Project version guide for begginers

[Khaikaa]

Hi everybody, today I'm showing you one way(not the best way) for setting the version of your intersect project. If you are a begginer and don't know if your project is an alpha/beta/final version, just follow this guide.

 

But, first of all... why should I set a version to my project?

 

Well... you know how complete is your game, if it is playable or not, how many hours of enjoyment can it offer at a certain momment... but others don't. If I don't know you or your project and I try your game... if its empty/bugged... I may leave it and never come back if nothing warns me that it is still on an early release. How can I, a random player, know if your project looks exactly how you want or if it is still being developed? And how can I know what to expect if I know that your project is under development but nobody tells me how much had you work on it? Version is the solution to all these questions.

 

 So, lets begin. As intersect is a very complete engine, regular intersect mmos have this 4 main tasks:

 

 - Configuration(classes and stats, damage formulas, npcs definition, spells definition...)

 - Mapping(creating the playable areas)

 - Eventing(interactuable characters, game mechanics, quests...)

 - Bug fixing(solving the shit you did wrong so nobody hates you)

 

 Which format will we follow? This one: vA.B.C.D

 

 Where:

 D represents menor changes/add ons

 C represents small changes/add ons

 B represents big changes/add ons

 A represents great changes/add ons

 

So the v.0.4.2.1 represents a little updated version of v0.4.2.0 while v1.7.2.0 represents a huge updated version of it.

 

The first thing ALL projects need is the basic configuration, which may be just editing the config.json file of both client and server. This is done in order to set te very basics for the game.

 

So, after you finish that basic configuration... yay! Your project is now at v0.0.0.1! Still not playable, but different than a new project.

 

After that, we'll be following the same pattern:

Mapping, eventing, configuration, mapping, eventing, configuration... and so on.

 

What is the idea behind this pattern? Making little but playable game portions. Dont map your whole game before configuring and eventing it, if you do so your project probably won't go so far. Why? I don't know, maybe mapping is fun and configurating/eventing not and makers get bored? Who knows, but these projects usually die young.

 

So lets say that you want your project to be a group of islands where players can travel and discover new places:

 

First of all, you map the first playable are of the first island, then you add the eventing(maybe a tutorial with a quest and some villagers?) And then you do the configuration(so everything fits well with the experience of the player at that point).

 

After you finish the mapping... yay! First playable area is done! You do some testing in order to see if it was mapped correctly, fix some mistakes and done! We did a step, so now we are on v0.0.0.2! Then, you add the best tutorial ever with the funiest characters in the world, another step! You now test everything and see that one character doesn't display the dialogue correctly, you fix that and done! Now you are on v0.0.0.3! Finally, you set the experience the player can earn and the items the player can find and use. You test it and just relized that your sword is too powerfull, so you fix that and... Excelent! v0.0.0.4, baby! Now, finally, we give a final testing, fix a bit bugs and we are done!

 

Please, note that the bugfixing didn't change the project version. Why? Well, this bug fixing is not a bug fixing really, you are just developing things and did some mistakes, but you realized just in time before you release them, so 0 importance.

 

So lets start again with the next area, a forest for example. We repeat the process, so after you finish everything your project will be in v0.0.0.7! And the next area, a beach, is also done! We are on v0.0.0.10!!!

 

Finally, after so much work, you finish the first island. Your first complete playable area! Thats an enormous step, so feel proud, because you are now at v0.0.1.0!

 

The game is not ready to be public but you want some friends to test what you did so far. Congratulations! You have your first alpha version!

 

But wait... your friends found a bug you never imaginated that could be possible! Ok, that needs to be fixed, but we already show the v0.0.1.0, if we change something and keep the name players may not realize that you fixed that, so this time we count the bug fixing and your game is now at v0.0.1.1.

 

And now... timd to start the next island! We repeat the process and we finish it, so now we are on v0.0.2.0! And after that you add another island, so v0.0.3.0!

 

Finally, you add all the islands of that archipelago. That whole world is complete! There is enough content for players to have fun so you open it to the public. Your game is a beta in v0.1.0.0.

 

What now? Well, you have so many new ideas, like adding a new continent. Lets start a new world!

 

Finally, after adding 2 new whole worlds, you are on v0.3.0.0 and you feel that the gane is at the state you wanted to. You openly release it to the public as a stable version. Congratulations! V1.0.0.0 reached!

 

And now... what? Well... you like your game, but somebody tells you 'hey, it would be great if in your game you could go underwater". Hmmm... a new idea full of possibilities! New underwater worlds, mechanics... road to v2.0.0.0?

 

I hope this helps you!