Author Topic: Update on TSC development: what's coming! (Read 18538 times)

Rolken · « **on:** June 11, 2004, 11:27:08 am »

OK, so you probably know that I've been working on updating the site, bla bla bla. I haven't told much of anything of what it actually is (except to the dudes in the chatroom every so often - you should be in there if you aren't!), largely because I didn't want to promise anything that I'd have to drop later. But now the coding's reached the point where I think I can promise a few things. :P

Themes - No more universal blue. You can pick one of several different looks, or even make your own! Right now I'm working on "Aquatic", a blue theme, and "Stardust", based on the Sonic CD level. These are -completely- customizable by the creator. I mean it. For example, right now the themes I'm working on are frameless and rather radically different from the current site design, but it would be possible to exactly recreate the way the site appears now if it was so desired. I don't think anyone really will want to though, after seeing the new ones... I know I sure don't. :P

Historical rankings - Want to know what the ranks were in December 2003? No problem! You can turn back the dial to any time in the site history, see your own high and low points and so forth.

Nicer URLs - Right now, my player profile is "http://www.soniccenter.org/players.php?p=1". No more of that. Instead it'd be "players/rolken", with game rankings being like "rankings/advance3" and so on.

And more... - I have several more ideas I'm working towards, but until I know which ones are definitely going to happen, I won't spill anything. :P Like I won't tell you that the rankings will probably ha-- er, never mind.

For those who're interested, here's some technical info...

The site is being entirely recoded from the ground up, which means the code and database structures will be pretty much completely different than they are right now. What does THAT mean, you ask? Well, a pain in the rear for me, but it makes the cool stuff I'm doing possible. The data processing, data retrieving and site rendering are divided into seperate modules, which allows me to switch out rendering modules on the fly; variable names are also completely standardized and always used with an array of the same structure, such that data can be passed around between routines seamlessly. Those two things are what make themes possible.

The URL structure I'm also rather proud of, even though it's less noticeable than the themes. None of the directories such as "players/rolken" actually exist! Instead, every page on the site renders a 404 error, and the default 404 page is set to the TSC site engine, base.php (which was that "screenshot" I posted). The base file calls two subroutines, one which dissects the URL and determines which page you REALLY want (based on a table of URL segments in the database), and one to determine your favored theme; they hand back data to the base file which is used to bring together the proper modules to construct the page. Neato, huh?

And that's why this is all taking as long as it is. :P Tentative forecasts say it'll be ready for release sometime in July; I can't really imagine it being sooner, and I'd probably slim down some of the things I haven't announced if they ended up taking too long (in which case they'd be in the next release).

So, yes! Good things to come! If anyone has any suggestions for features or themes or anything - or if you want to make your own theme (for which I'll show you how, it's not hard if you know HTML) - such things are also welcomed.

Taco · « **Reply #1 on:** June 11, 2004, 11:30:04 am »

YAY

:D

oh wait...

:unsure:

I'm gonna be gone all of July

:(

IN PERU!!!!!

:D

Rolken · « **Reply #2 on:** June 11, 2004, 11:31:42 am »

Well, it'll still be here when you get back. :p

Shadow Wedge · « **Reply #3 on:** June 11, 2004, 02:40:39 pm »

Wow......

Just...
Wow......

Bilan · « **Reply #4 on:** June 11, 2004, 03:57:13 pm »

Sounds amazing...

(no, that wasn't sarcasm =P)

Rolken · « **Reply #5 on:** June 14, 2004, 01:17:57 am »

Well, it's looking like before long the code required just to get the database for the new site up and running will be longer than all of the code running the site right now, I kid you not. I've been running new versions of the upgrade code every night, but with the ever-increasing amount of processing it has to do, soon even that probably won't be long enough. Just the output from the upgrader tops 50 megs in debug mode. Sometimes I question my sanity.

MerlockMagus · « **Reply #6 on:** June 16, 2004, 12:54:23 am »

It's still amazing. This site at least doesn't have so many n00bs. How much is this all costing you Rolken? :huh:

*Infamous*X* · « **Reply #7 on:** June 16, 2004, 01:36:42 am »

NooB's, omfg! Define noob- there isn't anything to Define. Another word would be Newb!

DJ Koopa · « **Reply #8 on:** June 16, 2004, 09:20:40 am »

Quote

NooB's, omfg! Define noob- there isn't anything to Define. Another word would be Newb!

Newb a.k.a. Newbie: A new member to a community with a good grasp of the English language, can communicate properly and can understand and adhere to a set of board rules.

|\|()()|3 a.k.a. n00b a.k.a. Bunghole: A new member to a community who can only type in shorthand or in TXT typing, has next to no grammar or punctuation skills and does not understand why there has to be rules to a Message Board, or decides that said set of rules are too harsh.

Pwned a.k.a. YOU!: so get out of here you dung heap!

Please, for your own health and safety, do not 'become' one of these n00bs, and if you already are one, for your own sake please do not post on this forum. Because the community hates you. If you are a regular human being with a brain capacity greater than a two year old, than welcome in.

[size=8](part taken from the SSMB forums)[/size]

Rolken · « **Reply #9 on:** June 16, 2004, 11:29:00 am »

Quote

It's still amazing. This site at least doesn't have so many n00bs. How much is this all costing you Rolken? :huh:

Right now I pay $10 per month for hosting, but we're *way* over our bandwidth quota (I had to shut off video downloads for the last week or two of last month, and I'm moving them to a different server today because we've already used up our bandwidth for this month). Our bandwidth goes up 60% per month on average, and our current hoster doesn't give very favorable terms above what we have now, so the new TSC is going to be run on s0nicfreak's servers (she'll give us REALLY good rates). I've been debating whether to just take the ads off the front page, since they don't really make enough anymore to justify marring it... haha.

Welcome, by the way. :P

MECHA_OVERLORD · « **Reply #10 on:** July 07, 2004, 06:26:29 am »

I'm an idiot, and shouldn't be posting here. Why don't you all laugh at me, so I can live up to that standard.

SadisticMystic · « **Reply #11 on:** July 07, 2004, 12:37:35 pm »

Sure, why not.

HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA YOU GOT PWNED

neaolas · « **Reply #12 on:** July 09, 2004, 11:55:11 am »

hey I got a new pair of pants and they dont have back pockets why!?!!?

formarfan · « **Reply #13 on:** July 10, 2004, 05:02:22 pm »

How off topic and stupid of neaolas.

Sonicolas · « **Reply #14 on:** July 10, 2004, 07:29:11 pm »

Nice! I'd be happy to design a theme when it will be possible =P

Update on TSC development: what's coming!

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