Pay to use HTTP Processing script?

[whitesphere]

If you do sell it in the store, I think it'll be crucial to carefully explain what it CAN and CANNOT do.  Otherwise, you'll get casual RPG Maker users, thinking the script is a magic "Drop me in for instant multiplayer!" thing.  And they'd be really upset when they find it's an advanced tool requiring good knowledge of Ruby scripting AND a dedicated webserver to use effectively.

The latter is most important because most consumer broadband providers like Comcast do NOT allow web servers to run from their client's houses, unless they have a business (i.e. more expensive) connection.

Actually, I wonder if there would be a market for "Extension Packs", where the author of a series of scripts creates a bundle of scripts, and the purchase is a commercial license to use all of said scripts.

 

[Neon Black]

@Neon Black - I emailed pastebin about it, showed them the post string I was passing through and all they could say was 'make sure its a POST request', as though I'm some kinda epic moron. I mean, I do have my moments, but c'mon... :/

If they get back to me with some info thats actually helpful, I'll let ya now

Please and thank you. XD  I'm not 100% sure what I'd do with it, but I'm sure I'd find a use.  Doubtful you'll get a better reply though.  And even the Stack Overflow or w/e website I was on didn't have much help....  Ah well.

 

[??????]

@whitesphere - I think for the most part, there are very few things that would be good enough for charging people for. Luna engine is obviously one of those things. Online features would be another.  I think advanced minigames may also have a market, which is why I've been working on a highly customizable TCG for months

And yea, if I do end up selling, it would explicitly state what it can and cannot do. I also think that is one of the most important things, if not the most important.

ATM though, i really dont think it would be worth my while to release it. I mean, surely my project would look much better on something like kickstarter when online features are available, but when online features are readily available for the maker, no doubt KS will overrun with rpg maker online projects, thus making mine seem less 'advanced'.

@NeonBlack - No worries dude.

It was really frustrating getting the silly response. I had to email them for my own sanity's sake

Edit:

I really like the idea of passing arguments as optional hash elements. Thats awesome.  Think im gonna alter hows its functioning a little to accommodate that, cause that makes things easier

 

[Tsukihime]

Wouldn't it be easier to just

make_request("http://www.example.com/request.php?name=NAME&arg1=ARG1)Instead of going through all these extra arguments?Having to explicitly specify the host, port, path, and all those components is pretty tedious.

 

[??????]

I dont see how either is more/less convenient than the other. 

make_request("http://www.example.com/request.php?name=NAME&arg1=ARG1")HTTP::full_post("www.example.com","/request.php","name=NAME&arg1=ARG1")And the reason mine has the arguments set the way it does is because the chances are, there will only be one website used for the majority of HTTP requests (for most things anyway), so then, you can have a module or something like this...

module MyHTTPMethods HOST = "www.example.com" PATH = "/myonlineprojectfolderpath/" def version @version ||= get("Version.php") end def otherstuff @otherstuff ||= get("OtherStuff.php") end def self.get(path,*args,&blk) HTTP::full_get(HOST,"#{PATH}#{path}",*args,&blk) endendWhich I am sure you will agree, is much easier.

Also, dont have to specify the post and port and such - all that is 'required' is the host address and the file path. Everything else is completely optional.

I'm working on making it even easier as well. Got some inspiration from the 'rest client' you linked

Edit:

Not sure if using optional hash arguments actually makes things easier...  Perhaps easier to understand, but not really easier to use imo.

HTTP::get(host: 'www.example.com', path: 'request.php')

 

[Tsukihime]

I'm just saying that as a user of a library, I would prefer to type URL's as I would when I copy paste from web addresses.

Treat these suggestions as those of a "user" instead of someone's that developing the library/API.

Not sure if using optional hash arguments actually makes things easier... Perhaps easier to understand, but not really easier to use imo.

HTTP::get(host: 'www.example.com', path: 'request.php')

This would be useful for specifying optional request headers.

Not everyone needs to do user-agent spoofing or specifying custom cookies, but it's useful for testing.

 

[Neon Black]

Why not both? Have a method that can take a full URL and REGEX to split it up and send it to the final method.

I'd also say use something like *args for the arguments at the end instead of requiring & to split args? Might just be easier on the end user.

 

[Tsukihime]

If it's both, that would be fine. I read it as "you must pass each component in separately" with no option to just pass in a single URI.

 

[??????]

@Tsukihime - yea,  was also thinking that using a hash would be helpful for specifying optional headers

I guess I'll get to work allowing a single url string to be passed, or an array of arguments, or a hash. That would then allow users to utilize their proffered method.

@NeonBlack - Regexp aint my strong point. fortunately, there are sites for that though

Although, really not sure what you mean by this line -> "I'd also say use something like *args for the arguments at the end instead of requiring & to split args?"

mostly, the part "requiting & to spit args"...

& doesn't split args, it transforms a block into a proc and vica versa. ie...

proc = Proc.new do |item| item.updateend@array_of_sprites.each(&proc)So yea, not sure i get what you meant with that ^_^

 

[Tsukihime]

& is used in query string parameters to separate arguments.

 

[??????]

omg ahahahaaa...

Facepalm...

Ok, I get what what was meant now...

For some reason I thought it was a reference to a ruby method definition, rather than the HTTP request string.

 

[gRaViJa]

Another optional idea. For games released at Steam, this could probably be used for Steam Achievements too?

 

[??????]

As far as I am aware, steam already has the capabilities for allowing steam achievements in rpg maker made games. Its just some simple dll calls (to the best of my knowledge)

The purpose of this system is to allow interaction between your game, and your own website.  Whether this be for logging into a user account database or for adding highscores into a simple php file.  It could even be used to add scripts into the engine directly from websites such as github and pastebin.

 

[gRaViJa]

Okay, I'm just planning these things for my game now. I'll buy it anyway when you release it did you make a decision how and when you'll release it?

 

[??????]

Nah not yet.  I did message the officials about if they would consider featuring such a 'product' within their store, which will probably take a while to figure out. In reality though, I dont think that there is enough interest overall for that to happen.  If you check the polls, more than half have no need or dont want to pay at all ~ thats no good

And as mentioned, I wouldnt be able to 'sell in bulk' on this website, so if anything, it would be a case of me selling it privately to individuals who had shown interest.

That being said though, its currently being enhanced further.  I'm in the process of making a dedicated HTTP::ERROR class  ~ rather than just printing the http error. and then I will probably make some simple highscore system to be given out with the scripts.

Edit:

I suppose I could* host it on my own website and sell it from there...

 

[Tsukihime]

I find this thread very technical and not very practical for game developers so I wouldn't be surprised if it's not obvious what can be done with it.


Especially since we won't be getting anything out-of-box that will allow us to quickly integrate it with our existing projects and have to setup and code everything ourselves anyways.

 

[??????]

Yea, this thread is somewhat technical upon reflection, but in reality, there aint no real way to avoid technical aspects. Especially when you have to start adding php files and such into your server.  Even that could be a tricky task for a beginner.

And there is various things that can be done for integrating 'default features' into it. But the amount of time it requires is insane (taken me months already and only about halfway done), and it would still require heavy customization for users. Compatibility would probably be fairly low ~ mostly for storing custom data from 3rd party scripts on the game's servers.

This is why I'm writing it more as a developer tool.  Obviously there will be some basic systems supplied with it, such as a high score system (and the server code to go with it), but for the most part, some scripting would be required to properly implement things in custom projects.

 

[Tsukihime]

So there's no way to provide minimal-setup solutions to implement things like leaderboards or tweets or anything else that's largely REST-based and does not require one to build a server of their own?

 

[??????]

That depends on what your definition of a 'minimal setup solution' would be?

I mean, if you have some window class and wanted to show a leaderboard, providing you can contact a website that returns the data, you can easily add it.

class My Window < Window def draw_data(x,y) reply = HTTP::full_get("www.mysite.com","/myminigameleaderboard.php") # ^ returns some data as a string. example below; # "dekita=999;other=888;more=777;last=666" reply.split(";").each_with_index do |data,index| text = data.gsub("=", " = ") draw_text(x,y+(line_height*index),contents_width,line_height,text,1) end end endIf you wanted to make a full game with insane online functionality, then no, there is no easy simple solution. If there is, it hasnt hit me yet :/

 

[pharcyded]

If you make an online leaderboard for VX ACE then I believe you will have a pretty easy time selling it as a viable product. A simple script for that will open up some unique possibilities with the engine for people like myself who don't know how to accomplish it on my own. I would buy it right now without thinking twice