Tuesday, January 27, 2009

What next? Code or Design?

At this point in the project I am ready to start getting my hands dirty. Ideas are running rampant throughout my head, and the game is consuming my thoughts whenever I have a free moment. I can start designing the graphical layout of my game, or I can begin coding.

I prefer to create my design around my content, rather than my content around my design, so I will begin coding. What sense would it be to create a wonderful layout, only to find out that it doesn't quite match the content I am outputting to my HTML templates. I'll play it safe.

Logically, the best thing to start coding is a login/authentication system. Oh wait, Google already handles that for me! If you have a Gmail account, you can start playing my game.

Just as an aside, GAE does not require you to use their user auth system, and it also does not require users to have a Gmail account. It merely lays that out as an option, and a very good one, too. I will be utilizing this by choice. In order to play Vile War, you must have a Gmail account. This will all interface very nicely into my user creation page, so it will really be no different than signing up for any other game, except that if you already have a Gmail account, you don't have to create a user.
With user creation, login, and auth handled by GAE, I can focus on creating Leaders and Clans. A Leader is the representation of the player. Leaders will have a number of characteristics, most of which are consistent with most RPGs (name, stats, skills, etc.). When creating the Leader, an alliance must also be chosen. This will essentially be a matter of choosing a deity to align with. Once this is done, all necessary error checking must be done to ensure that the Leader is able to be created. In no specific order, some of the error checking involves:

  • The name chosen doesn't already exist.
  • The name chosen contains legal characters (Letters, spaces).
  • The name chosen meets the required length requirements (2-20 characters).
  • The user hasn't already created a Leader.
  • The user is logged into his Gmail account.

Once this is done, the Leader must create his Clan. This is just a matter of choosing a name. Error checking similar to that above will be done.

I actually did this prior to writing this update, but that isn't so important to know. Now Leaders and Clans can be created, but they are entering a world of vast nothingness. I must create my world!

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