Guys, I have been pushing Blizz for this but havent gotten the momentum needed to bring this in the spotlight.
I wanted to get your guys thoughts and maybe some help getting Blizzards attention.
The idea is simple, but would dramatically open tons of custom map opportunities and allow
entire new realms of custom maps.
The idea is Server based multiple access bank files.
This would be a bank file that will be stored on a Blizz server and accessible via triggers in your custom map. Not only can this file be accessed by your custom map, but it can also be accessed by other instances (other games of the same custom map) or other entirely different custom maps that you create. The Bank file would be passworded or coded such that only custom maps you make would be able to access it.
So why would such a bank system be such a big deal?
This type of system will open the following possibilities:
Saved game data will now be permanent and accessible across multiple instances of your map IN REAL TIME.
For example, lets say you are making a simulation map where your character is a stock broker, and you invest in some sort
of fake stock market and try to make starcraft 2 riches. Trades that you make in your current game could affect stock prices
in other instances of your custom game being played by hundereds of players. Or say you create a farming game where you grow
crops and such. You would literally be able to trade with players in other custom maps being played. If a friend joined another custom game
while you were playing, his custom game would update the bank file with his presence and data, and you would be notifed in real time in your custom map.
Since the Bank file can be accessed by multiple instances of your custom map, databases could be created.
You could literallly create a messaging system like Facebook, in this case..."Spacebook", where players could join
a Spacebook custom game and leave messages for other players. Such things as forums, and large group chats
or even spectator maps where more than 16 people could watch a game with game data being channelled through the Bank file.
If Blizz would allow your sever bank file to be accessed via FTP, your Custom game could literally be affected by realtime
Internet data or events. Example, The weather in your RPG or Golf map would be directly tied to weather conditions in New York for example.
In fact if this were to be allowed I cant even begin to contemplate all the implications.
Anyhow I would appreciate your thoughts and ideas on what SC2 Mapster could do to make this happen and if you think this would be of benefit
to the SC2 custom map community.
They could be afraid of the additional bandwidth it would consume. For example: some massive multiplayer map that involves real-time connection between all instances of its games. If they do implement it, they'll probably greatly limit it to only function at the beginning and end of a game. Even then, I'd still be satisfied with a limited implementation because it's still magnitudes better than storing banks locally on client's computers.
It's already been tried for in the past. If it didn't work once - why try again? Same applies for the change to custom system. If it didn't work once, twice, over 9000 times, why try again? (Yet ppl still try)
AND yes I do realize HotS will change the custom scene.
Well, Blizzcon's around the corner, so what about getting together and giving it a shot?
They still have time to add on HotS next year(:
PS: At times, Blizzard plans to add/already added those ideas we've proposed, just that they wouldn't tell us that it's done until it's released.
I remember them helping me and my community before on the 4 MB - 8 MB conversion in Warcraft III, as well as many other stuff.
They just don't say it openly to avoid certain huge problems.
So do continue to convince them, especially in BlizzCon, who knows they could even already be planning and developing it + many other stuff for the expansion!
I started working on a program that would read in bank files and export them into an SQL database and then write back a copy with updated sql information and read it in to the map in real time. The only thing is, each map would need its own SQl server and each person running this program in the background.
[Edit] Found out that bank files are preloaded once per game and cant be modified and read in :(
I have thought of something similar Dustin. I was thinking of writing a program that would change the bank files depending on what you need to do. For example, trading items while not in the game, making an auction house, etc etc.... However, the only downside to this is that someone could buy someone's item on the AH (maybe a friend), get the item, and then that friend can simply just paste in his old bank code to get the item back... Same with trades.
The only other thing I could think of it's use is if developer-released content is released through the program where a 2nd person isn't involved. That way there is nothing gained from reverting to old code, only loss.
Not true! I was able to hack SotIS by manually modifying the bank files then opening the appropriate screen, which somehow triggered a bank reload and my new data to show up. (The bug that let me hack it was quickly fixed, needless to say :P) But it is doable. Maybe you have to explicitly tell starcraft to reload the banks? In any case, it should be possible to set up a fake server side system like that. Only downside is that it needs quite a bit of extra fiddling to get to work on each user's part.
Here's what I got so far, basically it just reads in a bank file, skims it for sections, creates database tables as needed and updates bank save data on the sql server. If I can find a way to get SC2 to read banks at anytime ive already got a writer I wrote that takes the SQL data and writes it back out into a sc2bank file.
This is a great idea, but I believe the biggest problem would be the maintenance of the servers that host the databases. There is a limitless growth potential for the database and thus it could become very difficult to maintain. Without a sound architecture for how all the data is being stored, it would also be pretty tough.
What might be pretty cool as well is if we could hook up the editor with wolfram alpha.. I recall it's pretty awesome when it comes to tracking information such as weather and all.
Guys, I have been pushing Blizz for this but havent gotten the momentum needed to bring this in the spotlight.
I wanted to get your guys thoughts and maybe some help getting Blizzards attention.
The idea is simple, but would dramatically open tons of custom map opportunities and allow entire new realms of custom maps.
The idea is Server based multiple access bank files.
This would be a bank file that will be stored on a Blizz server and accessible via triggers in your custom map. Not only can this file be accessed by your custom map, but it can also be accessed by other instances (other games of the same custom map) or other entirely different custom maps that you create. The Bank file would be passworded or coded such that only custom maps you make would be able to access it.
So why would such a bank system be such a big deal?
This type of system will open the following possibilities:
Saved game data will now be permanent and accessible across multiple instances of your map IN REAL TIME. For example, lets say you are making a simulation map where your character is a stock broker, and you invest in some sort of fake stock market and try to make starcraft 2 riches. Trades that you make in your current game could affect stock prices in other instances of your custom game being played by hundereds of players. Or say you create a farming game where you grow crops and such. You would literally be able to trade with players in other custom maps being played. If a friend joined another custom game while you were playing, his custom game would update the bank file with his presence and data, and you would be notifed in real time in your custom map.
Since the Bank file can be accessed by multiple instances of your custom map, databases could be created. You could literallly create a messaging system like Facebook, in this case..."Spacebook", where players could join a Spacebook custom game and leave messages for other players. Such things as forums, and large group chats or even spectator maps where more than 16 people could watch a game with game data being channelled through the Bank file.
If Blizz would allow your sever bank file to be accessed via FTP, your Custom game could literally be affected by realtime Internet data or events. Example, The weather in your RPG or Golf map would be directly tied to weather conditions in New York for example. In fact if this were to be allowed I cant even begin to contemplate all the implications.
Anyhow I would appreciate your thoughts and ideas on what SC2 Mapster could do to make this happen and if you think this would be of benefit to the SC2 custom map community.
We've been urging Blizzard to add this for over a year but to no success. :(
I even wanted them to allow us to store all the data so they don't have to worry about storage: http://us.battle.net/sc2/en/forum/topic/3053897261
They could be afraid of the additional bandwidth it would consume. For example: some massive multiplayer map that involves real-time connection between all instances of its games. If they do implement it, they'll probably greatly limit it to only function at the beginning and end of a game. Even then, I'd still be satisfied with a limited implementation because it's still magnitudes better than storing banks locally on client's computers.
i think if we could get enough people to push for this, we might be able to reignite this message
Yeah this would be fucking awesome. If bandwidth or resources is a problem, than make it for only selected or for market place maps.
bump. i am not going to let this die, this is too important and a perfect example of why we never get what we want from Blizzard.. we give up.
@BallsButNoSack: Go
It's already been tried for in the past. If it didn't work once - why try again? Same applies for the change to custom system. If it didn't work once, twice, over 9000 times, why try again? (Yet ppl still try)
AND yes I do realize HotS will change the custom scene.
Well, Blizzcon's around the corner, so what about getting together and giving it a shot? They still have time to add on HotS next year(:
PS: At times, Blizzard plans to add/already added those ideas we've proposed, just that they wouldn't tell us that it's done until it's released.
I remember them helping me and my community before on the 4 MB - 8 MB conversion in Warcraft III, as well as many other stuff. They just don't say it openly to avoid certain huge problems.
So do continue to convince them, especially in BlizzCon, who knows they could even already be planning and developing it + many other stuff for the expansion!
I started working on a program that would read in bank files and export them into an SQL database and then write back a copy with updated sql information and read it in to the map in real time. The only thing is, each map would need its own SQl server and each person running this program in the background.
[Edit] Found out that bank files are preloaded once per game and cant be modified and read in :(
@Dustin374: Go
I have thought of something similar Dustin. I was thinking of writing a program that would change the bank files depending on what you need to do. For example, trading items while not in the game, making an auction house, etc etc.... However, the only downside to this is that someone could buy someone's item on the AH (maybe a friend), get the item, and then that friend can simply just paste in his old bank code to get the item back... Same with trades.
The only other thing I could think of it's use is if developer-released content is released through the program where a 2nd person isn't involved. That way there is nothing gained from reverting to old code, only loss.
@Dustin374: Go
Not true! I was able to hack SotIS by manually modifying the bank files then opening the appropriate screen, which somehow triggered a bank reload and my new data to show up. (The bug that let me hack it was quickly fixed, needless to say :P) But it is doable. Maybe you have to explicitly tell starcraft to reload the banks? In any case, it should be possible to set up a fake server side system like that. Only downside is that it needs quite a bit of extra fiddling to get to work on each user's part.
@RCIX: Go
I wish i could just figure a way to reload all banks for everyone at anytime during the map.
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/843426/BankProject.png
Here's what I got so far, basically it just reads in a bank file, skims it for sections, creates database tables as needed and updates bank save data on the sql server. If I can find a way to get SC2 to read banks at anytime ive already got a writer I wrote that takes the SQL data and writes it back out into a sc2bank file.
This is a great idea, but I believe the biggest problem would be the maintenance of the servers that host the databases. There is a limitless growth potential for the database and thus it could become very difficult to maintain. Without a sound architecture for how all the data is being stored, it would also be pretty tough.
What might be pretty cool as well is if we could hook up the editor with wolfram alpha.. I recall it's pretty awesome when it comes to tracking information such as weather and all.
didnt this feature get added today???
and btw whats the action reload bank??