Actually, I am afraid to say that I changed how I will be doing this.
There will be three releases:
-Windows installer, with everything you need, plus some windows only thing. Added some registry keys that will allow windows to properly recognize G3D's and GBM's. May have other features in final release. Main feature is simplicity and the fact it is great standalone.
-Binaries, for any non-windows system so they may use the customly modified glest, which will definately boast numerous difficulty levels, everything GAE currently has (0.2.11) and modified button locations on menus to make room for the modified language strings (ie: yes is affirmative on military,and no is negative. There's also a comical string for if you try to load a game when there is no saved games 'In order to load a game, one must actually have saved a game'. Note that I would like some linux people to perhaps upload after they have compiled, to ensure that other linux users have it easier. I also have plans to experiment with attempting to put in other features.
-Files, for non-windows systems, to use in compliance with the binaries. Notice that since it uses GAE binaries, this mod is now the second GAE only mod ever to be released (ok, it's not released yet, but...). Seeing this, I can impliment features including guarding, improved upgrades, patrolling, effects, and emanations! This will definately make the game more enjoyable. Also, note that everything from the main menu model, menu sounds, images used on buttons, logo, models used in the about screen, the text strings (currently english only, but translatable), and more is all very different. Files will be distributed as a 7z file (LZMA compression is used in the installer, so no advantage of using this unless you have a non-windows system).
Proposed changes to the engine:
-4 Difficulty levels: easy (50% resources), normal, ultra (150% resources), and expert (200% resources).
-Moved buttons to accomodate text.
-Fix overlapping text on about screen (and give it a glest guide link
)
-Add a few more options to the options screen, Fog of War for sure, other popular ones too
-Change the version string that is displayed in the startup and in the menu to be for military, not the gae version.
-Others, suggestions? (small enough to be fine for a novice coder, preferably not adding new parts, but improving or adding options to existing parts).
I'm open to suggestions. No estimated release date, though most likely after school starts. Even if I could finish before school starts, I would probably have to wait to upload all this (estimated size of installer: 26-28MB in solid LZMA compression).
Things to do:
-Finish models (7 to go)
-Icons (for someone else, but are last, after models)
-Particle Projectiles (the models)
-Particle Projectile XMLs (fix to ensure that bullets come from guns, not middle of unit's body,etc; may be able to put off to someone else, later, after models, before icons)
-Website (trash old one, three page new one [main page, downloads page, uninstall questions page])
-Binaries
-Main menu model
-Set up menu.xml to navigate the animation in the main menu model
-Translate the strings into at least the other two default languages. Will need help, though worst case scenario I can see how well an online translator can do.
-GAE-ize the XMLs, adding emanations, effects, guarding, patrols, etc;
-Improve some upgrades to boost stats by mulipliers, not definate amounts (seems more natural to me)
-I think it's possible to choose what stats increase and by how much as you level up. If so, I will strongly utilize this.
-Two tutorials (basic and advanced) for military
-Make an image of the tech tree layout, will include with files/installer for assistance
-Minimum 2 scripted scenarios, which can take advantage of new GAE lua features, minimum 2 non-scripted
-Would like to edit the servers.ini to have IPs for as many people as possible. Why not post yours?
