Jack's thread for status updates

[Jack Sampson]

A place for intermittent linking.

[Jack Sampson]

A first draft for a page discussing (with emphasis on an awareness of visual representation) certain technologies pervasive in the VS Universe has been created, and can be found here:
http://2.7kelvin.com/important-vsu-technologies

[Jack Sampson]

First attempt at filling out boiler-plate info form for a ship. Will almost certainly need some iteration

http://2.7kelvin.com/portfolios/Aeran-Ascendancy-portfolio/fleet-makeup/anaxander

[kohldude]

Very useful info and it answered some of my (numerous) questions about the universe and associated tech. Thanks. :)

[Jack Sampson]

Very useful info and it answered some of my (numerous) questions about the universe and associated tech. Thanks. :)

If there are particular questions that seem more dire than others, feel free to try to start compiling a list and I or someone else can add them to the burning questions FAQ (http://2.7kelvin.com/burning-questions) - which is currently completely empty.

[Jack Sampson]

Some more updated pages:

List of primary Aeran vessels: http://2.7kelvin.com/portfolios/Aeran-Ascendancy-portfolio/fleet-makeup

List of Primary Rlaan vessels: http://2.7kelvin.com/portfolios/rlaan-assembly/fleet-makeup

Two Aeran strike craft:
Areus (F/A): http://2.7kelvin.com/portfolios/Aeran-Ascendancy-portfolio/fleet-makeup/areus
Nicander (Interceptor): http://2.7kelvin.com/portfolios/Aeran-Ascendancy-portfolio/fleet-makeup/nicander

Three Rlaan strike craft:
Shizu (Scout/EW):http://2.7kelvin.com/portfolios/rlaan-assembly/fleet-makeup/shizu
Zhuangzong (F):http://2.7kelvin.com/portfolios/rlaan-assembly/fleet-makeup/zhuangzong
Taizong (Assault):http://2.7kelvin.com/portfolios/rlaan-assembly/fleet-makeup/taizong

One Rlaan destroyer-analog:
Ruizong (destroyer-analog): http://2.7kelvin.com/portfolios/rlaan-assembly/fleet-makeup/ruizong

[Jack Sampson]

New month, new week, new strategy:

I will endeavor to spend time each weekday post-lunch making a pass over these forums.

Let's see how well my self-discipline holds up :).

[Jack Sampson]

Aeran reactor sketch, such as it is:http://2.7kelvin.com/files/AeranReactor.jpg
http://2.7kelvin.com/files/AeranReactor.jpg?attredirects=0

[Jack Sampson]

FYI: out of town (and communication limited) until at least Wednesday night (attending ASPLOS (http://www.ece.cmu.edu/%7Ecalcm/asplos10/doku.php?id=home), presenting on Tuesday morning.)

[Jack Sampson]

parts vs. groups spreadsheet (A work-in-progress):
https://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0AmTg764gUBiTdFNoYnBldXNHYVBwLTJ1dl84Zk1XY 1E&hl=en]

Shows categories of parts on the Y axis of the grid vs. Manufacturing groups on the X axis of the grid. Each cell describes whether a group:
1) Never uses this category of part
2) Places no importance on this part (rare or no use, but not forbidden)
3) Tends to build versions of this part that are ship-specific or otherwise uniquified
4) When using this category of part, will re-use the same part across vessels, but the part itself is not upgradeable within that design (designs use a particular part from a library of parts)
5) Uses modular and/or upgradeable variants of this part (designs are made to accept any member of a category of parts, subject to dynamic change during game-play. (i.e. for this category of parts, the ships are designed around an abstract slot that the player(or others) can fill, swap out, and replace the contents of))

[kohldude]

What do the colors of the group row indicate? Species?

[Jack Sampson]

What do the colors of the group row indicate? Species?

Top-level political affiliation. This is strongly correlated with species, but not identical. (The Union of Dispossessed Settlers aka. "the Forsaken" are human, but not in the Confederation, the Klk'k and Purth are both part of the Andolian protectorate, which is in turn part of the Confederation, but are not human, the Saahasayaay are subsidiary members of the Rlaan Assembly, but don't build their own ships, etc.)

[kohldude]

It'd be useful to know what species are attached to everything. Not for that parts list, but in general.

[kohldude]

Although we aren't using Unity, but our own engine, something for the engineers to think about regarding browser-based engines and player hardware limitations:
http://gotnocache.com/files/7231451e37c61dc855fd335cef504ddd-1.html

[Jack Sampson]

It'd be useful to know what species are attached to everything. Not for that parts list, but in general.

https://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0AmTg764gUBiTdGFzT2ZlTEVubEMyWFh4Q2x6S2Y4Z 2c&hl=en

This gives a decent first-order impression of species --> faction mappings.
To get a more full picture (including minority groups, etc), I'll have to go in the other direction, with a sort of political org chart. Probably do it up in powerpoint or an equivalent.

[Jack Sampson]

Cartoon versions of first-order "floor-planning" of small Ulnish vessels (larger vessel plans to follow later -- key difference, the reactors don't scale that big).

Colors are chosen only for contrast, not appropriateness
Shapes are approximate, etc.
Hopefully the cartoon does convey useful information.

First, non-royal vessles (Front, side)

http://sites.google.com/a/7kelvin.com/www/files/Uln_Small_Peasant_Front_CartoonLayout.png
http://sites.google.com/a/7kelvin.com/www/files/Uln_Small_Peasant_Side_CartoonLayout.png

and then the Aristos (front, side)

http://sites.google.com/a/7kelvin.com/www/files/Uln_Small_Royal_Front_CartoonLayout.png
http://sites.google.com/a/7kelvin.com/www/files/Uln_Small_Royal_Side_CartoonLayout.png?attredirect s=0

[Jack Sampson]

FYI: Got a rather short-notice request to give a job-talk (== interview) in Switzerland at the end of this month, so if I'm out of contact for a few days around the turn of the month, that's because I'll be out of the country at EPFL.

[Jack Sampson]

updates
- interview at EPFL no longer happening (will be around)
- Writing stage of doctoral thesis begun ( my days will now be write, write, write more than research, research, research)
- More serious writing for design doc likely to begin this week ( need to procrastinate from the thesis on something, might as well be something useful :) )

[Jack Sampson]

A few items:

- GDD will be updated every Tuesday, for values of Tuesday including Wednesday. Link is here: http://www.cse.ucsd.edu/%7Ejsampson/ColdestSea.pdf
In general, there will be one update per week. Today, there may be several.

- GDD doesn't yet contain engine specs (polycount guidelines, etc.). This is Mr. (soon Dr.) Horn's area, and while I will be poking him, I expect little bandwidth until after his thesis defense ~Aug 15th.

-FWIW, my own defense should be coming up about 2 weeks after his. Oh, the mix of joy and abject fear...

-Writing the dissertation, even when most of text already exists in some form or another takes a lot more time than I thought it would. Fortunately, I'm 1 to 1.5 weeks away from a completed draft, after which I'll still be busy, but it'll be much more even and predictably scheduled.

- Hope everyone is enjoying their summer

[kohldude]

Good luck to the both of you. :)