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Just want to ask this about Pirate encounters:Which alpha version of Pioneer, without any mods, do produce pirate encounters in Sol or closer systems? In the latest A33 I start almost to believe that there is no combat at all (without mods).Thanks, XenonS

You can generate a "bad guy" with Ctrl+F12. for combat purposes. Thanks, I forgot that one. I was dealing too much with Frontier lately  XenonS

I guess that a newcommer in the Pioneer forum will assume that the latest verison of a software will be the most complete one. Personally I know that this is not true for alpha software, but anyhow: it would be good to stick a post for the alpha versions where most combat features are included, still presumably that these versions actually exist and are doing more than the latest version.Otherwise, any posts or guides for combat (or any other aspect of the Pioneer game) will be futile because unnoticed. Also I have the feeling that the Quickguide.txt must be updated. I would have already done it, but then I must have precise information which are hard to gather through this forum. XenonS

They're usually called "Plugins", where you can add extra code that gets run which someone else has written. I think that for Pioneer it might take a lot of work to add that kind of functionality. That might be a worthwhile idea and/or goal but everyone is currently pretty busy just trying to get the engine and features to what we'd consider a "version 1.0", or at least something we could call that so I don't personally think that it would be worth diverting our time to doing it yet. Maybe one day, or if someone did the work themselves, it might be worth it. --off topic--Oh and please don't double or cross-post, I see you posted this in the "How to get involved" thread too. It would have been better as it's own thread but lets just keep it here for now.

Hey, Fluffy, you are too quick to respond. I don't double post, I deleted this one.My idea on the other thread should be considered more in detail, it cannot harm Pioneer but get people involved in a much more helpful fashion - for you the devs.With the current organisation, Pioneer will never move ahead from alpha state, I hope you realize that. XenonS

Well that's the thing it doesn't seem to change anything, people are still going to have to grab the code, create the module, write the code, compile it, build it as a plugin, then make a mod of it so people can try it.That's more work than: grabbing the code, write the feature, compile Pioneer. So, how does it help? I don't see what benefit it brings to Pioneer, or to other projects using Pioneer as an engine?

Wait I think I see what you're getting at perhaps, separating Pioneer from the Engine. So that Pioneer would become a sort of "mod" of the engine?

So, how does it help? I don't see what benefit it brings to Pioneer, or to other projects using Pioneer as an engine?My friend, I do infinitely respect your work, but I'm not knowing you well enough to elaborate here.Please just consider that if you don't involve people other than just developers, once all your work is finished, it will be OUTDATED and probably goes unnoticed. Not a good prospective, isn't it? Xenon$

My friend, I do infinitely respect your work, but I'm not knowing you well enough to elaborate here.Please just consider that if you don't involve people other than just developers, once all your work is finished, it will be OUTDATED and probably goes unnoticed. Not a good prospective, isn't it? Xenon$ Xenon what I can't understand is why what you're suggesting would help with getting people involved? Anyone who contributes is a developer, I'm a developer even though I'm NOT on the Core Team. There is nothing stopping people from developing Pioneer, nothing at all, that's why Genesia, Scout+ and Paragon all exist based on it.The source code is available, it's moddable, many things are written in Lua to make it easier for people to get involved. I'm just trying to understand what is it that you want, because your explanation isn't very clear to me.Then to understand how it will help, because at the moment I can't understand that either. Could you try explaining it again please?

Ok, I try to keep it the most generic as possible.I came in your Pioneer forum 1 year ago. So what is Pioneer? A game to play? Not really, there is not much in it. A game to open-develop? yes, but for what purpose? Still today I don't know.Should it at some point be a finished product? I guess yes, but I don't even know that for sure. If so, then Pioneer will be used by players, not developers. Or if it's not designed to be a game: It will be used by end-users, not developers. So, Im expecting involvment from gamers or end-users.If you have a purpose at all, it would be silly to hide it, or then: make anyone go away with a big, sticky thread, to avoid him losing his time or better build-up an Intranet.Coding work is a professional activity, you don't play a Mozart piano concert as an amateur. In the industry, a building site is not publicly accessible. You don't walk freely in IBM offices to see what's going on. Or you have to fix that.This open access to Pioneer is all not clear to me (and to most other people, I think) So, my valid question to you is: what are you doing here precisely? What is Pioneer? Something is running wrong one way or the other. Or there is really lack of information.If other people should also be involved, the whole thing must be organized differently, and my thread on the section How To Get Involved is just an idea with possible practical consequences, a good or a bad one. This is a space sim site. You will read such threads once in awhile and people asking what's up to. Thanks to answer my question above. XenonS

Otherwise you must accept that people get involved WITHOUT writing codes or being a software developer. If you don't want that, then again, make a big sticky thread that can not be overseen. Just one question to start with; We're always asking for more artwork, audio, scripter & coders. So how else do you want people to help if they're not actually making anything? I mean, take my own case; I have a list of things to do for Pioneer that if I did one of them every month would take me more than 2 years to get through.However, I frequently write code for Pioneer which are things that are suggested by other people, players, Paragon developers and I also do bug fixes from the issues list.So realistically I have well over 4 years worth of things that I could be doing without doing any more of other people suggestions. The only way people can help with Pioneer, is to actually do some Artwork, Scripting, Audio or Programming. How else are they supposed to "develop" Pioneer without actually... developing for it?

Fluffyfreak,sorry, I highly appreciate your quick response, but I had to edit my post above. What you were quoting is gone I'm afraid.What do you think about "walking free in IBM offices" or playing Mozart symphonies as an amateur? Please give me a convincing answer, and I will understand Pioneer. XenonS

So how else do you want people to help if they're not actually making anything? You will have to convince me and then...... you will also have to pay me :)Do you recall my mention to Mozart symphonies? XenonS

Ok, well for a plan the team has been working on the roadmap for a while.Basically how to get the engine working to the point where more gameplay can be added without doing things like breaking the saved games everyday. The team has always been open to suggestions for visual style (concept art, mood boards) which define the way the game could look.Perhaps a list of ships that we need, both player and NPC (like the old Long-Range-Carrier or Lynx) so that we have something to aim for - you could also do things like get SolCommand's free ships into Pioneer as a "mod" to show us what you think of each ship for a particular role.Some features we already know we need and there have been some work done, like turrets, but they just take a long time to get finished - that means there is stuff in the pipeline... but see my comment about about the time that it takes to get things done  As for the "programming is for professionals", some Yes and some No.You could probably be taught the basics of C/C++ in a few weeks.I'd have you hacking away at Pioneer doing pieces of UI and hunting bugs to learn debugging within a couple of months.If you've got experience of any other programming then possibly faster. I taught a couple of people to code at Uni' and whilst it's not easy the hardest part is getting over the idea that you can't do it  Also, no-one is getting paid, and I don't believe there's any plan to monetise Pioneer at any point... but if you have a suggestion on how to do so then I'm all ears!!!

I know all about that, I've gone through your GitHub's, the dev sections, the wiki, your Homepage. It's all nice, I highly appreciate your efforts, BUT: My question was (see my post above): "So, my valid question to you is: what are you doing here precisely? What is Pioneer?"What's the project's purpose? Thanks,XenonS

...and for game logic like missions etc.. there the simpler lua language which are basicly tables + if then elses and calling of the pioneer API

I have the entire Visual Basic 6 package, with compilers, modules etc. etc., not updated.Lua is for me a step in the last century as for the logic... why not make a monster batch file for DOS :)I send you my old computers from the late 80s if you want... XenonS

"So, my valid question to you is: what are you doing here precisely? What is Pioneer?"What's the project's purpose? Ok, I'll have a think about that, too tired now and late at night here (past my bedtime!)

You like Mozart!? i loooove Mozart. yes, me too. But imagine for a moment that this guy didn't get paid... A nightmare. XenonS

"So, my valid question to you is: what are you doing here precisely? What is Pioneer?"For mine its equal parts learning about the technology in games, learning about designing games, paying tribute to a genre I love, and making some friends and having fun along the way. Its very much a product of our time, interests and ideas, whatever they may look like at the time.I believe the situation is similar for others, but I'll let them speak.What it isn't is a serious "mainstream" game. As a volunteer project, its never going to be. If you're expecting something with the focus and quality of a AAA title, you're always going to be disappointed. But if you like the idea of a community constantly experimenting with ideas for what a space game could look like, then maybe Pioneer is for you.