[Otter] Otter (Online TableTop Renderer Environment) v0.2.0

[Ian Jackson]

I'm pleased to report that I have formally blessed the current version
of my game server system, Otter, as v0.3.0.


v0.3.0 has some significant improvements over v0.2.0.

There are now proper instructions for editing the shape libraries
without having to build and run a complete test Otter server setup.
To support that, there's now a preview page showing all the shapes.

There are several game UI improvements requested by players, and
improvements to the provided (fairy) chess pieces shape library.


Otter simulates a tabletop environemnt, without knowledge of game
rules.  In its current alpha state it does not support hidden
information, but that is planned.

Otter's development is hosted on Debian's Salsa gitlab instance[1]:
  https://salsa.debian.org/iwj/otter
Discussion, suggestions, etc., will be here on sgo-software-discuss.

The README.md (visible above) gives more information.

[1] a plain git mirror is available on chiark at
  https://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/ucgi/~ianmdlvl/git/otter.git/

Comments, etc., are welcome here or via Salsa.  I have a long todo
list of suggested features etc.  Help would be very welcome.


I am particularly looking for help in the following areas:

* Project management: feature prioritisation, bug list gardening, and
  managing conversations with users about UI questions.

* CSS and web UI work: checking my CSS for howlers, improving the
  layout etc. and helping with CSS and UI for new features.  Several
  requested UI improvements involve just changes to HTML/CSS and JS
  (Typescript).

* Participation widening: make a design/plan for how to produce
  authentication and user management that does not require local unix
  shell accounts.

* Of course I would welcome help with new features for the core server
  (eg new kinds of more interactive piece - chess clocks, card deck
  shuffling arrangements, etc.).  But I feel I'm largely on top of
  that angle and it has a high learning curve.


Ian.

-- 
Ian Jackson <ijackson at chiark.greenend.org.uk>   These opinions are my own.  

Pronouns: they/he.  If I emailed you from @fyvzl.net or @evade.org.uk,
that is a private address which bypasses my fierce spamfilter.