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ECMAScript (aka Javascript)

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Lua

0 (0%)

Other (Please make a post telling me what)

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Total Members Voted: 1

[MoonyTheHuman]

I've began work on simple networking in exodus-server.
Due to the requirements, i'll need to explain it.

Spoiler: Wall Of Text explanation (click to show/hide)

Exodus uses a byte encoded RPC to transmit client interactions quickly and efficiently without straining the network.
From the server end, data is sent back in a encoding format that describes the parts of the game enviornment that the player can see that have updated, plus two tiles out to preload objects on the client.
The client, when connecting for the first time, requests the location of an assets bundle from the server, which it subsequently downloads to provide the game's content. The asset bundle contains JSON files describing all the objects the client could potentially encounter, spritesheet layout, and asset locations. These same assets are used by the server to load in the game's objects efficiently (Sprites are ignored).
Object descriptor files contain information on how the object's data is portrayed to the client, including basic state information, rotation data, and animation paths.
This will all be tackled one step at a time for very obvious reasons.

[Blood_Librarian]

Pretty interested in this to be honest.

Posting to watch!

[MoonyTheHuman]

I'm not dead.

I'm very alive.

So, here's whats happened: I've stopped using Pony (I found some issues with it i didn't notice when i first started using it that really suck) and moved back to Rust.
So far I've got some of the very core functions in the works (Tilemap, Physics, Networking) and it's going well. I've finally got the hang of lifetimes, so this will be MUCH easier; I hope.

Spoiler: Notes on the internal representation of the tilemap (click to show/hide)

Tiles, internally, are individual objects stored in the heap (Boxed). They are type variable to allow special tile specific data, like counters, references (mutable or otherwise) etc to be stored inside. The reason for heap storage is that tiles have unknown size at compile-time due to being trait objects. However, this does not mean tiles also have to implement stuff like atmospherics inside themselves as well. That's where MapLayer comes in. MapLayer is another trait object that functions as a secondary layer above the main tilemap, containing things like atmospherics, lighting, or physics references. MapLayers are also stored in the heap (Boxed) due to unknown size at compile-time.

[MoonyTheHuman]

RIP Tilemap, turns out it was fatally flawed in the design: Trait objects cant be downcasted. I've ripped it out and started rewriting it.

I'd like to put in a wall of text on how Exodus will be scripted (We're not writing everything in rust for obvious reasons, it'd be a pain in the ass, and scripting is oftentimes better for this kind of usage)

Spoiler: Exodus, Javascript, and why i said no to lua (click to show/hide)

Exodus will be scripted in Javascript using the v8 library. Why not lua? Plenty of reasons

• Lua (and luajit) are rather magical in the way they work, and will probably cause us pains. (You say Javascript is more magical? Sure. But i'm a Javascript sorcerer!) The internal stack can be somewhat unpredictable, making bindings annoying.
• Javascript is cleaner and easier to read than Lua, for a lot of reasons.
• It's easy to learn Javascript for experienced programmers, while Lua can seem out of place.

TL;DR I don't like lua.
Please note this is all opinions, not fact.
Ingame objects will have a builtin space for a Javascript Value to be stored, to allow data to be kept easily and between instances (Exodus won't be singlethreaded)
Not everything will be implemented in Javascript. Things like Atmospherics will be implemented in pure rust for the raw processing power required.

[MoonyTheHuman]

That is, i'll use V8 if i can ever get it to compile >_<
May end up using Firefox's JS engine instead. Or any good JIT engine.

[MoonyTheHuman]

As i know people are looking, how about this.
I'll hold a poll on which embedded language exodus should use.

[MoonyTheHuman]

Well, the issue with javascript has brought another (potentially terrible) idea into mind:
Write most of the game using node.js, with NEON (https://www.neon-bindings.com/) for things that really need speed.
It's tempting, but i don't want to compromise the game.
Hmm. I'll give it a test run, because a Minimum Viable Product wont be too hard to construct.

[MoonyTheHuman]

Yea, writing most of the game in node.js is not a smart idea. (Tests FTW)

Rust it is. (With a scripting language if i can get one to work :V)

[MoonyTheHuman]

Exodus is dead.
The guys who say SS13 is cursed are right.
It's turned out to be a little more detrimental to my sanity than I would have liked. (read: help me)
If someone else wants to take on the insane challange of trying to rewrite SS13, i'd help, but i am most definitely not leading such an effort.
I'm going to be taking a break from basically everywhere else, so i'll be around on the forums for more fun and less stress.

[Khan Boyzitbig]

At least you had some idea where to begin. Maybe at some point in the future I *might* have a go at it, more to give me something to do though.

[MoonyTheHuman]

As a note: I'd probably continue trying to get exodus going if i had help from someone else who knows Rust to work with me.