VirtualMiner.eu - Development discussion

[afro25]

I've tried registering on the site, but once i hit enter/register the page just reloads and doesn't sign me up.

Any help? Or is it not open to the public yet? (If not then i can't see where it says that)

[Nachtwind]

You can register now. The changes to the validation code i did earlier this night for numbers somehow made every registration invalid. I will totally rewrite the number/word-validation tomorrow. Its now 2:30am and i take a nap. Afterwards i will

- rewrite number/word validation
- Chrome compatibility
- rig renaming

[afro25]

Thanks, I'm in

Just a thought, do you have to have the browser open for this to work, or will the game run even if you're not online?

[Nachtwind]

Thanks, I'm in

Just a thought, do you have to have the browser open for this to work, or will the game run even if you're not online?

Of course the game keeps running even when youre offline :0)

[Nachtwind]

Ok.. changes i did to the game this morning:

- Chrome compatibility:
From what i can see the game is fully chrome compatible now. If you still encounter problems dont hesitate to tell me

- Number checks:
These vile number checks are now re-enabled and should work as supposed. For some reference or help i have made this file http://virtualminer.eu/test.php to test various formats and look if they fit. If someone here spots something missing or obviously wrong then tell me.

- Rename Rigs
You can now rename rigs. If you click on the managment page on the rigs name a form will be presented to you. Note: When the name is changed the browser needs to refresh.

- Power costs
I've been thinking a lot about this thing and i think i will somewhat include this in a way. I dont want to impose fees for playing, what this actually would be (like draining .0001 BTC from your balance each 24hrs.) so i need to find another solution. My idea is to have a maximum power allocated for ALL USERS and when that is reaching critical levels people have to "donate" BTC in order to increase it. The money from these donations would go into a faucet for new Bitcoiners and would be unrelated to the game itself. So i have a cap for "network power" and no fees that could make me look greedy.

[afro25]

Having problems signing in now - Like when i tried to register after clicking enter the page just reloads and doesn't sign me in.


The power cost idea sounds good, maybe wait until there is a larger member base first though?

[Frozenace]

Hello, I love the UI, but could you make the pwd field a password field when you sign up, thanks.

Maybe you could just make the buttons 'one click' instead of double click.

[Nachtwind]

Having problems signing in now - Like when i tried to register after clicking enter the page just reloads and doesn't sign me in.

Fixed. Had a typo in the Database query. Sorry for that. Had to delete your account ><

The power cost idea sounds good, maybe wait until there is a larger member base first though?

Of course this will be done only once the game is launched. Looking at the DB i have roughly 25 users right now (most of which are inactive) and so this wont be of use yet. Also i dont use real BTCs yet, which is also a reason not use that faucet already.

Hello, I love the UI, but could you make the pwd field a password field when you sign up, thanks.

Thanks for liking the UI :0)
That is doable. Will do that tonight.

Maybe you could just make the buttons 'one click' instead of double click.

I think about adding a customization center somewhere where people can edit this behaviour as well as wallpaper and so on. But this is low on my list of priorities at the moment.


I will also add a testing environment under virtualminer.eu/testing/ where i upload most recent changes for testing them myself so they wont interfere with the regular stuff. Once i have found them working there i will add them to the normal game. So - if some of you want to play this game the way it is developed just use that link but be warned that not everything works as supposed there..

[afro25]

Of course this will be done only once the game is launched. Also i dont use real BTCs yet, which is also a reason not use that faucet already.

Will there be a reset before the game is officially launced or is the game going to continue as it is, but just being updated every so often?

Are we able to deposit coins at the moment to help with testing?
Thanks

[Nachtwind]

Will there be a reset before the game is officially launced or is the game going to continue as it is, but just being updated every so often?

There has to be a reset before i ca really start the game. Currently the game has more than 30 virtual BTC floating arround in its economy.. i cannot afford to put these into the game to make it work with real BTC right from the start. BUT i am not sure on how i gonna benefit the testers. might be i just leave you guys your rigs as they are but just reset your balances. Again, some matter for discussion , but at the moment i'd say that testers of course get some advantage, but i dont know yet which...

Are we able to deposit coins at the moment to help with testing?

Deposal and withdrawal are already tested and work as it is. I would not recommend sending Bitcoins yet into the game since i cannot add them to your account without starting much confusion. Thing just is, that all the money that will be on the wallet (some of mine so far) will be directed into the faucet so that this feature will be available right from the start.




So.. what did i do the last days.. i have rewritten some larger chunks for performance reasons and to ensure future compatibility with coming stuff. What you see now on the page is a "control center" which is not connected to the system yet but may work as a starting point for the upcoming changes. This includes the "power costs" system. There is always an upper limit for the global hashing amount. With a donation of 0.01BTC to the faucet this limit is raised by 100,000vH (equal to about 20 fully upgraded rigs).
My Goes is to do the following on sunday:

- Change background color, maybe add a personal wallpaper
- Set the icons on the desktop to either react on Click or DoubleClick
- Add E-Mail alerts for various Events (new Chain e.g.)

If there is time for it:
- Add the Faucet code
- clean up some exchange code, add transaction cancelling capability.

"Problem" is that i will be gone for a week (till Oct. 4th) and therefore not able to continue developing this for that time frame. So i will try to make it as usable as possible by tomorrow evening.
Going to bed now.. 3:20am

[norulezapply]

This is a great idea good job!
I'm still not sure as to which fees are virtual on this game and which are real bitcoins.
Is it entirely virtual? (no real fees, no real profits) or is there some sort of gambling element involved?

[BitLex]

correct me if i'm wrong, but as far as i can see..
as soon as deposits/withdraws in BTC are possible, there's your gambling element,
by trading entirely virtual coins for (not so virtual) BTCs that you can withdraw and spend on alpaca socks.
you just need to find a buyer for your virtually mined virtual coins.

[Nachtwind]

That is right. Currently everything is purely virtual as there is no point asking you people to throw money at my bugs. In the Alpha version i have had to redesign stuff ever so often that using real BTC would be not right now...

Yet once the game is opened you can add real BTC to your account and pay with these certain fees and of course, gamble on the exchange on the page. if enough people would do this the main aim could be reached with this game: lower the need for pump&dump forks of bitcoin. You could pump and dump on those viortual forks and try to make some BTC on the exchange which you then, of course, could withdraw.
But until i am sure noone looses his hard earned real BTCs due to any programming errors i will keep it as is: purely virtual.

I think that the coming week, when i am not home, might be a good.. shakedown cruise. If noone finds any major bugs in that time i gonna start the game early october.




Todays work:
- A lot of work on the codebase. Many optimisations
- Numbers check fixed (again..and again.. and again..)
- Maximum global Hashrate and Pushing the limit by donating to the faucet
- Faucet code (offline due to the simple reason that no real BTC is involved yet
- Single Click / Double Click behaviour
- Change your Desktop's background color (wallpaper maybe later..)

[norulezapply]

Who's going to want to buy virtual bitcoins? When they can buy real bitcoins..

[Nachtwind]

Who's going to want to buy virtual bitcoins? When they can buy real bitcoins..

Good question ;0)

First of all the game will run on real bitcoins once it is tested enough to make sure that people wont loose hard earned BTC due to my bugs.
Those virtual forks (named: chains) are what you say, virtual coins. But what else are i0coins, ixcoins or SolidCoins? Basically they are comparable. People trade them with real BTC although they have but only virtual value that stems from the computing power put into them. And that is the aim of this game - adding another way of trading virtual currencies (or valuables if you want to call them that way) with real BTC with the big advantage that noone would have to put their miners away from the main Blockchain.

[Nachtwind]

- On vacation for a week. wont be able to bugfix or develop in that time -

If you see any errors or have suggestion please note them here. I will try to batchfix it all in one week and set the stage for the final launch of the game.

[norulezapply]

Who's going to want to buy virtual bitcoins? When they can buy real bitcoins..

Good question ;0)

First of all the game will run on real bitcoins once it is tested enough to make sure that people wont loose hard earned BTC due to my bugs.
Those virtual forks (named: chains) are what you say, virtual coins. But what else are i0coins, ixcoins or SolidCoins? Basically they are comparable. People trade them with real BTC although they have but only virtual value that stems from the computing power put into them. And that is the aim of this game - adding another way of trading virtual currencies (or valuables if you want to call them that way) with real BTC with the big advantage that noone would have to put their miners away from the main Blockchain.

Now you've put it that way, it kind of sounds interesting, but I still don't see it taking off. I for one would prefer it to just be a purely "play-money" game with some sort of donation system or premium feature system instead Just my 2 bitcents though..

Also I don't mine i0coins, ixcoins or solidcoins, only namecoin and bitcoin which might explain why I'm not too keen on the gambling aspect of this game

[michaelmclees]

But all those other non virtual chains are guaranteed through non virtual proof of work.  If a virtual chain takes off and it isn't backed by anything, what is stopping you from just printing a bunch for yourself?

[Nachtwind]

But all those other non virtual chains are guaranteed through non virtual proof of work.  If a virtual chain takes off and it isn't backed by anything, what is stopping you from just printing a bunch for yourself?

You might as well ask why i dont run off with the wallet file when the game started and people did put their BTC into it, or if id'd just create virtual Rigs with a quadrillion vH for myself.
Simple answer: I just wont due it. You have to trust me on that one. Why should i do that in the first place? I have put a lot of work into it and make it as usable as possible, so why destroy that and my name by cheating? Na.. also. IF the game takes off and people se it frquently i have achieved what i wanted.
If you dot trust my sense of fairnes then it is ok. Then dont play the game, but it all is still quite transparent and when i am back from my holidays i will add some more points to make it all look even more transparent so that such.. ideas, like adding coins or so.. wont work anymore.

[Nachtwind]

Ok... i am now back in the world of computers..

So.. any suggestions after the shakedown?