Game Design
Subscription vs. Cash Mall
Online games have come in a wide variety over the years. They have been Free-to-Play [F2P], Pay-to-Play [P2P], Pay-to-Win [P2W], and Cash Mall. Each model is slightly different and has advantages and disadvantages for both the players and the company doing the hosting. In order to understand the different models it is important to understand [...]
Software Design
Welcome to Software Design and Programming! In previous articles more complex concepts were examined in brief. However, this section of the game development process will be taken into specific areas required to produce a fully formed game concept. The software development process is long but through these pages it should be fairly easy to understand [...]
Equipment Design
There are different types of equipment. The most common are Weapons, Armor and Consumable Items. The first two require the most thought because they are used more often than anything else. However, the last one allows characters to live longer and keep moving quickly through the game. It is important to understand weapons [...]
SQL Update
Added new entries to the expanding SQL section. The new sections separate the Datatypes and Functions into the correct groups. Updates to come will include pages on how to script them within each DBMS through SQL.
String/Text Datatypes
String data types hold a series of readable characters. These strings store values in plain text and should not be used for critical data unless it is encrypted. However, string datatypes can hold as little as a single character or several gigabytes depending on the type that is used. DATA TYPE SYMPLE TYPE Database DESCRIPTION [...]
Numeric Datatypes
Numeric datatypes hold any integer or decimal numerical value. Some DBMS have specialized fields that are formatted however in most cases any formatting must be handled through a special command in SQL or in the recipient language. DATA TYPE SYMPLE TYPE Database DESCRIPTION TINYINT(N) NUMERIC SQL Server, MySQL -128 TO 127 NORMAL. 0 TO [...]
Enumerated Datatypes
Each DBMS handles enumeration differently. The following datatypes are only available on MySQL. The other systems allow for custom datatypes or require a separate table to handle enumeration. It is important to know that these are there and available on some systems. DATA TYPE SYMPLE TYPE Database DESCRIPTION ENUM(X,Y,Z,ETC.) ENUMERATED MySQL LET YOU ENTER [...]
Datetime Datatype
Datetime datatypes are used to store date or time information within the database. Most types are available on all DBMS however some have more precision then others. DATA TYPE SYMPLE TYPE Database DESCRIPTION DATE DATETIME SQL Server, MySQL, Oracle, PostgreSQL A DATE. FORMAT: YYYY-MM-DD NOTE: THE SUPPORTED RANGE IS FROM ’1000-01-01′ TO ’9999-12-31′ DATETIME [...]
Binary Datatypes
Binary Datatypes are used to store binary data such as documents, images, or encrypted data. The most common usage is to store files within the database. This has the benefit of keeping them in a dynamic location without needing to constantly update links or locations. DATA TYPE SYMPLE TYPE Database DESCRIPTION BLOB BINARY MySQL FOR [...]
