Re: Tux Racer 0.10 Released

[Erik Thiele <erikyyy@erikyyy.de>]

On Tue, Feb 29, 2000 at 10:57:54PM -0600, Steve Baker wrote:
> Jasmin Patry wrote:
> > 
> > On Mon, 28 Feb 2000, Steve Baker wrote:
> > 
> > > Jasmin Patry wrote:
> > > >
> > > > Version 0.10 of Tux Racer, an OpenGL-based racing game featuring Tux the
> > > > Linux Penguin, has been released. This is the first public release of
> > > > Tux Racer, and I'm looking for feedback and help from developers and
> > > > course designers.
> > >
> > > What specific help do you need?
> > 
> > There's a list of things on the web page that I'd like to add to the
> > game; I haven't started work on any of those yet, and I could use
> > advice/opinions/code for any of them.  (I'm also hoping to expand the
> > number of Tux Racer developers beyond its current value of one, as I
> > have too many things going on right now to devote as much time as I'd
> > like to Tux Racer...)
> > 
> > I also need help for course designers.  I've placed some notes on this
> > are in the README.
> 
> I hate to say it - but your experiences mirror my own *precisely*.
> 
> (I'm the author and *sole* developer of Tux the Penguin - A Quest for
> Herring BTW)...
> 
> After being out on the web for close to two years - I'm still the only
> developer - and I'm still begging for more level designers....oh - and
> good luck finding someone to make some music for you!
> 
>    :-(

the problem with tux quest for herring is that the webpage
doesn't clearly say what to do.
and not everybody can do those opengl programming yet
(because of the lack of hardware)

but the main issue is that to help you one must learn your code.
one cannot just do a little piece or so

your webpage must be improved
first remove the background image of the penguin.
then replace the years old screenshots (that are links
into not missing pictures btw) with new ones.

and i also think many people don't manage to compile
and don't tell you....
yes i think this is a important point.
people think:
aaah here download. so download.
tar xzvf tux_aqfh-1.0.10.tar.gz
cd tux_aqfh-1.0.10
./configure --prefix=/home/erik/localinst/herring
make
c++ -DPACKAGE=\"tux_aqfh\" -DVERSION=\"1.0.10\" -DHAVE_LIBGL=1 -DHAVE_LIBGLU=1 -DHAVE_LIBGLUT=1 -DSTDC_HEADERS=1 -DHAVE_GL_GL_H=1 -DHAVE_GL_GLUT_H=1 -DLINUX_JOYSTICK_IS_PRESENT=1 -DTUX_AQFH_DATADIR=\"/usr/local/share/games/tux_aqfh\"  -I. -I.      -g -O2 -O6 -Wall -c camera.cxx
In file included from camera.cxx:1:
tux.h:18: plib/ssg.h: Datei oder Verzeichnis nicht gefunden
In file included from camera.cxx:1:
tux.h:21: plib/ssgKeyFlier.h: Datei oder Verzeichnis nicht gefunden
tux.h:23: plib/sl.h: Datei oder Verzeichnis nicht gefunden
tux.h:24: plib/js.h: Datei oder Verzeichnis nicht gefunden
tux.h:25: plib/fnt.h: Datei oder Verzeichnis nicht gefunden

and so on.            ^^^ this is german for file not found.

then they kick it away without further testing.
and without notifying you (!!!)

i may give you some tips from my own experience how to motivate
developers:
(www.erikyyy.de/cadaver is a game, and really there is 2 other persons
on earth writing artificial intelligence clients for it and one of
it is ready and almost better than my own...)

1. improve the webpage (remove the background pixmap)
2. fix the plib issue. you always want the newest.
   my debian potato only has 1.1.5. (and that one is just in freeze
   and will become the new debian stable)
   debian slink (the current STABLE
   release) probably has no plib or a very old version.
   the problem with plib is that its interface is changing.
   and you always want the newest.
   include the plib into the tux package and make the tux package
   independent of plib.
   if the system already has another version of plib installed, make
   sure that tux herring uses the included version and not the installed
   version.
   otherwise you will never fix the plib issue. and people
   think (naaa i not install that sucking plib)
   they really do so :-)
   
   yes this is against the princible of libraries, but plib is not
   really a library if it is always changing.
   
   and if you still really want plib to be a library, then add
   autodetection to your autoconf script !!!!!!
3. add a SCRIPT to your webpage that one just has do drag and drop
   to download and install tux for herring. but not as root,
   it must do it in a users directory. like this:
   
   cd ~
   mkdir tuxinst
   mkdir tuxcompiler
   cd tuxcompiler
   wget -t 0 -T 20 -w 3 http://xxxx/tux.tar.gz
   tar xzf tux.tar.gz
   cd tux-0.435
   ./configure --prefix=~/tuxinst
   make
   make install
   cd ~
   export PATH="$PATH":~/tuxinst/bin
   # for plib eventually needed:
   export LD_LIBRARY_PATH="$PATH":~/tuxinst/lib
   tuxherring
   
   and add a comment that you must somehow add that PATH line
   to your scripts in order to play after a new login.
4. now update the webpage. it is a good idea not to split information
   between webpage and tar file. so i use WML (web meta language)
   to create my html pages. it is basically like html but adds many
   features like #include. then i write my documentation into the
   tar file and #include it from the webpage. and on the webpage i always
   write that that documentation is also in the tar file.
5. now mail your best friends and force them to test.
   fix all about which they complain.

   especially fix the confusing error messages that a wrong configure
   script might produce about missing libraries and such!
   make sure the messages are reasonable.

   now mail to this mailinglist and let some people test
   if really everybody manages to compile and test and read some documentation
   about how the game works, how levels are created how music should
   be created, how graphics should be painted, the news, the future,
   the hype etc.
   THEN
6. make a freshmeat announcement!
   and set your project as topic in several irc channels.
   and send to some other news spreaders. as many as you know.
   (linuxgames.com for example)

ah i forgot. mention everywhere that you want feedback :-)

you will now see how many people really play and like your game.
believe me.



cu
erik

-- 
Name:  Erik Thiele                                       \\\\
Email: erikyyy@erikyyy.de                                o `QQ'_
IRC:   erikyyy                                            /   __8
WWW:   http://www.erikyyy.de/                             '  `

---------------------------------------------------------------------
To unsubscribe, e-mail: linuxgames-unsubscribe@sunsite.auc.dk
For additional commands, e-mail: linuxgames-help@sunsite.auc.dk