Some things which I have noticed as a server owner

[HunterzCZ]

As an owner of one of many common servers, I would be grateful from at least basic not necessary completed api. The sooner, the better.

Do you remember Minecraft? It is a great example.

The success of this game was not caused by Mojangs vanilla server which cannot do anything even today, but that giant “Boom” of Minecraft occurred due the community driven api for servers which we have known as Bukkit. That was the real cause of minecraft becoming so successful game. The API was terrible back then, but people were happy. Happy to have a chance to write at least basic antigrief plugins. They continued doing so, even that API changed X times. It was worth it.

What was the reaction of Mojang? What did they do about it? They made a fortune. Mojang did promise a small API, sadly they have never released it.

So what we have learned from this?

1. Plugins on servers really do attract new people.
2. Saying later isn´t the resolution.
3. If you don’t release the API one able coder will do it later on, but that api will never be 100% compatible with the game.

So in the name of all owners of starmade server I am asking for release a basic API to make simple plugins with. It should contain basic methods for example:

Player: nick, credits, chat, position, faction, relations between factions, a name of ship which is he currently controlling…

Ship: mass, position, energy, shields, speed, faction…

Events: player hit another player, player hit a ship, player kills another player (+ information about gun which he have used)...

Possibility to give players prefixes in chat (donor, admin, builder, a guy from shine team…)

Currently I am using a wrapper to parse logs, but it has its disadvantages. I managed to write simplest plugins such as cycling tips and claiming reward for voting for server.

Please, consider my request and release at least small basic API. It is better to have some than none. Even if it change frequently it is still better than nothing.

And I would be also grateful for some more options in server config. Such as map size and ship limit. This should not be only possible in battle mode, but in standard mode too. Just because most servers are not able to handle 30 GB backup or giant flying boxes with 300K mass.

Thank you for reading my suggestion and I hope you will find some time to deal with it.

 

[NeonSturm]

The success of this game was not caused by Mojangs vanilla server which cannot do anything even today, but that giant “Boom” of Minecraft occurred due the community driven api for servers which we have known as Bukkit. That was the real cause of minecraft becoming so successful game. The API was terrible back then, but people were happy. Happy to have a chance to write at least basic antigrief plugins. They continued doing so, even that API changed X times. It was worth it.

What was the reaction of Mojang? What did they do about it? They made a fortune. Mojang did promise a small API, sadly they have never released it.

And what happened to this fortune? :/
I would feel a lot saver if there is some sort of license which users can choose for their content and which prohibits established mega-companies from using it in one or another way.


So you basically say: put everything into the API which is accessible via user interface ingame? (power-bars, self-commands, ...?)

I would really like an API for display and wireless blocks and their logic output at least (faction security with passwords, control your ship via a terminal).

 

[Valiant70]

Spoiler: Off-Topic

And what happened to this fortune? :/
I would feel a lot saver if there is some sort of license which users can choose for their content and which prohibits established mega-companies from using it in one or another way.

Mojang made a fortune off of Bukkit only because it motivated more people to buy the game by making a community available to them. In other words, Bukkit wasn't a source of profit, but an enabler of profit. Neither Mojang nor anyone else ever made any money directly from it. It just grew the player base.

The creation of a good API could make a really big difference in how fast the Starmade community grows and how successful the game ultimately becomes. This is one thing the council should see to right away: the Schine team must not underestimate the importance of an API.

 

[petrenko17]

We need that API as shon as posible, even a basic small one would be enough. Because writing "plugins" by using wrapper is just almost impossible, they never work correctly.

 

[jayman38]

I think the game development progress itself would boom after the implementation of the API. Lots of built-in logic could be moved to the API and tweaked towards perfection by the community instead of the devs. And different API settings for different tastes could be available in Community Content.

 

[Deserd134]

API would be welcome

 

[HunterzCZ]

I am writing some plugins for gravypod starmadewrapper, but official API will be better.

 

[HunterzCZ]

Looks like SMModloader works - thanks MegaCrafter127

http://starmadedock.net/content/megas-smmodloader.1597/

I can write own serverside mods now!

 

[petrenko17]

But ist missing one main thing. It can not track down chat.

 

[HunterzCZ]

As soon as the opportunity to capture chat events, will go to start programming your own commands and extend this game.
Add some hooks to code and add new method to PlayerStateListener is easy IMHO.

 

[Lidren]

Must have API.

 

[HunterzCZ]

With SMModloader Im now created two serverside mods - WorldBorder and KillReward. Mods are in the Community content now. But API is incomplete, still cannot add new commands, listen to chat events etc...

 

[Lidren]

If worldborder is anything like what I think it is you just got yourself a fanboy.

 

[Effane]

I think all the server builders agree, API.

Plus all those mod makers would write a ton of code, most of it crap, but this might be one of the nerdiest communities I have been in for a game. It almost seems we have a massive IT population.

 

[Lidren]

It almost seems we have a massive IT population.

I've noticed that, being in IT myself. XD