In game addons manager

[Emdek]

This topic is mostly to discuss if this should be added and how should look possible in game built in addons downloader (mainly maps, but other addons should be possible too).
I've returned to that topic after someone reported that there are no maps included for new player amounts (3, 5, 9 etc.).
So since we now use QtCore internally then creating logic part is fairly easy to do, only GUI part could be tricky with current GUI custom GUI framework (but still doable).

The idea is to put somewhere in game (accessible through some settings menu entry and maybe buttons in game start screens) page similar (layout and features) to GHNS dialog of KDE:


We can add there some more information like compatibility etc.
Also we could redo a bit (if needed) internals of addons page (at least to get information about currently available addons).
We can also modify it to get list of addons supposed (or confirmed by users, like for WordPress plugins download page) to work with specified version or master.
Rating could be available only for users logged into forums through that lobby login screen from master (after small redo, to make it optional and required only for public games, as I've suggested somewhere else already).

If you think that it is useful, and in game UI API won't eat me, I would like to try to do that.

[aubergine]

So, I've had some wider ideas around the UI for WZ.

Specifically, just as we can now create javascript AI scripts, why not allow the front-end user interface to be scripted with JS and QtGUI and QtQuick? This would allow very easy prototyping of new interface ideas, rapid adaptation to user feedback, etc.

[Wolftrak]

So, I've had some wider ideas around the UI for WZ.

Specifically, just as we can now create javascript AI scripts, why not allow the front-end user interface to be scripted with JS and QtGUI and QtQuick? This would allow very easy prototyping of new interface ideas, rapid adaptation to user feedback, etc.

You missed the most valid point: Cross-platform.

[Emdek]

Yeah, but that is mostly material for new topic.
Anyway, I would go for it, but probably wait for Qt5 (around June probably), but it has higher hardware dependencies (which allows to use shaders for effects etc.).

Wolftrak, it is: WIndows, Linux, MacOS X, mobile platforms (Symbian, Maemo, Meego and unofficial Android plus other ports).

[aubergine]

I'd certainly want to be able to filter by add-on type: AI, map, challenge, etc.

[Emdek]

Sure, it should be doable, I only need to know if current UI engine supports check boxes or combo box equivalent.

[Terminator]

Basicly QT widgets are one of the reasons for margeing wz to QT platform I belive.

[Emdek]

Terminator, before QML was created they were best solution, now QtQuick fits much better to game needs.

[Safety0ff]

Qt, especially the gui stuff, has proven itself a bad match for wz (which is why SDL is now our default/primary "backend.")

[Emdek]

Sure, porting existing and complicated stuff to any new technology is painful, especially choosing something not created for games in mind (in this case Qt5 will have some improvements).
There are two possibilities in such cases, slowly separate components like logic, drawing and etc. or slowly start from scratch attempt...
Both have advantages and disadvantages, browsers in each few years usually decide to redo whole rendering engine from scratch, to make it fit for new technologies (upgrade architecture), but with so limited man power it would be currently bad approach for WZ (unless it would be started separately by dedicated programmer(s), but still would take at least few months to complete).

And back to real life scenario, in which I'm planning (no ETA or details for now) to try creating new widgets framework for WZ without using Qt (only s reference for API and to borrow some nice solutions).