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ProfKrazyIvan
07/09/2003, 23:00
Hello all!

I am posting because I am looking for help. I am currently starting a project to play Clix online through a stand alone program. I have noticed many problems with all the Flash-based "games" out there and think that this will work a bit better. The game itself will work and be of the scale of a standard league game. My goal is that eventually, every player will have an account (which will most likely be free, however, I am not entirely sure as of yet. If there is a fee, it would be something really minor, like $10 a year or something, just to help with upkeep).

I am planning on setting up the league in the following way:
1) Players will have collections that will grow through the use of "virtual boosters" and "virtual starters". These will be set up to evenly and fairly distribute figures among players. My goal is to make it as close to getting real boosters as possible.
2) When a player registers and activates an account, s/he will recieve a starter and 4 boosters (from the set of their choice). The other nice thing is that you can get a starter in whatever set you want. You want a Clobberin' Time starter? No problem.
3) Boosters and starters will be "purchasable" through the use of "Clix winnings". The CW's will be won in authorized games (a game set up with the league) and can also be purchased with real money (something along the lines of "$1 = 5 CW points"). The CW points are then redeemed at the league "store" for boosters and starters and can be used to "purchase" LEs and figures from other users.
4) "LEs" will be given out as prizes at online tournaments that players can sign up for. We will try to utilize a system that offers a fair method of distributing LEs.
5) All game types currently used will be accepted. There will be "sealed booster" games as well as "personal collection" games. "Sealed booster" games will use the CW point system to "purchase" boosters for you to play with. There will also be a method by which you can play (even if you don't have the CW points to "purchase" the boosters) and you only keep the figures if you win. I hope to encourage play with this method, as I know several people who only get into sealed booster tournaments every so often since they don't really have the money to play all the time.
6) Players will also be allowed to "purchase" sealed booster cases, if they wish and have the points. They will contain 48 boosters and a gauranteed 8 U's. They will not be set up the same as boosters (you won't just be credited with 48 booster purchases, as that could lead to having more or less than 8 Us in a case).

Overall, my goal is to create an online community as close to the real community as possible. I wish to make playing online as accurate as possible. The program itself will also take some work to get set up properly. The program will have the following features/specs:
1) All game functions and features will be taken care of within the program itself. No more trying to get line of sight or distances or what not. None of the tedious aspects of the game, only the fun stuff.
2) The program will be upgradable, so that you can add sets and maps easily. My goal is to make it possible for people to create their own maps to use and to distribute them on a main league web site.
3) The program will store and keep track of your collection, adding the figures you win/trade/purchase and removing things you get rid of for whatever reason.
4) The program will have a built-in trading system between players. I would perfer to keep this to a trading situation, but alas, many times, like in the real world, trading will not get you what you need and you need to purchase what you need. So, overall, I will allow for "selling" but it will be CW points only. As that does not really seem to matter since, for the most part you can purchase points with real money, it will at least keep things a bit more fair.

My ultimate goal is to make it possible for people all over the world to play in with a "real world" atmosphere to it. However, this post is not just to inform people of what I wish to accomplish but rather, to find persons willing to help me accomplish my goal. You will all be compensated when we get this up. Everyone who helps on this, once the league is established, will be part owner (I will work out specifics of that later, regarding ownership and profit sharing and such). Also, those who help will recieve 3 full sets within the league. That means, when your account is activated, you will already have 3 full sets of figures to play with in "personal collection" games and tourneys. I offer this only to those who help me create my dream.

To the specifics of what I am looking for. I am in need of several people (not sure exactly how many, but preferably about 4). I need people who can program in Visual Basic 6.0 (not difficult, I know, but still a much needed requirement). I also need someone who can set up a web site that would include CGI scripts to handle most of the work, regarding logging in to the system on the user name, updating collections, setting up games and such. I also need people adept at working with databases, perhaps MySQL or Access databases. Not entirely such which to use. I am also looking for someone with some artistic skill to help with the design and UI of the program. This person should be able to use Photoshop to make an attempt at creating pieces that can be moved around. The detail can be discussed later.

This is what I am looking for and I hope that some of you out there will be able to help me with this. I know it is a rather daunting task, but imagine what Clix playing would be like once it is finished. I also hope to be able to get a bit of support out of Wizkids, once this is all done. Perhaps financial support for running it or whatever? Also, in the end, perhaps implementing a version to use MK and MW stuff. But that is in the distant future, as I personally only collect and play Heroclix.

For those who have read this and are interested, please contact me at krazyivan@cracked-rock.com or PM me for more information. You can also reach me at ProfNightcrawler on AIM and KrazyIvan@cracked-rock.com on MSN Messenger. Sorry, I do not use Yahoo Messenger or ICQ.

Thanks to those who have read this to the end and I thank anyone interested in advance, for I know it seems like a lot to be asking. However, I think we will all benefit and enjoy it once this is done. Thank you again.

- Ivan

flagg
07/10/2003, 02:48
Huh!

Looks like we were thinking along the same lines... check out the thread I started Tuesday...

http://hcrealms.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=51892

I was thinking flash, you are thinking VB, but basically we are talking about very similar systems. (I didn't talk about virtual boosters, but it is something that was rattling around in the back of my mind). :)

Have you thought about any of the logic yet?

ProfKrazyIvan
07/10/2003, 13:58
Logic? you mean to let someone play alone? cuz I was just envisioning a two-player game. Sends the information back and forth through Winsock controls. Using a special string that I would work out to contain the information of movement and attacks and such. That would take care of the actual mechanics of the game. As for setting it up, I would imagine that it would be possible to store the current IP of a player on the server when they log in. I would not be able to use cookies for things, since I would need the current IP address and most ISPs use Dynamic IPs. But that shouldn't be a problem, cuz then the program just goes onto the server and grabs the current IP of your opponent and uses that to try to make the connection. For the most part, I have thought out almost all of what I need to do and how to do it. I just need help actually doing it. If you are interested, we could talk more in depth on AIM or whatever. Let me know.

- Ivan

flagg
07/10/2003, 17:11
PM'd you. :)

NateTG
07/10/2003, 17:42
If you're charging money for anything like this, you should probably expect correspondence from the WK legal department.

That said, I was thinking along the lines of generated images, and state stored on the server so the proggy can be run using straight http stuff. Since the rules are relatively simple, later versions can probably include some degree of rule enforcement.

A better approach would be to create a HClix protocol and then program clients and servers. (Java might be a good choice here.)

This type of project would be simpler if there weren't any optional powers, PC or wildcards, but that's life.

Ando
07/10/2003, 18:08
that sounds awesome but the scope of this project is daunting indeed. If you need a play-tester let me know :) (though I doubt those will be in short supply)

zapdos
07/10/2003, 21:52
Hey Prof. I think what you want to do rules! But why not make it so like two people can be on one computer and play two different games at once.

Spyder's Web
07/15/2003, 20:37
Sounds like an awesome idea! How's about an update.

ProfKrazyIvan
07/15/2003, 21:13
Well, I suppose an update is in order. I am currently working on putting all the information for all the figures into a Microsoft Access Database. I have come up with a way for encoding each click of information for each figure and it looks easy enough to make it all work. I believe that I will be finished with this part of the project in about two or three days (probably by like Friday or so ... as I work overnight).

Once this current step is completed, I will be able to start work on the engine itself, though I have no clue how long that will take. Like I said, it would be really nice to have some help on this project for this reason, but I understand if no one wants to get involved. Anyways, that is where things stand now. So, I will update probably on Friday to say where things have gotten.

- Ivan

Spyder's Web
07/16/2003, 11:05
Thanks, I wish I could help, but I only have a very basic knowledge of HTML, so I can't help you much. Any who can, HELP THIS GUY OUT!

flagg
07/16/2003, 11:40
I have a tab-delimited file I compiled of all the figures, which I've used to import into a mysql database. Would that help you out? Might make it easier getting them into your Access database. :)

lmk.... PM me your email address and I'll send it off. (it's around 300k)

Homerclese
07/19/2003, 13:51
nuts, wish i could help but i know nothing at all about html........but good luck:p !

Gator
07/19/2003, 13:56
I wish I oculd help but I'm a sales guy not a computer guy. I would however love to play this system and would be happy to kick in $10 a year to help out

StormWind
07/19/2003, 14:05
I think Magic the Gathering tried something like this too. If I recall... it failed miserably. Although it works well in things like Everquest, oddly most magic players weren't willing to spend real money on virtual boosters.

*shrugs* It's a neat idea in concept, but I think you'll do better if you give people access to all the figures from the get go, or maybe give them a way to earn certain figures. And you still have the issues of opening yourself up to people who will try to figure out the program's code and open up all the figs without actually having to pay for them.

StormWind

ProfKrazyIvan
07/19/2003, 14:28
Well, one thing with this is that you don't need to spend real money on virtual boosters. You will get points for playing and you can use those on boosters and starters and such. So, hopefully we won't have the same problem MTG Online had.

As for opening up all figures, what then stops someone from using all the great figures without actually having them? What differentiates someone like myself who is willing and able to spend good money on figures and someone who either isn't willing to or can't spend the money? I realize it is a bad system IRL (where the deepest pockets get you the best stuff) but it is how life works. That would equate to getting the entire set in the first Starter set I bought. No longer "collectible" eh? I am just trying to make it somewhat collectible, even though it is just online. I mean, for me, the collectibility if the biggest draw. I love being able to trade and barter with people to try to get what I still need to make a full set. Plus, where would the trading be if everyone had everything from the start? No sense in trading, right? These are just my thoughts.

- Ivan

Spyder's Web
07/20/2003, 10:05
Good idea.

ProfKrazyIvan
07/24/2003, 03:44
Sorry to everyone who has PMed me about helping out that I haven't gotten back to. I am trying to work on some things, but my work schedule makes it hard to get much done. I am currently working overnight, and so I am asleep during the day. If anyone has Microsoft Office (mostly need Access and Excel) and wishes to do basic data entry for me, that would be very very much appreciated. It mostly entails "coding" each click of a figures dial into a special string. The powers are all numbered in an Excel file. The strings look something like "12.0.12.0.12.0.12.0" which means 12's for all values on the current dial and no Super Powers. Basically, the data entry for this is taking forever. I haven't gotten much done as it is really tedious time consuming work that I have had little tolerance for lately. So, if you are interested in helping out with that, I would appreciate it very very very much. This needs to be done for ALL figures of every set, including Promos and Limited Editions. That means somewhere around 700 or 750 figures, at about 12 clicks each. Lots of input. I also find it easiet to use a program like Battle Planner to get all the info. So, like I said, if you are interested PM me and we will work something out. Thanks again. Graphics and actual program design will begin soon, so anyone interested in helping with that should PM me and let me know when you can get together in an AIM Chat Room to discuss this as a group. Thanks.

- Ivan

PS - I again apologize if I haven't replied to your PMs. I have been REALLY busy lately.

flagg
07/24/2003, 10:31
Hey Prof,

Are you just looking for a text file, with one record (the special string) per line? That could easily be automated with a fairly simple perl script.

If so, just let me know the exact syntax for the entire string and I'll take care of it for ya.