<@page title="Scope of this milestone"> <p> This milestone consists mostly in writing the game's engine and most of the common administrative functionalities. Because of this, the <a href="rules">game</a> itself is pretty limited, and so is the interface. </p> <p> </p> <h3>Game server</h3> <p> The stand-alone game server runs independently of any interface and is responsible for all administrative and game functionalities. This release concentrates on: </p> <ul> <li><strong>system basics</strong> - logging, run-time access to game-related "constants", internationalisation, communications with user interfaces,</li> <li><strong>accounts</strong> - from registration to preferences to inactivity management,</li> <li><strong>naming system</strong> - the names of all in-game entities (empires and planets in this release) are managed through the same sub-system,</li> <li><strong>bug tracking system</strong> - because it will not be possible to include forums until much further in the game's development cycle, the bug-tracking system is an essential tool,</li> <li><strong>scheduler</strong> - because ticks still need to run, sometimes.</li> </ul> <p> </p> <h3>Server administration</h3> <p> Server administration is one of the most important areas for this release, although most people will (hopefully) never get to see it. It is implemented as a separate user interface accessing the server through its external communication interface. The administration interface includes: </p> <ul> <li><strong>privilege system</strong> (not all administrators are equal),</li> <li><strong>account management</strong>,</li> <li><strong>game parameters access</strong>,</li> <li><strong>bug tracker administration</strong>,</li> <li><strong>names validation</strong>,</li> <li><strong>log viewer</strong>,</li> <li><strong>automated error reports</strong>.</li> </ul> <p> </p> <h3>Game and interface</h3> <p> While the game does not bring anything really new, it is based on a per-minute update system. Its interface is probably not really appropriate, as Beta 5's external layout is a bit cramped when it comes to displaying all required in-game information; it is however temporary. </p> <p> This release is available in two languages - English and French - as the internationalisation system needs to be tested. However, it is extremely likely that future milestone releases will only be available in English. </p> </@page>