After fixing some issues relating to the skin lists I began work on sideloading, the feature that allows both published and private skins to be displayed in online games.
I first fixed an issue whereby Authors names were not being displayed on downloaded skins and then another wherein the player setup skin selection button would skip certain skins when the user clicked through previous skins. With these issues fixed and others identified I decided it was time to start on sideloading.
(Sideloading Interaction Diagram)
Currently the user can now select a skin in the online player setup UI which then queries the server on whether it has seen the selected skin. The server then alerts all players within the game and sends information about whether the skin is publically available to download or must be sideloaded through the server. It will then attempt to upload the privately owned skin to the server and then to each player. However, I have yet to get a player to fully sideload a skin to another player as a few issues have arisen surrounding network play that must first be fixed before more progress can be made.
Next week my goal is to fix these issues as well as any remaining issues within the skin lists and then hopefully get more work done on sideloading.
Pending tasks are now
- Implement skinning server functionality
- Creating inventory system and skin database.
- Steam workshop for player skins.
- Complete network game lobby UI (make pretty and complete all network game modes).
- Complete network game restart UI (make pretty).
- Research different arenas and backgrounds.
- General bug fixing, tidy up and enhancement of look and feel..