So, as some may be aware the project I'm currently working on has a fully integrated level editor and have recently implemented the ability to script behaviour of individual bullets in a very simple and human readable format. while I still need to do some stuff tying up the loose ends and making this all fairly accessible to the noddy end user - this is leaving me with something to really think about.
For simplicity, it would be great to just have plain text files. Oh that would be so sweet. But once I start throwing online scores in to the mix - some issues begin to arise. So I'm wondering what you fellow devs might think of the following solutions:-
I want to use the editor and script functionality to create levels, patterns and alternative rulesets with ease. I spent a while on stream last night explaining to Cagar why Chronoblast took so damned long to create and why workflow was a serious bottleneck in the overall quality of the game. I think he got it in the end
I see a few options, but I'm wondering if there are other solutions:-
Option 1:-
* Use editors and scripts to create prototype rulesets for the game.
* Once complete, run them through a shell script to generate code and actually hard code this in to the game
Option 2:-
* Leave the files sitting around for people to modify
* Disallow ranked play if a checksum of the files does not match up
Option 3:-
* Tag high score entries with a combined checksum for all the rulesets, levels and scripts
* Allow these to be uploaded and make client request that specific checksum when fetching high score tables
Option 4:-
* Come up with some sort of ultimately pointless local encryption (urgh)
Note, because of my lack of stable testers this does mean that I'll probably only be looking at doing local scores this time around for 360 - due to XBLIG being a pile of steaming poo - but for other sane platforms that allow me to actually "speak internets" I'll definitely be doing this stuff.
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