21-23 October, 2011:
- Away from home
19-20 October, 2011:
- Semi lazy day, did some minor tweaks and bugfixes
18 October, 2011:
- Finished basis for displaying popups!
- Created and finalized basic Button and Label components
- Finished popup animations: Slides in from the left, then flows upwards; displaying behind any static popups(Don't disappear until something is done)
- Upload some screenshots
17 October, 2011:
- Worked on popup system some more, finishing all the animations.
16 October, 2011:
- Interactive/Informal dynamic popup system started
- Custom font engine reworked for more dynamic-ability
14/15 October, 2011:
- Mod development started
- Basic server created
- Full server capabilities almost finished off (Missing disconnections)
- Client side networking complete
- Template look & feel for UI finished
- UI System implemented for 100% custom True Type Fonts to be used <-- First to do so?
- Communication between server/clients stabilized
What is McChat?
Ever made some friends on a new server you played on, or an old server, then joined another server or decided to play some SSP afterwards and wanted to still be able to talk to those friends you've made without having to be on that specific server to? Well be frustrated no longer! McChat is a mod that will act as Minecraft's very own friend system. Through McChat you will be able to send friend request's to any player with a purchased Minecraft account; from then once they accept you as a friend no matter what you may be doing in Minecraft you will have the ability to chat to them through McChat. Even from the main menu!
How will my McChat account be registered and protected?
This is a difficult topic, as anyone can log in to Minecraft under anyone's account name. Henceforth I've decided that there will be a one time registration process (in game) in which you will be required to authenticate a purchased Minecraft account(One time per account), from there you will finish the registration process by creating a McChat account which you will be able to use to log in from any computer, using any (or no) account name. Your McChat account may then be managed from either in-game or on it's website. I would especially like feedback on this system, give me your comments!
How compatible will this be with other Mods?
I am going to aim for this to be 99.9% compatible with other mods, using no external resources and hopefully just a single class modification (Achievements Gui). I mean, who would use a chat mod if it didn't have extremely flexible compatibility? >.>
How will the Mod be updated?
Seeing as this mod will only require a fairly small sized server, I will most likely be able to live updates. This means that downtime will be almost non-existent in exception of core server updates. After a patch is applied to the server I will have it automatically stream updates to all clients currently connected to McChat. From there, depending on the update it may either be applied LIVE(NO RESTARTING MC WOOHOO!), or once again it may need an external updater while Minecraft isn't running depending on whether it is a content or core systems patch.
What kind of features can we expect to be in this Mod?
Well, this is something I want YOU guys to decide. Something like this can only judged by how well it serves it's target audience. Of course I will have basic features by default such as: Whispers(Without added), Adding/Removing friends, Multiple Player Chats(Chat channels), Ignoring, Reporting, what else? Tell me.
When will the mod be testable?
I cannot give a specific date as production has just begun but I wouldn't say it would take more than a few weeks depending on how much time I'm able to spend on it. I can say though that I've done networking projects such as this multiple times in multiple languages and will be able to essentially copy and paste a lot of efficient code which will speed things up dramatically without effecting the overall quality of the work(for the worse).
How will the mod be tested?
I will be doing a closed beta for this specific mod, so if you wish to be put on the beta list you're going to have to do two things:
1. Post a comment / a suggestion / some feedback on this thread.
2. Send me a private message on the forums requesting an invitation to the closed beta.
3. Await a confirmation of your post.
4. Await for a personal message which will contain a beta key and link to download.
5. Test out the Mod and report bugs!
How will the systems be hosted?
The server(s) will be hosted on a dedicated server which I will be hijacking off my friend seeing as he doesn't use it for jack all, so you will not need to be worrying about any downtime whatsoever. This is in exception of updates.
If memory serves me right the specs are:
- Intel i3 3.2ghz quad core
- 2/4GB DDR3 Ram
- 100MBit Down/Up
So there shouldn't be any problems there.
Base Classes Modified:
- GuiAchievment(MCP) ~ This contains a single line to allow drawing over any interface or in game by the mod. (For popups, messages etc.)
- Gui(MCP) ~ This contains a small mod which will allow the mod to receive mouse/keyboard input inside interfaces such as the main menu, inventory screen etc.
Screenshots of the look & feel of the popups:
An example of how popups will stack beneath each other (Ignore blankness)
Examples of buttons being interactive in the main menu (Notice that this operates in every possible interface, just not in game as the mouse isn't movable)
Hovering over a button =)
When a button is pressed on(but not released yet!)
Woot, cant wait till this mod comes out hope i can get on the closed beta list. And do you want us to send you the PMs now or when the Closed Beta is released?
A suggestion I think would be neat is if you could color your messages and have smileys :biggrin.gif:!
Woot, cant wait till this mod comes out hope i can get on the closed beta list. And do you want us to send you the PMs now or when the Closed Beta is released?
A suggestion I think would be neat is if you could color your messages and have smileys :biggrin.gif:!
Send me a PM beforehand, also refer you're friends to this thread so you will have people to talk to =)
I'm surprised Notch hasn't implemented something like this himself yet, really looking forward to this mod.
A feature that would be awesome to see is some minor form of text formatting, even just changing the colour of text would be great. I noticed you mentioned something about custom or customizing font which is awesome as well. Doesn't this mean you will need to alter or add some textures though?
You should add features like joining the server that your friend is on or if your on that server, teleporting to them.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Recycler mod! Made a pickaxe too many? No material for a sword and night is coming? Get you bally materials back from useless objects to make others! Click this link! Recycler mod!
I'm surprised Notch hasn't implemented something like this himself yet, really looking forward to this mod.
A feature that would be awesome to see is some minor form of text formatting, even just changing the colour of text would be great. I noticed you mentioned something about custom or customizing font which is awesome as well. Doesn't this mean you will need to alter or add some textures though?
Well with the text, I've set it up so that I can easily add custom "chat commands" if you will. So yes I could add smileys, or special images, or links, or whathaveyou...
As far as textures are concerned, as long as your Operating System has the True Type Font it will need no such thing (The engine creates it's own texture like a boss). If not the font will be included as a backup with the mod.
You should add features like joining the server that your friend is on or if your on that server, teleporting to them.
It sounds like a nice idea, but I think doing so would probably run into more problems then solve. None the less if it works for some should be worth looking into. Thanks for the idea!
Well with the text, I've set it up so that I can easily add custom "chat commands" if you will. So yes I could add smileys, or special images, or links, or whathaveyou...
As far as textures are concerned, as long as your Operating System has the True Type Font it will need no such thing (The engine creates it's own texture like a boss). If not the font will be included as a backup with the mod.
It sounds like a nice idea, but I think doing so would probably run into more problems then solve. None the less if it works for some should be worth looking into. Thanks for the idea!
No problem, just can't wait till it comes out.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Recycler mod! Made a pickaxe too many? No material for a sword and night is coming? Get you bally materials back from useless objects to make others! Click this link! Recycler mod!
Uploaded a few screenshots of how the Popup System is going to look, give me some feedback!
Ohh, the UI is nice and sleek :smile.gif:. I think the Popup System looks great, is that where our conversations will appear as well? Also, do you know how you are planning on handling multiple conversations? Will it be tabs or will another box open up for additional conversations, and any plans for group chats with more than two people?
So long as the animation runs smoothly I think it'll look great as well, though I assume the animation quality will depend on the processing power of the computer.
You mentioned an official website for the McChat service, do you have any plans for what features will be on the website?
And finally, some suggestions. I think it'd be awesome to have underneath the persons name in a friends list type thing what they are doing in Minecraft. For example:
Notch
In the Main Menu
John Doe
Playing Singleplayer on New World
Jane Doe
Playing Multiplayer on Minecraft Server (Server name based on the one they have entered, if it's a direct connect just the IP?)
Bob
Offline
Another useful thing to have would be offline, online, away, do not disturb indicators.
Thanks to those of you who read the post and actually gave feedback about the idea... It won't come out for a while though, still under heavy development (But progressing awesomely!)
Recycler mod! Made a pickaxe too many? No material for a sword and night is coming? Get you bally materials back from useless objects to make others! Click this link! Recycler mod!
Changelog:
- Away from home
19-20 October, 2011:
- Semi lazy day, did some minor tweaks and bugfixes
18 October, 2011:
- Finished basis for displaying popups!
- Created and finalized basic Button and Label components
- Finished popup animations: Slides in from the left, then flows upwards; displaying behind any static popups(Don't disappear until something is done)
- Upload some screenshots
17 October, 2011:
- Worked on popup system some more, finishing all the animations.
16 October, 2011:
- Interactive/Informal dynamic popup system started
- Custom font engine reworked for more dynamic-ability
14/15 October, 2011:
- Mod development started
- Basic server created
- Full server capabilities almost finished off (Missing disconnections)
- Client side networking complete
- Template look & feel for UI finished
- UI System implemented for 100% custom True Type Fonts to be used <-- First to do so?
- Communication between server/clients stabilized
What is McChat?
Ever made some friends on a new server you played on, or an old server, then joined another server or decided to play some SSP afterwards and wanted to still be able to talk to those friends you've made without having to be on that specific server to? Well be frustrated no longer! McChat is a mod that will act as Minecraft's very own friend system. Through McChat you will be able to send friend request's to any player with a purchased Minecraft account; from then once they accept you as a friend no matter what you may be doing in Minecraft you will have the ability to chat to them through McChat. Even from the main menu!
How will my McChat account be registered and protected?
This is a difficult topic, as anyone can log in to Minecraft under anyone's account name. Henceforth I've decided that there will be a one time registration process (in game) in which you will be required to authenticate a purchased Minecraft account(One time per account), from there you will finish the registration process by creating a McChat account which you will be able to use to log in from any computer, using any (or no) account name. Your McChat account may then be managed from either in-game or on it's website. I would especially like feedback on this system, give me your comments!
How compatible will this be with other Mods?
I am going to aim for this to be 99.9% compatible with other mods, using no external resources and hopefully just a single class modification (Achievements Gui). I mean, who would use a chat mod if it didn't have extremely flexible compatibility? >.>
How will the Mod be updated?
Seeing as this mod will only require a fairly small sized server, I will most likely be able to live updates. This means that downtime will be almost non-existent in exception of core server updates. After a patch is applied to the server I will have it automatically stream updates to all clients currently connected to McChat. From there, depending on the update it may either be applied LIVE(NO RESTARTING MC WOOHOO!), or once again it may need an external updater while Minecraft isn't running depending on whether it is a content or core systems patch.
What kind of features can we expect to be in this Mod?
Well, this is something I want YOU guys to decide. Something like this can only judged by how well it serves it's target audience. Of course I will have basic features by default such as: Whispers(Without added), Adding/Removing friends, Multiple Player Chats(Chat channels), Ignoring, Reporting, what else? Tell me.
When will the mod be testable?
I cannot give a specific date as production has just begun but I wouldn't say it would take more than a few weeks depending on how much time I'm able to spend on it. I can say though that I've done networking projects such as this multiple times in multiple languages and will be able to essentially copy and paste a lot of efficient code which will speed things up dramatically without effecting the overall quality of the work(for the worse).
How will the mod be tested?
I will be doing a closed beta for this specific mod, so if you wish to be put on the beta list you're going to have to do two things:
1. Post a comment / a suggestion / some feedback on this thread.
2. Send me a private message on the forums requesting an invitation to the closed beta.
3. Await a confirmation of your post.
4. Await for a personal message which will contain a beta key and link to download.
5. Test out the Mod and report bugs!
How will the systems be hosted?
The server(s) will be hosted on a dedicated server which I will be hijacking off my friend seeing as he doesn't use it for jack all, so you will not need to be worrying about any downtime whatsoever. This is in exception of updates.
If memory serves me right the specs are:
- Intel i3 3.2ghz quad core
- 2/4GB DDR3 Ram
- 100MBit Down/Up
So there shouldn't be any problems there.
Base Classes Modified:
- GuiAchievment(MCP) ~ This contains a single line to allow drawing over any interface or in game by the mod. (For popups, messages etc.)
- Gui(MCP) ~ This contains a small mod which will allow the mod to receive mouse/keyboard input inside interfaces such as the main menu, inventory screen etc.
Screenshots of the look & feel of the popups:
An example of how popups will stack beneath each other (Ignore blankness)
Examples of buttons being interactive in the main menu (Notice that this operates in every possible interface, just not in game as the mouse isn't movable)
Hovering over a button =)
When a button is pressed on(but not released yet!)
PLEASE POST FEEDBACK!
A suggestion I think would be neat is if you could color your messages and have smileys :biggrin.gif:!
Send me a PM beforehand, also refer you're friends to this thread so you will have people to talk to =)
Text, though voice could possibly come later I'm not sure if the dedi the server would be hosted on would have the bandwidth to host that.
Or you can tell them now so that they can signup for a BETA Key?
I5 3570k, HD7970, 8GB 1600 RAM, 60GB SSD 3x 1TB HDD, Corsair H60.
A feature that would be awesome to see is some minor form of text formatting, even just changing the colour of text would be great. I noticed you mentioned something about custom or customizing font which is awesome as well. Doesn't this mean you will need to alter or add some textures though?
Well with the text, I've set it up so that I can easily add custom "chat commands" if you will. So yes I could add smileys, or special images, or links, or whathaveyou...
As far as textures are concerned, as long as your Operating System has the True Type Font it will need no such thing (The engine creates it's own texture like a boss). If not the font will be included as a backup with the mod.
It sounds like a nice idea, but I think doing so would probably run into more problems then solve. None the less if it works for some should be worth looking into. Thanks for the idea!
No problem, just can't wait till it comes out.
Ohh, the UI is nice and sleek :smile.gif:. I think the Popup System looks great, is that where our conversations will appear as well? Also, do you know how you are planning on handling multiple conversations? Will it be tabs or will another box open up for additional conversations, and any plans for group chats with more than two people?
So long as the animation runs smoothly I think it'll look great as well, though I assume the animation quality will depend on the processing power of the computer.
You mentioned an official website for the McChat service, do you have any plans for what features will be on the website?
And finally, some suggestions. I think it'd be awesome to have underneath the persons name in a friends list type thing what they are doing in Minecraft. For example:
Notch
In the Main Menu
John Doe
Playing Singleplayer on New World
Jane Doe
Playing Multiplayer on Minecraft Server (Server name based on the one they have entered, if it's a direct connect just the IP?)
Bob
Offline
Another useful thing to have would be offline, online, away, do not disturb indicators.
Notch
John Doe
Jane Doe
Bob
= Offline
= Online
= Away
= Do not disturb
(When is it available?)