>Hello SkiJunkie, first of all, nice to meet you and
>congratulations for your superb Tool/Game. Let me
>make absolutly clear that i fully understand that you
>are not Microsoft or something, so dont take any
>critizism personal or something.
I don't take anything personally.
>Is Games Workshop aware of the existance of your
>Client ? would they be willing to pick up you and
>your project ?
I do not believe The company as an entity is aware of my client. There are a few people there that have seen my game I think. I don't think they would be willing to pick up my project. I think that the bottom line is they want to sell mini's and a computer game doesn't help them do that. Doesn't bother me as this is just a project I do for fun.
>I was wondering if it would be possible to split your program
>in 2 Modes, Namely "Official Match" and "House Rules Match".
>Perhaps you could add some kind of interface or editable file
>that allows customized rules and Teams.
Other adding a mode that allows free movement and selection like the IRC Client or the PBeM tool I don't see how customized rules will work. I wouldn't even begin to think about a mode like this until everything else I want to do is implemented.
>I am more interested in the "Official Match" Mode. This
>would be playing a game of Blood Bowl, using the only
>Official Rulebook, Teams, Team Rosters and Reference
>Sheets.
>I pointed out the "Rules must be set in Stone for World
>Wide Competitive Play" Argument earlier, and i stick to
>that opinion. People will play someone online, whom
>they never met before and can only communicate via
>a chat client, this is not the environment for unclear or
>customized rules.
I really don't see my client being used on such a world wide scale as far as leagues go. Even with the server that would manage the league rosters I see them as being privately run. For instance: I could run a league using my computer as the server and letting clients connect to it. I would manage who could join and such.
>As to the Team Roster, the best one should be the
>one to download from >Fanatics, and be supported
>and or updated the same way as the Living
>Rulebook and the Reference Sheets.
Unless those xls file can export to some type of regular text file I don't see it happening. I'm not up to learning how to decode or encode a binary xls file.
>The Java Blood Bowl Client should handle the Pre and
>Post Game Sequence as well, including Star Player
>Rolls, and update the Teams automatically, even
>adding some kind of protection to make cheat-editing
>harder. For Example one could only edit the document
>from within the Java Client to change Player Names.
There would have to be a central server managing the changes to prevent cheating. If the roster is a anytime edited and stored on the client then it is prone to cheating.
>So that way everything but a League or Ladder
>System reqired to play the Current LRB 1.1 Blood
>Bowl via the net would be provided, just the same
>way as if you were playing the Board Game.
>Lacking Servers for Ladder play which is not realistic
>unless Games Workshop actually provides a server,
>i am sure the fans here would get along by emailing
>their results, as they do now already.
Like I said I don't see my client being used on such a scale. More like private leagues that have their own league server. I don't see GW ever providing a way to play in the league without the board and the minis. They want their monies.
>Some might say they want to play their Online Team Offline
>as well, that would in my opinion only be possible in house
>Rules Mode. If anyone knows what i mean its like open and
>closed Battle.net
I see the client still being able to play off server games by using local rosters. At startup they would decide to play the team off the league server or use local file. Using local file would of course not affect their league roster.
>Is it clear what i mean ? meet online and play just as
>if you took the Boardgame to a friend in an other town.
I under stand what you mean, but I don't see GW buying into it.
>If THAT version of Java Bowl is availiable, i was willing to
>pay for it (shareware/freeware) and would actively try to
>push the thing towards improved Interface, Graphics,
>Sound and Presentation. 3 D is absolutely not required,
>but some kind of animation would be desirable.
I don't think GW will ever make this game (the version you are looking for or any other version) Especially after their failed attempt. My game may one day reach that point....maybe. Just depend on when I get to work on it and what I feel like adding to it. I would never dream of trying to charge for it though. I don't want the responsibilty of paying customers, and I don't want to go near the copyright infringements that would cause.
Honestly, I'd rather play the board version myself. I started writing and using this version because I can never find the time to get with my friends for a game. We don't even really have a league, we just play now and then and update the rosters ourselves. But it is fun to work on....most of the time.
