PoKéQuesT

So, I have a couple of questions about what to do with PoKéQuesT.  You see, I’m only now learning Java, and am nowhere near C++ yet.  So, it is unlikely that I will be able to give you a full, working, lovely program anytime soon.  So, because of that, we have three options.  Please comment, anonymously or with a name, which one you would prefer.

1. I can continue slowly working on the website, learn programming languages, and wait for a new programmer to join the team [Slowest Option],
2. I can work on coding a MUD (Multi-User Dungeon)-like system which will be text-based but will pave way for a 2D or 3D program later down the line, or
3. I can start work on a browser-based AJAX-game while setting up the backend, paving way for a future game.

Two or Three is what I’m sure that you will probably choose.  I’ve already created some work with #3 (In school, when I couldn’t work on PoKéQuesT) and came up with an interesting Pacman-like game that showed the basics of what I had been programming.

The first step for enabling DataPortability concepts is finally complete.  That’s correct, PoKéQuesT will now officially support OpenID.

This goes for both logging in, and registering.  (That is also correct, we support the OpenID SReg Namespace)

What does this mean?  Well, if you have an OpenID provider that supports SReg, you can register on our website with most, if not all, of your settings perfectly in-tact.  (Amazing, no?)

However, if you don’t, you can still register using an OpenID, allowing you to login with only a URL or Screen Name.

The next hard part will be for the importation of an FOAF file (because it’s XML and I’m not yet proficient enough with code to parse an XML file).  However, we will get there eventually.

Just making sure to keep everyone up to date on how things are going.

Its been mentioned on the news and across the Internet, but for most people, it doesn’t mean too much.  However, we are going to include DataPortability standards on the PoKéQuesT website.  We’re sorry, but you are NOT going to be able to sign in to the game using an OpenID.

Now, what does this mean for you?

Well, for one (to make it simple for most of our end users).  If you already have an AOL, AIM, LiveJournal, WordPress, TypePad, Blogger, or some other type of account supporting OpenID, then you will be able to login without having to create another Username and Password.  Wonderful, isn’t it?

It also means, that if you are part of some service that allows you to export a FOAF file, then you will also be able to import any of your friends that are using our service already.

This also means that with any website that allows you to import an FOAF file, you will be able to import the friends you’ve made on PoKéQuesT into that service.  Giving you the ability to Synchronize your Friends List.  Cool, no?

And that’s just the start of it.  There will probably be a lot more as we continue development.

Anyone who has been around here long enough knows about the old new website layout over at Labs.  Recently though, because of a lot of problems I end up having with that layout, I’ve been working on constructing a new website layout that is a lot better.

Now, before I give you the link to this website, I recommend opening it in IE7, FireFox, Opera, or Safari as I have not yet been able to properly test and work out the bugs on Internet Explorer 6.

None of the links are working yet, and I’m still programming the backend.  The front end contains some place holder text and is definitely open to change, but It has reached the stage where I’m happy to show you the new website layout!

Enjoy, and don’t forget to tell me what you think of it!

As the years pass by, and only a little bit more work gets done towards our ultimate goal, we are forced to come to terms with how unlucky this project is.

We are meeting with yet another delay before the beta.  I am sorry to announce, that PlasmaFox, our main client/server developer, is having a rough time in school, and it will take a little longer to get the beta finished then we had hoped for.

However, we will continue working diligently.  I’m still writing up a major portable backend for the site and will continue work on the HTML part of it soon.

I would like to invite are members to our biggest friend and affiliates site while they wait, Eevee’s HQ.

We are sorry about these delays, we hope to be able to pick up speed soon.

You may have found the website not working for a short period of time.  This is due to updating the DNS.  We are switching over the DNS for pokequest over from everyDNS to Dreamhost.  Hopefully, everything will be up and working again soon.

Well, I was looking at the Google Analytics for PoKéQuesT, and I have seen MANY different languages of visitors.  Because of this, we are in dire need of translators who will be able to help translate the game, the characters names, and the website.  Translators must be fluent in both the language they plan to translate, and at least partially fluent in English (Yes, I know, English sucks but its unfortunately my native language).

Some of the languages we need translators for:

• Spanish (Espanol)
• Portuguese
• German
• Dutch
• French (Francais)
• Polish
• Italian
• Swedish
• Russian

There are many others, but we have had 3 or less visitors from each.  If you are fluent in English and a language *not* listed above and are interested in translating, please, go ahead and send me an email.  My new email for contact about PoKéQuesT is navarr@pkqst.net.

If you’ve been anywhere else on the Internet, you’ve probably at least heard the term “Web 2.0″.  You may have even heard the terms “Web 3.0″, “POSH”, “Semantic HTML”, or “Microformats”.  Well, PoKéQuesT has a combination of a lot of it.

The new www.pkqst.net website uses what I like to call “Web 2.5″.  Its a combination of the AJAX-y features of Web 2.0 with the semantics, S.E.O., and Microformats of Web 3.0.

This allows our data to be super-organized and compatible with such things as “Operator” for FireFox.

Here is what we have and our thinking about right now:

• XHTML 1.1 Website (Valid)
• CSS 3.0 (Valid)
• X.F.N. (Microformat)
• S.E.O.
• hCard (Microformat)
• AJAX
• JavaScript

Yeah, this is probably very unorganized.  www.pkqst.net is available for public view, all of it does work, but we are having some slight design issues with IE6; or, in other words, we haven’t even touched the possibility of making the website compatible with IE6.

Known Issues:

• [safari 3] Blocks do not stay minimized
• [safari 3] Weird side comes out of nowhere on blocks
• [ie7] Slight Errors with overflow:hide;
• [all] Icons look horrible.  This is just bad art.
• [amaya] Don’t even get me started.

I’m back to working on the newest website.  None of which is currently visible to you right now.

Right now, I’m working hard on adding visual effects and making the layout.  So far, its 100% cross-browser compatible.  Including Opera, FireFox, Safari, and Internet Explorer (7).

If you are still running IE6, please, do us a favor and upgrade to IE7.  PoKéQuesT’s website may never be useable for you if you don’t.

Those running FireFox or Opera, stay the course.  Both are great browsers.

Those running Safari.. yeah, it’ll work for now.  I don’t know about later though.  The WebKit engine is not a big priority for me.

As for development on PoKéQuesT itself, I haven’t heard from our new developer in awhile.  I’m going to query Inaki about what’s going on server-side.  It is school time for pretty much everybody on the team though.  Yuki hasn’t even been online in forever, and our graphics designer’s Zayn and Seffy have been busy.

We’re in a little bit of a slum, but, I think we’re still doing good.  We’re advancing a little bit with the website; whereas P:DoA is not doing anything, and POL’s website doesn’t even work.

We’re going to try to keep up the hard work.  Our team really needs to get their act together.

For those of you who remember the “Dead Pikachu Incident of 2007″ and the pkqst.com domain name, we may be getting that back when it expires, which ironically enough is the same day as my 2 year anniversary with my girlfriend, Carla.  She’s pretty supportive of the project.

Well, I’ve been working on the registration backend some more.  This time adding much better support for Countries and for Time zones.

The new support I’m working on now will allow a user to select their country and then select from time zones in that country.

This will allow the website to show the appropriate time for the user viewing the website, without the user needing to mess around with Daylight Savings settings or anything else.

This is harder for us in the backend, but will be better for the user.