MurphyRP - WIP and all.

[q3k]

[b]So what is all this rambling about MurphyRP or something like that?[/b]
So, as a programmer, although a relatively new one to Lua, I started whipping up a new RP gamemode for garry's mod. I got then later joined by a buddy, The Junior Programmer, and our developement ideas all come from a man we call The Idea Bitch. As a team, we have started working on code that we think will once for all stop the stream of crappy mods (I'm looking at your, DarkRP) on our server lists.

Great! you say. Another useless half-assed RP mod made by a noob!
Well, let's hope you won't see all of this like so. For I bring thee a list of features we are planning on implementing!

[b]The SHORT LIST OF MAIN FEATURES BECAUSE I JUST FORGOT HALF OF THEM[/b]
- Every object list ingame is abstracted to a SQL table, so as to minimize the number of whining on inevitable server crashes and access to data from external processer, in exemplum PHP. Same goes to almost every string in-game. Fully configurable via SQL.
- All the generic RP stuff, like items, classes, jobs, inventory, proper door handling, etc. We like to call this part of our roadmap "Fixing shit that DarkRP did wrong".
- An Awesome crime-and-punishement system, so as not to lead to situations where the police is either with their thumbs at their asses or arresting people even though they're innocent. Including a crime points system for when peopel commit crime, warrants, gun licenses, et caetera.
- Full and complete GUI. Look at the G. Not a UI via the console, a true GUI. For every aspect of the game, yet letting advanced players use concommands.
- Advanced security, reliable data validation on server-side.
- Remarkable speed, with every little usermessage optimized to the max.
- Flexible plug-in system, allowing to hook everything in the gamemode without touching the original files.
- A DM flag which people can set if they accept to DM. Works like so: if flag is unset, killing other does not only give crime points, but also bad karma (low enough karma -> banhammer). If flag is set, killing other which have their DM flag unset gives bad karma, however killing those with the flag set gives only crime points. This way RPrs can mind their business and DMers can act like douchebags.
- An Awesome NPC system. Surprisingly, we already have most of this written. An NPC system reminiscent of commercial MMORPGs. You get the idea.
- An Awesome Achievement system. Because we're all cool and shit.

Also a lot of other stuff I forgot to mention here but will probably add in further edits of this post.
We are only starting developement, so the screenshot I will procure you with below may not be impressive. However, the framework is there for almost all of the feature highlighted.

[b]About us[/b]
We are just a couple of guys that had an idea for a new RP gamemode. I'm from Poland, I do web backend developement for a living and embedded systems programming in my spare time. The Junior Programmer is an amateur programmer from Sweden, and The Idea Bitch (from The Netherlands) knows shit about Lua but drinks good beer, hence the name of the mod. We never take code from other people and incorporate it to ours. We only use clean code and avoid dirty hacks where we can. The whole gamemode is now undergoing structural rework as I'm reorganizing the internals into different modules. We are always open for ideas, contributors and even new members to the team. Please contact us.

I can be reached at [email][e-mail][/email]

[b]Screenshots![/b]
[url]http://q3k.org/mrp_fp/01.png[/url]
The player class selection screen. New players also see a registration form.

[url]http://q3k.org/mrp_fp/02.png[/url]
Default HUD.

[url]http://q3k.org/mrp_fp/03.png[/url]
Door system & client popup message system

[url]http://q3k.org/mrp_fp/04.png[/url]
MurphyRP context menu. Openable everywhere via F4, actions depend on item aimed at.

[url]http://q3k.org/mrp_fp/05.png[/url]
Props can be picked up...

[url]http://q3k.org/mrp_fp/06.png[/url]
... and put to inventory. Yes, we are going to implement a maxweight limit someday.

[url]http://q3k.org/mrp_fp/07.png[/url]
Yeah, the generic RP items are there.

[url]http://q3k.org/mrp_fp/08.png[/url]
And empty boxes are here, too.

[url]http://q3k.org/mrp_fp/09.png[/url]
We are aiming to support rp_c18_v1, however, a map definition file system is present, which autoloads a lua file containing the position of prohibited doors, spawn points for NPCs, et caetera.

[Horsey]

Looks good, if you need any help PM me.

[CaptainQuirk]

For some reason, I feel like this is a hoax. If it's not, nice work even though it is class based D=

Edit: It's like a combo of DarkRP, Cider and Taco...

[q3k]

Nope, it's not a hoax. It's a dream starting to become a reality, and we are just curious of what you guys think about all of this.

EDIT: We tried to take the best elements from of all gamemodes. However we probbaly succeded in taking the worst of them all :D. Right now there is still a lot of coding to do.

[CaptainQuirk]

[QUOTE=q3k;18049594]Nope, it's not a hoax. It's a dream starting to become a reality, and we are just curious of what you guys think about all of this.[/QUOTE]

I think it's not really a dream, I dream of a free moving, dynamic, non-class based system.

[q3k]

[QUOTE=CaptainQuirk;18049860]I think it's not really a dream, I dream of a free moving, dynamic, non-class based system.[/QUOTE]

The longer I think about that, the better I realize you're probably right. The player classes are pretty much unnecessary. What about jobs then? Is a classic select-your-job screen needed, or should everything be made as transparent as possible? Wouldn't this be too confusing for newbies?

[AzLaN]

Indeed it would the best way is having Jobs or "licenses".

[CaptainQuirk]

My opinion is that the player should form their own job system, place the little things that people can turn into a job. For example include a function to write on certain things and a person could act as a mailman without really needing to pick "Mailman" on the GUI and still lack a functionality. RP has been to restricted by saying this class is _____ and this can only be ______. RP is being able to invent a [b]realistic[/b] character to play as, not a poorly defined mob boss.

Too lazy to read version...
Include a blank where people can name their job (try to keep accountability though.)
Include the little things that people can turn into a job
Give players a valid reason to buy and create an in game economy

EDIT: Quick idea for having responsible Police... Have a system where if a player has played X amount of days and has less than X crime points they have the option to select an official police job

[q3k]

Excellent idea, and limits the amount of coding we need to do to nanny people. Thanks a lot.
Anyhoo, I'm off to bed. Will probably post more tomorrow afternoon.

[CaptainQuirk]

G'night, and remember, don't be restrictive with the RP.

[Entoros]

Looks cool, although I think some police officers are going to be very angry at how much you think they get paid :v:

Also, about your economy idea: I think that has always been one of the greatest goals of RP, one of the most real-life things you can get and is incredibly complex. The problem with it is there's never been enough importance on the money itself. Like, you shouldn't be able to roleplay if you don't have a roof over your head and food in your stomach. If you die, you shouldn't be able to just respawn willy-nilly; there should be significant money loss.

[Netheous]

Pics crashes my websearch

[philxyz]

It looks quite nice actually, and at the moment it looks quite different to my WIP gamemode but you seem to have had a lot of similar ideas, so good luck!

[GurraGo]

Just a bit sad that people don't know anything about HL2.. In HL2 people don't have css weapons, and the "police" is called civil protection units. I just said this because rp_c18 is a HL2 based map.
Otherwise, nice coding.

[AzLaN]

Just because a map uses ideas and textures from HL2 does it restrict us to that game?

[Zcom]

[QUOTE=AzLaN;18058482]Just because a map uses ideas and textures from HL2 does it restrict us to that game?[/QUOTE]

If by 'ideas' you mean 'models', and by 'restrict' you mean:

"Require me to own mentioned game legally and have it
fully and correctly installed."

Then, yes.

[QUOTE=q3k;18049422][i]So what is all this rambling about MurphyRP or something like that?
So, as a programmer, although a relatively new one to Lua, I started whipping up a new RP gamemode for garry's mod. I got then later joined by a buddy, The Junior Programmer, and our developement ideas all come from a man we call The Idea Bitch. As a team, we have started working on code that we think will once for all stop the stream of crappy mods (I'm looking at your, DarkRP) on our server lists.

Great! you say. Another useless half-assed RP mod made by a noob!
Well, let's hope you won't see all of this like so. For I bring thee a list of features we are planning on implementing!...[/i][/QUOTE]

This looks really good, I have to admit.

I like how simple the HUD is, no bullshit, just straight to the point.
Also, the colors are really coordinated, basic, and feel "natural".
[i]"Red=Health, Green=Stamina, Blue=Hunger, etc."[/i]

Overall, I like seeing that someone is making a gamemode with a solid RP base.

Great job.

[AzLaN]

[QUOTE=Zcom;18060764]If by 'ideas' you mean 'models', and by 'restrict' you mean:

"Require me to own mentioned game legally and have it
fully and correctly installed."

Then, yes.[/QUOTE]
Most HL2 models come with gmod. Before I had HL2 I could be on that map without any problems, I did also have all cp, citizen, combine, etc models.

[esalaka]

[QUOTE=AzLaN;18061407]Most HL2 models come with gmod. Before I had HL2 I could be on that map without any problems, I did also have all cp, citizen, combine, etc models.[/QUOTE]

All HL2 content, except for the maps, voice acting and such, comes with every single source game.

[sniperlover]

Will this be released?

[q3k]

I have no idea if the mode will be made public. Right now, there's only a little base of code done, so if this ever hits publics server, it's gonna take a long time.

I have been thinking about this classless system, and failed to have an idea on how to implement job object creation (for example, a gunsmith being able to craft weapons) without everybody building their stuff, thus limiting the roleplay to a minimum. Any ideas? Skill points for different jobs? Licenses? I have no idea.

[philxyz]

[QUOTE=q3k;18061956]I have no idea if the mode will be made public. Right now, there's only a little base of code done, so if this ever hits publics server, it's gonna take a long time.

I have been thinking about this classless system, and failed to have an idea on how to implement job object creation (for example, a gunsmith being able to craft weapons) without everybody building their stuff, thus limiting the roleplay to a minimum. Any ideas? Skill points for different jobs? Licenses? I have no idea.[/QUOTE]

As you may or may not know, I'm currently coding SeriousRP. One of the design issues I had was: "how to create a class system that doesn't have teams?"

My solution was to have two teams "public sector" and "private sector" and then two lists in the player list. Public Sector on the left and Private Sector on the right. The public sector teams such as Fire Department, Police Force and Health Service are always there (unless the government votes to disable social health care) and can be joined. The private sector teams are created by the players and are listed on the right. Then the buttons to join teams, etc are on that list.

You can probably do it several ways, but that was the way I am implementing it. When a team (organization) is created, the boss sets the name of the organization and the kind of private sector organization. If they are a manufacturing organization, they can buy machinery for creating guns, drugs for the hospital, whatever is needed. No limits.

Then the machines take in units of either wood, metal, glass or plastic in order to make guns or drugs or whatever, and you can put wood into a machine to make crates which package the guns or drugs for shipment to "Merchant" organizations. The raw materials come from props, which are broken down by a scrap merchant and sold as raw materials.

I'm not entirely sure that there is any other way of doing this... so, yes it kind of "is" the "secret sauce" of SeriousRP which I'm disclosing here, but I can't think of many other ways that you would do it. By spilling the beans now, people hopefully won't accuse me of stealing this in case you come up with the same thing.... plus, maybe this information helps you in the design of your own teams system for MurphyRP :-) (I don't mind if other gamemodes work in a similar way to mine - I accept the fact that what I have just written here will have been thought of before... but this way, you all know what I'm up to and that I didn't steal it - I just also thought of it :P

[Pangamini]

Oh no, the same idea of factions rebels/citizen as i used xD and i thought i am original... you were a bit quicker than me

[q3k]

This is quite a nice idea, however I'd feel really bad for taking it from you. I'll work around it to hopefully have my own idea for a unique and powerful team system. This looks all very tiresome to implement but worth it at the end.
I wish you good luck with your gamemode, and thanks for giving us a hint on what you're working on.

[Pangamini]

i have made thread about a hour ago, i have described more things i am working on

[philxyz]

[QUOTE=q3k;18064316]This is quite a nice idea, however I'd feel really bad for taking it from you. I'll work around it to hopefully have my own idea for a unique and powerful team system. This looks all very tiresome to implement but worth it at the end.
I wish you good luck with your gamemode, and thanks for giving us a hint on what you're working on.[/QUOTE]

Thanks, there are probably lots of ways of doing it. Another way I came up with adding flexibility (but won't be using in SeriousRP, since it's supposed to be played-as-designed) was to make the whole RP gamemode modular and deliver it as addons. Let the money addon deal entirely with the economy, let the teams addon deal entirely with teams, and then people can choose how much or how little they want to install. That gets around the complaints of too much or too little script. (can't have it both ways!)

I don't have time to make a modular RP as well as SeriousRP so I was hoping someone else might choose to do it as part of their gamemode ^_^

..so if that idea is useful, either for you or for someone else, I don't know.

[q3k]

Alright, I cleaned up most of my code and wrote some new pretty stuff on clientside, pics may come later.

However, I have a n00b question. When I add custom files to my gamemode (gamemode/content/sound/example.mp3) and try it out on a dedicated server, they don't get transfered to the client. Why? How can I fix this? inb4 resource.AddFile().

[jonney934]

I took a look at a gamemode's init with a resource.AddFile() and this is how it is done.

The file directory stuff already starts out in the gamemode folder where the info.txt is.

resource.AddFile("sound/example.mp3")

[q3k]

Hm. Strange. Other gamemodes don't have to do it. I'll give it a shot, thanks.

EDIT: Yeah, that did the trick. Thanks.

[editline]09:15PM[/editline]

Alright, so I revisited the UI / HUD a bit:

[url]http://q3k.org/mrp_fp/achievement.png[/url]

[philxyz]

Looks nice q3k, one thing to be aware of is that some mods hide the first 10 or so pixels along the top of the screen and might hide the money.

You might want to try it with ASSmod to see what happens. Or recommend people not to use ASSmod

[q3k]

I am incorporating it into my server management plugin which I've been developping for some time now, so there'd be no need for ASSmod.