Allegiance 2

KGJV · Post by **KGJV** » Thu Feb 14, 2013 6:07 pm

loading assets is solved with HTML5 storage or local cache.

http://from-dust.ubisoft.com/ is an example of this, a full AAA game completely adapted with NaCL to run in Chrome (see how it looks here)

The first load time is very long because all the assets are downloaded. But then next launches are instantaneous because of the storage system.

I don't like NacL, I think it's kinda "cheating" but i'll admit it's cool as a temporary solution while transitioning to full html5/web-gl. Bastion for Chrome is another example of this. but i would agree C# is 100x better than javascript. that's why i'm waiting for Dart, I utterly loathe javascript.

Also keep an eye on frameworks/platforms like http://playcanvas.com/ (more 3D) and http://biz.turbulenz.com/developers (more 2D) too.

Ideally providing the dev tools in the browser would be great too. no dev studio, ide to install. no missing libraries or dependencies, etc. https://c9.io/ is an example.

Same for asset creation/editing with tools like http://www.3dtin.com/

all these things are moving fast and it's very exciting and promising.

Orion · Post by **Orion** » Thu Feb 14, 2013 9:42 pm

Obviously you can cache assets, but I believe the cache is lost if the browser is upgraded, etc.. people would often end up losing them and having to redownload everything.

NaCL would be kind of the best of both worlds, IMO.. if people wanted to, they could download the app and run it locally (could use an Awesomium shell, assuming it supports NaCL - it may not I have not checked), or they could run it in Chrome.

If you want to rely on Dart, you would be dependent on running Chrome anyway (Dartium, for the moment) because (like NaCL) no other browser is ever going to implement the Dart VM. Obviously you can compile Dart to JS, but there are many other options if you were doing that (like TypeScript.. a bit lighter weight than javascript, not quite as lofty goals, but very nice.)

I don't think NaCL is 'cheating', I think it's actually a better long term solution to client-side code than Dart or TypeScript.. it's almost like an IL for the web. Allowing programmers to author client side code in basically *any* language and letting it run safely in a sandboxed environment on any platform is a panacea.

Spunkmeyer · Post by **Spunkmeyer** » Thu Feb 14, 2013 11:49 pm

The browser performance is a bit of a wildcard. Dust, for example, runs like total @#(! on both my work and home browsers.

Orion · Post by **Orion** » Fri Feb 15, 2013 3:16 am

Spunkmeyer wrote:QUOTE (Spunkmeyer @ Feb 14 2013, 05:49 PM) The browser performance is a bit of a wildcard. Dust, for example, runs like total @#(! on both my work and home browsers.

I think you'd be fine with an NaCL game.. I don't think Dust does use NaCL, thought it was just WebGL.

KGJV · Post by **KGJV** » Fri Feb 15, 2013 5:50 pm

AFAIK both From Dust and Bastion use NaCL.

as well as AirMech the 'flagship' game for NaCL.

If you have perf issues with From Dust it could your gear or the way they ported it with NaCL.

The creators of AirMech explained some porting issues here.

try some web-gl demos to see your browser(s) perf:

http://workshop.chromeexperiments.com/stars/
http://oos.moxiecode.com/js_webgl/particles_morph/

You can also test your web-gl conformance here : https://www.khronos.org/registry/webgl/ ... tests.html

Orion · Post by **Orion** » Fri Feb 15, 2013 10:04 pm

AirMech looks pretty impressive from that youtube video. Nice

I did play around with Dust a few weeks ago on my work laptop, it wasn't the greatest, but it was certainly playable. I don't think you'd really see performance lag too much if a program was written from the ground up with NaCL (rather than just a quick port)

KGJV · Post by **KGJV** » Sat Feb 16, 2013 11:29 pm

btw, if someone here wants to learn HTML5+Web-GL , a cool training would be to (re)make an Allegiance version of the EVE Online Spaceships Web-GL viewer.

(and plz someone 'steal' these stunning EVE models and put them in Alleg too

)

raumvogel · Post by **raumvogel** » Sun Feb 17, 2013 9:10 am

It's been my belief from the time I started playing in 1999 that the game engine for Allegiance was purchased from Microsoft from IGN. I used to play an IGN game called Raider Wars.They shut down the servers in 1998 and the next thing you know, MS markets Allegiance. I still have a copy of Raider Wars if anyone is interested.

coopertronic · Post by **coopertronic** » Mon Feb 18, 2013 11:26 pm

Looks like someone tried to make a mod for Allegiance to turn it into Raider Wars.

Found this: http://www.moddb.com/mods/raider-wars

Qupenig · Post by **Qupenig** » Fri Feb 22, 2013 10:33 pm

How many posters played Allegiance in the last 3 days..