ArmA 3 clan support

[jerryhopper 286]

Nice ideas, the ability to add players quickly to the XML and view their UID through a clan interface in game would be welcome too, along with having the abillity to change your group through the player profile via groups you're currenty apart of rather than having to change out long URL's every time you need to change.

i sorta build that ages ago on armedassault.eu ( http://archive.armedassault.eu/component/option,com_armacom/Itemid,3/ )

maybe i resurrect it again on popular demand, as not long ago someone also asked if i could host a squadxml

[uPDATE 30/12]

i felt like programming, so im rebuilding the whole squadxml tool from the ground up.

i aim to finish the product before Jan 6th 2013

here is the current progress:

Finished:

* Base framework & design

* Twitter authentification ( signup via twitter )

* ability to create multiple communities.

* ability to create unlimited Squads in a community

* Automatic PAA conversion

Todo:

* Invititation system where players can be invited/join a squad.*

* personal control panel.*

* the Actual XML output use by the game*

* public pages ( pages that dont need to be logged in)*

* facebook authentification ( signup via twitter )

* Social functionality

Items marked * at the end is base functionality, if these are finished the system will go public.

Edited January 4, 2013 by jerryhopper

[Asherion 1]

Clan management would definitely be interesting. It'd provide a centralized place for people to look for clans or for new members. We'd just need some careful limits on it. The ability to filter for various tags, perhaps, such as realism, or perhaps certain mod names. Maybe some brief descriptors of a clan that show up in searches, and then take you to the hq page for more information. Adding and removing members automagically through the panel could accomplish the same things that manual xml tagging has done in the past, adding the squad patch and perhaps prefix tag that are created/added in the manager to the membership. Interesting idea.

[jerryhopper 286]

The ability to filter for various tags, perhaps, such as realism, or perhaps certain mod names. Maybe some brief descriptors of a clan that show up in searches, and then take you to the hq page for more information.

Thanks for the idea - i have to add some sort of Tag system to each community/squad/user for search purposes.

here is the structure im using :

User -> can create community

User -> can create squad in community

User -> can join (request) squad

User -> can leave squad

User -> can set primary Squad if member of several squads/communities.

User -> has to set his personal xml url once.

Community -> cannot hold players, only squads managed by owner

Community -> can only be removed by owner when empty

Squad -> Holds players

Squad -> can be joined

Squad -> can be managed by owner

Squad -> Has squadlogo set by owner

Squadlogo -> can be manipulated ( mix community logo with squadlogo / mix personal logo with squadlogo )

[Asherion 1]

That all sounds good so far. Having the community container will help squads to relate, I think, especially ones with like interests.

[jerryhopper 286]

Here is the current progress:

Finished:

* Base framework & design

* Twitter authentification ( signup via twitter )

* ability to create multiple communities.

* ability to create unlimited Squads in a community

* Automatic PAA conversion

* public pages ( pages that dont need to be logged in)

* Invitation system where players can be invited/join a squad.*

* personal control panel.*

* the Actual XML output use by the game*

Todo:

* facebook authentification ( signup is only available via twitter atm )

* Social functionality

You can signup now, create squads/communities, upload your imagery etc.

all base functionality is there, some testing is needed but after that feature requests are welcome.

[rye1 21]

Awesome jerryhopper. Some really great ideas!

[jerryhopper 286]

Yey! i got the complete base ready!

it might need some testing, but the initial product is done, as you can also signup using facebook.

i wont buildin any plain user/password login, as the social aspect of facebook & twitter can inform people via these media.

im thinking of a google-auth scheme, which allows u to login via gmail.

here is the progresslist.

Finished:

* Base framework & design

* Twitter authentification ( signup via twitter )

* ability to create multiple communities.

* ability to create unlimited Squads in a community

* Automatic PAA conversion

* public pages ( pages that dont need to be logged in)

* Invitation system where players can be invited/join a squad.*

* personal control panel.*

* the Actual XML output use by the game*

* facebook authentification

Todo:

* Social functionality

You can signup now, create squads/communities, upload your imagery etc.

all base functionality is there, some testing is needed but after that feature requests are welcome.

What im wondering is : can a playerID be duplicate? ( coz of several titles : arma, arma2, toh )

if so, i forsee a problem.

Edited January 6, 2013 by jerryhopper

[RoyTF91 1]

That would be fun to see. Say Unit X, a USA Unit, faces Unit Y, A Russian Unit. The Clan owners could send each other basic (As in BIS Translated) Messages such as "We invite you to a PVP! This time, this date,(Insert check-listed rules here)"

Been gone a while, new flag new boss type deal. Good to be back to arma though.

This is exactly what I was thinking. There's plenty of good clans and units out there, but there's nothing that rallies them together other than the fact that they all follow military structure in one way or another. As it is, clans have an attitude of "this is what we do, our little circle" and they tend to be pretty closed about what they do. There isn't a whole lot of co-operation within the organized community. Even something as simple as inviting another clan/unit to an operation would be nice, but with the hassles of finding their teamspeak info, or having to find their website (some don't have any at all). Would be a great way to link players and the community as a whole, on top of splitting it into clans/units and keeping the competitive spirit up.

[iceman77 18]

I don't see any need for a "clan management" system. We have official BI forums already. Most clans have their own website. Most users use things like steam,xfire,PWS,msn,facebook,twitter etc etc. With all of these things , I just don't see any need to spend time and/or resources on this. I would rather them invest time in game breaking features that are already on the fence... like a good 3d editor for example. Maybe an intern can work on a 3d editor instead :rolleyes:

Edited January 7, 2013 by Iceman77

[maddogx 13]

game breaking features

What exactly is a "game breaking feature"? I don't think I want any of those; they sound like trouble. ;)

[jerryhopper 286]

I don't see any need for a "clan management" system.

We dont need a 'clan management' -> so true

What we do need, is a update squadXML format, and an option to POST and GET text-data from the web.

i'd vouch for a total programming API which could deal with all the POST/GET stuff mentioned - This way a MOD could be created with every functionality you want....

(i havent looked at it, but in TOH is some java engine which (i assume) can achieve the above functionality )

[iceman77 18]

What exactly is a "game breaking feature"? I don't think I want any of those; they sound like trouble. ;)

haha. gamebreaking feature means a "must have" feature basically. It could absolutely break the game if we don't get a nice new 3d editor!! right!?

---------- Post added at 08:28 ---------- Previous post was at 08:26 ----------

We dont need a 'clan management' -> so true

What we do need, is a update squadXML format, and an option to POST and GET text-data from the web.

i'd vouch for a total programming API which could deal with all the POST/GET stuff mentioned - This way a MOD could be created with every functionality you want....

(i havent looked at it, but in TOH is some java engine which (i assume) can achieve the above functionality )

yeah the xml idea is very good!!

[PuFu 4600]

haha. gamebreaking feature means a "must have" feature basically. It could absolutely break the game if we don't get a nice new 3d editor!! right!?

Wrong, unless you wanna call OFP, A1, A2, OA and TKOH broken because of that

[iceman77 18]

Seriously? It was a figure of speech & I was only playing around @ that. Ofcourse it wouldn't "break" the game... lighten up. And yes, a "game breaking feature" is a figure of speech or metaphor for a "must have", "awesome", "good" feature... nvm... :rolleyes:

[jerryhopper 286]

To get back at 'Clansupport' :

I did some checking on that squadxml and i noticed a few things.

1. the client access the xml using useragent : BIGameEngine

2. the server access the xml using useragent : Flashpoint/1.91 ( other servers report : BIGameEngine )

My question : Why doesnt the server indentifies as : ArmA2CO/1.62 ?

My thoughts :

By recording the clientXML 'queries', and the servers 'queries', we could see ' who's online ' on What server.

Only the server doesnt give its correct patchversion, so we cant see what serverversion people are playing on.

ALso, The SquadXML is outdated and could use some updated fields.

UPDATE:

A 'Who is online' isnt possible due to inconsistencies between linux & windows servers.

a more indepth analysis : http://forums.bistudio.com/showthread.php?144936-SquadXML-and-what-is-wrong-with-it-in-2013

Edited January 19, 2013 by jerryhopper

[whisky 1]

To get back at 'Clansupport' :

I did some checking on that squadxml and i noticed a few things.

1. the client access the xml using useragent : BIGameEngine

2. the server access the xml using useragent : Flashpoint/1.91 ( other servers report : BIGameEngine )

My question : Why doesnt the server indentifies as : ArmA2CO/1.62 ?

My thoughts :

By recording the clientXML 'queries', and the servers 'queries', we could see ' who's online ' on What server.

Only the server doesnt give its correct patchversion, so we cant see what serverversion people are playing on.

ALso, The SquadXML is outdated and could use some updated fields.

That is actually pretty cool, nice findings.