SRL Archive - News and General

Background Information

As some of the newer members might not be aware of what MSI is or was, MSI used to run projects to make humoungous scripts, such as Varrock Owner which would pretty much do all the skills in varrock, from mining to fighting to woodcutting to smithing, etc. MSI had even an earlier stage where they attempted to develop an entire extra include. However, what we are going for is one of those humoungous scripts.
To properly organize this script we will make an include which will of course include SRL. We will, once again, attempt a city owner.


MSI Revamp
[INDENT]
Reasons for MSI failing before (I believe to be):
[INDENT]Lack of Structure
Lack of Aim
Too Greedy[/INDENT]

Structure:
[INDENT]Script Wise Structure
Leader Wise Structure[/INDENT]

Aim:
[INDENT]Aims were too big
Aims were too far fetched[/INDENT]

Greedy:
[INDENT]Too many skills
Too much creativity used in the way of combining them[/INDENT][/INDENT]


Script Wise Structure:
[INDENT]/MSI/
[INDENT]Setup.scar
Proggie.scar
Walking.scar
SkillX.scar
Mainloop.scar
RunMe.scar[/INDENT]

/MSI/Skills/
[INDENT]All functions related to a certain skill are to be put in here[/INDENT]

All those in /Skills/ will be included in Setup.scar[/INDENT]

Setup.scar
will be there for any constants and vars that need pre-setting up.

Proggie.scar
will obviously be the progress report file. It will receive all necessary vars from the /skills/ folder and SetUp.scar It will most likely use SRL's Reports.scar

Walking.scar
will use reflection, at least to start off with. All walks will be simple. Bank - >Place, Place - > Bank, no Place - > Place. A walking system with this in mind will be easy to develop.

SkillX.scar
will have the skill's mainloops.
eg. Procedure Loop_Mine(UntilLevel, Time: integer);

Mainloop.scar
will then be the place where the script figures out what to do next.

RunMe.scar
will be the actual script.

SRLPlayerForm
(at least to start with) will be used for the script, so the user does not have to figure out where the hell to go.

What skills to focus on:
[INDENT]The absolute basics. The first aim will be to get 3 skills done completly and have a running script with them. From there on then we can add more. The first skills will be gatherers, so the script can be self-sufficient.[/INDENT]

Leader Wise Structure:
[INDENT]There are two types of leaders to take into account: Scripting Leaders (SL) and Project Managers (PM).
These two groups will have to work together, pretty much as SRL Staff and SRL Devs do.

Project Managers will be those in charge of keeping everyone in the right direction, of thinking ahead, of organizing everything to make it possible.

Scripting Leaders will be those in charge of making sure the script quality is good, as well as making sure everything is going according to script structure.
Scripting Leaders will also make sure MSI Standards are met. More on MSI Standards further down.
SLs will also be the only ones with svn-write access; Everyone else will post their functions in a forum which will follow the same concept as PublicSVN.
Note: SLs will obviously also be allowed to commit their own funcs/procs.[/INDENT]

Aims:
[INDENT]1. Organize all SL and PM
2. Organize MSI Forums
3. Put Empty files in MSI SVN, just for the structure.
4. Planning how each thing will be done.
5. Get The Script done (3 skills max)
[INDENT]0. Setup.scar (structure)
1. Walking.scar (structure)
2. /Skills/
3. SkillX.scar
4. Mainloop.scar
5. RunMe.scar

Proggie.scar , Setup.scar, Walking.scar will be filled out throughout all the others, as seen fit.[/INDENT]
6. Discussion of future plans, either more skills or new script[/INDENT]

MSI Scripting Standards:

In terms of indenting and so on, these will follow the usual scar standards, as stricly as possible.
Types should be used when they fit well.
No HardCoded Values! MSI will use Constants for just about everything

case lowercase(string) of
  'bank': …
  'mine': …
//...
//Big NO!
Const
  Loc_Bank = 0;
  Loc_Mine = 1;

Case Location of
  Loc_Bank: …
  Loc_Mine: …

There will be comments throughout the include. Lots of them!
A MSIDebug function will be made, along with a DebugMSI const. MSIDebug will be your new best friend from now on.

All procs and funcs will have headers like on SRL; But better!

{*******************************************************************************
procedure FixSpells;
By: ZephyrsFury
Rev: 1
Date: 01 Sep 09
Description: Orders the spellbook by level.
*******************************************************************************}

This is just the original plan. It is subject to changes and additions, as SLs and PMs will see fit.

MSI has not succeded many times before. It is now my turn to give it a try. As with all of my other projects, I'll be using every resource available to pull this off. I'll guide you and let you loose, I'll direct you at first, and then let you go on, keeping an eye on things. As always, I'll be available to questions and discussions. I am giving this project every single possibility, including a lot of thinking ahead as you can see. I just won't script it; That is for you SRL Members to do, and i might throw in a function or two ;)

If you wish to apply for Scripting Leader or Project Manager now would be the time (look at next post for App Form).

Scripting Leader App (SL)
- Why do you want to be SL ?
- Why do you think you are fit as SL ?
- Previous group scripting experiences?
- Something to show scripting ability? (links preffered)

Project Manager App (PM)
- Why do you want to be PM ?
- Why do you think you are fit as PM?
- What ideas can you come up instantly with for this project?
- Previous moderator/manager experience?

I want these by PM. NOT POSTED. I will not count any posted applications.


Once PMs and SLs are chosen, the initial planning will start. Once we are done with that, I'll open up this new part of the MSI forums for everyone, so we can get working :)

~RM

We'll have a repos to work with, right?

Nice, hope this time we can get it working. Goodluck to all!

From: EvilChicken!
We'll have a repos to work with, right?

Of course. :)

~RM

I have added this to the first post, as i received a PM from a member who was rather clueless as to what MSI was.

—-
Background Information

As some of the newer members might not be aware of what MSI is or was, MSI used to run projects to make humoungous scripts, such as Varrock Owner which would pretty much do all the skills in varrock, from mining to fighting to woodcutting to smithing, etc. MSI had even an earlier stage where they attempted to develop an entire extra include. However, what we are going for is one of those humoungous scripts.
To properly organize this script we will make an include which will of course include SRL. We will, once again, attempt a city owner.

—–

~RM

I'd like to help a lot with this. I hope MSI rockets!

I'm going to school now, but can put in small pieces if needed. :)

One more thing, will MSI be color or reflection? I know a lot more color and can learn reflection easy, so either way, I can't way to help out with this, MSI was one of the first things I saw when I became member, I even checked out the SVN, it still has files in it :p.

From: Baked0420
One more thing, will MSI be color or reflection? I know a lot more color and can learn reflection easy, so either way, I can't way to help out with this, MSI was one of the first things I saw when I became member, I even checked out the SVN, it still has files in it :p.

Read the first post more clearly ;).

Reflection walking. Assuming colour finding for the rest.

sorry, I read everything but what was in the .scar files, I didn't know that was going to say what is used. I assumed it was telling us what those files were for, like walking.scar obviously walking, proggy.scar proggies, etc. didn't think it said anything useful :p

I think that the Sl of the project should choose to preform color or reflection. Realistically I think that for a big project like this (i know I'm getting greedy as you said) that we should be able to achieve the same results with color walking. With this said I'm sure there are some area's that might require reflection but I think it should be a choice.

Also with that said, we should have a brainstorm session and a signup area. SL(s) should (if there are enough people) choose a script and a group of people to work with. This would allow for color dominate people to work with a more color orientated script and vice versa with reflection. I think the script also starts to fall apart when there are too many people part of it (things get confusing).

We could make a web for the whole city. If we do a whole city.

From: mormonman
We could make a web for the whole city. If we do a whole city.

From: Rasta Magician
Reasons for MSI failing before (I believe to be):

Aim:

Aims were too big
Aims were too far fetched


Greedy:

Too many skills
Too much creativity used in the way of combining them

lets keep the ideas smaller for now I think. A whole city is a bit much right now. I think if we start small and complete things, then we can slowly move to larger projects.

From: Blumblebee
lets keep the ideas smaller for now I think. A whole city is a bit much right now. I think if we start small and complete things, then we can slowly move to larger projects.

Exactly. After we make a few small scripts, we will have built up a nice include, making larger projects much easier and reasonable.

ok.

@Baked: i do not post useless information ;) if you are interested, then do read the whole thread. If it weren't useful or is just too painfully obvious i wouldn't post it.

@Bee:

Walking.scar
will use reflection, at least to start off with.

Reflection will be used at first, to be sure it gets done and that it is reliable. If then it is chosen to use color, i don't see why not. However, at first it will be reflection because this is one of the mainpoints where the other MSI projects cracked.

1. Organize all SL and PM
2. Organize MSI Forums
3. Put Empty files in MSI SVN, just for the structure.
4. Planning how each thing will be done.

Point 4 is what you mean by brainstorming,

SLs will also be the only ones with svn-write access; Everyone else will post their functions in a forum which will follow the same concept as PublicSVN.
Note: SLs will obviously also be allowed to commit their own funcs/procs.

I do not want anyone to feel obliged to participate, other than SLs and PMs of course. Everyone is more than welcome to contribute, but i don't like the idea of assigning jobs. By assigning jobs, you assume people will get things done, and no one has the obligation of such thing as SRL is for most of us, a hobby. Not a job. If it were a job, i'd rather be paid.

And about too many people being a part of it, that is why there are SLs and PMs. To keep an eye on everything and to get everything organized. On previous projects, there would be one leader and perhaps a couple of leaders, but there was no plan of action. SLs will be planning exactly what functions are needed, post a list, and then people will grab and make whatever they feel like doing :) So everyone knows what needs doing, and everyone knows who to talk to.

@mormonman:

All walks will be simple. Bank - >Place, Place - > Bank, no Place - > Place. A walking system with this in mind will be easy to develop.

Webs are complicated systems. A propper web is one hell of a complicated system. I had wanted to develop it for reflection, and after days of thinking still hadn't a good enough method for it. By the bank being a must stop location, all the walking connections are made easier.

~RM

Yes, I would definitely contribute towards this. But I do not believe I am fit to be a leader :p.

Hopefully MSI will get started going again. That would be awesome.

Why is this not in the MSI section?

When you said "gatherers so it can be self sufficient", i wondered if you meant, "Eventually the script wouldnt necessarily be given something specific to do, like 'cut 200 logs', and it would be more like 'smith 200 mithril bars' at which point it would say 'well hmm, i dont have any mithril ore…and woops! i only have enough mining levels to mine steel! So i guess i need to train my mining, then mine some mithril, then go smith my bars!'."

I know that's very probably getting greedy and the example doesn't really apply to a city, but that's what i would hope to see from a city owner. And as long as the city had enough ways to accomplish such goals, i don't think it would be impossible to make an AI for such purposes as long as you have all the needed scripts to do so.

You guys want a reflection walking function for any distance with a mostly clear line of sight? I'll have something to get around big obstacles once work isn't so crazy.

I would be happy to help work on this

Happy to help with anything i can.

i can help out i guess :)

If this is still running, I'll try to help

~Camo

I think in order for this to truly work, we need to get all of the anti randoms working first. There is no point in having a massive script that can raise all your skills to 99 if it is only going to be caught in a random after 2 hours of work. I really think it is an awesome idea though and I would love to help! I might have some ideas on how you can structure some of the skill methods.