System Save/Load Code Engine

[Nestharus]

Newsletter 3?

Status on Documentation
I have some good news for everyone! Documentation for The Saver 1.0 is almost done!!!! I'm talking about the actual engine, not the tutorials for building your own : P

Right now it's around 80% complete! I say this because there are still new commands being added in as they are needed. The number might go down, but the current documentation on the website is 90% complete (there are almost no empty places now! ^_^)

You need to understand how long this has been taking me, heh... I have to literally color code every word, format every thing, etc etc... and create hyperlinks to anything I reference.

Status on the New Compression System
Well, it's looking pretty nasty >< and I'm not sure how I'm going to do this, honestly.

I'll give you all the idea I have:
Take the huge number right and convert that into base 2. We do this so we can divide out large numbers like 1,000,000 and make that just one value =). So, do some division into base 10 (with this, there will be no 0s because of the division ^_^, so we save some space). After that, convert into whatever base is wanted =). The default case is base 80. From my tests, this can send a normal 8 character code into a 4-6 character code which is a MAJOR improvement.

Encryption and Sequencing Security
I've decided to make a new mode for Encryption and Sequencing, well, hmm..

The first model of it would allow a vast amount of encryption keys and a vast amount of sequencing keys. From there, any of these could be paired, so you would just multiply them together to see how many possibilities you had. For example, encryption key 10 could be paired with encryption key 1. Now, this is good and all, but it takes up more space (3-4 characters to be precise if you're going for the 6400, 6400 command). Now, when I developed my new condension mode to make them both only take up 1 character together (it'll be even less when this new compression system is fully working), I made it so that sequence key 1 had to be paired with encryption key 1, etc. Overall, you are left with 80 unique possibilities (80 unique encryptions and 80 unique sequences). This is a pretty vast pool and it takes up such little space that you might as well use it. I was thinking of making a mode of constricting the major ones, or anything, almost like a boolean. If you want them to be able to pair with anything (taking up more space), you could set the compression setting to false. If not, set it to true. Less than 1 character is more than worth it, atleast to me : P

Now, this rose up questions about the Anti-Cheat Stealth Corruption System. With a few minor changes, I could make 2-3 of them fit into 1 character. I don't know, just some thoughts =).

Promotion
I'm starting to advertise the save/load engine all around b.net, different forums, etc as it nears completion.

Now, here's what I'm wondering. How many people are actually going to use it? Most maps have their own save/load engines that the authors built. A few use engines like Acehart's. When looking at mine, it already has 13 commands, 3 areas, and a few in-game commands. When it's finnished, it'll probably have around 30. I already added in 3 or 4 more (they aren't in the documentation yet). Keep in mind that most of the commands in the documentation right now have to do with saving, security, and setting up. There are no commands up there for loading right now...

This gives rise to a question: Who wants to learn such a large engine with so many commands?

I'm trying to make the documentation so clear that anyone would be able to learn it. A lot of the commands aren't even needed, they just give you more options and easier ways to do things. Oh well, just some thoughts.

A BackBone System in the Save/Load Engine is Doubtful
One of the main things that makes the save/load engine work is a trigger that copies another trigger. I'm not sure it's going to work, I've never done this before and I've never seen it done. When the map maker runs the command, it literally copies the trigger that the command is from.

Now, I'm going to be testing it out soon (yes, the save/load engine is not even able to be tested yet as it's not complete yet), and hopefully it'll work. If it doesn't, I'll have to do some redoing.... well, I'll have to figure out another way to do something...

Tutorials
In all honesty, how many people want the tutorials on how save/load engines work so they can build their own?

How many people want the code to this one when it's done? And how many people want full explanations of every system in this engine?

I'm just asking because those tutorials are going to take me a very long time to do and I want to see if anyone will even read them. If nobody's going to use them, I'm not going to do them.

Ok, this newsletter is officially done : P

 

[Nestharus]

Newsletter 4

Many games aren't simply done on the first release. On the contrary, things are constantly added to games, new expansions, items, characters, and so forth.

The Saver 1.0 will now have a special system version system allowing players to load codes from older versions into newer versions. It will also convert the code to the newer version making it impossible to load into the older version.

Pretty much, all the information will always be in the save/load engine, the Version # command just limits that information to the specific version. For example, if you release a new version with 100 new items, you can use the Version command to take out those 100 items for the previous version so that the player can load it back up. The version command can also be used in older versions to prevent players from going back ; )

Another new command will be made: Game type commands

Game type/game mode commands are commands used in case the game wants to have different difficulties, special modes, etc. Some items may be limited and so on, some even taken out. That's all up to you. This command can also be used for going between maybe an RPG and a war-type thing that uses the same character. Just something interesting : )

I will also be putting in some new commands for beginners. Want to save gold as an integer but you aren't the best triggerer in the world and don't know how to get the Player's gold? Well, I will have commands that do this all for you. I will try to make a special beginner command for every option. All of the regular commands to save integers will be able to be used as well. The special commands are just there for people who don't really know how to get that variable into the code, or that gold/lumber. Pretty much, anything that can be saved will have a special command with it. You can either use the special commands, or you can use the regular command, it's all up to you.

Name Encryption Command: Don't want to save the name as a string because you're not sure how? Don't worry, I'll put in an easy and quick Name Encryption Command for you.

Item Saving Command for regular inventories only... yes, I will have these in for you. If you are going to be doing a nice custom inventory, you need to make your own. At one point, I will release a full screen-based inventory and I will have a special command to save items in it, but for now 6-inventory only.

So yea, that command list is going to get very long very fast : P. Some of these commands will actually save space in the code, such as the inventory saving command, or ability saving command : ).

Just new ways this save/load engine is going to make your life easier... I just need to find time to work on it and finnish it... ><

 

[Nestharus]

Newsletter 5

When will I get this done? I'm not sure... when you are programming the same things for I don't know how long and working on the documentation for I don't know how long, it just gets old. Sure it's big, it's nice, and so on... but it's not done... and it's getting tiresome... maybe I'll continue it at a later date, but for now, I need a break....

I'm sorry if I'm letting a lot of people down. I might get back to my combat system, that's nearly done =), or one of my map projects, or just life in general, who knows. This will be done within a couple of months. Starcraft 2 will be coming out, but this will be easy to xfer to Starcraft 2. All the JASS systems will be ez to xfer over, as well as the models =).

I shall be back to work on this at some point... i don't know when, but I will be back. It might be sooner or later depending on how many people "really" want this engine a lot. I'm assuming not many people really care about this engine, so it really doesn't matter if I finnish it or not. Obviously I'll finnish it because I kinda need it for a few map projects, but um, yarp. I only know 1 or 2 other people who actually want this engine.

When will it be done? Probably when I finnish a map project and need it unless anyone really wants it done now. : D

You've all seen the features that this engine is going to include. They are vast, easy to use, really amazing, new and unique. No other engine has a lot of these features =P. I might even include a new security system that will work Anti-Cheat System Variables and Name Encryption variables together. It'll be low in characters, but it'll be neato =). I'm thinking something along the lines of the length of the name, the characters of the name (each character being assigned a numerical value and added together etc and merged with everything else). Who knows, I might just include that in the current Anti-Cheat System instead of making a new one. You wouldn't need name encryption then, lolz. It would also save a lot of space if you wanted some sort of name encryption ;O.

Oh well, this is the last newsletter for awhile unless I get a lot of responses to this thread : P

Adios amigos, I'll be back at some point with more features and a completed save/load engine. That some point could be sooner or later, it all depends on how many people want it besides me : P, cuz honestly, I can wait. I don't need it right this second, : D.