Pazaak Online/Arcade Suggestion Box

[dufflover]

OK, those of you from the BioWare forums or those who have clicked in my sig would have tried Pazaak Online or Pazaak Arcade, two VB programs I created (Pazaak Online has not changed in a while). Anyway, I keep thinking of things I could do to but never get around to testing its feasability.

For instance I want to add a K2 look and the K2 cards to it, but I haven't yet, and I've also had thoughts about converting the animation to use simple 2D DirectX (which I know nothing about) and even merging the two programs (Arcade/Online) together.

 

Anyway, I thought I'd open a "suggestion/feedback box" to give people a place to post comments or things they want, or to give me some help on choosing what to do first (of the above things). Bug reports are also very handy.

 

As a guide for the time for each of the above:

DirectX-ing: it would look exactly the same but open up more effects like the shading-highlight you get in K2 - I currently don't know how to do that. But since I know nothing about it, it would take some time to learn. I don't even know how much (hopefully little) modification my prog would need.

Benefit (to you players): less volatile/flickery animations, and hopefully more effects in general

Time: Long

 

K2 Look (no DirectX work): right now both programs use the old K1 look, but K2 now wastes little space and the cards are now more readable. Keep in mind I don't actually have the font they used, but nevertheless it should be easier to read and hopefully the serifs don't get too big when the font size goes up. There are two issues - the new cards and new look. The new look will take ages to re-align all the card graphics and stuff to the background. The new cards are well, unpredictable in-terms of hurdles or even a plan to do them. Plus I would have to quickly fit them into the K1 card screen look.

Benefit: K2 cards and K2 Interface

Time: Interface will be boring, maybe long, major delay will be with any new card troubles

 

Merge: Put Pazaak Arcade/Pazaak Online into the same program. The purpose is that future upgrades (say, K3 interface or new cards), will only have to done once from now on, and centralised "engine" for say game timings and draw methods. Right now, Pazaak Online is well, obselete in it's game mechanics and player file structure, so bringing it up to a Pazaak Arcade compatable level (while making sure the Multiplayer system doesn't screw up) will be hard.

Benefit: Only one download, and singleplayer and two-player packaged together.

Time: Ages, probably. Lots of conflict sorting and most will be planning.