Coding advice for the Devs...UBI

[K_Freddie]

I been around the block few times and these are definite practices to abide by.....

-Keep all your global constants/variables in a seperate file - make sure you give meaningfull comments to them.
-Within each module make sure you INITIALISE each variable to a known state (trust me - you don't do this http://forums.ubi.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_wink.gif )
-Make sure that there is a global INITIALISE proc to do the above!!
-Within each module make sure that when the module is exited by the user that it either .. re-initialises, or keeps it's current state. This running in conjunction with the Real-Time Engine..
-When doing FILE OPERATIONS make sure that you write/check the file integrity, as well as loading 'saved game' integrities.

Essentially you must have a 'real-time' (PC) clock that all abides by. Although it is possible to introduce psuedo-RTime.

There are many other facets of the Windoze OS SDK that you have ignored/still learning, but this doesn't surprise me as the team is newish, and this is learning curve. For further in depth info Google "Masm32", and related stuff.
http://forums.ubi.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_cool.gif

NB:0 yes ..You probably coded th whole lot in C++ and higher scripting - this is why you have problems.. Not preaching, but doing it in a precise manner, like Masm forces you to === No BUGS http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/16x16_smiley-wink.gif

[Kaleun1961]

Applying for the job? http://forums.ubi.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif

[K_Freddie]

Originally posted by Kaleun1961:
Applying for the job? http://forums.ubi.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif
http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/16x16_smiley-very-happy.gif
Seriously.. if they payed me(well), I could have done the core programming in half the time.
I've done many a 'fixup'/conversion of software to something sensible, on many embedded systems, and PC stuff (not going to elaborate = arms length )

BUT Who is UBI, and I'm ME.. the greatest thing alive http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/11.gif http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/clap.gif http://forums.ubi.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_wink.gif

[K_Freddie]

OK.. Ye Olde Freddie's going to blow his Trumpett... tralalalalala http://forums.ubi.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif

Excuse me if I do this but I enjoy it anyway http://forums.ubi.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_smile.gif

I was in charge of a Toll-Road installation, making sure that it met the required accuracy spec (>99.5%).
I'd come from military radar/radio/computer/hardware/programming background before I started this job.
But being in Cape Town (like many places), the temperature extremes played havoc with the equipment accuracy.

So, not to be deterred, I mentioned this to my superior who gave the go-ahead. 3 months later we had a system operating at >99.9% and nothing less in all weather conditions, bar equipment failure. Software adjustment from yours truely...

WHY.. BECAUSE I HAD THE GUTS/GALL NOT TO TAKE THE NONSENSE AND OFFER A BETTER SOLUTION... because I know what I'm talking about... geez.. this is a BIG trumpet - Let me blow again http://forums.ubi.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif

Sorry.. I'm enjoying myself, so to speak..
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[klcarroll]

Blow again K_Freddie!!!

Success against "The Machine"� is always something to celebrate!

*

[K_Freddie]

Originally posted by klcarroll:
Blow again K_Freddie!!!
Success against "The Machine"� is always something to celebrate!*
http://forums.ubi.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_smile.gif
Although One should not see it as a machine, more than a Human mistake on a machine. It's really nothing more than methodical error in the process of organising procedures that achieve the game objectives.

If that makes any sense http://forums.ubi.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_wink.gif

[K_Freddie]

Getting down to how I do it...
I structure my objectives in such a manner that each software module is worked through until
it is known to be 'OK'. This is ok when I'm the only developer, and have a tight reign on ech item.
The problem with UBI, and other big software Co's... is communications. Believe it or not, within a
close knit-team as this... ego's are rife, comms are @#$@%. Thus UBI have the problem of handling this.

I can tell you that this DEV team have under-performed (compared to SH3 - where are they?)
Under-performed in GamePlay.. that is. The graphics are SUPERB ...but as a very long time ago colleague
said to me. "Graphics are ok, but it's 'GAMEPLAY' that makes the game"

And Devs... You may have the nice textures, materials to apply to objects,
BUT BUT BUT
If you do you have the ..
-Lunar accuracy
-Stellar accuracy
-Correct ships models
-Moddable ability
-AI intelligence
- etc

Maybe we should talk
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[Gnarloc]

Originally posted by K_Freddie:
"Graphics are ok, but it's 'GAMEPLAY' that makes the game"



Damn Straight, the graphics are really good, but the gameengine itself seems almost exactly like SH3 IMO