I just wanted to give everyone an update on what I've been working on for the last month and a half -- a new open source project, written in
NodeJs (server-based javascript).
I've been having a ton of fun learning new stuff. There's a ton left to be done -- another couple of months worth I think.
But I wanted to give an update so you guys wouldn't think I've been AWOL
A little about the project:
- First, it's an excuse to learn and experiment with some new stuff (nodejs), and do some more open source collaborative coding.
- Second, it will hopefully give me an opportunity to dip my toe into multi-player simple games, the kind my friends and I like to play locally.
- Third, I think I should be able to use the system to provide a better kind of multi-device synchronization of data for some of my (mobile) apps and future projects.
So, what is this project? Well it's essentially a server and library api for coordinating communication (and data storage) from many users, organized by virtual apps and rooms, with functions specialized for data synchronization and simple non-realtime multi-player games. One example use would be as a synchronization back-end, so that you could synchronize the data from one of my mobile apps across all your family devices (without needing to share dropbox logins as is required now when I used dropbox as my synchronization backend). Another, very different example, would be to provide the back-end lobby services and communication support functions for JackBox party style games, where players gather around in front of a tv, each with their own mobile phone device, and play a game together where they input their actions into their phone, and the centralized game asks questions, etc.
In the coming month or two I'll be posting more about the project and sharing a github link to the source code. If you are a nodejs person, I'd love to have some assistance on the project.
