20100729|Release: StepMania 4.0.b1

[akstylish]

So...this is the official beta? Is the decision to go down this route final? If so, my first and biggest concern is the compatibility. Do noteskins and themes of both 3.9 and 4.0a have to be remade? I'm no coder, so I don't know how Lua->XML transition affects the game in general. I can only guess it's going to be very different from previous versions.

Personally I don't like where this is going, but I'll wait and see.

[kurisu]

Themes have to be remade, yes.

I am looking to possibly use this as the next engine for the KMX series... we shall see.

Also, since Chris mentioned he is committing this to the SVN, I am quite sure he is selecting this as a final route.

I don't think it is a bad option, however, I do not at all think the SM4 codebase should be lost.

This would have been a better point to call SM4 anyway, since:

3.9= ITG1

"3.95"=ITG2

this build = ITGPC (give or take, from what shake told me), so, SM4 would be apt.

The later work, if kept, could be called something else... continued and finalized as some new name fork project... I could joke and say SMpro, SM4 basically was taken over for the Pro games, but yeah... you all get the idea.

Honestly, once this is finalized, things should get rolling back on the old SM4, maybe..

[Wolfman2000]

I'm also hesitant about this path. Among other things, this build is only for Windows, not Mac or Linux. For another, I'm with akstylish in that this seems a little backwards.

What exactly is the plan if this is the new path? We just implement features from later builds a step at a time?

[kurisu]

I'm also hesitant about this path. Among other things, this build is only for Windows, not Mac or Linux. For another, I'm with akstylish in that this seems a little backwards.

What exactly is the plan if this is the new path? We just implement features from later builds a step at a time?

I think of it as this being used as a stable base, just to make something advanced, but final.. and then continue with what has been going on these past few years..

or at least, take the logic from them and continue.

Basically, this could be equated to going back in time and making a stop point, then letting things go on, fixing a mistake.

Or at least, that is how I look at it.

[chrisdanford]

Do noteskins and themes of both 3.9 and 4.0a have to be remade?

I ported the 3.9 default theme, and the largest task was moving Numbers/ into Fonts/. Several ScreenOptions-releated elements have been renamed too. I'll start a list here:

http://www.stepmania.com/wiki/Create_Themes

[kurisu]

I ported the 3.9 default theme, and the largest task was moving Numbers/ into Fonts/. Several ScreenOptions-releated elements have been renamed too. I'll start a list here:

http://www.stepmania.com/wiki/Create_Themes

I think the porting of SMMAX was good, as it helps me to better understand at a glance just what is going on, and thus, I can actually learn this time, I think.

This also helps me in porting the KMX theme construct over, and to hopefully, if I DO use this as the base for future games, keep production as smooth as possible.

[chrisdanford]

I think of it as this being used as a stable base, just to make something advanced, but final.. and then continue with what has been going on these past few years..

That's exactly right. This is a mid-point and something that can be released quickly before the momentum of this project has totally deflated. Very few elements have been renamed between "4.0" and the current trunk, and I want to support XML in the current trunk, so this is a step in the direction of the current trunk.

[Wolfman2000]

That's exactly right. This is a mid-point and something that can be released quickly before the momentum of this project has totally deflated. Very few elements have been renamed between "4.0" and the current trunk, and I want to support XML in the current trunk, so this is a step in the direction of the current trunk.

Is one of the goals going to be trying to support both XML and Lua then?

[chrisdanford]

Is one of the goals going to be trying to support both XML and Lua then?

The goal of this branch is to release something stable, add a download/upload features, then move on to "5.0" and port the few download/upload features forward.

[kurisu]

The goal of this branch is to release something stable, add a download/upload features, then move on to "5.0".

Exactly what I thought: go back to what would have been a good point to call it SM4, and then, work from there.