I got them tech doc blues...
Hello World! This is an update from your friendly Dead 6 nerd.
First, an introduction. For those of you who do not know me, my name is Kevin (you can call me by my alias, vloktboky) and I head up the tech department for Command & Crysis: The Dead 6. My responsibilities include cranking out all the tech that will make this project a success. I've got help in this area, including Dan the Man and even from good ol' Dante, so no need to worry. I'd also like to introduce you to my baby, the Dead 6 Core, but more on that later.
Seeing as how we are just starting to embark on this project now that the CryENGINE2 SDK has been made available to us, we're in the phase of documenting all of our tech (or at least the first batch for Release Candidate numero uno). There's a lot of planning that needs to be done, but the arguous task must be done and it must be done right. Documentation is important, and we plan on doing it right from the start. Most of the documentation focuses on my baby, the Dead 6 Core. She's an infant right now, but I'd like to spend this time introducing you to her, because when she grows up, you're going to want to marry her. And I won't let you, because she's my baby. And if you try, I'll use the shotgun. One of the shotgun's many uses is for death, after all. Back on the subject, the Dead 6 Core is the accumulation of all the technology (C++ code, scripts and XML feeds) that bring the C&C Mode-based gameplay into the CryENGINE2's public SDK. That's good news for all you modders looking to get in on the action. And it's also good news for all you players who just want to "play ze game", as the French would say.
The best way for you two to meet is by taking a gander at the synopsis extracted right out of the technical document for the Dead 6 Core:
Introduction
The Dead 6 Core Technology is a collection of code and guidelines that add on to the existing content present in the CryENGINE2 public SDK. The Core brings in multiple system and game features that create the rich gameplay experiences present in Command & Conquer Mode, the first-person perspective of the C&C battlefield.
The Dead 6 Core exists for two reasons:
- To satisfy the technological needs of Command & Crysis: The Dead 6 .
- To offer a stable platform for other development teams to create their own C&C Mode-based mods on the CryENGINE2 public SDK.
The Dead 6 Core achieves these tasks by utilizing multiple systems which manage such logic ranging from team and base management to building controls and functionality. It executes all the necessary components needed to make a successful C&C Mode-based mod in a speedy and secure manner while promising robustness and maintaining a strict "modtastic" code. The Core's architecture is designed in such a way to promise development teams complete and total customization controls without the need of re-engineering. This is achieved by exposing the functionality and interfacing of all the modules to external scripting patterns and XML-based feeds. This is not to say one cannot develop their own in-house technology on top of the Dead 6 Core. Mod teams will find it unnecessary to do so given the amount of control that is already accessible.
Sections
The following sections will outline the system and game features present in the Dead 6 Core. To illustrate the differences between these two sections:
- A system feature is a functionality that exists internally and aid the system by managing and controlling items that enable the game to function correctly. Examples include: Team and Base Management, Building Controllers, and the Purchase System.
- A game feature is a functionality that exists externally and adds on to the gameplay experience demonstrated by the system. Examples include: CNC Mode rules, player spawning, buildings and vehicles.
And that's as far as you two will get. Wait for your first date! She's just a child, for crying out loud. If you are part of a mod team, or are considering starting a mod team, and you want to get in on the Core action, contact us! We're also here to help you.
Stay tuned, more to come.