It is about time to update everyone on GC about the updates that have been in the works and the
plans for forward progress for the game, so here goes...
Both the display/layout and the back end of gc are wildly out of date and disorganized from a
pure code standpoint, and the server and architectures that run it are roughly two decades out of
date. It`s honestly a miracle GC still functions as well as it does on modern web browsers.
To help rectify that we`ve spent the last several months working to port GC to a newer
architecture. At this time we have completed a test server running GC with Lucee (a modern
ColdFusion engine, the language GC was written in) on a Linux-based server. The database has
also been converted to MySQL and moved about 20 years into the future.
There`s a little more work to be done to get it public ready including finishing a slight front
end renovation. At this time we don`t want to change the classic gc look for everyone who is
accustomed to it, so for now this server will run on a very similar but slightly updated layout that
utilizes a modern web framework in Bootstrap 5. This framework allowed us to do a significant
amount of work on some nicer UIs for GC, but they weren`t our first priority as stated above, and
won`t be rolled out immediately. The new front end layout will be fully mobile optimized (this is
one area we will be doing a lot of testing on throughout, as many players with all different phones/devices
will help us make sure it is easily playable for everyone).
At the outset the server will be mostly GC as you know it. Your accounts, empires, and all
player/game data will be the same as regular GC on the day the test server launches. We would like
to use this test server as the ground zero for the full scale race and economy rebalancing the
game desperately needs. As we go through the rebalancing we will be adding full new features,
including some long requested things like more federation features. Yes, the turn based servers
will exist as well.
After we are relatively comfortable with the state and balance of the game, and any and all bugs
are fixed, we will be pouring some money into advertising and marketing the game in a very
serious effort at reviving the playerbase and drawing in plenty of new folks.
Giving absolute deadlines/timelines never works out great for the person promising them, so
please keep in mind these are all just rough goals and it`s certain some things will change, but
ideally:
- Test servers on new architecture fully ready and open to the players before the end of May.
- Ship and economy data applications/simulators created and open to the public for discussion
by the end of the first week of June.
Over the week following that opening, we`d like to outline the final direction and themes for the
races, and begin implementing the new designs and full scale changes.
We expect it will take at least a few weeks after implementations are done before we get a full play-tested
picture of if everything works and is balanced, but that will give us time to implement a host of things aimed
at fixing something GC has never done well: introduce new players. We aim to implement a full
tutorial of sorts for new accounts that will actually show/teach the basics of the game and setting up an empire,
as well as adding some official resources / help section (maybe even a decent wiki!?).
After that it`s all lights green and we will find out once and for all if our beloved game can hold its
own in 2019.
Edited by Amadea on 2019-05-18
AmadeaOP