I created a Clue Game Quick Connect application. This application is only for the Windows clients and is installed in your Netrek install directory. When executed it opens a small window with a text field, four radio buttons and a join button. A screenshot of this application is available at http://www.playnetrek.org/cluegame.jpg The user only needs to enter a server name and select a radio button for home, away or an observer port then press the join button. It will record and save the last server entered so if you are visiting the same clue server or just switching teams you do not need to enter the server name again, just select a radio button and click join. The installer walks you through the installation. A shortcut for this application is created in your Netrek program group in a subfolder called Clue Games. I have two reasons for creating this. First, the past couple weeks I have seen skillful new players that have an interest in clue games trying to walk through typing in server names and switch numbers to join a game. Since Netrek now consists of convenient shortcuts, the task of teaching newer players how to join clue games seems a little tougher then it was 5 years ago. This past Wednesday it took 10+ minutes to walk someone through getting into the weekly clue game. Would have been nice to say “download and install this program, type in this server name, pick your team and click join”. The second reason for creating this is for guys like me who don't want to create shortcuts for multiple clue servers with multiple ports. Not that this is really a problem right now, but I am hoping it could become one in the near future. This way I have one icon that can be used to join any clue servers. It is convenient, easy to use and saves time. Had an issue connecting to the away observer port on warped since it is on port 5001. I had an idea this morning that will fix this but is not yet implemented. Since the port numbers are hard coded to the radio buttons, I will create a condition so that if the server name is netrek.warped.us, the port number variable for the away observer port will be assigned 5001, otherwise it will be 5000. I will change this and test it later today. The beta version is located at http://www.playnetrek.org/cluegame.exe I plan on having all the bugs worked out and having it listed on playnetrek.org by Sunday as a stand alone download. I also plan on relisting XP Mod this weekend as a secondary Windows client and having this application included with the installer. I finally got the config files cleaned up. I still need to make a few changes to the configuration utility and tutorial before relisting it. Total file size for the XP Mod installer which will include the tutorial, config utility and clue game quick join application is going to be about 2MB. I was thinking about listing it as “Netrek Classic” but wasn't sure if this would strike a nerve in the development community. I have reasons for this, from a promotional standpoint, but don't want to get into the details of this unless people feel the need as this email already seems long enough. -Joe _________________________________________________________________ WIN up to $10,000 in cash or prizes – enter the Microsoft Office Live Sweepstakes http://clk..atdmt.com/MRT/go/aub0050001581mrt/direct/01/
