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tex
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tex

Post by tex » Thu Apr 12, 2012 08:38

tex here. Years ago, when I was in college, I was the only guy from Texas, so I think I picked the Unix user name 'tex' for myself. I've sort of hung on to it, even though I live elsewhere in the United States these days.

I wandered on to wtactics.org because I was having some nostalgia about Magic: The Gathering. I want to play a CCG-style game with my friends, but I'm openly hostile to the CCG business model these days, you see. Googling for "open source tcg" landed me here.

I've played a lot of other games of all kinds. I think I've done more D&D than anything else, but I'm also a big fan of the high-end board game market, sort of the German-style or Eurogames thing. Interestingly I tried to play a couple of CCGs before they got remade, Star Trek and Middle Earth.

Once upon a time I played a lot of video and computer games, but lately console gaming is too Hollywood and computer games have just plain died. Wesnoth has a special place in my heart though; I think I've been playing it off and on since 0.7. So, I'm intrigued by the notion of Wesnoth source material getting into a CCG.

I have to say, this WTactics business appeals to me because I had the same idea for tabletop roleplaying a few years ago, regarding copyleft/open source and games. It never went anywhere, but I finished a Beta edition. That and a tabletop strategy game of mine is on my website:

http://zuggers.org/

I haven't updated that stuff in quite some time, but it'll give you an insight into my "gaming brain" I think.
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Q_x
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Re: tex

Post by Q_x » Thu Apr 12, 2012 17:42

Hi Tom!

It's really nice to see you. Even nicer it is to know you've joined "the revolution" years ago.
Take a look around, try to feel comfy.
We - when I write this, I mean mostly snowdrop - have just ended a major overhaul after an infection - resulting in ceasing our blog for a long time, probably also morale loss, and until recently - no new faces arriving.
We're waiting for Cardscape to start with the real deal - that is card creation, in the meanwhile we're tackling some minor tasks, currently we're working on general abilities for our creatures.

I can't recall when I last saw RPG set in (La)TeX, thumbs up for the clean feel.
I'm the filthy bastard you wish you never met.
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snowdrop
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Re: tex

Post by snowdrop » Thu Apr 12, 2012 18:16

Howdy Tex & welcome.

Read a couple of pages of ORP... amazing work and dedication from your side! I hope you've posted it to boardgamegeek and more RPG-oriented forums/wikis.
I wandered on to wtactics.org because I was having some nostalgia about Magic: The Gathering. I want to play a CCG-style game with my friends, but I'm openly hostile to the CCG business model these days, you see. Googling for "open source tcg" landed me here.
+1. The business model that has conventionally been used by CCG/TCG companies is horrific for many reasons outlined in our wiki.

It is also what pushed me away from continuing investing time & money in MtG and other commercial CCG:s: I knew it would always take an investment to stay competetive and renewed, or that the game would probably perish within 1-3 years when it couldn't compete against the few titans around, leaving me with cards that lost all their monetary worth and a dead scene.

WTactics isn't anywhere done yet, but if you want to join the dev. process and speed it up plus insure a good game is really created then this is an opportunity ad we sure need the manpower. I think we're safe to say you seem exprienced of game dev. and that we'd benefit from your participation.
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Re: tex

Post by The Other » Thu Apr 12, 2012 19:41

Hi!

I'm new here too, it's nice to know that I'm not the only non-project-creatorwho's interested in this!
I had a glance at Orp and Galaktikos - Orp looks kind of similar to a system I came up with a while back (in as far as it has zero-average Body/Mind/Spirit stats), but WOW you made a lot more effort than I did!

*Wheels turn in brain*
I wonder if Galaktikos could work as a mod for Battle for Wesnoth...?
I think it's doable, the engine can theoretically do almost anything that uses a hex-grid and is turn-based...tricky code though as every aspect of play is different...hmmm...a job for a L O N G rainy day I think!

Back on-topic, WOOHOO I'm not the new guy any more! Welcome!
tex
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Re: tex

Post by tex » Sun Apr 15, 2012 03:15

Hello everyone, and thanks so much for the warm welcome. :) I'm glad the server issues have been resolved; I was worried the project was sorta ailing and I'm glad it seems to be healing now.
Q_x wrote:We're waiting for Cardscape to start with the real deal - that is card creation, in the meanwhile we're tackling some minor tasks, currently we're working on general abilities for our creatures.
Okay, is there a list of things to do someplace? I think I looked around for an issue tracker like bugzilla or the like but didn't find anything.
Q_x wrote:I can't recall when I last saw RPG set in (La)TeX, thumbs up for the clean feel.

Code: Select all

\begin{admission} Honestly, I'm pretty sure the command line ruined me for life.  Some days I get irritated at \emph{firefox} for being too gui.
:mrgreen:

snowdrop wrote:Read a couple of pages of ORP... amazing work and dedication from your side! I hope you've posted it to boardgamegeek and more RPG-oriented forums/wikis.
Honestly, it hasn't been playtested. I have no idea if the wacky timing system is functional at the gaming table. Right now I'm stalled on that actually, having a real test of the system. But maybe the BGG people can help with that, I never even thought of it . . . hmm.

I think we're safe to say you seem exprienced of game dev. and that we'd benefit from your participation.
Well, an endorsement from the project lead is a good thing! Thanks so much; I'll do what I can.
The Other wrote:I had a glance at Orp and Galaktikos - Orp looks kind of similar to a system I came up with a while back (in as far as it has zero-average Body/Mind/Spirit stats) . . .
Have you ever played the tri-stat system? Honestly that's who I st--er, borrowed the idea from. :P

Regarding Galaktikos as a wesnoth mod or total conversion . . . man, that's a lot of work. I'd rather do it up in VASSAL or something that's really made for the purpose.
Back on-topic, WOOHOO I'm not the new guy any more! Welcome!
FNG reporting for duty, SIR! :lol:
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Q_x
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Re: tex

Post by Q_x » Sun Apr 15, 2012 14:03

Things to do are kept more or less in our heads, and every urgent/major/community task was mentioned on our blog, which is now missing all the history:
working on abilities
thinking about new cards and related ideas - from what I remember we were working on Red Banner before ditching old version of Cardscape, and Gaian were more or less test-ready (http://wtactics.org/wiki/index.php?title=Gaia_Cards ).
fixing whatever we feel that may need fixing
and, as always, correcting wiki
If you feel like it, you may also join one of software projects.I'm not a coder, nor good at writing, so I only provide feedback when asked.

I'm also spoiled a bit with commandline, I miss using Linux day-to-day really badly.
I'm the filthy bastard you wish you never met.
tex
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Re: tex

Post by tex » Sun Apr 15, 2012 16:57

Q_x wrote:Things to do are kept more or less in our heads . . .
This is my kneejerk reaction:

Image

As the project grows, an issue tracker, or something, is going to become more and more necessary. There's another todo I can claim for myself if folks think it'd be worth it.
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snowdrop
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Re: tex

Post by snowdrop » Tue Apr 17, 2012 19:05

Okay, is there a list of things to do someplace? I think I looked around for an issue tracker like bugzilla or the like but didn't find anything.
There is none. We tried to use one a couple of times but the tasks are often hard to write down/be expressed (which is strange..) and since only me and Q_x have been doing the main template/rules/art-handling/site-work there hasn't been a real need.

If you guys are up for it we can give it another shot. Maybe use trac, by registering a "fake" project at SF?
aspidites
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Re: tex

Post by aspidites » Tue Apr 17, 2012 20:04

snowdrop wrote: If you guys are up for it we can give it another shot. Maybe use trac, by registering a "fake" project at SF?
Please, no. I'm all up for tracking issues, but I think something less intricate as trac would suffice. I'm trying to be brief, so I'll not list my arguments for stating such here (unless prodded).

[damn it, my thoughts are bleeding into the realms of three active forum topics]

I think the best thing to do is evaluate our current situation meticulously. I can't help but think the current work flow is rather cumbersome. If we could streamline our tools, I think it would reduce maintenence costs, which would in-turn reduce the amount of introductory material we need to generate for new-comers, which would intuitively reduce the barrier-to-entry for submitting contributions (whatever that might mean).

I have a few thoughts about the matter, and I'll be posting a thread in regards to it soon.
tex
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Re: tex

Post by tex » Wed Apr 18, 2012 09:46

I suggest we continue this discussion somewhere outside my HELLO MY NAME IS TEX thread. : ]
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