40 replies to this topic

[Cpt. JAG]

I have been checking this forum out once or twice every 3 months or so because I'm an X-Com fan and was interested in Xenocide but it seems things have gotten quiet so I am just curious.

Has development stopped? I looked around on the forums and the main website but saw no official looking announcement which is why I ask.

[stewart]

Business is slow. These things happen from time to time.

[Cpt. JAG]

oh ok cool

[misiek]

Helo,

Unfortunately i think that PX is dead...

You can say that it's being slowly developed, but last svn commit is from 2008-10-30. And even before that, it wasn't actively developed after dteviot stopped working on XNA branch around april.

Don't get me wrong - i don't want to criticize anyone, you are doing REALLY GREAT job. I know that developing open source software is hard task, because there are many more important things, like live, family, friends, job etc.

But maybe it's time to admit that this project is to much...

How many years PX was started? 5? And how many times code base was rewritten? 3 or more? Even if dteviot will return he won't manage to do it by himself. It's just to much for one person.

Look at UFO: AI svn repository - there are couple active programmers working on this. Average commits peer week (from 2006-03-02 to today) is 144. They have made over 22 000 commits in 3 years. And they didn't start from scratch - because before that UFO: AI was developed by another team as closed source software.

And even with that UFO: AI is still far from finished project.

So, to make such game you would need couple of programmers working on it (without break or restarting) for couple of years. I don't think it's possible...

...

I hope that some day i will read this post again and see how much i was wrong. And after that i will continue to play Project Xenocide

[Mad]

Nope, you're right, it's dead as a doornail. However, maybe it will rise again one day.

Don't count on it.

[kafros]

What Mad said.

Don't get me wrong - i don't want to criticize anyone

Even if you wanted, there's no use. That's the point of FOSS, the code is there, get it and improve it. No one is oblidged to fully develop an open source project.

Whoever enjoys UFO:AI can stick with it, I think it's fine by everyone

[stewart]

But maybe it's time to admit that this project is to much...

Nah, doing that would be too much work.

[Mad]

But maybe it's time to admit that this project is to much...

Nah, doing that would be too much work.

No, but seriously, I don't think PX is too much for a team. And I don't think we were too ambitious. What I do think however is, that there were some bad decisions, and, that there is only one man around here who can start it up again, but he'll need some more people to keep on working. Honestly, I am pretty sure it is too much for one man to work alone on. Without additional programmers this is hopeless.

[stewart]

It does go through long dormant periods to be sure, but the source code is accessible, any programmer with time can download it and do something. Every line written is one line closer to completion.

It's a big project to be sure, so it will take time; less with more committment of course, but the work while great is finite.

There's nothing to be gain buy "officially" stopping. So we don't.

Less kvetching more typing!

[Mad]

You're right. And I never was a friend of calling PX dead. However, this is more than a slumber. I just hope somebody will do what you are suggesting: pick up the source and have a go... let's stay optimistic...

[stewart]

As soon as my 9 and 4 year olds are raised and out of the house I'll be able to do coding myself.

[Mad]

As soon as my 9 and 4 year olds are raised and out of the house I'll be able to do coding myself.

Same here same here. Just without the kids...

[jaderanderson]

Oh crap, i've just made my application for the programing team....

[Mad]

Oh crap, i've just made my application for the programing team....

Don't worry, at the moment it looks like we're coming back on track! Who did you write the PM to?

[jaderanderson]

Oh crap, i've just made my application for the programing team....

Don't worry, at the moment it looks like we're coming back on track! Who did you write the PM to?

Actually, since the wiki was 2 years outdated I've send a direct email to dteviot@projectxenocide.com with a text explaining my intentions on joining the project.

the text read as following:

"Hi there,

My name is Jader and I was reading through your projects Wiki today. I was amazed that you use C# development on this game since this is the language I use in my job. I'm interest in evolving my skills in programming, and I think that Xenocide can be a very nice "pushing the bar" experience.

The question is what kind of development do you require, I read the http://docs.projectx...ks_for_recruits but it's kinda of outdated so i need to know some of the needs you currently have. I start playing UFO 3 years ago and I think is a excellent piece of game, so i'll be glad to help you guys with something even doing some boring and easy stuff that nobody wants to do.

I hope that my experience with you guys take the "fear" of game development that I have because of " Making a Game is Impossible!!!!" syndrome.

Regards!
"

[Mad]

I think he should get the message, but if you don't hear from him, you can PM dteviot via the forum.
To get you started: The most recent source, making use of XNA 3.0 can be found at: http://svn.projectxe...s/XNA3.0_branch - you'll need VS2008 and XNA Game Studio 3.0 to compile.
At the moment, dteviot, SupSuper, Wizball and loshult are working on the source.
You can find a more or less recent ToDo at: http://svn.projectxe...s/ToDoList.html
In this directory you'll also find other helpful documents.

Hope this helps, PM me if you have any more questions.

[dteviot]

Confessions time.
Yes, I haven't really been doing much with Xenocide for some time.
What happened? Well, I discovered http://www.fanfiction.net/, and liked it so much that I decided to try writing a story to go on it. And that's pretty much been eating my spare time. for the last 5 or 6 months. But I do plan to come back and resume work on Xenocide.

[syncope]

does this project still exist?

the spam-guy brought me back...

[Loshult]

Yes it does!

We are a few that is working on it. The latest work has mainly been focused on upgrading to XNA 3.0 and Visual Studio 2008. As for now I'm working on implementing fatal wounds and healing but I'm renovating my house at the same time so the progress goes fairly slow at the moment. I'll speed up things in a few weeks though.

[Oscar]

Whoa, this brings me back. I had completely forgotten all about this thing. I vaguely remember sending in two very half-assed concept sketches for something or another, and I don't really know what happened after that but I somehow lost interest in the project. Damn me for a fool!

I don't really think that I can help out with anything in particular at this point, but I'll chip in and say Go team coders!

[ATeX]

That's great news! Glad to see you keep the spirit alive. How many are you at the moment?


greets from an old friend and ex-colleague,

ATeX

[kafros]

Greetings ATeX

I'd say Loshult, dteviot, mad, zombie, me, and people passing by from time to time.

How's Quasar progressing? I'm looking forward to your first release

Take care

Edited by kafros, 08 April 2009 - 04:20 PM.

[ATeX]

I've personally started to put all available time and effort into real life goals. I also left my leading position at Quasar. I'm still supporting that project, but that's about it.
I'm not sure when the first release of Quasar will be available. That will depend on the decisions and approach of the new leader, Kora.

Sounds like a good team you have there. Are you creating art then?

[kafros]

That's a good choice, sometimes I think about doing that myself (and be especially focused on studying), but I still haven't managed to do it *sigh*

http://artkora.com/
Oh yes I know that guy, on Pardus.at

No art or sound. I guess we'll have to wait for Shinzon or Darkhomb, but I guess they'll be busy with more important things (good luck to them )

P.S. I once saw that the stuff of PirateBay prefer "AFK" compared to "RL", because... you still live your life when logged in a computer, you are just engaging in a specific activity. And I agree with that

[SupSuper]

I do hope to get back on the project some time, but I'm now a full-time university student. Maybe some day I can put my new knowledge back to work.

[stewart]

Quasar?

Linky For Favor!

[Zombie]

Linky.

- Zombie

[Xracer]

wow people still posting here!!!!

I hope some of you do get some cod done. maybe i try to help teh creative text dept. which i was supposed to help long ago. any way i hope to see an update soon!!!!! (cross my finger, toes, legs, arms, and any extremity (appendage) i can cross)

[misiek]

Hello,

Any progress on PX?

[Loshult]

Hello,

Any progress on PX?

Not in the last few months. Everyone have been busy with other things I guess. However I expect to get some time over when it starts to rain...

[Mad]

Yes, progress has been extraordinary slow to non existent in the past months. But don't give up your hopes, when winter comes there's a good chance we'll see some progress again.

[misiek]

Hello,

Any progress on PX?

Not in the last few months. Everyone have been busy with other things I guess. However I expect to get some time over when it starts to rain...

You should move to Poland then It rains almost everyday for two weeks (or even longer)

[misiek]

Some kind of solution could be joining forces with X-Com colonisation project. I don't know exactly how they designed their game but AFAIR it also was written in C#.

Someone from this project team wants to resurrect that project:
http://www.strategyc...aded#entry90096

[kafros]

Joining/merging is possible only when active developers exist. Lack of developers prohibits that.

In addition, everyone is able to get both sources and use it himself in a new project of his.

At this moment of time, nothing could be done. You just have to go with UFO:AI for something playable, or fork/merge existing projects.

[jaderanderson]

Joining/merging is possible only when active developers exist. Lack of developers prohibits that.

In addition, everyone is able to get both sources and use it himself in a new project of his.

At this moment of time, nothing could be done. You just have to go with UFO:AI for something playable, or fork/merge existing projects.

I thinks this can actually work... let see... we have a almost functional battlescape... they have a develop history or something...

they help us, we help them... communist style hehehehehe... but seriously... trying to recruit this guys may not be a bad idea after all... creative thought together and stuff..

This guy seems to have something too

http://ufo.yaa.dk/

Edit: new link

Edited by jaderanderson, 21 August 2009 - 02:35 PM.

[stewart]

merging of projects is unlikely, as for the people belonging to them that is possible. The mission of Project Xenocide is to create a game "close to the original" so that it could be used as basis for people to develop their own versions. This was because everyone has ideas about what theyd like to see in xcom. so many that many ideas are mutually exclusive. so xenocide v1 is to have more-or-less none of these ideas so that it can be a jumping off point for pet versions of xcom.

so merging the project itself with another deviates from its mission. but programmers can moonlight.

[misiek]

I think that for now highest chance of making project xenocide would be modding (or branching) Ufo:ai.

But this would mean using another technology (C language) and being limited by their engine features (lack of destructible terrain etc).

[geerzo]

Hey all. I just thought I would say hi while everyone else is since it's been quite a while.

Still on CeGUI# or did everything finally move to the new system whatever that was called?

[Mad]

Hey geerzo!

Yes, we're still on C#/XNA 2.0. Progress is slow. Maybe you would like to come back and help a little out? :-)

Edited by Mad, 17 September 2009 - 03:21 PM.

[geerzo]

Help?!?!? That sounds like work.

Ok, I admit I might have already downloaded the source code and have been checking out what has changed....but anyway, I couldn't help myself.

Edited by geerzo, 18 September 2009 - 10:32 PM.

[kafros]

Work is nice, at least once you manage to start doing it heh (Master procrastinator speaking)