Help! Steamworks and Blitz3d!

My publisher has been in talks with Valve for Tank Universal's inclusion on the Steam network. If TU could get on Steam, it would be a fantastic development. However the publisher's reporting that the game needs to include 'achievements' - and they're really pushing for it.

However for them to say that TU will include achievements, the game (written in Blitz3d) has to be able to communicate with the Steamworks api.

I've been sent a copy of the Steamworks API but I know nothing about C++. What should I do?

The way I see it, you have four three realistic options:

1. Learn C++ and do it yourself.
2. Pay someone else to do it.
3. Don't distribute it on Steam.
4. Kidnap a genius programmer type and force them to do it at gunpoint.

I thought Steamworks was optional?

..what 'achievements' should be exactly in Steam network meaning?? Im scared I will face same problem soon, so I would like to know too, whats going on?

Puki

If you have a game on Valve and Valve are asking for your game to include achievements, your game's going to need to work with Steamworks.

(By the way, I sent you an email the other day asking if you'd ever found out if Realmcrafter could be hacked/made suitable for single player RPG's?)

Perturbatio

That's what i'm looking at now - I may need to invade the local university to find some hotshot C++ jockey. I'd do this on-line, but I'd rather deal with the person face to face.

N/A
I'll let you know what I find out. It's a bit daunting - but the Steam carrot is immense and tasty!

One option that comes to mind would be to hire someone to create a DLL that could be used to interface with the Steamworks api. This gives you more options in regards to the programmer you hire, as they wouldn't need to know Blitz3D code. It's also possible that there are already Blitz3D compatible DLLs (or DLL code that could be modified to work with Blitz3D) for working with the Steamworks api.

I'm assuming that working with the Steamworks api is just a question of networking. Assuming that this is the case, then perhaps ask them to clarify what protocols are involved. It may be simpler than you think, to incorporate the functionality directly into your Blitz3D code (assuming you don't need non-blocking TCP).

Regarding RealmCrafter - I haven't really played around with it much, but I do know that the standard version (coded in Blitz3D (client) and BlitzPlus (server)) has a version which comes with source code. Solstar have also said that they will be coming out with a single player version with multiplayer support for up to 64 players. Your best bet would be to contact Solstar directly and see what you can work out with them.

MadJack, email me if you want a quote, I'd be happy to take a look.

skid

I'll definitely do that! I'm at work at present but will email you shortly.

..hey guys, keep us informed about this..me personally need to sort this out too..

skid

Have sent you an email.

Bill


That's very interesting. I see on the Realmcrafter website that Dreamora's involved - didn't know that.

I don't have RealmCrafter. Apart from some of their model packs.

I am a freelance programmer currently hired to work on RealmCrafter Standard. This work includes fixing bugs and implementing new features into the GameEditor, the Server and the Client, which are written in Blitz3D and BlitzPlus.

Above that I am handling the community duties on the official RealmCrafter Licensee Board. This means communication community <-> Solstar, create the announcement, look into issues with the board and similar, choosing and training the moderation staff and most other community related things like choosing Wiki Editors for the Licensee Wiki.

Its interesting to read here that my name is mentioned somewhere on the page. I know that it's obvious from the boards that I am working with and for them, but didn't know thats mentioned on the page somewhere.

Dreamora
I saw 'Dreamora' on the Realmcrafter forums and put that and the fact it's programmed with blitz3d together and assumed you were on the Solstar team...

I'm kind of intrigued by Realmcaster and have been playing around with the demo but I'm not much interested in the MMORPG aspect of it ;-)

Any comment on the suggestion that Solstar may release a single player version?

I've noticed a steam_api.dll used by some steampowered games...

After googling I did find this :
audiosurf/engine/3rd/steam_api.dll, 63.5 KB

Will have a look at it when I get home, Audiosurf is one of the games I own.
So it's a good chance I have that dll...

DLL's are a lot easier to use for us Blitz users

I can't comment on the single / small multiplayer technology basing on RealmCrafter at the moment, I'm sorry.

The current focus is to release RealmCrafter Pro (C++ with a self written pure SM2+ rendering engine, a new GameEditor and all tools converted to the new rendering engine and C++ / C#) and to get RealmCrafter Standard as bugfree as possible and finish the new sample project for it. (the single / small multiplayer technology would benefit of this)

A steamworks API userlib for Blitz and a module for BM would be great.
Its definitely (at least out of my sight) the most important platform at the moment to anyone who does more than the next annoying match 3 but does not target a fullscale game.

Just checked and this dll is included in the Steamworks SDK (I have a copy).
So maybe it's as simple as wrapping this dll?



Dreamora
Regards Realmcrafter Pro, if you can pull all that off, I think that would be a purchase for me!

MadJack..any light over problem you facing? Im going to face same thing soon and i would like to know how you solve it, if so..

NA

I need to set up a steam account in order to get a Steamworks login, which I'll do tonight.

I'm also going to fire a copy of the SDK at Simon tonight so he at least can have an initial look.

I'll keep you posted of developments.

heh, i know basic C++, I'm on hour 19 out of 24 in Sam's Teach Yourself C++ in 24 Hours, but I know nothing of dll's...which brings me to the question of "Why am I on this thread...?".

Some sort of compulsive/impulsive disorder? ;-)

chwaga is a guud boy :)

chwaga: I'm on day 16 of "Teach yourself C++ in 21 days" ;-P

Been there for the last month. (It's not the best reading material for sitting on the loo but it does the job.)