model changes. This should take care of a whole class of bugs concerning client and server not being 100% in sync (without doubt introducing some all new ones ;-).
Coding the new userinterface is almost complete. As you can see in the attached screenshots I have been following user requests in moving the score closer to the center and allowing for seperate log and chat windows. The screen space needed for this is gained by dropping the box sections from the old field. Boxes are now overlayed on demand (click on the box type you want to look at) and share their screen space with the player details. The acting player (the one moving, blocking etc.) is shown on the side that is currently playing. The other sidebar shows the player under the mouse or the defender on a block.
Setting up (click to enlarge):
[url="http://www.balancedbytes.com/ffb/Screenshot_100216_Setup_small.jpg" alt=""]
Following a block (click to enlarge):
[url="http://www.balancedbytes.com/ffb/Screenshot_100216_Pushback_small.jpg" alt=""]
New Website. As Christer is no longer allowed to host anything looking like a certain game from a well known company, there will be a new website to host the Fantasy Football Client. It's called playffb.net (nothing to be seen there yet). The client will - as before - be able to choose from your Fumbbl teams, report to the Fumbbl game page, allow for spectating etc. It's just a different legal entity to which Fumbbl may or may not link to directly.
EDIT: What's still missing from the ui are the icons for apo, re-rolls, bribes etc. These go right below the box / player detail in the sidebar (red or blue) in a grid (2 per row) with symbol and number for each. And yes, those block dice icons and player portraits need to go, too.
Refactoring is finished. I have revisited most of the existing code, changed names and - most importantly - reduced the code by an overall 25%. Specific commands for client updates are replaced by a more generic mechanism to generate and transfer model changes. This should take care of a whole class of bugs concerning client and server not being 100% in sync (without doubt introducing some all new ones ;-).
Coding the new userinterface is almost complete. As you can see in the attached screenshots I have been following user requests in moving the score closer to the center and allowing for seperate log and chat windows. The screen space needed for this is gained by dropping the box sections from the old field. Boxes are now overlayed on demand (click on the box type you want to look at) and share their screen space with the player details. The acting player (the one moving, blocking etc.) is shown on the side that is currently playing. The other sidebar shows the player under the mouse or the defender on a block.
Setting up (click to enlarge):
[url="http://www.balancedbytes.com/ffb/Screenshot_100216_Setup_small.jpg" alt=""]
Following a block (click to enlarge):
[url="http://www.balancedbytes.com/ffb/Screenshot_100216_Pushback_small.jpg" alt=""]
New Website. As Christer is no longer allowed to host anything looking like a certain game from a well known company, there will be a new website to host the Fantasy Football Client. It's called playffb.net (nothing to be seen there yet). The client will - as before - be able to choose from your Fumbbl teams, report to the Fumbbl game page, allow for spectating etc. It's just a different legal entity to which Fumbbl may or may not link to directly.
EDIT: What's still missing from the ui are the icons for apo, re-rolls, bribes etc. These go right below the box / player detail in the sidebar (red or blue) in a grid (2 per row) with symbol and number for each. And yes, those block dice icons and player portraits need to go, too.
Comments
Posted by Nighteye on 2010-02-16 16:21:35
Interesting. Glad to see your still alive and kicking Kalimar.
New client looks interesting, will def get some taking used to though.
As long as you allow for custom pitches ;-)
I see lots of things still missing from that window though. Where are apos shown? bribe the refs etc etc.
New client looks interesting, will def get some taking used to though.
As long as you allow for custom pitches ;-)
I see lots of things still missing from that window though. Where are apos shown? bribe the refs etc etc.
Posted by Hero164 on 2010-02-16 16:29:59
Good man keep up the good work and keep us appraised!
Posted by Ballcrusher on 2010-02-16 16:45:27
Great news. Keep up the good work :)
When do you think we will be able to try it out?
When do you think we will be able to try it out?
Posted by Shraaaag on 2010-02-16 16:51:04
Keep up the good work!
Posted by Ravenmore on 2010-02-16 17:05:36
Rated 6 before I even read it.
THANK YOU KALIMAR :)
THANK YOU KALIMAR :)
Posted by BooAhl on 2010-02-16 17:09:31
Good job!
Ahhhh.... it says BloodBowl ahhh, I just wrote it... ahhhh
Remove pictures? Admins?!?! Lawers will come....
Ahhhh.... it says BloodBowl ahhh, I just wrote it... ahhhh
Remove pictures? Admins?!?! Lawers will come....
Posted by Grod on 2010-02-16 17:17:22
:)
I must admit I was one of the doubters. Oh me of little faith. I think that when this project is completed and up and running, it will revitalise FUMBBL.
Just a question: I notice you removed the GW images for the dugout / pitch, but still have player cards that look like GW images. I guess these will be on their way out too?
Anyways, pure cool! Thanks man for keeping us informed.
I must admit I was one of the doubters. Oh me of little faith. I think that when this project is completed and up and running, it will revitalise FUMBBL.
Just a question: I notice you removed the GW images for the dugout / pitch, but still have player cards that look like GW images. I guess these will be on their way out too?
Anyways, pure cool! Thanks man for keeping us informed.
Posted by Kalimar on 2010-02-16 17:34:31
@Grod: you are right, of course. See EDIT section in the original post. I've just corrected the screenshots as well (with the old name being displayed before).
The new player portraits are smaller (100 x 156 pixels) due to screen space constraints, but images are resized on the fly, so the old format (as you can see above) fits as well. The portrait being smaller is not as bad as it sounds, however as the player position gets displayed now as well (vertically) so there is no need to have a frame + position name in the image itself.
Shades_SteelFist has been making some new portraits already, but they are in the old format still. Sadly I don't have a good new set of block dice images yet. They need to be 37 x 37 pixels with transparency and a free border of 3 pixels.
The new player portraits are smaller (100 x 156 pixels) due to screen space constraints, but images are resized on the fly, so the old format (as you can see above) fits as well. The portrait being smaller is not as bad as it sounds, however as the player position gets displayed now as well (vertically) so there is no need to have a frame + position name in the image itself.
Shades_SteelFist has been making some new portraits already, but they are in the old format still. Sadly I don't have a good new set of block dice images yet. They need to be 37 x 37 pixels with transparency and a free border of 3 pixels.
Posted by Woodstock on 2010-02-16 17:40:54
Good to hear from you! Looks great, keep up the great work.
Posted by Ravenmore on 2010-02-16 17:46:25
Oh, one picture has "[i]Perfect Blood Bowl Weather[/i]" on it...CEASE AND DESIST! :D
Posted by Balle2000 on 2010-02-16 17:54:06
Cool!
Will you be adding the excellent homefield customizations made by ZioCrock?
http://fumbbl.com/index.php?name=PNphpBB2&file=viewtopic&t=16368
Will you be adding the excellent homefield customizations made by ZioCrock?
http://fumbbl.com/index.php?name=PNphpBB2&file=viewtopic&t=16368
Posted by treborius on 2010-02-16 18:00:20
you made my day!
\o/ fantasy-football ftw \o/
\o/ fantasy-football ftw \o/
Posted by CircularLogic on 2010-02-16 18:19:20
It`s probably my aversion to new stuff, BUT the design of the old client seems more practical. Two things that bother me in general:
1) I have to separately click to switch from the portrait to the reserves and to the injuries (why not combine KO and cas) and back. It clears more space but you don`t get the gamestate from a glance anymore (e.g. when you join as a spec and instantly see the core info in the middle plus the KO/cas boxes).
2) With the block dice bottom left corner, you have to move very far to select your dice result.
So why did you decided to switch? It surely can`t be the copyright on the dugout pic, because that can be recreated in an different but functionally equal thing.
1) I have to separately click to switch from the portrait to the reserves and to the injuries (why not combine KO and cas) and back. It clears more space but you don`t get the gamestate from a glance anymore (e.g. when you join as a spec and instantly see the core info in the middle plus the KO/cas boxes).
2) With the block dice bottom left corner, you have to move very far to select your dice result.
So why did you decided to switch? It surely can`t be the copyright on the dugout pic, because that can be recreated in an different but functionally equal thing.
Posted by SvenS on 2010-02-16 19:39:04
Awesome to see this progressing! :D
Posted by avien on 2010-02-16 20:18:39
Way to go man!
Posted by Kalimar on 2010-02-16 20:19:16
@Circular: The screenshot is somewhat misleading - the block dice CHOICE is in a popup window, the block dice in the sidebar just show what roll and choice has been made after the popup is gone. The boxes are of no importance during play (reserves open automatically on setup) and I have no problem with spectators making a click or two (the number of players in a box are shown).
Posted by James_Probert on 2010-02-16 23:50:36
Excellent work Kalimar
Glad to hear this is still coming along nicely
P.S How could anyone not rate this a 6? ;)
Glad to hear this is still coming along nicely
P.S How could anyone not rate this a 6? ;)
Posted by pythrr on 2010-02-17 04:09:24
5.999
Posted by SnakeSanders on 2010-02-25 22:54:40
Excellent! I will start FUMBBL again when this comes about!
Will it be up to date rules?
And do you ever envisage coding in support for BB7s? I really hope so!
Will it be up to date rules?
And do you ever envisage coding in support for BB7s? I really hope so!