A 3D-IRC Project (codename: 3D Affinity)

[TseTse]

ok, i cant think of a better name for now...

Here's the idea:

- Provide simple, constantly updated download for non-commercial use
- Set some standards and objectives for collaboration
- Develop a network for related servers/projects
- Garner some assets (i.e. characters and such) and build some simple "worlds"
- Lay scripting to interface with IRC protocols
- Integrate additional features as we go along (art gallery systems, neato HUD stuff, who knows... maybe we can even dream about language translators and file transfer protocols)

We keep it free, open source (relatively speaking) and fun.

Who's up to help out?

I think we can find folks from 3dbuzz and cgtalk who would be interested in helping with artwork. Likewise, I know some IRC gurus who can prolly help us out a bit on that end.

A lot of this is really just a matter of having fun and making ideas come true in a coordinated way... and provide a platform for even more great ideas.

To me, i'd like to play around with the educational and social potential here, and start by focusing on the core scripting/technology required.

We could potentially even be testing server loads to see how many clients can reasonably connect with a simplified world system... in a matter of weeks.

Thoughts? Let's brainstorm...

 

[RaptoR]

I'd be willing to help out with level design and coding, if needed.

 

[TseTse]

rockin. we need a detailed plan, i suspect. ive been chewing on an idea like this for years now, and i can really see a lot of potential and fun here.

i can try to write something a tad more concrete & flushed out, and toss it up for brainstorming as we all toss ideas around.

 

[djpaul]

I am kinda interested in this.. but there's no idea or concept here. I'll keep an eye on the thread.

I would code, were I to help.

 

[TseTse]

Here's a summary/plan i wrote up last summer... which relates...

THE UNREAL 3D EDUCATIONAL KIT
(For Educational Purposes Only)

- Comes with preset classroom, town hall, small town, cyber university, and museum template "worlds." New templates available everday on central site.

- Comes with preset characters of all types and ages. New ones available everyday on central site.

- Comes with IRC & FTP interfaces, so you can chat & file share inside the community (and also have low tech, "backend" for files and such).

- Comes with secure master server authentication system, so administers can easily control who has accounts and who logs in.

- Comes with World Editing tools, so you can make you own environments.

- Comes with sophisticated media compression systems for sharing 2d and 3d graphics within the program (i.e. the thing can organize lots models and images, and then have clients autodownload them within the context of the program) - admins can set up a server "gallery system" which automatically parses through properly formatted 2d & 3d assets from within the client's program.

- Can be scripted for unique, custom stuff

- Integration with commercial language translators, and other services.

- Runs on typical PC, Mac, Linux and Sony Watches (just kidding... i think)

- The "Unreal Educational Community" Team" can also be available to build customized kits for your organization's needs, including customized worlds, models and comprehensive

 

[[CD]Icedude]

hmm, i had an idea simmilar to this, but a bit more based on the BeyondUnreal IRC Channel...

I'd be glad to help with mapping a little, but i'm not that good at it so my maps would need a little touching up done by a better mapper before theyre added

Can we keep in the trout slapping thing that mIRC has? Maybe add some minigames?

 

[TseTse]

Can we keep in the trout slapping thing that mIRC has? Maybe add some minigames?

oh my, yes!

lol

should be a mandatory anim sequence for any character/models to be in it.

 

[.altan]

Not meaning to piss on your campfire here, but how is it more practical than existing mIRC clients such as Chatzilla, xChat, mIRC etc; especially when considering performance and plain old usability?

 

[TseTse]

Not meaning to piss on your campfire here, but how is it more practical than existing mIRC clients such as Chatzilla, xChat, mIRC etc; especially when considering performance and plain old usability?

this wouldnt be designed to "compete" with IRC, and couldnt.

however... i dont see any free, excellent... 3d "virtual community" software out there... and seems that a game engine is perhaps the best fit for that niche.

to go as far as i imagined prolly would require a full license (read the "educational" idea and you can see stuff which prolly cant be done via scripting).

but within the context of UE2, i think a whole lot of cool stuff can be made available.

as an open source kind of thing, id just like to see folks collaborate on some core functionality (which then can be used for all kinds of stuff)

 

[TossMonkey]

This is a damn cool idea. If I was to do something with the UE2 engine then this is what I'd do...

I'll have to keep a very close eye on this one. Sounds like my kind of project.

 

[w00p]

Actually, I was already planning to do something similar like this with the orignial UT'99 engine.
I am interested into melting forces...
Contact me sometime, My ICQ number is to be found in my profile.

Oh, and Raptor... every coding available will be needed, believe me!

 

[Uplink]

This sounds like a really cool idea. I will certainly be keeping an eye on this project

 

[Alhanalem]

do you mean something like a virtual irc world where you chat but have an in-'game' character torepresent you or something? /me is confused

 

[TossMonkey]

I think thats what he means SirTahngarth...

I just wonder what kind of characters that will be used, realistic representations or fictional characters.

 

[Prophetus]

Ironic, I had this same idea a few years ago and even wrote up a design document. During the design phase, I came across a problem with this idea.

-- Jabber or "chat storms": Basically, chat programs now supply all outputs onto a central location (the chat page). In a 3D environment, you will need to keep a central ouput location or it will be difficult to comprehend multiple conversations. Unlike real life, when someone speaks, our ears can focus on one or more speakers/topics. Visually, this becomes more difficult. In one phase of my design, I had the chat oututs appear over the model's heads. However, it would prevent me from understanding the whole context of the conversation. Say person A was talking to person B. I see person A's comments to person B, so I reply. However, person D (I'll be C) only reads my comments and didn't see person A or B's comments mainly because they were only looking at me. There lies the confusion. So I changed it to provide a chat window in the lower section of the screen. Just like any normal chat program, it will display the full conversation and the outputs of everyone who replies. But then the virtual chat is no longer a true virtual reality. Instead, it becomes nothing more than animated responses to text. During private conversations, this problem does not apply. But in rooms with multiple individuals, the chat storms can become overwhelming.

A lot of thought has to go into this project.

 

[Hao Niu-rou]

i remember when that horibble godzilla movie came out (the american one) i had tried some virtual chat thing, it was neato you got to walk around a somewhat destroyed new york

alot of people on it thought it was a game though, and were all saying stuff like

"wha how do i do something, wheres godzilla"

and if you had a membership you could choose a different model from some of the other worlds (they had other places other than just godzilla/new york, like fantasy settings and nature and stuff)

that was neat, cause we didnt find any godzilla but we found these people who were doves

Anyways I could see a project like this being used, but i could also see it being forgotten

it also kinds of reminds me of a mod for Deus Ex called Party Zone,

now a virtual chat with minigames i dont think would be as useless

 

[TseTse]

I think thats what he means SirTahngarth...

I just wonder what kind of characters that will be used, realistic representations or fictional characters.

let me be clear: ALL OF THE ABOVE.

im talking about making a STANDARD SYSTEM for doing this... "just" for chatting, but as a start for all kinds of other cool projects.

in other words, "3d Affinity" could be a set of downloads - some standards - and a network of developers and servers.

i would LOVE to see a few different character sets and worlds folks could download up front.

we can try to get really good "open source" scripting/tools ready for general social/community not-for-profit uses.

that way, if a bunch of 3d artists wanted to show off their stuff in a cool 3d world, they could basically take 3d-Affinity as a starting point with ready-made chat systems, lounges, autodownloading/asset management, and characters.

see where im going with this idea?

*brainstorming*

 

[TsN|Byte]

no tsetse... i dont

it comes down to a solid plan, but almost all content based.. because from the get-go the base is in place with the basic runtime..

 

[marith]

TseTse, I would be interested in contributing to this (as a coder and also some mapping) as I have been thinking about building a 3d chat room myself, however, I probably won't be able to spare much time till next year (2004) as I am off to NZ on hols for a month in December .

My ideas for the 3d chat room include having virtual alcohol and food etc. that one could interact with (e.g. drink or eat). For example if you came and visited my 3d chat room, I could serve you up a virtual beer which you could drink. A fun option could be that the more you drink, the program could change your typed messages so they become worse over time to the point one can't decipher them (I wonder if we can alter the voice commuication as well). Also your avatar could have trouble walking or fall over if you've had too much virtual alcohol. I also thought that you could have moderated chat rooms where guests have to be given drinks from chosen bartenders/moderators.

I realise that some may not find the idea interesting until they've tried it or unless there's something to shoot at, but I still think it would be a fun project anyway that could grow over time.

 

[TseTse]

cool. i dont think we need to be in any rush, especialy without a full plan developed.

however... that said... i think your idea fits in perfectly as an example of what i see this as doing.

being a way to collaborate on similar chat room projects, basically, and providing a good "starting place" or templates for folks who come along.

so, your virtual bar could be a fun add-on set of scripts as well as a template world for people. we could thus integrate other bar games and casino games, and fun IRC-type games with it all together... so it basically accumulates into a network of cool worlds and free stuff folks can use.

if somebody went to a 3d Affinity web site, they could download the core program, with a few of these worlds... perhaps a virtual classroom, a virtual art gallery, a virtual social club with bar and music tools, etc.

they'd find on the website, then, a list of affiliated servers, projects and add-ons.

does that make sense?

edit:

meanwhile, i'd love us to spot some potential working characters to play with. i do intend to start making a default world/level for playtesting and i know tsn|byte has already done a little menu thing...