Aurora C# Screenshots

[TheDeadlyShoe]

if you have db access and you know what you are doing you can convert saves to new versions.

But I seriously would _NOT_ recommend trying.  Play the old version.  Start a new game for whenever the new version come out. 

[TMaekler]

So I have read elsewhere. Better not tamper with the Database... 

[Hydrofoil]

Wow this seems to have come along way very quickly im guessing there was alot of reusable code . Would it be possible to maybe add in some stock images for on the ship designer view? Just a suggestion

[boggo2300]

Wow this seems to have come along way very quickly im guessing there was alot of reusable code . Would it be possible to maybe add in some stock images for on the ship designer view? Just a suggestion

I suspect turns are currently quite long in Steves game...

[Steve Walmsley (OP)]

Wow this seems to have come along way very quickly im guessing there was alot of reusable code . Would it be possible to maybe add in some stock images for on the ship designer view? Just a suggestion

No, C# has all been written from scratch. I've just spent quite a lot of time on it over the last few weeks. My C# has improved a lot in the process

Stock images are possible, although probably not on the first tab. Main problem would be finding enough images without copyright problems.

[TMaekler]

There are plenty guys out there with 3D skills who present their works in several forums or on their websites. Asking them to use their pics might work pretty easily, because they want to spread their work (and become famous  ). Finding "styles" for specific ships althoug might be a more complicated task.

Free 3D Models (which would need someone to render them):
https://www.thepixellab.net/7-sites-for-free-3d-models
http://www.blender-models.com/model-downloads/space/

Free Picutres (depending on license, much stuff under Creative Commons but better check individually):
http://star-dock.deviantart.com/
http://www.blendernation.com/

[Shadow]

Old player here. My question is: what'd be the benefits of the C# conversion? Stability and performance, maybe?

I realize most of the game's still in the Access database, so improvement might be limited (speaking out of ignorance here). Still, what can we look forward to?

[Felixg]

Faster run times, since the current version (f I remember correctly) has to read and write to the hard drive for everything as the turn progresses, which is slow as sin once the database gets more and more complex.

The new version will load the whole thing into RAM so that it can be accessed on the fly very quickly, and will be able to take advantage of multiple processors as well to help with all the calculations and such.

Someone please correct me if I am mistaken here but I think thats the short version of it.

[Hydrofoil]

Faster run times, since the current version (f I remember correctly) has to read and write to the hard drive for everything as the turn progresses, which is slow as sin once the database gets more and more complex.

The new version will load the whole thing into RAM so that it can be accessed on the fly very quickly, and will be able to take advantage of multiple processors as well to help with all the calculations and such.

Someone please correct me if I am mistaken here but I think thats the short version of it.

Depends largely on how Steve has architected, if he is still directly writing to the database then things will still slow down as the database gets bigger and bigger but c# has its advantages and has ways of getting the most out of databases and stuff. If Steve has architected it differently to use RAM then there should be very little slow down at all we will all just have to remember to save our games when we are finished playing a session

Also i realise this isnt really a suggestions thread but there isnt any other thread for that yet. Seen as thought your working from scratch would it be possible to look at and maybe add some more depth to Ground combat? Command levels higher than Division and maybe some more ground units and other cool things like battle tactics? Possibly take some inspiration from the MOO series as they did it quite well i feel.

[GodEmperor]

Hate to be that guy but : Do we have release date ( even some rough estimate will suffice ) ??

[Steve Walmsley (OP)]

Old player here. My question is: what'd be the benefits of the C# conversion? Stability and performance, maybe?

I realize most of the game's still in the Access database, so improvement might be limited (speaking out of ignorance here). Still, what can we look forward to?

Performance is main advantage, although there are a few others. I've just ordered a new PC with Windows 10 (currently on 7) so time is catching up with VB6 . Developing past the current functionality will be a lot easier in a modern language. Performance should be enhanced because everything is being loaded at start-up and the game is run entirely in RAM. So far I am loading all system bodies, survey results, ships, fleets, classes, missiles, etc into objects in less than 10 seconds. My game has 500 systems, 60,000 system bodies, 100,000 system body survey records, 2300 ships, etc. so most games will be a faster load.

Simply swapping systems in the tactical map is noticeably improved. Changing to the Alpha Centauri system in VB6 has a delay of perhaps 1-2 seconds. In C# it is instant. If you select the system dropdown and hold the down arrow, it looks like the end of Wargames

Because windows forms has advanced a lot since VB6, the window design is a lot cleaner and I can start from scratch in terms of deciding where to put everything, rather than squeezing more and more things into an existing layout.

Database-wise I am currently using Access so I can run the same database in both C# and VB6 to compare results. However, I have set the data access code up to allow me to easily change DBs so I will move away from Access once the program is close to completion. Probably SQL Server as I am very familiar with it. I've been considering how to handle the saving side and I am leaning toward creating complete game save files rather than updating a single file, so you will have multiple save positions in the same game.

Another advantage of C# is that it allows multi-threading, which may help with sensor updates as I can run several systems simultaneously. I won't use multi-threading just for the sake of it because I understand you can get yourself into trouble fairly easily but I'll play around with it and see if it makes a significant difference.

BTW For those familiar with C#, I have found one of the major advantages over VB6 (beyond the obvious advantages) is using LINQ and Lambda expressions to retrieve data from collections - very useful and powerful.

[Steve Walmsley (OP)]

Hate to be that guy but : Do we have release date ( even some rough estimate will suffice ) ??

Absolutely no idea

I have a very long way to go . Tactical Map and Class Design are pretty much done but that is a small portion. I haven't touched system generation, the sequence of play, movement (although the orders are being loaded), detection, combat, economics, production, etc..  It will get easier though as I can start to re-use code from the parts I have completed, rather than writing from scratch to match VB6, plus the foundation (in terms of organised data in the program) for a lot of the work to come is already in place.

It isn't just the amount of work though. A lot depends on how I maintain my level of enthusiasm and there are distractions ahead, like Battlefleet Gothic Armada

[Steve Walmsley (OP)]

Depends largely on how Steve has architected, if he is still directly writing to the database then things will still slow down as the database gets bigger and bigger but c# has its advantages and has ways of getting the most out of databases and stuff. If Steve has architected it differently to use RAM then there should be very little slow down at all we will all just have to remember to save our games when we are finished playing a session

Also i realise this isnt really a suggestions thread but there isnt any other thread for that yet. Seen as thought your working from scratch would it be possible to look at and maybe add some more depth to Ground combat? Command levels higher than Division and maybe some more ground units and other cool things like battle tactics? Possibly take some inspiration from the MOO series as they did it quite well i feel.

I will look at ground combat at some point - ideal would be actual maps like in Emperor of the Fading Suns. However, my immediate aim is to replicate the VB6 functionality in C#. Once that is done, I can look at new functionality.

[Shadow]

Excellent, Steve! It's the kind of foundational improvement many of us had been hoping for.

Keep up the great work and best of luck maintaining that enthusiasm.

I'll be following this intently.

[Hydrofoil]

Performance is main advantage, although there are a few others. I've just ordered a new PC with Windows 10 (currently on 7) so time is catching up with VB6 . Developing past the current functionality will be a lot easier in a modern language. Performance should be enhanced because everything is being loaded at start-up and the game is run entirely in RAM. So far I am loading all system bodies, survey results, ships, fleets, classes, missiles, etc into objects in less than 10 seconds. My game has 500 systems, 60,000 system bodies, 100,000 system body survey records, 2300 ships, etc. so most games will be a faster load.

Simply swapping systems in the tactical map is noticeably improved. Changing to the Alpha Centauri system in VB6 has a delay of perhaps 1-2 seconds. In C# it is instant. If you select the system dropdown and hold the down arrow, it looks like the end of Wargames

Because windows forms has advanced a lot since VB6, the window design is a lot cleaner and I can start from scratch in terms of deciding where to put everything, rather than squeezing more and more things into an existing layout.

Database-wise I am currently using Access so I can run the same database in both C# and VB6 to compare results. However, I have set the data access code up to allow me to easily change DBs so I will move away from Access once the program is close to completion. Probably SQL Server as I am very familiar with it. I've been considering how to handle the saving side and I am leaning toward creating complete game save files rather than updating a single file, so you will have multiple save positions in the same game.

Another advantage of C# is that it allows multi-threading, which may help with sensor updates as I can run several systems simultaneously. I won't use multi-threading just for the sake of it because I understand you can get yourself into trouble fairly easily but I'll play around with it and see if it makes a significant difference.

BTW For those familiar with C#, I have found one of the major advantages over VB6 (beyond the obvious advantages) is using LINQ and Lambda expressions to retrieve data from collections - very useful and powerful.

I am currently Squeeing inside like a little girl! It sounds like C# is allowing you to get around all the limitations you had with VB6 this is excellent news! So whats next after this Pausable Realtime Aurora