Change in server might be a good root cause of the problem

Most of the time since Oct I've been working ridiculous hours. Heck 4 months of that time I'd actually rack up 100+ hours of OT. 70-80 most of the rest of the time.

By Paul Franz (Andromedan) on Sunday, August 04, 2013 - 06:50 pm: Edit

Ken,
Also, you don't need to login to work on Ship Definitions. You can just cancel out of the login window.

By Josh Driscol (Gfb) on Monday, August 05, 2013 - 01:09 pm: Edit

Is there any way to get the new ship definition tool to show both base and refits at the same time?

That would really help with aligning the refit boxes to the base boxes of the same type.

By Paul Franz (Andromedan) on Monday, August 05, 2013 - 09:05 pm: Edit

Josh,
Yes. The option is there. It is under "Tools\Show Both Base and Refits" menu and it has a hotkey to make it easy to toggle back and forth.

By Dave Jacobson (Ogregeek) on Sunday, August 18, 2013 - 10:52 pm: Edit

Paul, I've been talking with Josh, and would like to volunteer to help here. I haven't read the topic yet (I will), but is there anything else I need to know to get started?

By Josh Driscol (Gfb) on Monday, August 19, 2013 - 12:23 am: Edit

I can teach you how to use the clients SSD tools.

Paul needs to set you up with a ship class or classes to work on.

I've been working on the Romulan KR, and K5R classes just waiting for some feedback from Paul on the look of these latest ships before I put the last touches on the Romulan units.

I was wondering if there is any way to add some degree of opacity to the box backgrounds so that the underlay ship background can be partly seen underneath the countdown boxes.

I'm not sure how opaque you would want to make them, they defiantly should be lighter than the surrounding area on the image.

I have a feeling Dave could make an example of opaque boxes that let the underlay show partly through the box but the boxes are generated by the SSD definition tool so it would probably need to be done as a programming change to the client.

I'm not sure how much work it would be but I think it could make these SSD's look a lot nicer.

Maybe Paul could set you up with the C7 and C8/9 art that we already have and you could work on the Romulan versions.

So welcome to the team Dave!

By Dave Jacobson (Ogregeek) on Monday, August 19, 2013 - 02:04 am: Edit

Yeah. This is the effect I was talking about, Josh. has been lightened to make the legends readable, color washed, and has the boxes made semi-opaque so that image details are visible in the boxes without making the numbers hard to read.

By Nicholas Cole (Npcole) on Thursday, September 19, 2013 - 02:33 pm: Edit

I haven't been following this issue too closely, but I am a happy user of SFBOL.

I am really happy to know that SVC is our friend in HQ because I've heard many terrible rumours about his attitude. I'm pleased they are wrong. I am a huge admirer of what he created, and his game was a formative part of my childhood. I have even re-bought several of the core products since I've re-discovered the game through the online client, not because I needed them, but in order to support the company.

I'd happily volunteer my time for the 3rd Gen ship project, but I can't do that unless (1) I know that it won't be wasted effort. I'm not putting hours of time into a volunteer effort simply to see the whole SFBOL client collapse; and (2) Someone has sat down seriously and thought about how to design these things so that they don't look like a huge step backwards in terms of usability for the players.

The examples I've seen so far are not good. If SVC really is supportive of these efforts, perhaps he could bring his design skills to bear on the problem, so that the new versions are a real credit to the Star Fleet Universe rather than detracting from it.

So far, the examples I've seen of the 3rd Gen concepts do not look easy to read or at all pretty. I know that I haven't seen the final versions.

I'm slightly confused about what the objective is in making the change, and perhaps I'm not alone in that. But if one objective is to make the online SSDs unusable on a tabletop, might there not be a really simple solution, such as colouring all of the SSD boxes a dark black instead of white, so that they couldn't be shaded in (or easily counted) at the table?

In these days of Photocopiers that can create ZIP and files, I am sure piracy is a problem for all games, whether in paper or electronic form, but I have to say that as a user of SFB online: I buy the joint subscription every year even though I have no interest in playing FC, simply to support the company; I buy (and am re-buying) ADB paper products even though I have no one to play the paper game with; I take care never to use online any material I don't have the paper rules for; and as I say, I'm happy to volunteer my time for this effort to convert the SSDs. All that said, I really do want the end result to be a pleasure to play.

It would be really splendid if there was some way of designing a format so that SSDs could be automatically converted into it, of course, because the hours of volunteer time that are going to be needed otherwise is huge!


And so I'm really pleased that SVC is our ally here -- I'm hoping he is going to be able to come up with a brilliant solution that will keep everyone (but most of all those of us who just want to play and enjoy the game honestly) happy.

By Paul Scott (The_Rock) on Friday, September 20, 2013 - 01:40 pm: Edit

D6 with all variants is sent to Paul.

By Mike Ryan (Toanstation) on Saturday, September 28, 2013 - 07:52 pm: Edit

Coming back to SFB after several years by way of SFB Online, I feel there's a value to be had there (a subscription by me is forthcoming). Since this project is important to SFBOL's continuation, I'd like to help.

Paul, contact me with an assignment and any materials I may need.

By Josh Driscol (Gfb) on Saturday, September 28, 2013 - 08:34 pm: Edit

I've received over a dozen Hydran ship backgrounds from SVC and will start on them tonight.

By Randy Blair (Randyblair) on Sunday, September 29, 2013 - 12:16 am: Edit

I'm still waiting for more Klingon ships. I'm done with the C8/S/V

By Matthew Potter (Neonpico) on Sunday, September 29, 2013 - 04:36 am: Edit

I'd be willing to do General Units, but need artwork. I need Bases and freighters.

By Paul Franz (Andromedan) on Sunday, September 29, 2013 - 07:48 am: Edit

Randy,
I sent you the C9 ships. You should be able to do them using the C8 background.

By Josh Driscol (Gfb) on Sunday, September 29, 2013 - 09:19 am: Edit

The Hydran Frigates are done.

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Sunday, September 29, 2013 - 11:15 am: Edit

Go team!

By Randy Blair (Randyblair) on Sunday, September 29, 2013 - 07:42 pm: Edit

Paul,

I never got them, please resend.
You might be going into my spam filter.

By Francois Lemay (Princeton) on Sunday, October 06, 2013 - 05:10 pm: Edit

The entire line of D5s have been sent to Paul.

Cheers
Frank

By Paul Franz (Andromedan) on Monday, October 07, 2013 - 11:00 am: Edit

Frank,
Thanks. I will check the rest that you sent yesterday. But so far they are looking good.

By Paul Franz (Andromedan) on Wednesday, October 09, 2013 - 09:35 pm: Edit

Sent Mike Ryan the Federation CA and variants.

By Paul Franz (Andromedan) on Wednesday, October 09, 2013 - 10:13 pm: Edit

Sent Frank Lemay the Lyran BB and variants

By Randy Blair (Randyblair) on Wednesday, October 09, 2013 - 11:31 pm: Edit

I still need more Klingons, please.

By Paul Franz (Andromedan) on Thursday, October 10, 2013 - 05:22 am: Edit

Sent Randy Blair the Klingon C9 and variants.

By Randy Blair (Randyblair) on Thursday, October 10, 2013 - 05:31 am: Edit

Got them.
Can I use the C8 as a template?

By Paul Franz (Andromedan) on Thursday, October 10, 2013 - 07:31 am: Edit

Randy,
The C9 and the C8 are pretty close. They are practically twins.