Messages

1

General Discussion / Re: Future update coming, in due course.

« on: February 18, 2008, 11:53:08 AM »

Yes, I'm alive.

As for the project, it's not dead; however, it IS on indefinite hold.

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General Discussion / Re: Future update coming, in due course.

« on: November 11, 2007, 04:46:15 AM »

With regards to the forums themselves - They are not changing.

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General Discussion / Future update coming, in due course.

« on: November 10, 2007, 09:42:21 PM »

Of my many infrequent posts I make, I'm back again.

I've a lot on my plate at the moment between school, looking for a new job, and other side projects I may have.  I haven't come back, however, just to say why I disappear the way I do.  I've a few announcements to make.

1) In the coming days, yes, days, I will be posting a seemingly needed revision to the forum rules.  Right now they're just a disjointed collection of guidelines by which we follow, and generally abide by fairly well.  Having seen a few things on my return this time, I've decided it's time to make a few changes.  No rules are going to change drastically.  No consequences are going to change drastically.  I intend to clarify some rules, and reformat the way they're presented.  My goal is to make them as clear and straightforward as possible.  There are inevitably going to be gray areas concerning any rules, but those gray areas are tackled as they come up.  Look forward to the updated post sometime this week.

2) Many moons ago I started trying to collect ideas for a new backend for the Mystic Software website.  Results were less than spectacular and eventually left me in a rather foul mood.  I'm back again, and feel like starting up a new side project to actually get the job done this time.  Such work is beneficial to both Mystic Software and myself, so I will not lie and say that there aren't some personal motives in the renewed desire to complete this project.  So, I'm asking again, what kind of features do you, the community, want to see in a new, revitalized Mystic Software?

Clarification on what I want to see in feature requests:  Nothing concerning images or layout design at all!  No emoticon (smiley) selections, no graphics, no multiple layouts, no multiple color schemes, nothing concerning default avatars, no skins.  None of that will be accepted as a feature request.  If you post stuff like that, and catch me on a good day, I may leave the post as is, on the otherhand, on a bad day, I may delete it.  ^^

To figure out what I want, assume I make the site modular.  Think of what kinds of modules you want to see on the front page, and items like that.

I already know forum integration is a big thing, and that's on the top of my list.

Stuff I gathered from the previous thread:  Search engine, the XBox gamer cards (Read my subnote later in this post). -- That's sad...many months of posts, and only two valid features...

With regards to the gamer cards:  1) I'm not sure how I'd implement a points system, insofar as to what benefits points would provide.  2) I do not own an XBox, so my information on how the gamers cards are set up is very limited.

I will make one more statement:  I know people want more skins, and the old titles back.  I'm a busy person.  The titles I'll bring back as soon as I can, but the next few weeks are going to be busy with school, and my neighbor having had surgery.  Skins take even more time than simple titles.  The titles I can probably find time...actually in class this week.  Skins require my studying the templating system for the forums, and then rebuilding the layout to use the new graphics and colors.

4

General Discussion / Re: An Idea/question

« on: November 10, 2007, 09:18:14 PM »

Officially, transparency/translucency is GIF-based transparency.  As Xorlak mentioned, the a color is specified as the transparent color, and as the graphic file is rendered, as the rendering engine encounters the specified transparent color (assume Pink for argument), instead of drawing (or blitting) that pixel in that color to the screen, it blits the pixel that is already on the screen at the location the Pink pixel would've been drawn.

5

General Discussion / Re: Site Updates

« on: November 10, 2007, 08:36:57 PM »

For those wondering, here are the good reasons why to avoid using tables and use CSS Positioning attributes and <div> tags:

1) Tables cannot be rendered properly until the entire block of code is loaded.  This becomes a nasty issue when you use nested tables.  While most browsers try to render realtime when buffering the download of a website, the proper display of a website cannot be obtained until the page has finished downloading.

2) While individual <div> blocks may have similar rendering issues, the don't require the entire thing to be loaded properly.  Assuming one uses the CSS size and positioning attributes properly, each "cell" of a <div> can load, and be displayed immediately, and usually with proper respect to a website's design.

3) <div> provides much more control with regards to placement and sizing through the use of CSS.  While tables are restricted to sizing, padding, and margin attributes.  Tables can achieve a pseudo-positioning attribute when linked to CSS or are subsequently nested.

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General Discussion / Re: Programming Q's

« on: August 06, 2007, 07:28:48 AM »

If you want portability, or worthwhile performance in future projects, as I said, C++.

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General Discussion / Re: Programming Q's

« on: August 04, 2007, 08:41:53 PM »

Actually, most of RPGCode, even in the early days (oh how I miss them) took most of its elements from C.  With the changeover to the newer RPGCode, it's more reminiscent of C++.

3D Programming is a difficult task, when you're just starting out.  Forget about C, C++ is the preferred language today.  Grab a book, look up tutorials, take a few classes.  Learn the basics and core programming elements in C++ first, then move on to more advanced C++.  After that, then you can start looking into Direct3D, OpenGL, and *cough*WinGDI*cough* -- not to mention WinAPI for general Windows programming.  There's also a major portability factor for C++.  Assuming you don't use too many proprietary libraries (such as the windows.h header file, or directx) it's not a major problem to port C++ code to other operating systems.  Despite being more difficult, I'd suggest OpenGL as your 3D API of choice, as it's cross-platform.

8

General Discussion / Re: Site Updates

« on: August 04, 2007, 08:37:18 PM »

MJH YOU were in Baltimore, dude I've been here since last Thanksgiving! WOAH! btw the new site is pwetty, like the lines. can i take a look under the hood?

If you're referring to my MJH no Sekai website - the answer would be....naaaaa~.  Actually, I try to keep most web designs to myself, though this is very simple.  I just make extensive use of XHTML and CSS positioning.  The "scanline" approach is a very simple image: 2 pixels, 2 different colors, stacked vertically.  Most of the other things, such as "inframe" scrollbars, are done using a css overflow:type attribute.

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General Discussion / Re: Website Question In Firefox

« on: August 04, 2007, 08:33:12 PM »

I don't even use Firefox, so I wouldn't know.

And please don't give me that speech on how it's better than Internet Explorer...

If you don't have anything worthwhile to contribute to the discussion, don't post.  Common sense dude.

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General Discussion / Re: It's up to you, the community!

« on: July 14, 2007, 01:07:00 PM »

That one may be possible, however, I won't have time for the next week or two.  I'll throw you all a bone there as I should have left everything from the other forums online.

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General Off-Topic / Re: Preloading.

« on: July 07, 2007, 08:38:35 PM »

That having been said, I do have relevant input myself.

Do not try to make a graphically intensive site.  Web design today must be focused on swift functionality.  You will lose visitors to your site if it does not complete loading within 20 seconds.  Preloading all the images for the site makes this worse.

On the other side, preloading is only viable for dial-up users, or broadband users with many concurrent downloads.

You want to keep visitors on your site, keep it clean and simple.  Look at my site, http://www.mjhnosekai.com/ , there are but a few images.  The background image, the "scanline" effect, is only 2 pixels in size.  Not even a few bytes.  The banner is larger, but my site doesn't hinge on its visibility.  Little XHTML 1.1 Valid, and CSS 2 Valid icons on the lower right are small, but again, not majorly important.  Images I use for my articles, again, not entirely important, just focus to add an effect.  One can browse my site with images off, and it'll still be rendered pretty effectively.

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General Discussion / Re: It's up to you, the community!

« on: July 07, 2007, 08:32:06 PM »

here's a few improvements that aren't features:
1. Better smilies
2. Better layout, like what that one guy was saying, with a plain image for the background then the same image but with an effect for the sub-backgrounds.
3. More Images that you can pick from. for the backgrounds.
here's some things for feature improvements:
1. Search engine that can be area specific.
2. PLEASE include a RPG-code-specific-dedicated-help-forum-area-kinda-place.
3. Have info cards for every user in a searchable library.
4. A game area for people to post there games and images, but instead of a post layout, more like an entire page kinda like on Tkz.
5. Um.... I'll think of more....

It's been quite a long while since I've posted, but these are not features that I'm looking for.

Non-features:
1) Smilies are graphical changes - as such I ignore anything regarding graphics.
2) Layouts, I believe I specifically said, had you read the entire thread, that I'm not focusing on layout design.
3) Images = Graphics, I've ruled them out already.

I stated specifically feature requests only.

Feature Requests:
1) Area specific, what do you mean?  The forum search engine can easily search specific forums, ignoring others.
2) An RPGCode specific forum was here at one time.  It never had much popularity, and as such, has since vanished from our forums.  Secondarily, the addition of a forum is not a feature request.
3) Infocards: There's something called a User Profile.  Searchable: There's something called a user list.
4) We're not trying to copy TKZ.  4-a) We already have games and other resource submissions.  They are not likely to change anytime soon.


I do frequently look by here from time to time.  I do have a lot on my plate with work and school.  If I sound like an ass right now, it's because I'm being one.  One of my biggest peeves is that people don't bother to read an entire post to find out what was going on prior to posting.  They don't understand where the discussion is going, and what's been deemed acceptable for said discussion.  That being said, any future posts that are clearly not feature requests will be deleted on sight.  I'm tired, and it may be prudent to keep an eye out for rules being updated.

13

General Off-Topic / Re: MS Comics. ((TK Comics reborn))

« on: April 26, 2007, 08:04:59 PM »

I'd like to push the improbability generator button, please.

Would you be referring to the infinite improbability drive?  Yea...I think we replaced that with the Bistromatics drive.

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General Off-Topic / Re: Since there seems to be so much demand...TK comics returning

« on: April 11, 2007, 10:35:22 AM »

Post in a new thread, one of us higher-ups will sticky it for ya!

15

General Discussion / Re: MySQL

« on: March 29, 2007, 11:14:34 AM »

Another mention though, PHP does not parse variables in single quotes.  Only double quotes.  Whether that extends to single quotes within double quotes, I can't be certain.