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Oerg866
11 May 2009, 13:19
Introduction
There's a game called Worms Armageddon. The objective? Fight against each other to death using worms -- abused as multifunctional soldiers. This game has one special thing that makes it an ideal netgame: It logs your games in replay files you can double-click and watch, in a format called WAGame. In contrast, World Party does not have this habit.

Personal History & Creating the Idea
I play W:A since around 2004. But I had long breaks intbetween. Recently I played this game very often and got better, trying out schemes I previously hated. My current favourite is Hysteria, and of course the normal classic game. Secretly I'm developing a new scheme, creating sort-of an Artillery Duel game. Except with more worms and different rules. I started wondering and in GameSurge's #worms IRC channel I asked if there was a Replay database website. Turned out it wasn't - The idea of this DB was born. I started wondering and concepting the thing, thinking about how I would like to realize certain things.

Creating the Website
But there is one thing to note: I need help. Help on realizing it, which means that I need an assistant programmer, who knows how to handle databases, preferrably MySQL (because that's what I have at hand on my space). My goals are listed in the next point.

As I do not own a domain as of December 2008, I plan to host the DB on website a good friend of mine has provided me. I will set up a free domain (without ads of course :)) linking to that. I thought of something like http://wrdb.gulli.to

If I notice that I get much feedback, interest and the DB gains popularity, I'll look into purchasing a domain.

An alternative I have thought of is that someone who is running a worms-related website hosts me -- I canned this idea because even though I've been a wormie for 5 years now, I'm a relatively unknown person and something like this is a thing oldbies may ask for, not someone in my position.

Objective and Goal of the DB


Creating a platform for all players to share their game experience and showcase skills or couriosities
Replay of the day section
Giving people, which do not have webspace, a place to upload their replays


Technically:

Download files by ID, e.g. site.com/1337 or site.com/download.php?id=1337
Replay list with Name, date, playing time and a very short description
Upload form for replays


Conclusion
That brings us to the end of the program. I do very much appreciate any comments, feedback or even help in building this. I will post a concept design very soon.

I hope I've presented my project reasonably well and hope that I get support. Contacting methods are available in my profile.

Regards,
Oerg866

Oerg866
11 May 2009, 17:15
Here's how the uploader looks like atm.

Robi
11 May 2009, 18:45
How much disk space do you have ?
Because, as a FTM admin, I can tell you, massive replays take A*LOT*of space.
And what about replays with big maps ?

And also, when you have thousands of replay, a normal visitor might want to see the «best» replays in a certain scheme, you plan on making a rate system ?

What I mean is that when you face hundreds of replays, you are not going to watch them all, so which one will you look ? the one with good marks ? but how to get the firsts marks then ?

(this is in the case the site is not only for storage and watching your own replays, which would take too much disk place I think ; only good replays should be stored)

Oerg866
11 May 2009, 21:04
1: I at the moment have no space restriction. if it goes out of bounds, I'll purchase some own webspace.

2: Yes I plan a rank system on a voting basis.

CyberShadow
11 May 2009, 21:14
I can provide Linux hosting (with all commodities) for Worms-related projects, contact me if you're interested. You can also have a .worms2d.info subdomain.

Balee
11 May 2009, 23:23
This looks fun and promising :)

Also, CS does the cool again, I see :P

robowurmz
12 May 2009, 16:25
CS loves all W:A related useful people.

pisto
12 May 2009, 16:37
personally, I can't understand how someone can be interested in a worms quotes database or a replays database. But since the first one is going on, it must be worth somehow.

Anyway, I'd suggest you emphasize on the description part, and add categories too. A mess of reaplays is not really useful.

A nice features would be a sort of ReaplyShark module, that automatically sends the replay if it's been tagged during the game (and let the user to complete the description later). This would ensure lots of submissions.

If this works well, it should be Run's Worst Shot Ever successor.

Muzer
12 May 2009, 20:26
A nice features would be a sort of ReaplyShark module, that automatically sends the replay if it's been tagged during the game (and let the user to complete the description later). This would ensure lots of submissions.
That would be awesome. Finally, we'd have some integration between W:A and the web that doesn't require memorising numbers!

Malevol3nt
13 May 2009, 02:06
I'd drool for a streaming replay feature, right over the web like youtube.

Ain't gonna happen tho :p

Oerg866
2 Jun 2009, 12:33
Alri, folks, I got some work done here but I still need an assistant coder that knows how to handle such databases. I'm way too stupid to understand it even though I read so much about it.