WarFoundry milestones/release versions

[IBBoard]

WarFoundry v0.1 is getting closer - or at least it feels like it now that we've got basic file loading and saving!

To hasten its arrival I'm reassessing the situation with the tickets and releases, so we've now got some extra milestones (v0.3 and v1.0). I'll be moving tickets around and creating tickets for the extra features now, hopefully planning out most of what we need for each version.

Once I feel happy that we've got enough to start beta-testing the UI and writing initial files then I'll do a "0.1 beta" release. Of course, anyone with Subversion and Visual Studio Express or MonoDevelop is welcome to take their own alpha release before the official beta

Please feel free to comment on the features in various versions, but especially v0.1 - "Cry Havoc". Remember, this is a gamer's tool for gamers by gamers (or former gamers) directed by the community and if you want a feature then other people probably do too


[edit] One brief question: Do we have enough milestones and point releases? I'm looking at the tickets and making v0.1 smaller but I seem to just be making v0.2 bigger instead.

Even if we do have more point releases then anyone else (if anyone else works on it!) can work on the features they feel best suited to and bring work forward, but the preference would be to work in milestone order. In that situation the other question is what is the priority?

I've got my own ideas on all of this, but I think input from others would be useful. It'll be easier once the first beta is out of the door as you won't be working in a vacuum then, but any ideas are welcomed

[IBBoard]

We're gradually getting closer! The open ticket list is getting shorter.

I've now completed tickets 68 and 69, which added basic "export" to the app. So far "export" is just an ugly HTML page, but it is the first of many that we could include as plugins and it does its job. Once it's done for the WinForms app (ticket 70) then it'll be moderately representative for anyone who wants to do the initial beta test on v0.1

[snowblizz]

Excellent! Am looking forwards to seeing it in the flesh. So to speak. Ooooh... what if I'm disappointed? Somehow this is starting to feel like internet dating

[IBBoard]

Hopefully she'll live up to expectations, then Ticket 70 got fixed later, so the "rough and ready" HTML table output is about functional now.

This will only be a beta release of v0.1. Basic army creation, saving and export will be there, but not complex validation rules, containership etc. We'll also need some data files to work with (my mock files started with a couple of old Empire stat lines, but I've since started making things up for the purposes of testing).

For anyone who does end up testing the app, please sign up on the dev site and report any bugs you might find or request any extra features. Don't worry if you duplicate an existing ticket as I'll sift through them as they're added (although it's obviously better to look first and make sure that an issue isn't already recorded )

[IBBoard]

With the completion of the updated and fully functioning Add Equipment dialog, WarFoundry v0.1 is ever closer to Beta!

There are still a few outstanding bugs for v0.1, plus anything that people find that needs fixing for a first release, but hopefully I'll be able to at least package up the WinForms version for Windows users (and any Linux users crazy enough to try it!) at the weekend.

[IBBoard]

I was hoping to get WarFoundry v0.1beta for WinForms released by the end of the day, but I can't guarantee anything at the moment. There are a couple of bugs I want to look at related to file loading (128 and 142) but at the moment I'm looking after my 15-month old son. I was supposed to be having my "free time" day, but the wife is currently in bed, slightly the worse for wear from a barbeque at a neighbour's house last night where we provided the food and they provided the alcohol. Hopefully she'll be okay before the end of the day!

[snowblizz]

Make it a birthday present to me.

Yes as it so happens it is my birthday today.

[IBBoard]

Happy birthday - I've finally got a chance to go on the computer for a reasonable amount of time, so I'll see what I can do!

[IBBoard]

As we go through beta testing of v0.1 I keep thinking that we might need to look at the milestones again. Any input would be greatly appreciated.

Our current milestones are on the Milestones page and were based on my initial breakdown:

• 0.1 - basic functionality: fully usable but only for basic armies (i.e. no complex requirements etc)
• 0.2 - fuller functionality: add the remaining functionality (complex requirements and some of the other requests)
• 0.3 - modularity: WarFoundry will ideally be modular. It's already broken up in to a couple of projects (we have a Rollcall loader that's built in to the GTK# app) but a proper modular/plugin structure would be needed before v0.1
• 1.0 - final spit and polish

What I'm wondering is whether v0.2 is now growing too big and what people think the focus should be for the milestones - what is important for you as a gamer? Complex requirements may need to be a milestone on their own, so is there just one extra milestone that needs pulling out or are there more? Also, themed names would be useful if you suggest more milestones

[snowblizz]

The important things would be I'd say, being able to create an army. Being able to create an army with all the trimmings (complex units etc etc). I could probably survive with basic HTML output and the interface and stuff as we have it as long as I can create a complete army.

After that validation.

Usability.

Then Stuff! All those cool things that will make this blow the pants from the commercial apps.

I was walking back from town and thinking about names and was struck by some classics.
Casus belli
Alea iacta est (fairly appropriate)
Jacta alea esto, "Let the dice be cast!", or "Let the game be ventured!"
And combining classical quotations with abandon I thought of:
Alea Ex Machina

[IBBoard]

I guess, at the end of the day, most of the use of an army roster builder is the calculation and the copying of stats/rules very quickly, so what you can build is more important than validation (which most people know sufficiently well themselves anyway). I'll see what I can do about re-organising the milestones, but for now I'll get some coding/debugging done.

[snowblizz]

The more I use this, the more I seem to be needing the unit x contains a unit y and a unit x feature. Unit champions, mounts, transports etc etc.

[IBBoard]

There are plans to get it in there eventually, but we need to put a limit on things somewhere. They'll probably be high up the list, but probably in v0.2 rather than cramming everything in v0.1. For now you'll have to make them separate and just let the user remember to keep them separate.

As for mounts, I was expecting them to be "equipment" that has its own full stat line (again, planned but not implemented).