How can I help?

[Xyx]

Hi!

A friend introduced me to Forge about a month ago and, well, consider me a fan! I would like to help out however I can.

I've been taking notes for the past week and I now have a list of feedback several pages long including bug reports, AI observations, requests, pointers, suggestions, opinions, etcetera.

I'm interested in helping out with the code. I have 10 years experience as a software dev, mostly C#. I'm a little rusty and I only have a tiny bit of java experience, but I've been properly schooled in object oriented programming.

I also made a quest world or two with almost a hundred decks built from scratch.

So... how can I help?

[Chris H.]

Hello Xyx.

You should view the Forge:How to Get Started Developing Forge and this Topic Working out the multi-module maven setup and set up a working dev system.

You should not that the AI is limited and their are many cards that the AI can not use effectively. There is a column in the deck editor which state if the AI can't effectively use the card. You may find that some of the cards in your quest world decks will need to be replaced.

[Xyx]

You should view the Forge:How to Get Started Developing Forge

I hit a few snags:

2.1.1 Installations / Java / Windows-Specific Instructions
According to the instructions I need the JDK. However, I am pointed to a page where I can download the JRE, not the JDK. After some searching I found a JDK on the Oracle website. (I would post the link to the page but the forum software won't let me; it's the top result if you google for "java se downloads".) Is that the right place to get the JDK?

2.3.1 Installations / Subversion / Windows Instructions
I followed step 1 (download) and 2 (extract the zip file) and then tried to follow step 3 (set the path). However, there is no /bin folder to set the path to (and thus the test fails). What should I do?

There is a column in the deck editor which state if the AI can't effectively use the card.

There is no such column that I can see. Is there something I should do to make it visible?

You may find that some of the cards in your quest world decks will need to be replaced.

I assigned difficulties based on how the AI handles the decks. I would rather try to change the AI so that it can use the decks than change the decks so that the AI can use them. Or am I being a bit naive here?

[drdev]

You can make the AI column visible by clicking the View Options button above the table on the right side, then checking the AI check box in the panel that appears.

[Xyx]

You can make the AI column visible by clicking the View Options button above the table on the right side, then checking the AI check box in the panel that appears.

Do you mean the button with the wrench icon titled "Toggle to show/hide options for the current view"? That shows/hides the "Group by" and "Pile by" fields in Image View, but in List View it just shows/hides a blank line.

I also found checkboxes for AI columns in the Preferences tab, but those don't seem to do anything when I check them (and when I restart Forge they always go back to being unchecked).

I'm running Forge Beta: 02-07-2014 ver 1.5.12

[drdev]

You can make the AI column visible by clicking the View Options button above the table on the right side, then checking the AI check box in the panel that appears.

Do you mean the button with the wrench icon titled "Toggle to show/hide options for the current view"? That shows/hides the "Group by" and "Pile by" fields in Image View, but in List View it just shows/hides a blank line.

I also found checkboxes for AI columns in the Preferences tab, but those don't seem to do anything when I check them (and when I restart Forge they always go back to being unchecked).

I'm running Forge Beta: 02-07-2014 ver 1.5.12

You need to update to the latest version, 1.5.13.

[Chris H.]

You can make the AI column visible by clicking the View Options button above the table on the right side, then checking the AI check box in the panel that appears.

 
When I first clicked on the Wrench icon (Toggle to show/hide options for current view) the checkboxes failed to show up. I reset Editor Layout from within Game Settings view.

At this point I was able to access the checkboxes.

[Chris H.]

I noticed that the wrench icon does not display the check boxes in your deck table if the table is empty. Load a deck or add a card and you will then be able to display the check boxes.

[Xyx]

I'd still like to help out but I'm also still stuck on the snags I described above. Anyone care to help?

Also, I have amassed like a mile of feedback by now (bug reports, AI troubles, suggestions, etcetera)... anyone interested?

[friarsol]

If you are intererested in Developing, you might find better help inside the Developer's Corner. But as I suggested to someone recently, you don't need to have the exact setup that's listed in the Wiki to work help work on Forge.

Personally I use Tortoise SVN for connecting to the source depot, and IntelliJ IDEA (http://www.jetbrains.com/idea/download/) for my IDE. It sounds like you have the right place for the JDK, it's possible that Oracle is redirected a working link to something that no longer is. Once you have the SVN, a JDK, and IntelliJ running, you should be able to just import the project and be up and running.

If you want to try to fix some of the things you think are bugs, once you get an environment setup, feel free to post a few patches so we can give it a look over before someone can grant you write access to the SVN.

[excessum]

I'd still like to help out but I'm also still stuck on the snags I described above. Anyone care to help?

Also, I have amassed like a mile of feedback by now (bug reports, AI troubles, suggestions, etcetera)... anyone interested?

Can you state exactly which steps are you stuck on? I recently got the whole setup working on a Win 7 64-bit machine from scratch with the given instructions so I can verify that it works.

With regard to AI decks, it is best to test them individually in constructed mode rather than rely on the AI-playable flags. The AI does not always "see" the interactions between cards and it is best to give it linear decks where it is less likely to screw up.

[friarsol]

Xyx, did you ever get the codebase setup? What stage are you stuck at if not?

Also, is your username a Magi-Nation Duel reference?

[Xyx]

Xyx, did you ever get the codebase setup? What stage are you stuck at if not?

I installed TortoiseSVN and checked out http://svn.slightlymagic.net/forge/trunk to F:\Forge.

I installed IntelliJ IDEA and pointed it to F:\Forge, but when I tell it to open the project it just says "Scanning Eclipse Projects" for a second or so and then does nothing.

I have to admit I feel kind of clueless here. Not sure what (if anything) I did right or wrong. Thanks for checking up on me. I really appreciate that!

Also, is your username a Magi-Nation Duel reference?

Nope. Just an old D&D character of mine.

[friarsol]

Hmm.. I think you either need to do an Import from Existing Sources or Import from Maven. Not an Import from Eclipse.

I think Excessum did this recently, do you remember which option you chose when starting the new project in IntelliJ?