Sim9's Journal!
Archive Games Preview
Thought I'd make a quick post showing off a new Archive Project: Archive Games. Archive Games is the logical continuation of HotAir to support more than one game via a single interface. Through Archive Games you can browse, download, update, and launch your favorite Archive Entertainment games -- and I'm looking to integrate some 3rd party games as well! Initially I want to add some popular GPL titles during the Beta phase to prove out the workflow for 3rd parties, and then sometime after testing & launch I want to start contacting some freeware developers and get them involved.
Archive Games Main Interface - In Development
The workflow for 3rd party developers is pretty cool. I've developed a full backend system that allows them to edit and update their own games directly whenever they have files or information to update.
Of course, it's really easy for users to use, too! New downloads have a customizeable install wizard of sorts which allows the developer to provide special install instructions and their own license text. Archive Games fully supports both Windows and Linux platforms.
The Install Wizard makes it easy for new installations, even if they require special instructions.
There's not too many things remaining before the launch of Beta; already it's usable as a download system, but still needs a few smaller things done here and there (like the "fancy banner will go here" ;)) so keep an eye out and make sure you're subscribed to the newsletter -- I'll be calling for beta testers before you know it ;)
It's been more than a year since my last update! Time for an update!
DevJournals Update
The reason I update today is really to test some changes to DevJournals. Two things of note:
Secret Project Update
For the past few months I've been working on a secret Archive project. It's too early to annouce what it is, but I think everyone will be impressed ;)
Newsletter
I plan to send out a newsletter tomorrow. Prepare your inboxes and sign up now, before it's sent out!
Dev Updates:
Been working mostly on thesis-type stuff so there has not been too much other work done on SW and other projects very recently. However, I do have some site plans to help convert random surfers to permanent members :D
Random Dream:
Yes, one of my favorite topics of journal updates ;)
It starts off when I'm alone in my apartment. I'm watching the olympics or something on TV, and trying to distinguish whether there's a more clear picture from the channel itself, or from watching through my mythtv box (which is on something like channel 18, instead of 3, and further bizarre since the TV isn't hooked up to directly watch TV). Then people are at the door: they are from my business meeting that I apparently planned to host here. A bunch of them file in, filling the room. We talk about things, but realize the TV is distracting us, so I put it on pause (which impresses them greatly). I realize I have a class to go to soon, so I drive to my college.
I apparently decide to park in lower-campus, or where the dorms (not classrooms) are located. On the way, several police cars are around, and they seem to be driving erratically. Not wanting a ticket, I let the pass. I finally park and begin walking to class, stopping by RM's since he had called to say he wanted to do something after class. We both have class later, so I agree to pick him up in Halsell (building with compsci classes).
I begin walking through upper-campus (where the classroom building are) and pass by a tennis court (what it's doing in upper campus, I don't know). Somehow, a guy grabs me by slipping through the gap between the wall and green tennis court fabric and is trying to wrestle me or something. I struggle towards DCS (campus security) which is nextdoor, and the guy flees back into the tennis court. A dozen officers are persuing him around the tennis court, and so figuring that he would doubleback and escape that way, he accidently flees right into an officer. Hah! Pwned!
Apparently I have a locker (wtf?) near the tennis court with supplies I will need for this class, so I open the locker, get the supplies, and lock it (the lock has previously just been laying on the ground). I unlock it first to see if it really was my lock, and it was (though my keychain was frighteningly huge at this point).
I continue to Halsell, but realize my normal classroom building of three stories is now up to ninety some. I vaguely remember that the college had limit they were not supposed to build higher than, but they must have gotten around it. I also remembered that the elevator only goes up to three, and my classroom was at seventy-something, but there's a bridge from a nearby building that connects on the fiftyity floor. I try navigating this building, but after several times ending up on fire-escape-style stairways on the side of the buildings that have no railings, I give up and return to first floor Halsell.
I then find several of my professors building the stairwell by placing steps into it. I also find RM who has made his way up here for his class. My professors tell me the stairwell isn't that safe, but it's done for now, so I decide to walk the seventy flights up. I arrive and look through floors 70-80 which are much smaller than at the base, hardly bigger than a single room each. I finally find my classroom, which is a group seminar type class.
We begin by sitting on the floor and throwing around a blue ball (wtf?). Then the instructor leads the students to a stove-top that has been sunken in the floor. He instructs students to stand on the stovetop, but we eventually realize that the stovetop is on, so this is a bad idea. :P
