I have deliberately refrained from putting together a plan for the Siboot project, because it is a research project and I expect that unanticipated developments will wreak havoc with any such plan. Nevertheless, I’m going to take a stab at declaring my hopes for how this project will develop. I fully expect this plan to fall to pieces, but it nevertheless provides some guidance for my work.
For each item in the list I provide an estimate of the number of days that the task will consume.
write desirable scripts for deals [20]
write desirable scripts for threats [10]
tune and adjust scripts to balance rehearsal [ 10 ]
modify Storyteller.java for new page layout [ 40? ]
integrate Alvaro’s artwork into Storyteller.java [ 20? ]
add lying verbs to story world [ 20 ]
add scripts for hide and meditate verbs [ 10 ]
dream combat animation[ 40? ]
interstitial stories [ 50 ]
rework the SympolTalk icons [20]
playtest; tune and polish story world [ 60? ]
Pause for project assessment and future plans [ 10 ]
Write JavaScript client for Storyteller [ 60? ]
Testing [ 30 ]
preparations for crowd funding campaign? [ 20 ]
This adds up to 420 days: 14 months. If this schedule is realistic, then Siboot will be ready for the world around June 1, 2015. I have made this task schedule very conservative, but I know that there will be plenty of unforeseen requirements. For example, I know that I’ll need additional display capabilities permitting the player to look up background information. This will require completely new screen displays, which must be designed and then programmed.
Moreover, other projects might intrude; there are always a number of pots bubbling that will probably not amount to anything, but one of them might actually turn into something real, taking time away from Siboot. Just now I can think of four such bubbling pots right now, each of which might actually become something requiring my attention.
Thus, I am not optimistic that I will be able to stick to this schedule. But it will be interesting to see how reality unfolds. Perhaps this page will be good for a laugh a year from now.
