Forum for Hard Code and Forum for Soft Code

[Gwain]

I think this forum should have a sub forum for hard code suggestions so that imms can separate them from the ones that are currently feasible in game. The feasible ones being the ones that involve soft code. It might also do to have the hard code ones be readable by the builder admins/council much like bug reports, applications and complaints.

I just find it difficult sometimes to tell the soft code ideas from the hard code ones. A hard code suggestion would be something that would require changes to the hard code in order to work.

A soft code suggestion would be something that could be changed by current builders and admins with access to the soft code.

So I would suggest this:

A sub forum just for Hard Code ideas and suggestions that can be implemented by a hard coder.

Changing the regular General Suggestion forum to only allow Soft Code Suggestions that can be implemented by soft coders.

[Yemin]

I'm not clear on how players would tell which of their suggestions requires which either though.

Unless you mean for IMs to move them around to aid builders?

[Gwain]

Well, a soft coded suggestion is something a builder can do immediately. An example would be change a weapon to another type or fix the affects of a spell slightly. A hard code change is something like adding an equipment layer to players or making it possible to stun undead.

Basically, if you think a builder can do it in game without significantly changing the game code, it is soft coding.

If it takes significant modification to the game code at the highest level and cannot be easily implemented, it is a hard code change.

Its not hard to tell right now on the forum which suggestions are possible (soft code) and unlikely (hard code).

You just need to ask yourself, "Could this suggestion be added to the game tomorrow without significant Hard Coding?"

[Yemin]

I feel like I could tell 99% of the time what is what so for me I think its a good idea since it'll help things move along.

I was unsure what the ratio of people with that mind set or without existed here so I suppose we'll see how it works out.

[hasryn]

I believe the majority of us could tell, but there's a decent amount of our community that might not figure it out until they spend more time and figure out how the mud code works in FK. Each mud has its own modifications of what can be put in easy or not. Fk has a rich amount of programs and such built into it now that alot can be done that way. While I've seen some underwhelming muds that most had to be done via hard code due to it being young or just understaffed coder wise.

[Harroghty]

My two cents is that it's best to start with the problem and not the solution. Therefore, I am not sure how much of a help this would be, however well intended.

[Gwain]

That is fair. I wanted to solve the issue with things that can't be potentially added mixing with things that that could be added. If the stream is manageable then its not a direly needed change.

[Beskytter]

Perhaps an example of what is hard code and what is soft code from the staff as a sticky post on the suggestion forum would compromise to what Gwain is trying to help with.

I think this has stemmed from some fantastic ideas that only Mask could implement, and some unrealistic expectations of what soft code can do, without the suggester truly knowing what side of the fence their idea falls. Sure, many of us could guess which side our ideas are but we might be wrong in some cases.

A pure code based example might give all of us a clue as to what it means when we say: Hard Code/Soft Code
I think Gwain's on to something though, in that there's less to do with staff knowing what we mean and more to do with us knowing what we're asking of staff.




*Examples don't need to be direct from the source of the game itself.

[Harroghty]

Again, speaking as someone who implements your suggestions and relays some on to Mask, it is most useful for players to simply post what it is they want. The staff can then decide if it is possible and how best to implement it.