Who Knows How to Integrate a Huge Chat into PA Main Menu? I am talking a large 100+ person chat, split up into channels possibly only as long as channels have 100+ people each, and mounting the text of that chat into PA possibly beside the news and twitch tabs or down in the social bar like it was a "friend" chat. I don't even care if it is chatango, I am not picky, besides, Gandalf would like the anime discussion integration as would I. Who here knows how to generate a list of folk "seeking 1v1"? That's a start in my opinion until we generate large player number and test out some secret matchmaking algorithm that doesn't leave traumatized victims in it's wake. Anyone have any ideas here, including PAStats folk? I know they have 1v1 matchmaking, is it possible to integrate a new filter and matches that generate their own fair rules or something? Btw, I am just suggesting this to get it into the game without a load bearing on the devs. I am not trying to make their game or fix their mistakes, I am just trying to contribute useful things to what we all love to use. The more useful things contributed, the more highly respected the work is as a whole. I want PA to be great as a whole, I figured things that could help it, why not somebody make if it is possible?
So yeah.... let's start discussing how a good multiplayer client looks like, apparently Uber doesn't know that. The best known solutions to this use external programs. This has the advantage of being easy to handle. You don't need to have a game open. You can also play fullscreen and chat windowed much easier. So adding some chat in some tab ingame is nice, but not the optimal solution. I am thinking that the best thing would be a js based irc client that can either run as part of the Uberbar or as part of an external atom shell application. So I can push it to all PA Stats players and have them know that they can also install the external application. Further matchmaking would need to work from inside PA Stats as well as from the application. Technically there should be only small differences in the code paths from the 2. Technically this is possible. Additionally the atom shell client could include pamm to manage mods as well as integrate with lists of replays that are based on data from PA Stats. It should also include some simple ladder calculation based on the data I already have anyway. That would be the first what I think of when I go "okay, Uber will fail in providing any sort of reasonable online client, let's try ourself" I am pretty close to actually trying to do this. That's exactly what I might try in adding chats and better matchmaking into PA Stats. Yes in having those vital features for any MP RTS we are trying to fix their mistakes.
But it isn't mistakes. It is our party, we should at least bring out own beer. Lets facilitate our own chat and matchmaking, I mean the game is open coded to let us run it in there with it, the devs aren't trying to restrict us doing so.
It doesnt really matter how we call it. After sleeping a night on it I really feel like working on this. We'll see what I have in a day or two. First thing to implement is a chat that can either be injected via pa stats or started as a standalone atom shell program.
I am really excited about you idea to make it run atomshell or in-game. It is great the webcode allows either and both to work all-the-same.
So you really are working on some amazing atomshell hub of PA chat and matchmake and modmanage? #soexcited
My reply in global chat thread. Is there a way to do this? Like, what I mean, is that currently, I believe we have 1 thing that will matchmake people and load PA to connect them to match, 1 thing that manages mods and launches the game, external wiki pages and such, and a forum at best to message with. I was serious in that post, runescape clients historically had an interface around the browser, with about 10 tabs on top that listed worlds and clicking connected quickly to it, that listed an item wiki, that listed a monster wiki, that listed a guide for activities, that listed calculators, that contained a global chat, and that contained forum posting. Atomshell was used to build a mod manging launcher. Could mods just be a tab of that, and things like wiki and global chat be other tabs? Could launching the game be in it's own tab, among quick-connecting to a match and such? Could we even mount this ingame to the bottom left of the social bar? In order to do this, maybe a few modders of current mods might want to get together to mount a lot of things together in one window...
So I've been thinking of something like this for a while now. Here's my current plan: PA Community Hub This would be an atom shell based application, that by itself is just an empty client with a few limited functions: Login Launch game Update Manager/Download API Can be used to update the app/plugins, or for plugins to download additional content (eg., Mod Manager) It's power would be in plugins, which could be: Chat Ability to pop-out? New chat notifications shown on tab, so you can see even when not on the Chat tab Lobby / Matchmaking Ladder PAstats Forum Wiki Tournaments Mods Clans The basic UI would be something like (Just a mockup!! Focus on what is being shown, not how/styles): The image shows 5 main areas that can be extended or added to: Sections These would be intended for major functions, such as the above listed plugins. Sections list can scroll/minimize etc. Tabs Within each section, different tabs can be specified. For example, the current PAMM tabs (such as UI Mods, Server Mods, Available Mods) would appear under the "Mods" section. Content The main display after a section & tab are selected. Settings A unified settings manager that plugins can add their settings to. Quick Launch/Buttons Probably won't be commonly used, but buttons along the bottom can be added by plugins also. Think "Launch PA, Exit" etc. Still in the planning phase, but thoughts would be appreciated.
My only thoughts are "click Like", and that it is apparent that Uber is going with a patcher launcher and a basic function main menu with a few hooks to their content so something that is more player-utility and veteran-specialized like this is excellent. I also like how it is modular, apparently that is the way to go nowadays, and it leaves an opening for anyone to contibute, be it pastats or pamatches, and they can provide their own plugin and link their own stuff and take their own credit. My only grasp in all this, is an all in one package for supportive features bundled in one launcher. That ups the game a lot, and this would help retain any player that stumbles upon it because of how much it would aid them. I still hope that everyone that could collaborate with this new system jumps on this immediately. I would like to see PAStats present stats through here and quick matchmake feature. I would like to see PAMatches quick-tab some wiki page information here so people can quickly tab through units and economy information and such. I would like a global chat, I do not believe anyone provides that just yet unless we just make a few sprawling forum posts of a topic (find match, discuss game) right here at the uber forums and let that stress their infrastructure lol. But there are better ideas for chat mounting though. I am just saying that isn't provided by any modder yet so it would have to be created in response to this by someone from start.
I would expect some plugins to be packaged, definitely. The rest would be findable via the app. I'm thinking that the ability to find content (either more plugins, or from other streams, like mods) should be a unified function that plugins can tap into. There's a lot of different considerations I'm thinking through though, as there's pros and cons with both ways. Edit: For the chat, I would expect the existing IRC channel to be utilised (http://irc.lc/esper/planetaryannihilation)
This is the best creative movement for PA since the birth of the gentleman ladder and the creation of tournaments and eSports groups.
The gentlemens ladder was a great collaboration. This really can be the largest movement ever. Plugins, they can be their own tab in PAMM section. UI Mods, Server Mods, HubPlugins.
The idea would be to fold in PAMM as a plugin to PA Hub, which will provide hooks to centrally manage downloadable items (whether plugins, or items from plugins, such as Mods). This means plugins can easily have their own downloadable content. One example off the top of my head would be "Fan Art". Also, https://forums.uberent.com/threads/wip-pa-community-hub.63174/
Will definitely look at this for writing a tournament plugin when base is there... Might be good to take a look at Cola's previous work for external ui. I know pyrus yrrep is interested to rewrite his unofficial patcher in node as well, so could also be a plugin candidate.
