[Max]

As I promised in my last news post, I finally have enough free time to fully pursue GSW development. The stars have started to align, and this is actually the perfect time to be developing this project.

On a personal basis, I have completed my work with my robotics team, and am almost completed my year of school. As a graduating senior, my work load is currently pretty limited, leaving me with plenty of time for personal projects. Except for a 3 week interval, this summer will also be pretty open for development work.

With regards to the project itself, the supporting infrastructure is better than ever before. GSW is built on Adobe's Flash technology. The newest version of Flash support Actionscript 3.0, which is an incredibly powerful programming language almost on par with Java or C++, is being released this month. While AS3 has been out since last summer, only now does our server software, as well as our development software support it.

In addition, Adobe has launched the first public alpha version of its Apollo program. Apollo will ultimately allow GSW to be used on Windows, Mac OSX, and Linux. Previously, GSW was a Windows-only program. With the rising prominence of both Mac and Linux computers, this is a perfect opportunity to spread GSW's reach to all three of the major operating systems.

So with this perfect storm of software and timing, I will be able to develop GSW mostly unconstrained. As always, I am looking for Flash/Actionscript developers willing to help out. I'm also looking for people to help with sprite ripping, especially ripping of animations using GBA emulators. Please contact me if you are interested in helping in either capacity.

Everything is looking good for this project, and I'm looking forward to getting a release out to the public this summer. Even with all of these great tools, this is still a very complicated project, and will take time. I will be reopening the development blog once I have a number of things to talk about. Until then, I'm always looking for good suggestions and ideas.

[The Wind Seer]

Great to see you post, Max!

Anyways one idea....

Making maps where you train your character, gain items, and stuff.....

P.S.
Sorry if my post is short.....I don't have a lot of time....

[Someone Else]

Great to hear from you Max!

[Toasty]

I've been trying to install a JDK so I can learn Java, but it may take a little bit longer. Otherwise, I would've offered some assistance in this category.

Anyway, I'm glad to hear that GSW is getting some more attention now. Can't wait until the next server test. :P

[Blink]

Whoo! I think on this board, just about any news is good news. xD

I hope you are able to get everything you want to done this summer Max. It sounds like everything is working out just great, and I hope it stays this way for you. It should be a very exciting summer for these four, small, GSW related boards on the forum. :P

Oh, and GSW actually did run on Macs, it was just nigh impossibly laggy. Hopefully Apollo runs it decently on Macs, which is, I would assume, what you mean when you say it opens the game up to Macs and Linux.

[Sea of Time]

Sounds hopeful! Hope to see some good stuff soon, Max.

[Nick Presta]

I am extremely happy to hear about Apollo! I hope Adobe does not decide to screw people who aren't using Mac/Windows because I would love to play GSW without having to use VMWare/boot into Windows.

[Aquamarine]

Finally, some good news. Looking forward to more info about GSW.

[Blue]

Wow, sounds like GSW is going to be really sweet since the release of all those extra programs. I can't wait.

[TheEnglishman]

It's good to hear about progress on GSW. Makes you reaslise that the waiting is worth while.

[Neon]

I've done coding in flash before, though not to the depth (i assume) GSW requires. However as I am now doing a Multimedia course, i'm exercising my skills alot more so I might be able to aid you if the opportunity arrises...

Keep in mind though i'm doing design, not programming ;) (not that that stops me from persuing things in that area)

[gsninja]

Keep up the good work Max!

[Nemphtis]

In all honesty, this project has taken so long that it has reached a point where I have lost interest before it has even been completed. Very similar to the game industry, when you promise a title for so long and people keep hyping it, the hype eventually dies down.

So even though a single opinion isn't going make any drastic changes, I'm going to say that even when/if GSW is completed it's going to be very dead, and I imagine only the GSSF community will hang out on it. Then again, if I had a choice between having debates and making your sorry lives miserable on an IPB forum or an interactive chatroom, I'd go for the forum really.

The way I see it you have two choices Max, continue with the project not for the sake of activity but for the sake of finishing what you started and making the GSS website 'complete' as you once told me. Alternatively you can just drop it now and use the time you gained from ditching this to work on something more useful.

EDIT

Wow, I just checked the other forums and this place has barely had any activity since my last visit which was some time ago. Taking that into consideration, I'm going to definitely say there's not much point in completing this project except for the purpose of completion. I suggest you finish what you want to do in order to make GSS 'complete' or 'finished' and move on to a new project or something. That's my advice, for what it's worth.

[PDM]

Perhaps he's right. I mean, after a few weeks, people will just be, "Oh! Yeah! GSW! Yay! *Log off*"

The server tests were so successful because they were for limited time. Had you have stretched them longer, they would not have had so many visitors.

I just kind of have a feeling I'll have the most logged time on GSW after a few months. :<

[Wiflewood]

Yeah, it'll be novel for a few days, maybe even a week, but I think it'll get to the point where I'll just be like: Do I really want to load up a new program just to talk to some people when I could do it in firefox or messenger? not really...

[Split Infinity]

But GSW is set to be more than a chatroom; more like a chat-oriented MMO.

[Neon]

Havn't we been over this before? :P

[Aquamarine]

If you visit this forum, why wouldn't you visit GSW just as often, seeing as GSW is that: a forum.

[Nemphtis]

I'm not going to discuss it, I know I'm right and anyone who has common sense will see my point. I don't mind either way since the project belongs to Max and whatever he decides to do it doesn't effect me since I'll still be on this forum, not on GSW. My point is that GSW will get very boring, very quickly, period.

[Focus]

I might be new here, but i saw this game a year ago or something, and now i am looking, and there still is nothing, but if you make maps were you can train and gain experience and a place were you can fight against others, then this might become awsome :D

I am waiting a loung time for this, so please make it something briliant! :P :D

[Aquamarine]

...Oh man. Here we go again.

GSW ISN'T AN MMORPG!!

[Someone Else]

Erm, GSW is meant to have mini games that you can play with other people and the like. Something you can't do on a forum or MSN (that isn't crappy).

So if it turns out as Max invisions it, it should actually be pretty fun for a good long time, if we give him feedback and suggestions for new minigames.

[Nemphtis]

Mini-games don't mean a thing to me, I own many consoles and I barely have enough time to play the majority of above average titles that are released on each of them. The last thing I want to see is below average mini-games on a chat room that lets you move a sprite around. GSSF was an excellent idea for its time back when the Golden Sun community was quite booming, right now it's just a hollow dream.

[Nyktos]

Yeah, as much as I hate to say it, I agree with other people here (yes, even Nemph). GSW will be fun, but unless Camelot announced GS3 or something, not many people are going to be interested.

[Blink]

Nemphtis, on May 14 2007, 12:00 PM, said:

I'm not going to discuss it, I know I'm right and anyone who has common sense will see my point.

So basically, you think the entire world is stupid then? Geeze, just look at the replies! People still want GSW, and they still will. You won't, you never will, you like competitive gameplay rather than casual gameplay. That doesn't mean everyone is like that. Most of us would like to see GSW released: we're probably the ones that play Animal Crossing and Harvest Moon, but we're still out there, and we disagree with you. Get over it.

[Caael]

Is this still all happening, or hsa Max given up, because we haven't had news in a while on it. How's it coming along, good, bad, server test soon?

[Aquamarine]

He has spoken about this not long ago, when we could vote what should be done sooner; the site revamp or GSW. Most people chose the site revamp, so first that will be done, then GSW will be made. Or so Max says...

[The Wind Seer]

*Sigh*
The GSW has to be finished soon...or...or....or...