[silhouette]

Edi, your databases are really helpful and I have used them a lot. However, I don't see how the use model for your databases and a pretender database are very similar. My impression is that yours will be more static data like documentation, being updated if additions are found or with new schemas or new categories of data. I imagine a pretender database might start small and continue to add value as it grows as a more dynamic thing, and a place for different opinion and style to be expressed, not just the game facts. It probably would be over the line to make a full pretender-editor interface, and my preference is still to just use uploading of newlords files. When someone finishes a good game, they can just go to a website, click Upload and select their "abyssia.2h", put in a few comments, and done. Maybe I am not visualizing your plans as you are.


Gandalf, hi, thanks for your response and the generous hosting offer. I think a wiki could be a good way to capture commentary and discussion on such a website. I remember I have looked at your projects page before when using your random maps, and the starter files one already has the full set of pretender files already? So what you would like is an all-human game setup on Ornaia or somesuch, with some commentary and results file every X turns or so?

Also, I would be really glad if we "only" had people submit a couple dozen suggested newbie gods and settings, with some commentary! I guess after someone has used 'one of their best designs' in a full MP game, almost every aspect has been found out anyway. Remember things like that supercombatant contest held last year? Where can those designs be seen and downloaded? Nowhere, just the replays probably... so put them in the database. Make it an annual thing, like a corewar tournament. Make it easier than having to remember and say, "I think I used an A4W2E3S7D3 Ghost king with high Magic scales and wiz. tower, or something like that", in a forum.

Probably you also will appreciate one of the big advantages to having an online pret. database: SP games can be more exciting! We can make an option to download a random pretender entry matching some critera, and these can be used to start SP games with. I think playing the AI when it uses good player-designed pretenders is more challenging than the computer generated ones. I have tried making my own sets of gods to pick from, but it can take a lot of extra work.


I can also come up with hosting space and mysql space for it, but I am no web content creation expert, and I can't make much time available to set things up. After spending 12hr days at work programming, the thought of coming home and committing to write more code just makes me ill. Surely there are some gurus out there who would like to try and whip up something?

Maybe we are too close to a D3 release and everyone is just in a holding pattern waiting to see what comes. I'm guessing (hoping?) there will be options to build and save pretenders locally in D3, but I don't know if that will make it more or less likely for people to participate in sharing.


Thanks for your responses and suggestions,

Sill