Free Allegiance Zone: Difference between revisions

Allegiance was released in early 2000 and Microsoft supported it until mid 2001. From that point onwards no improvements, no new features, no bug fixes were made until Solap persuaded Microsoft to release the code under a shared-source license in 2004.

The surviving Allegiance players quickly organised a volunteer development team to begin work and named themselves the Free Allegiance Zone - an amalagation of two terms originally used to segregate the community (the restricted-features Free Zone and the pay-per-month Allegiance Zone)). FAZ is used to describe the new version of Allegiance which strives to incorporate all the features that AZ had while still remaining completely free.

FAZ history

The code which the FAZ team had their hands on in 2004 was written using a 1999 compiler and was almost completely incompatible with modern development environments - in other words, nearly useless for what they wanted to do. The first step was therefore to change Microsoft's sourcecode to compile with modern compilers used in today's development environments.

The FAZ team completed that in 2006, producing their own stable build of Allegiance. They were finally at "Square One" and from there have been able to march proudly forwards, slowly but surely adding features that have been requested since Allegiance was first released and correcting bugs/errors.

For a full synopsis of the improvements that have been made browse the releases section below.

Development team

Lead by Dogbones, the Development Zone Leader, these guys have made tremendous strides in our code. They have rewritten the underlying code to work with the latest software and hardware. Not enough can be said about their work and efforts. If you would like to help develop the code then PM Dogbones.

Current development

FAZ R8 is in open beta.

Last updated: 3 OCT, 2014

Suggesting new features

If you have an idea for a new feature then please make a new thread in the Code bugs & Suggestions forum. Note that many suggestions have been made in the past and that yours may not get first priority - especially if it is difficult to implement!

Beta testing

Main article: Testing FAZ Beta

Beta testing is an important part of releasing new builds. Towards the end of each development cycle public beta games are held weekly on a Wednesday evening (EST) to stress test the new releases and find the final bugs.

When the Beta build is ready for public testing the Development Zone Leader will make an announcement on the FAO's homepage and/or broadcast a message to people logging in using ASGS.

How else you can help

Since the Allegiance development is community based, it's up to all of us to make it better. The philosophy is simple: If you don't build it, it won't be used.

You can help by:

Helping new players learn how to play the game
Writing Documentation
- Add or edit articles on the wiki. If you need edit privileges here, PM TheBored.
- Create new documentation that hasn't already been written and post it on the forums. If it fits, it will be added.
Reporting bugs
- Any time you encounter something that doesn't work right, mention it in the Code Bugs forum.
- The developers use Trac to keep track of bugs that still need to be fixed.
Fixing bugs
- If you see a bug in Trac that you can fix, do it! Check out the page on downloading and building Allegiance's source.
Improving the game
- Designing models.
  - There are many ships and bases in existing factions that are repeats of other faction bases.
- Design some new high res models.
- Check out this information about modeling for Allegiance.
Playing the game!

FAZ Development

About Free Allegiance Zone
Releases:	R1 · R2 · R3 · R4 · R5 · R6 · (current)R7
Allegiance R8:	What's new? · Build it!
Testing Beta:	Overview · Testing procedure

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-FAZ  stands for "Free Allegiance Zone" which is a joining of two terms originally used to segregate this community under Microsoft's rule: "Free Zone" and "Allegiance Zone"
+{{:Free Allegiance Zone Dev Team}}
-The term is used to describe a new version of Allegiance which is being developed by the community.
+[[Allegiance]] was released in early 2000 and Microsoft supported it until mid 2001. From that point onwards no improvements, no new features, no bug fixes were made until [[Solap]] persuaded Microsoft to release the code under a shared-source license in 2004.
-Until now, everyone has been playing with the Allegiance game written and compiled by Microsoft 5 years ago. Since then, no changes have been made to the game.
+The surviving Allegiance players quickly organised a volunteer development team to begin work and named themselves the '''Free Allegiance Zone''' - an amalagation of two terms originally used to segregate the community (the restricted-features [[Free Zone]] and the pay-per-month [[Allegiance Zone]])). '''FAZ''' is used to describe the new version of Allegiance which strives to incorporate all the features that AZ had while still remaining completely free.
-Two years ago, Microsoft released the sourcecode to our community which allowed us to finally start modifying the game however we wanted... unfortunately this code was still written to use a 1999 compiler, and did not offer an easy way to work with it in modern development environments. The code was almost useless to us in its state.
+==FAZ history==
+The code which the FAZ team had their hands on in 2004 was written using a 1999 compiler and was almost completely incompatible with modern development environments - in other words, nearly useless for what they wanted to do. The first step was therefore to change Microsoft's sourcecode to compile with modern compilers used in today's development environments.
-Even if we wanted to modify the game, we couldn't because we weren't even able to reproduce regular Allegiance let alone create an enhanced Allegiance.
+The FAZ team completed that in 2006, producing their own stable build of Allegiance. They were finally at "Square One" and from there  have been able to march proudly forwards, slowly but surely adding features that have been requested since Allegiance was first released and correcting bugs/errors.
-Since then, the FAZ Dev team has worked on changing Microsoft's sourcecode to compile with todays compilers under today's development environments. It's pretty much done now, and we're finally able to create our own stable build of Allegiance. This allows us to finally start adding features that have been requested for the last 5 years, and correct bugs/errors that have been plaguing us.
+For a full synopsis of the improvements that have been made browse the releases section below.
-The first release from the FAZ Dev team (R1) did not change much from Microsoft's original. Its purpose was to duplicate the original functionality without introducing new bugs or problems. However, a few simple changes were made to increase stability and add small much-needed enhancements. The second release (R2) made many more changes to Allegiance. A full listing of all changes made to Allegiance since Microsoft released the sourcecode is listed below.
+==Development team==
+Lead by [[Dogbones]], the [[Development]] [[Zone Leader]], these guys have made tremendous strides in our code. They have rewritten the underlying code to work with the latest software and hardware. Not enough can be said about their work and efforts. If you would like to help develop the code then [http://www.freeallegiance.org/forums/index.php?act=Msg&CODE=4&MID=903 PM Dogbones].
-==Changes made in FAZ  Release 1 (Release date: March 1st, 2006):==
+==Current development==
+[[FAZ R8]] is in open beta.
-:* Allegiance is built against a modern compiler, offering slightly increased speeds and better interfaces with modern hardware. Sounds may sound clearer, and visuals may seem crisper depending on your hardware and drivers.
+:''Last updated: 3 OCT, 2014''
-:* SOVLogin has been removed from the login sequence, and its core functions have been written into ASGS and Allegiance itself
-:* Chat Logging has been written into Allegiance itself via the LogChat String Registry Key. Set its value to "1" to enable chat logging. (This is handled automatically by ASGS using the "Log Chat To Disk" option)
-:* When marking yourself as AFK, you will no longer be marked as "back" after a game has ended
-:* When logging in with ASGS , you no longer have the ability to modify your callsign within Allegiance which used to cause "Authentication=2" errors.
-:* The in-base Ship Loadout screen no longer requires 800x600 resolution. When docking/launching, your monitor's resolution will no longer switch
-:* Missing "Game Information" was added to the Game Info screen (Esc, I)
-:* The Teleport Probe's 1-in-6 chance of "Random destruction" has been removed. All teleport probes will always work, and no longer have any chance of detonating
-:* Additional events are fired behind the scenes, allowing more detailed gamelogs to be captured for historical and game-balancing purposes
-:* The "Help" screen has been rewritten to include up-to-date help information
-==Changes made in FAZ  Release 2 (Release date: August 1st, 2006):==
+==Suggesting new features==
+If you have an idea for a new feature then please make a new thread in the [http://www.freeallegiance.org/forums/index.php?showforum=87 Code bugs & Suggestions] forum. Note that many suggestions have been made in the past and that yours may not get first priority - especially if it is difficult to implement!
-:* Ranks are now shown in the Rank column.
+==Beta testing==
-:* Allegiance's "ShipKilled" messages now match the ingame stats. As a result, the RecentGames webpage should now always match the ingame LastGameStats.
+:''Main article: [[Testing FAZ Beta]]
-:* Allegiance now automatically sets you AFK if it detects no activity for 5 minutes.
+Beta testing is an important part of releasing new builds. Towards the end of each development cycle public beta games are held weekly on a Wednesday evening (EST) to stress test the new releases and find the final bugs.
-:* AFK is now unset when joining teams.
-:* Giving command to someone else now keeps you on Command Wing instead of dropping you to attack.
-:* You can no longer chat to enemy constructors/miners/drones.
-:* Quickchat keystrokes are no longer affected by the mouse unless the mouse is moved.
-:* The game lobby now auto-sorts all games by #players.
-:* Game stats now default-sort to points instead of players.
-:* NOAT now shows up as a team in the F6 screen so you can see who's in NOAT .
-:* NOAT now has its own teamchat just like any other team in the lobby
-:* You can now PM players from NOAT by clicking their name in the team lists to select them. Click them again to de-select them and once again chat to "all".
-:* Player restrictions on original maps have been removed.
-:* Investors can now partially invest 10% increments into developments by right-clicking them. Partial-investing will always leave 1cr unpaid to avoid finishing the investment. You must use the original "Invest" button to complete it as usual.
-:* Investors can now fully invest in a development by doubleclicking it.
-:* Chat Messages now have a length restriction of 255 characters. Attempting to chat more will no longer crash the client.
-:* Removed dependency on EULA.dll since Allegiance's EULA is now accepted during install.
-:* Custom resolutions set via registry keys are no longer overwritten at random.
-:* Virtual Joystick now works during launch animations.
-:* Drone status and other info is now relayed to 3 wings in addition to the "Command" wing: Charlie, Delta, and Echo
-:* Drones can no longer "see" targets after the targets are no longer spotted.
-:* Ingame Help screens (F1) can now include hyperlinks.
-:* + and ? tokened players can join rank restricted servers
-:* Chat logs can now be accessed by external processes while Allegiance is running
-==Changes made in FAZ  Release 3 (Release Date: December 14th, 2006):==
+When the Beta build is ready for public testing the Development [[Zone Leader]] will make an announcement on the [http://www.freeallegiance.org/forums/index.php?act=home FAO's homepage] and/or broadcast a message to people logging in using [[ASGS]].
-:* Underlying networking code rewritten using DirectPlay8, allowing users to connect through NAT  boundaries without problem. (College students can now play!)
+==How else you can help==
-:* Entire codebase ported to Visual C++ 2005 (VC8).
+Since the Allegiance development is community based, it's up to all of us to make it better. The philosophy is simple: If you don't build it, it won't be used.
-:* Sound engine upgraded to DirectSound8 with new changes. This should fix "crackles" and "static". You can still choose the old sound engine by selecting its menu in the "Sound Settings" section of the Esc menu.
-:* Up to 8 mouse buttons can now be mapped within Allegiance.
-:* Unspotted enemy miners no longer cause mining 'lightning bolts' or mining sounds. You must spot a miner to hear/see its activities.
-:* Users attempting to defect now see "No defections are allowed" instead of "You have been banned."
-:* Allegiance can now play ogg files natively. If no .wav files are present, Allegiance will play .ogg files with the same name.
-:* Collision damage bugfix (Hull/Shield hitpoints were tabulated incorrectly, resulting in incorrect amounts of damage being applied after collisions)
-:* Commanders can now enable Auto-Accept while ingame. Commanders can type #autoaccept to toggle it on/off.
-:* On the Map Keys and Controls screen, the "Drop Mine" action has been renamed to "Drop Mine or Probe" to be more clear.
-:* A new "Imbalance=Auto" setting has been added to enforce balancing by rank. Clicking Randomize will balance players evenly across all teams when this setting is chosen.
-:* The "Stats Count" checkbox once again works, and forces Imbalance=Auto.
-:* Newbies with a rank of (0) will count as a rank (1) when tabulating team RankSums.
-:* The "Force-Launch button still visible after players leave" bug has been fixed.
-:* A "FAZ R3 Build#YY.MM.DD" menu has been added at the top of the Esc menu to make it easy to check build#s.
-:* You can now take screenshots!! You can now bind "Take a Screenshot" to any key. By default, this will be mapped to the PrtScn key when R3 is deployed.
-:**Screenshots will be saved as a 24-bit bmp file in Allegiance.exe's folder with the format: 2006.09.29_3.15.03.456.bmp
-:* Unmounting/mounting a part while inflight now reloads that part.
-:**Eg: If you had 4 missiles loaded and fired 2 there would be two left in your missile slot... Previously, re-mounting missiles would load 2 missiles into your missile slot.
-:**Now, re-mounting cargo will load 4 missiles into your missile slot.
-:* You can now right-click users in the lobby to perform actions on them (make leader, boot, etc).
-:* Game Commanders can no longer launch the game when another Team Commander is looking at the game settings.
-:* High-Res textures can now be seen by enabling the "High Res" menu.
-:**You will need to install high-res textures into your artwork\textures folder in order for them to work. See "Artwork Development" forum.
-:* Skill Level restrictions are now reset on the game server when there is no more Game Commander.
-:* The F1 Help has been updated.
-:* AFK is now automatically set after 90s of inactivity for players on NOAT . Players on a team still have an inactivity timer of 180s.
-==See Also==
+You can help by:
-[[R4]]
-[[Category:Help - Development]]
+:*Helping new players learn how to play the game
+:*'''Writing Documentation'''
+:**Add or edit articles on the wiki. If you need edit privileges here, [http://www.freeallegiance.org/forums/index.php?act=Msg&CODE=4&MID=2442 PM TheBored].
+:**Create new documentation that hasn't already been written and post it on the forums. If it fits, it will be added.
+:*'''Reporting bugs'''
+:**Any time you encounter something that doesn't work right, mention it in the [http://www.freeallegiance.org/forums/index.php?showforum=87 Code Bugs forum].
+:**The developers use [http://trac.alleg.net/ Trac] to keep track of bugs that still need to be fixed.
+:*'''Fixing bugs'''
+:**If you see a bug in [http://trac.alleg.net/ Trac] that you can fix, do it! Check out the page on [[Downloading and building the source|downloading and building Allegiance's source]].
+:*'''Improving the game'''
+:**Designing models.
+:***There are many ships and bases in existing factions that are repeats of other faction bases.
+:**Design some new high res models.
+:**Check out [[Creating models for Allegiance|this information about modeling]] for Allegiance.
+:*Playing the game!
+{{FAZdev}}
+[[Category:Development]]
+[[Category:About the game]]

Free Allegiance Zone: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 09:42, 3 October 2014

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FAZ history

Development team

Current development

Suggesting new features

Beta testing

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