DLC and Apps

Top8media
I am digging Quest - but before I jump in there are still a few questions.

1. If I make an app, how hard is it relative to other quest scripting tasks? (i.e. I feel confident that libraries are within reach of my rusty JS skills)

2. Can I easily drop in new content for an expansion / do DLC in some way for an app? I have confidence on doing this for standard quest before it needs to be converted for phonegap.

3. How feasible is it to bundle for a standalone PC distribution? I am assuming that once I have a stable version post conversion to JS + HTML it is standalone client side on PC?

All feedback is greatly appreciated. Please don't spare detail - I will ask if something goes over my head :)

george
I don't think DLC has been done for Quest. The main question will be do you package it as a new game, or as a file that you load into an existing game. If as a new game, does the old game save out a data file that the new game reads in. And how does this all work with web play. I could be wrong but i think this is all uncharted territory, but doable.

For PC standalone, you'll have to bundle it yourself since Quest doesn't produce an exe. Quest will make a game file that's playable with the PC version of Quest, but I think the player has to have that installed, or you need to create the whole download.

It seems like it should be possible to have a stripped down version of Quest, just the player and not the game editor, but I'm not sure if anyone has done that.

I appreciate you posting about this Top8, because one of my goals for this year is to have a clear process for things like this. So I'd be happy to join forces to do what needs to be done so everyone can then use this process in the future. But I'm a relatively new user like yourself, so hopefully some of the more veteran Questers and/or Alex will chime in here.

Top8media
I have 4 weeks of school left - after that why don't we start this as some sort of a community project. I am sure Alex would be happy to see an app / desktop framework developed.

It will be great for me as I'll learn the deeper intricacies of Quest as we go.

tlk
I feel bad posting here because, while I'd love to pitch in, my entire programming experience is within Quest and so I will be of absolutely no help, but I would be really psyched to see this happen. The main game I'm working on has turned into a massive RPG epic (been at it for a few months and still on the prologue section of a three-act story...heh) and I'd love to be able to bundle and distribute it for people to play offline without a mandatory Quest install when it's done...or if it ever gets that far.

At the very least I will totally cheer people more competent than myself on in the endeavor. :D

Top8media
No worries on being inexperienced - I haven't coded in about 8 years. Not in any serious capacity anyway - a bit of JS for simple web sites doesn't count. Its my second time in Uni and this time its Business school.

People with Quest experience will have insight I think. From what I can glean ... a game gets converted via the open source converter but the JS+HTML is messy coming out. The work required is at this step, provided we can't develop a set of pre-converter best practices that helps. So, this summer we could do something like:

A - Develop a set of best practices for building a game in quest that converts as well as possible

B - Document the issues with cleaning up the code post-conversion for an App (pre-phone gap)

C - Document a process for packaging a PC Desktop version of the JS+HTML that is output (seems logical that we clean up the code already for phonegap, so this might be the best way to get a Javascript based PC application?)

@George - I like the idea of a stripped down version of unity.

D - Develop a set of best practices for easily adding content somewhere along the line post conversion (I am thinking we want to work with code once to update both the desktop and mobile apps - avoid working on multuple forks separately as much as possible though inveitably the desktop and app UX will probably mean some differences and thus double work.)

This is just off the top of my head. I don't think we need to change Quest at all - just learn and document the process of what we want to do. Doing it as quickly and efficiently as possible is the goal, of course, so this front end work would produce a guide that facilitates that goal.

EDIT: If we can't pull off true DLC we can just use versioning and expand each version with new content. Personally, I want to do closed code approaches - so I also need to figure out at least adequate ways of doing secure registration. I want to earn money by selling good games at great prices.

The agile development possible with quest is really exciting me these last few days. I am also working on an RPG so working out some really good common libraries that build on the excellent work already here would be great too. Gets all of us to market faster.

Part of the point of really understanding the process is to make Kaizen possible - continuous incremental improvement to meet/exceed high quality standards. So the versioning approach not only allows expansion, it allows good QC. Ideally, the process also controls costs and preserves the capability of novice coders to produce quality finished digital goods.

george
That all sounds like what I was thinking, so I'm on board.

It's funny that you mention Unity (though obviously that was a typo). I assume you've been looking at Unity as another platform to use, I'm wondering what the pros/cons are for it vs. Quest for the project you want?

Top8media
Haha - mental slip. I have a Unity game in mind for a longer term project but I chose Quest to get back my scripting skills and release something this summer (even if its an Alpha).

My unity game is similar - a story and adventure driven rpg. So the resources my group and I have so far fit with the Quest idea.

Unity also does JS so I can port stuff later on. Quest however... Is looking like much more than an interim platform. I had planned a series of releases in Unity over the long term but IF may end up being a very important thing for me. In terms of RPG goodness there is very little quest cannot do.

Great to have you with us!

I have some fellow students helping me on and off at UOttawa... They are gonna be stoked!

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