This hasn't got a lot of specifics in it yet. Where we do have information its in the following format:

[specific goals and timing]
{coordinator (duke, if we have one), and who else is working in that area}
? Said they were in, but not heard from lately

If you think you're coordinating or working on something and you're not listed, let me know and I'll fix the oversight. These topics vary broadly in the amount of work involved. Some sub-items will require several dedicated people, for others one person probably can do several.

Overall {Mark Everson}

I. Design / Art

Interface: Low-level guts of the main map interface {need duke}
> Main Interface and Main Map {need duke}
> Army Assembly/ Combat Info { }
> Economy / Trade / Merchants { }
> Government / Internal Politics { }
> Cultures { }
> Diplomacy { }
> Technological / Social Advancement { }

Graphics: {Paul Crocker (temp)}
> Main Interface Layout and Art [main Interface Demo]{}
> Map Tiling {Paul Crocker}
> Army Graphics {}
> Unit Graphics (eye-candy and possibly for design-your-own-unit) { }
> Other Interface Art (many interfaces) { }
> Misc. (Logo Art for web page, manual…) { }

Military: {Need Duke; Mark Everson; Druid2 }
> Strategic Issues (mobilization, etc.) { }
> Movement & Supply Rules { }
> Ground Combat { }
> Naval & Air Combat { }
> Specific Units (+ unit design system if we do it) { }

Economy: {Mark Everson}
> Basic Market-Based System {Mark Everson}
> Infrastructure {Mark Everson}
> Special Resources { }
> Trade / Merchants { }

Governments: {Hrafnkell Oskarsson}

Cultures {Manurein}

Diplomacy: {Kull}

Technological / Social Advancement: {Lord God Jinnai}

Scenario and Customization Abilities:{Blade Runner}
> Map Editor {Blade Runner}
> Scenario Editor {Blade Runner}

Manual / Help Files / Tutorials {need duke}

Multiplayer Issues {Need Duke; Osiris}

Miscellaneous: {need duke(s)}
> Map Generation Model {Paul Crocker}
> Wonders (?) or other Player-interest features
> Disease & Natural Disasters Model { Toubabo_Koomi }

> Characters {Lord God Jinnai}

II. Coding: {Mark Everson}

Interfaces: {}

Graphics Handling Routines {Mark Everson, any volunteers?}

Military: {Mark Everson, any volunteers?}

Economy: {Mark Everson, any volunteers?}

Governments: {need duke}

Cultures: {need duke}

Diplomacy: {Jacobo}

Technological / Social Advancement: {rentgen}

Scenario and Customization Abilities: {Blade Runner}

Multiplayer {}

Customization and I/O Protocols {need duke}

General Tools {}

Map Generator {mca}

Disease { }

Demo(3 out working on #4): {Mark Everson}

AI Coding

Unit Pathing and Map AI. [basic methods demo 6/15/99] {Jim C, Mark Everson}
Diplomatic AI { }
Military Sector AI { }
Economic AI { }
Government / Culture AI { }
Overall Strategy { }

Feels-Right Features (Civs that behave like real people) { }

---------------------------------------

Okay, let me know about suggestions for mods and if you want to sign up for a particular slot.

-Mark

1) In general I've found a 'team/task force' approach far more effective for writing large code projects.

A team of 3-5 people is far more productive than 3-5 individuals. And far more creative, and just about everything else you can measure. Perhaps it might be best to assemble a 'rules' team, a 'programming' team, and a 'grafix' team, and so on, and have them approach the tasks in their area of responsibility as they feel best fits their skills? If they prefer to work individually on some things and collectively on others, so be it, but leave that up to them?

2) The most imporant bit of business if this project is ever to be completed is an 'Architecture' meeting A.S.A.P.

Any project bigger than 3 people *must* be preceeded with a serious meeting between the 'functionality generating' folks (graphics, rules, etc) and the 'functionality implementing' folks (coders).

The coders must be appraised of a good vision of what the end product will be like -- in detail -- so that they can hammer out a good architecture plan for the final product that they all then choose to stick to. The details are not half as important as the coordination between the programmers. They must be thinking on the same page, period, so that no time is wasted on recoding simple pieces to match.

This plan will not be cast in stone, and will certainly evolve, but a project can truly be cut in half by getting it 90% right up front. Even minor architecture changes late in the game can require many, many hours of B.S. work going thru files you've already thought you'd finished.

Very nearly finished demo interface

The 'understanding geography' stuff should plug straight into that interface.

After that, I'll gladly do whatever coding tasks are available. Game AI work will have to wait until the engine is pretty much up and running, although it can of course be given thought.

Agree on both your points. The putting if of names is most important for coordinators. We are Not balkanizing the project, just laying some organizational structure on top of it. I think the actual implementation should be as flexible as possible. On the Archtecture meeting, we should shoot to have an initial one next weekend to Start to thrash out issues for as many areas as we can. We'll have to see which areas pass the test as the time approaches. Right now we just don't have enough solid info to go on in most areas, I'm afraid.

JimC:

WooHoo, have fun. The demo is kewl. When you're done debauching let me know... I think there's some generic AI stuff we can do even before things are well-coded. F.e. the agents to handle the merchants, and general algorithms for exploration could both be done fairly soon. Not completed of course, but gotten a large part of the way there.

I'm always tempted to get into the nitty and gritty and get SOMEthing coded.. but I've found, as you say, that good planning up front can cut the total work required significantly.

.........

JimC...
PS. The 'very nearly finished demo' did nothing on my screen, excpet put a gray box on a black background. Running Win95b, using Netscape 4.05

I've posted the link to the 'Path-Intensity nearly-finished demo' in the 'coding - 1.1 vs 1.2' thread.

Once I've got my life in order I'll try and start my own little 'Map AI' thread; man this forum can be confusing.

Thank you Druid2

Druid2 and Kull have teamed up to be co-dukes of Military / Combat.

Druid2 has also agreed to be the duke of coding in general

Kull is now the duke of diplomacy.

Thanks guys.

Welcome to Paul Crocker, Chris Richards, Jacobo, and Illmuri