[PNRP] Gamemode Development

Well, if you read the blog, you know what's coming. GMod 13! And all of the trouble that comes with it. There are always things we have to change when a big GMod update comes around, but this one probably takes the cake.

You see, for a great deal of client-server communication, we use datastreams. Loading your inventory? Datastreams. Loading your character? Datastreams. Community management? Datastreams. You pretty much get it.

Thing is, Garry is depricating datastreams in GMod 13. We can't use them anymore. And that code isn't simple to replace either.

Really, there is good and bad news. The bad news? This shit will be time consuming work. Both moving all this to new net code and learning the new quirks. When GMod 13 comes out, the server may be a build server for weeks. Pretty much all new projects and systems are being thrown on the backburner for the coming work ahead. So probably no new features until we know the new net code that we're working around. Also... Worse case scenario. You all may lose your character data. We all might be playing from scratch soon. Good for play testing though.

I did say there was good news though. Because of this, we have to do a lot of rewriting. Because of the rewriting, there are many things we can make better and/or fundimentally alter that we said we wanted to do. Better resource system, better gathering fundimentals, better character balance, more flexable item system. A great deal we could have done better had we the experience we have now. Well, Garry's forcing our hand to rewrite, might as well try to rewrite it better. If we do as much as I hope, it will be a bit different, but hopefully in a good way. I think it will be in more ways then even we know. I am staying optimistic.

Either way, a great deal in the gamemode will change. I hope it's all for the better.

I am b scared D:

Another thing too, the new net code should be faster than datastreams. Datastreams can be laggy when sending larg chunks of data. I have been asked before, but why not use usermessages. The problem with usermessages is that your limited to the amount of data that you can send. Inventory for example is to larg.

I would help if I knew anything about LUA! Hopefully this game-breaking update will only make the gamemode better. We need to start making suggestions for the rewrite. I suggest maybe an animation of some sort for when you gather materials. Maybe a new material or two, since this would be the best time to throw them in.

If you have all the user info stored in a database then I don't see how we would lose our character data. Good luck on the transition anyway, I'm looking forward to seeing the final product and any new features you might add

Just a warning in case we do lose data because of gameplay changes. In actuality, the player data isn't stored in sqlite, as it should be. Just string data. We didn't know GMod had sqlite when we started.

I wouldn't mind being sent back to stage one. So long as my dupes aren't lost I'll always be happy.

i definately agree with zoidberg, it would be awesome to see everyone back to being a noob again. just as long as i don't lose all those houses that i duped, they're pretty intricate and complex, i'd hate to see em gone

Dups are not part of the gamemode, so no worried there.