(Or, Starlink: the Dataforge Project) | What is Starlink? | the graphics problem
July 3rd, 1998: We misunderstood Hugh Foster! massive embarassment! We are looking into other options on the graphics; actually we've got a few ideas, but us graphically-challenged lamers doing something origional could take TIME. Will be contacting a few people hopefully today with instructions on downloading a pre-alpha with no graphics that doesn't work (Platform compatability test).
June 26th, 1998: Hugh Foster, of Ace & the dog unpublications, has mentioned the possibility of our using the code from his exceller hexmap software as part of the graphics for the client (see earlier posts for further documentation of our graphical skills). This would be a very, very, very good thing.
June 23rd, 1998: Would you believe Screenshots? (Don't worry, we'll probably have to quit development again tomorrow).
June 22nd, 1998: Yes, you have heard it before;
Yes, you have been dissapointed before. For what it's worth, the Alpha looks like it's
going to get completed within the next few (3 to 300) days. It will be Lame; It will be
Ugly; It will be buggy. It will Require win'9x to play, and Probably IE4.+. The initial
rate of play will probably be 1 turn per day or less. If you are masochistic
enough that this sounds interesting to you, send us a e-mail. We're going to need between
10-20 Suckers Testers. Look on the Traveller Board for details.
May 22nd, 1998: Our ActiveX Programmer headed for the hills; This was mainly due to the fact that our DB & Code people were so busy working on other projects that we could not tie things he created into the rest of the package. We are completely out of prearranged commitments on July 2nd, 1998, so some work on the Project might get done. If you are a developer thinking about doing a project similar to ours, but don't think you can because of some arrangement we have with the Imperium folks, go ahead and DO IT! we'd rather see a viable, playable PE on the Net than see it rust here......
Jan 12th, 1998: Some pretty much final decisions have been made on Starlink:Alpha The player interface will NOT contain JAVA until a MUCH later release, due to limitations of the design team. somewhere down the road we're planning on a pure JAVA interface, but it'll be a while. The Player Interface is Windows'9x, WinNT4+ compliant only; we're going to stop spinning our wheels on supporting other platforms for the time being. Maybe Later. Initially, the interface will (probably) require IE 4.x; we might get IE 3.x to work, but it's pretty buggy right now. There is a pretty good chance that a severely graphics limited Netscape 4.x interface might be possible, but I doubt if it will be available for initial alpha release. On the brighter side...... On a Win'95 system with IE4.0 installed, things are looking pretty cool for a mid-February alpha release.
Jan 1st, 1998: OK, get your hopes up; we're starting work on the graphics. Once we get a
basic set up and running, we'll start up the Alpha Server again.
Nov. 16th, 97: I don't want to get anyone's hopes
up.
There is a possibility that we've managed to talk a high-speed ActiveX programmer into
working on the Starlink graphics for a couple of weeks. So check back around mid-December;
we might have something going.
Believe it or not, this probably frustrates us more than it frustrates you. We have actually completed the core portion of the program that processes turn information, and 90% of the web based "empire-orders" section; However, the one person on our little team who actually understood graphics enough to complete the graphics section has abandoned us ("But I want to get paid for working 18 hours a day!").
The whole thing is in the twilight zone; no idea when it will be completed, or even when work will start on it again.
Starlink is a Game, based originally on the classic Traveller Pamphlet "Trillion Credit Squadron" which allowed Traveller players to Design and Build immense fleets of ships and fight them against each other in a strategic setting.
In Starlink, a standard player will start a dynastic line using one of many possible backgrounds, possibly as the youngest scion of a noble line wanting to build a new line, or possibly just the victim of a severe mis-jump using higher technology to determine a worlds course.
With limited resources, you must go forth and conquer - or barter, or negotiate- your way to being the ruler of a stellar empire, and the director of its economy and military power; you are responsible for insuring the safety of its teeming billions, and for conquering its enemies.
What makes Starlink special is that you are not sitting around a table playing with 4 or 5 of your friends; you are playing over the Internet with potentially Limitless others.
The Galaxy is a vast unknown; There are legends and myths that once man ruled the stars; That vast fleets of ships spanned the stars and traded with alien races; but the truth is for YOU to discover.
We are looking for a limited number of Alpha testers for Starlink; No money is required, and no special skills; just a healthy dose of patience, a Internet connection and a willingness to hook up to the server 3 days a week for a few minutes (at least) during the Alpha Period.
Initially, it's going to resemble a PBEM (Play by E-Mail) more than anything else; we're building the Internet Interface on the Fly.
As a Bonus, all Alpha test participants will get a SUBSTANTIAL head start in the beta, which will be the "production" universe; the alpha universe, and its constructs, will be scrapped when the testing is over.
If you would like to be a Alpha Tester of Starlink, send e-mail to: traveller@changestorm.com ; make sure you place "Starlink alpha" in the subject line.
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