This is the Future of RU discussion group.

**Kong** · 12-14-2014, 01:35 PM

Long term active users are invited to plan the future.

**ZedIsDead** · 12-14-2014, 02:01 PM

At first, I was wondering what the cryptic-sounding social group name meant. Then I saw the picture in the social group, and I had a stunning epiphany.

Kong is making hoverboards!

In all, seriousness, this is a good idea. I'm honored to be part of the group and will be glad to provide feedback and input.

**StarfoxFan2009** · 12-14-2014, 02:06 PM

Im honored as well. Though one thing i can reassure you on is that the Cubs will not be winning the World Series in 2015 lol :P

**Dudebro** · 12-14-2014, 02:09 PM

I think we'd need to know what your plan is first Kong.

**QAOP Spaceman** · 12-14-2014, 02:56 PM

Thanks for the invite, Kong, as I realise I'm not exactly 'long term' round here

Happy to help in any way, but like the man says, it would be good to know what plans you're hatching.

**Slime Slayer** · 12-14-2014, 03:02 PM

SC13 on hand and ready to share ideas.

**Kong** · 12-14-2014, 03:13 PM

The name will be changed to Retro Up - Online Games in Java Emulators
The site will have a massive cosmetic facelift.
We will switch to a more modern forum software.
The forum will be separate from the rest of the site. They will share the same user/profile/login system. But be separate beyond that. This is mostly just from my point of view and you wont notice much of a change. Though they will have different skins and probably be something like forum.retroUp.com instead of www.retroUp.com/forum. They will link to each other in the menu the same as they do now.
There will be an offline version of the games.

There may or may not be an online version.
We will support Linux, Mac, Windows, Android, iOS and Raspberry.
We will offer roms for download.
We will create rom packs. Detail below.
We will have a database of most game info. Detail below.
I will create an api allowing people to pull data from us so they can add it to their emulator front end.
It will be wiki based so users can contribute content. Mods will approve their changes before they go live.
I am adding score support to Libretro. This will mean score mode will be added to more systems with fewer bugs. All of our systems will have a more uniform feel and setup and more features.

Rom Packs.
As of now if you want a complete set of roms along with a complete set of matching media files (manuals, screenshot, game description, genre, release date) you have a lot of work ahead. I will provide these for easy download. You will get all roms, no dupes (if you are a rom collector you know how confusing and annoying current complete sets are), all of the supporting files all with the same matching file name, from one place with fast easy downloads. Currently the few places where you can find complete sets are through paid download sites that try to make you pay a fee for fast easy downloads.

Game Data Base will contain.
Rom for download.
Best emulator with best settings preconfigured.
Images of box (front, back, and as a full box), cart (disk whatever), flyer (advertisement), logo, maps, marquee, snapshot, title screen, and wallpaper.
cheats (game genie, passwords, konami code etc).
pdfs - game guides (like nintendo player's guide or nintendo power guide.), manual
1 song from game
video of game play and commercial.
info - publisher, developer, release date, ports, perspective, rating, controls, players, description, world record score.

Each system will have
a description
high quality images of controller, system, logo, wallpaper, mascot.
the font for the logo.
couple minutes of video clips from iconic games.

The initial systems will be

( Click to show/hide )

Design direction.
[SPOILER]

Sega Retro - a typical wiki. This probably wont happen but I haven't ruled it out 100% yet.
Letterboxd - Click around on a couple pages and look at the general layout.
Torrent Butler - similar to previous link.
GOG.com - again similar to last 2 links. Wallpaper of game in background. Foreground = box of media with column of data, large button to play game, links, description and extra data at below, followed by comments.
OpenEmu - I think this direction can work well for us. Column for game cats/systems. Box for table of sortable game info that belong to the selected cat. Box of media, focusing on the main game but showing smaller image of next couple games. Selecting a game would go to something more like GOG.
LaunchBox - similar to above.
EmulationStation - the video on this page is a possible direction.
UI and design of EmulationStation - this is an article about creating the previous link. I want to use several of the ideas from the article, not the site.
Steam - game list and individual game pages layout could work.

Status.

I am about to finish up creating the ROM packs. I will show them in a few days. I literally spent nearly 10 hours a day (although lots of progress bars with tv and games going at same time) nearly every day for over a month working on these.
I have most of the updated emulator code finished.
I have started thinking of design ideas for the site reboot but no real work started yet.

**TodayIsForgotten** · 12-14-2014, 03:31 PM

looks good kong. Alex works for pretty much free and since he's Mexican you can hold him against his will...if needbe.

**StarfoxFan2009** · 12-14-2014, 03:33 PM

that's pretty awesome, Kong

**Dudebro** · 12-14-2014, 03:45 PM

Quote:

There may or may not be an online version.

What does this mean exactly?

**ZedIsDead** · 12-14-2014, 03:55 PM

Hmm, are we going for a more GameTap style thing here? Interesting. OpenEmu's layout is slick as hell, I wouldn't mind a facelift like that.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kong

Game Data Base will contain.
Rom for download.
Best emulator with best settings preconfigured.
Images of box (front, back, and as a full box), cart (disk whatever), flyer (advertisement), logo, maps, marquee, snapshot, title screen, and wallpaper.
cheats (game genie, passwords, konami code etc).
pdfs - game guides (like nintendo player's guide or nintendo power guide.), manual
1 song from game
video of game play and commercial.
info - publisher, developer, release date, ports, perspective, rating, controls, players, description, world record score.

That's similar to some of the work I did at Nintendo Nerds(mostly for naught, it appears). Definitely something I'm interested in seeing.

Here's an example of NN's Lufia II page, for reference:
Lufia II: Rise of the Sinistrals - SNES - Nintendo Games Database - Nintendo Games Database - Nintendo Nerds - Home

I don't have much free time right now(that should change this summer), but if there's anything I can do to help, I'll do what I can.

**Kong** · 12-14-2014, 04:29 PM

@TiF. What?

My main questions.

Think about what we can do to separate ourselves from the competition. What will make us stand out from other rom, game, score etc sites.
Look at my "design direction" in my previous post. Comment.
If you are a professional designer and would like to assist let me know.
Tenser is picking a new forum software. If you think you have a knowlegable opinion of forum options or want to do some research, get with him.
If you would like to help with creating a database of game info, ask wolf how you can help.
If you understand the code of libretro.com and want to help, let me know.
Online games. I am going to do away with the current ArcadeOX. Help me make a replacement choice. This is difficult for you since it is hard to explain all the details. But if any of this strikes an opinion in you let me know. It is a huge decision for RU.
A. No online games. Offline only. There will be an offline option either way.
B. Custom URL Protocols. The only examples I know are Torrent Magnet links and Web Links from Itunes Store to the Itunes program. To the user this would seem very similar to our current version of AOX. With 2 exceptions.
1. The install process. Instead of installing a browser plugin you would download the program and go through a more normal software install.
2. There are less limitations on me, easier to update, fewer bugs. Work on all systems, and all browsers.
C. Java. I already have most of the code for this done. It runs nice, it is cross browser and OS. BUT Java has a scary security warning when it launches and by default most people have it turned off so you have to explain how to turn it on.
D. Flash. Only an option if one of you is or wants to hire a [ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CrossBridge"]CrossBridge - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia[/ame] programmer. A good option but not really an option.
E. Use https://github.com/kripken/emscripten and javascript. This is what archive.org does. This is the best LONG term option. BUT 1. I would need to hire someone. 2. I think this is still a couple years away from providing solid frame rates and bug free experience for average user. Not a good plan this year.
F. You suggest something I haven't thought of.

---------- Post added at 05:29 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:22 PM ----------

Offline, just means the emulator and possibly front end are offline.

Games and game data will be available in the cloud meaning they are on our servers, not downloaded to your computer. Although you can optionally download them so you can play without internet.

Submitting scores will require internet although there might be an option to play without internet and schedule a submission when you connect at a later time.

Offline means you will not be using a browser plugin - AOX. It probably means you wont use a web browser but I might put the emulator front end in the web browser which is essentially what option 7B is.

The big definition of offline in this context is downloading and installing an exe.

**Dudebro** · 12-14-2014, 05:12 PM

I thought allowing people to make scores offline would mean they could attempt to tamper with it and make it harder to detect?

**Kong** · 12-14-2014, 05:33 PM

No, I can make it just as secure.

**QAOP Spaceman** · 12-14-2014, 06:11 PM

Quote:

2. There are less limitations on me, easier to update, fewer bugs. Work on all systems, and all browsers.

I have zero technical knowledge / expertise but compatibility and ease of use for user and administrator all seem real pluses to this option.

I'm afraid I'm not going to be a lot of use with much of this but:

Quote:

If you would like to help with creating a database of game info, ask wolf how you can help.

I did a postgraduate qualification in Information Science / Librarianship and have a bit of experience in database management so I'll give Wolf a buzz.

I think most of you are technically proficient people... I can't even run Mame without a GUI. One of the best things about RU for me when I discovered it was the ease of use for dumb-arses like myself. Whatever form it takes in the future I hope it remains as easy to use as it is now.

**Kong** · 12-14-2014, 07:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by QAOP Spaceman

Whatever form it takes in the future I hope it remains as easy to use as it is now.

That will always be a primary goal.

---------- Post added at 08:15 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:49 PM ----------

I will rephrase the online options. This should be much clearer than my last post.

A. Download and install an exe. Something very much or maybe even exactly like LaunchBox Frontend for DOSBox, Portable Games Launcher and Database except the roms, images etc are in cloud so you don't need a big empty hard drive and you don't have to hunt for them.

B. Download and install an exe. Search and browse for games in a web browser instead of a front end like Launchbox. Roms are stored in cloud so you don't need a big empty hard drive. Images etc are online so you don't have to set them up like you would in a normal emulator frontend.

C. Java. Besides making sure you have java updated and enabled and clicking accept at the security warning you don't need to do anything. No exe. No install. No other browser plugins. Search and browse for games in a web browser instead of a program like Launchbox. Roms are played online so you don't need a big empty hard drive.

D. We pay a CrossBridge programmer to port to flash.

E. We pay an emscripten programmer to port to javascript.

F. One of you suggests a better idea.

**Dudebro** · 12-14-2014, 08:00 PM

The first two options seem like the best options except for the downloading a program part. People don't like seeing the .exe thing from sites that aren't well known.

**TodayIsForgotten** · 12-14-2014, 09:06 PM

It was a joke towards Alexgunslinger.

Something that sets us apart from other sites is wolfs contribution to the competitions.

If you could somehow get online coop play to work flawlessly (of course ping, latency and location are crucial for this and would cost too much money) would definitely set RU apart.

Maybe some sort of community newsletter - interviews/game of the month discussions. Not sure, just something that could lead into something else.

Prostitution.

**Dudebro** · 12-14-2014, 09:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TodayIsForgotten

Prostitution.

Probably not much demand for gigolos who are obsessed with thirty year old video games and anime.

**Kong** · 12-14-2014, 11:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TodayIsForgotten

If you could somehow get online coop play to work flawlessly (of course ping, latency and location are crucial for this and would cost too much money) would definitely set RU apart.

We already have this ability in most of our systems. Just the current instructions are junk.

Switching to libretro will be an improvement. Mostly in simplified instructions. Flawless wont happen. Will come down to a matter of how severe the flaws are. Biggest issue will be user location. Australia and USA aren't going to have lagfree match ups. Will be peer to peer so user's internet speed is important, not servers. Will not cost us extra money.

Quote:

Maybe some sort of community newsletter - interviews/game of the month discussions. Not sure, just something that could lead into something else.

Other people are welcome to spearhead that. I personally wont. I am planning on putting all games on a calendar of sorts to celebrate game anniversaries. That could be used to select a game of the month.

**Barra** · 12-14-2014, 11:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TodayIsForgotten

If you could somehow get online coop play to work flawlessly (of course ping, latency and location are crucial for this and would cost too much money) would definitely set RU apart.

This

---------- Post added at 06:26 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:24 PM ----------

I have had some people say to me they don't like RU because it is browser based. Others have said they want to put an offline frontend into their MAME cabinets, as they don't have internet in the basement or whatever, where their other arcade cabs are.
So it sounds like an offline version is the go, with the ability to connect at a later date and submit scores. Or somehow be able to transfer a file to submit your scores. No idea if that is even possible

**ZedIsDead** · 12-14-2014, 11:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dudebro

Probably not much demand for gigolos who are obsessed with thirty year old video games and anime.

Don't forget terrible movies!

**Dudebro** · 12-15-2014, 01:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ZedIsDead

Don't forget terrible movies!

Good catch we shouldn't forget that.

I think the simplified online coop thing might be a really good idea. Just let people know up front that they'll have lag if they're not geographically close to each other. We wouldn't be able to have very good fighting game tournaments but something like
Dungeons & Dragons: Shadow over Mystara - Arcade/Coin-Op
would be awesome, for the most part. Who knows it could even revitalize the community because people like to play coop vs bad guys.

Also I was thinking about adding site wide achievements like Steam or Xbox Live. I know some people think they're terrible but if they're done right they're cool. They're also addictive. People buy games and dlc just to get 100% completion and/or higher total achievement score. It's stupid but this is not a small number of people. I'm not saying you should charge people for anything tied with this idea I'm just saying something like this could be very attractive to a lot of visitors. I know I'd like it.

**Barra** · 12-15-2014, 01:14 AM

I like the "achievements" idea, Dudebro. But it would have to be done very well

**Dudebro** · 12-15-2014, 01:28 AM

I'm sure we can all come up with some good ones. Make people actually achieve them. None of that "Start up the game for the first time!" shit. I actually have one just like that on Steam but I'm pretty sure it's meant ironically.