Re: [Wesnoth-dev] Aiming for 1.0

[Nils Kneuper]

Here are my opinions about your mail:


> Okay, these are my thoughts on how to get to 1.0. If developers 
> broadly agree with following my plan, I *may* decide to lead it.
>
> Firstly, what should version 1.0 be? 1.0 should be the first version 
> which we can happily show to everyone: even end users who have no 
> interest in game development. It should be a stable version that the 
> team is committed to maintaining and supporting.
> It doesn't have to be perfect. It just has to be good enough so that 
> someone can play it, and have fun, without noticing badly incomplete 
> features or awful bugs. It certainly doesn't have to have every 
> feature imaginable, and it's not realistic that it will be completely 
> bug-free.

I think so, too. We are fairly close to such a state already.

> So, that's what I think should happen to the engine for 1.0: a 
> complete feature freeze. Bug-fixes only. If people really want to add 
> new features, then we can consider branching the engine and the people 
> who want to add new features can work on that.
>
> In terms of content such as graphics, music, and sounds, I am more 
> flexible. They don't have the capacity to de-stabilize the game. I 
> think that for instance, if freim finishes his new terrain in time, we 
> can include that. New music and sounds would also be highly desirable. 
> Completing all animations is something we would definitely want.

I think we should diretly start with such a freeze.

> Some things which I think we really need for 1.0, which can be done 
> 'safely' in that they will not de-stabilize the game:
>
> - better documentation in the help system
> - better sound effects
> - Heir to the Throne should be made much easier on 'easy'.
> - complete animations
> - completed translations

Some stuff of this will really be hard. Completing translations depends 
very much on the translators. Sound effects will be hard to do, if we do 
not find someone good in producing sounds. But they would really improve 
the quality a lot. HttT should be really a bit easier. Better 
documentation should be possible, too.

> I think that Wesnoth 1.0 could be produced in 3 months. Here is the 
> schedule I would propose:
>
> Weeks 1-6:
>
> - work on bug fixes, including cosmetic cleanup and making the game 
> acceptably fast in all areas
> - continue to work on translations
> - work on documentation
> - add animations, new units, sound effects, etc.
> - finalize list of campaigns for 1.0
>
> -- STRING FREEZE --
>
> Weeks 7-9:
>
> - work on bug fixes, including cosmetic cleanup
> - start working on finalizing translations
> - no more new units
> - animations, sound effects, can still be added
>
> -- COMPLETE INTERFACE FREEZE --
>
> Weeks 10-12:
>
> - work on testing and fixing any remaining critical bugs
> - finalize translations
> - animations, sound effects may still be added.
>
> -- RELEASE 1.0 --
>
> Of course, this is a rough outline of what I think is possible, not a 
> 'strict schedule'.

The timetable is really hard, but it looks possible to me. As I said 
above, translations depend much on the translators. The rest really 
looks fine.

> Remember that 1.0 can be seen in some ways as a starting point, not an 
> ending point. After 1.0 is released we can more confidently add 
> dramatic new features.

I see it in the same way. With this release we could maybe even get new 
people to play and help developing wesnoth. I think there still are two 
questions left:
1) Which campaigns should be the ones in 1.0?
2) What to do with incomplete stuff (e.g.: translations that are only 
half done)

I am really looking forward to have a 1.0 and not staying in the 
"beta-situation" forever.
Greets,
Nils Kneuper aka Ivanovic