by Ian
7. November 2011 12:28
Hey there folks,
As I talked about in my previous post, one of the things we're implementing will be a JavaScript engine that will run both client-side and server-side. And we're really excited for what it's going to let us do. For those of you not really in the know of what a "scripting engine" means or why we're excited, let me take a little bit to explain what sorts of interesting things it will let you do.
Right now, any time you as a user want a new way to interact with a room (let's say a door that swings open), you need to rely on the world creator to make it available to you. Not only does that mean it might be shelved for a while, but even when finally make it has to go through a whole patch cycle (which means even more waiting time). Worse, many of the scripts don't really line up right between different users (I'm looking at you "Move Within Bounded Box").
So let's put the tools to make these scripts in the hands of the people who want to see it happen the most. Let's give you the tools to make a door that swings open, a pet that follows people around the room, a maze with moving walls, or a bot that can greet people when they come into the room. And if you want to make something complicated, you should be able to benefit from it by having it available on the marketplace for others to use - at the price you set.
But it's bigger than just moving objects in a room. Sure, those are a few nice simple ways you can make your regions more lively than they are right now. We want to give you more tools than just that. You walk into a room and the room has the ability to give you new pieces of interface to fiddle with. It might show you a listing of the DJ's library or it might show you a chess board. Scripts in rooms will be able to give the people who visit the room the interfaces they need to interact. Let's take a quick example:
As a user, you might run a matchmaking room where people can come and hook up. When someone arrives in the room, they get a small survey to fill out about their taste in other people. They complete it, click a button to send it back to the room, and now the server's script can compare their results to who else is in the room and suggest matches for them. It could even remember who else has been there today and let you know about possible missed connections. It could soon be the sexiest little hookup spot online - and it'd be all in the hands of the users to create it, maintain it, and (ahem) service it.
Share your ideas for what you think would be great ideas you'd like to see ...
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