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Post by samnws on Jun 25, 2023 0:24:47 GMT -6
Hello, just purchased NWS3 on Steam.
I really like the UI of the game, and am interested in attempting to program my own game with a similar UI and structure, albeit much smaller-scope.
Could you provide any insight on how NWS3 was coded? What coding language/platform ought a coder use to create a similar data/menu-driven game?
Thank you in advance!
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Post by imperatoraugust on Jun 25, 2023 3:16:36 GMT -6
Delphi and Winforms. If you are not already an experienced coder, or lack experience in the language I would HIGHLY recommend using an existing game engine (there are tons) like Unity.
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Post by barbarus on Jun 25, 2023 5:54:09 GMT -6
Delphi 5 (1999!) and winforms. Great compatibility, able to work on almost any version of Windows, but it's so ancient code...
IMO, devs should think about rewriting the game from scratch, and preferably in a more modern language. Yes, it will be long and painful. But it will get rid of the technical legacy, put the AI in a editable form (for example, using LUA scripts) and improve UI customization.
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Post by williammiller on Jul 1, 2023 9:46:22 GMT -6
We are examining options for a possible engine update, thanks.
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Post by cabalamat on Jul 2, 2023 0:51:52 GMT -6
Delphi 5 (1999!) and winforms. Great compatibility, able to work on almost any version of Windows, but it's so ancient code... IMO, devs should think about rewriting the game from scratch, and preferably in a more modern language. I'd like to see it as a web app. With multi-player support. Even if battles weren't multi-player, fighting against other players' ship designs would be fun. As would diplomacy; you could have cabals of navy leaders conspiring behind the scenes to change the world. E.g. you could have players playing Germany, Italy and Japan conspiring to take down UK, France or USA (who might all be played by the computer) -- then it'd be a co-operative rather than competitive game.
I'd also like to see a sandbox mode where people can fight their ship designs against each other, with both sides designs being commanded by the AI, so it's a competition to see who can design the best ships. I wonder what designs would come out on top? I know what sort of designs I typically build, and I think they're quite good, but I've no idea how they would fare against other designs.
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Post by barbarus on Jul 5, 2023 20:45:21 GMT -6
We are examining options for a possible engine update, thanks. Great news! If you want to stay with the familiar WinForms, you can use C# - it's easy to learn and offers many features and ready-made libraries. However, I would still recommend rewriting the game code from scratch rather than porting code from Delphi one-to-one. This will help refresh your head with the mechanics of the game and deal with pressing issues such as battle generator (Steam reviews speak for themselves). Yes, it's a lot of work. But, IMO, it has to get done. |
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