Re: Started Development :)
Posted: Sun Apr 09, 2017 23:00 UTC
Well I have some good news and some bad news.
Well the new development is to be a complete recode and won't be a browser based game.
I do have plans in developing the server side in C# using multiple threads to support several thousands of connected users.
I am currently researching Node Clusters etc to support this amount of connected users.
Also at first the server code will be in house only, but may be released later on.
The client side will be written in Unity and I am hoping for it to all be in 3D a bit like Freelancer and Elite etc.
I am still looking into the transitioning from space to planet surface so that its seamless, which isn't an easy thing it seems LOL.
I am currently putting everything on hold to see what happens next month when the domain runs out, I am not too sure what Ron Harwood (Owner of Blacknova Traders) is going to do, plus due to health issues I haven't been around or doing much, so it wouldn't be right for Ron to renew it for another year if nothing gets done in that time span.
Now to-do with the state of the current code...
BTW what version of Linux, Apache, MySQL and PHP are you using?
Yep, its broken code, this is due to changes in PHP and MySQL over the last few years or so, its also due to ADOdb not being updated for many years, we did have plans to move over to PDO, but that all fell through.
So for number 1, yep I knew that would bite us in our backsides, I never wanted to force compression in the first place.
For number 2.1, that's because your database isn't setup and the query is returning a Boolean false (i.e. and error), 2.2 yeah, we are aware of that warning and have a fix for that, just search these forums, 2.3 yeah, there is loads, I even had issues getting the code to work on this server, hence the games being closed.
Now for number 3, using global variables isn't a bad thing, its all down to how its being used, there might be some bad places in BNT that has security issues.
As for that link you supplied, that has noting to do with global variables, that was due to not filtering the users inputs and was fixed many years ago.
You will probably find out that most of the issues fall back to ADOdb which is a 3rd party library which is now unmaintained by the owners.
As for the quality of the code, I totally agree with you on that one, over the years we have had loads of developers come and go, each having different coding styles.
I think BNT was first coded when PHP was at one time version 2 moving over to PHP 3 and each major version change caused loads of issues and I mean loads of issues.
And the only way to resolve those issues was to use code hacks, back then loads of people was doing it and back then was the only way, I know I wasn't proud of it.
You can get the code to work, but to be honest, its more trouble than its worth sadly.
I know when it got to a point where it became Impossible to add new stuff to the game, we did try several times to recode the bad parts, sadly in some areas it made it worse, plus we did have some disagreement which sadly resulted in stopping development on the old code.
I could go through each file line by line correcting errors etc, but that would take longer than coding the game from scratch.
And if I was to code the game from scratch I might as well change how the game is played to make it fun for all players, not just the old players etc, over the years I have seen loads of new players join the game to be wiped out by stronger players resulting in them just giving up and leaving.
This was why I wanted to change how the game is played and adding in new aspects to the game that should please most players.
This was why I was heading for a non browser based version that would need me to code not just the server but the client as well, and not just one client, but a few clients, PC, Linux, Mac and "maybe" Tablets later on.
Now whether I have bitten off more than I can handle, most probably, but it would be a fun trying.
But like I said this all depends of what the owner of BNT does next month, if the domain expires that's fine, I am currently the last active developer left the last time I checked, and also due to health issues I am happy for the game to get put on the shelves.
At the end of the day I have had a great time developing parts of BNT with the other developers that have come and gone and also chatting with the players for the last 15 or so years, even the players that wasn't nice LOL, it was a great learning curve and got me into Game Development which is a plus.
Well the new development is to be a complete recode and won't be a browser based game.
I do have plans in developing the server side in C# using multiple threads to support several thousands of connected users.
I am currently researching Node Clusters etc to support this amount of connected users.
Also at first the server code will be in house only, but may be released later on.
The client side will be written in Unity and I am hoping for it to all be in 3D a bit like Freelancer and Elite etc.
I am still looking into the transitioning from space to planet surface so that its seamless, which isn't an easy thing it seems LOL.
I am currently putting everything on hold to see what happens next month when the domain runs out, I am not too sure what Ron Harwood (Owner of Blacknova Traders) is going to do, plus due to health issues I haven't been around or doing much, so it wouldn't be right for Ron to renew it for another year if nothing gets done in that time span.
Now to-do with the state of the current code...
BTW what version of Linux, Apache, MySQL and PHP are you using?
Yep, its broken code, this is due to changes in PHP and MySQL over the last few years or so, its also due to ADOdb not being updated for many years, we did have plans to move over to PDO, but that all fell through.
So for number 1, yep I knew that would bite us in our backsides, I never wanted to force compression in the first place.
For number 2.1, that's because your database isn't setup and the query is returning a Boolean false (i.e. and error), 2.2 yeah, we are aware of that warning and have a fix for that, just search these forums, 2.3 yeah, there is loads, I even had issues getting the code to work on this server, hence the games being closed.
Now for number 3, using global variables isn't a bad thing, its all down to how its being used, there might be some bad places in BNT that has security issues.
As for that link you supplied, that has noting to do with global variables, that was due to not filtering the users inputs and was fixed many years ago.
You will probably find out that most of the issues fall back to ADOdb which is a 3rd party library which is now unmaintained by the owners.
As for the quality of the code, I totally agree with you on that one, over the years we have had loads of developers come and go, each having different coding styles.
I think BNT was first coded when PHP was at one time version 2 moving over to PHP 3 and each major version change caused loads of issues and I mean loads of issues.
And the only way to resolve those issues was to use code hacks, back then loads of people was doing it and back then was the only way, I know I wasn't proud of it.
You can get the code to work, but to be honest, its more trouble than its worth sadly.
I know when it got to a point where it became Impossible to add new stuff to the game, we did try several times to recode the bad parts, sadly in some areas it made it worse, plus we did have some disagreement which sadly resulted in stopping development on the old code.
I could go through each file line by line correcting errors etc, but that would take longer than coding the game from scratch.
And if I was to code the game from scratch I might as well change how the game is played to make it fun for all players, not just the old players etc, over the years I have seen loads of new players join the game to be wiped out by stronger players resulting in them just giving up and leaving.
This was why I wanted to change how the game is played and adding in new aspects to the game that should please most players.
This was why I was heading for a non browser based version that would need me to code not just the server but the client as well, and not just one client, but a few clients, PC, Linux, Mac and "maybe" Tablets later on.
Now whether I have bitten off more than I can handle, most probably, but it would be a fun trying.
But like I said this all depends of what the owner of BNT does next month, if the domain expires that's fine, I am currently the last active developer left the last time I checked, and also due to health issues I am happy for the game to get put on the shelves.
At the end of the day I have had a great time developing parts of BNT with the other developers that have come and gone and also chatting with the players for the last 15 or so years, even the players that wasn't nice LOL, it was a great learning curve and got me into Game Development which is a plus.