Since my announcement of WinLom99 the scope and rules of the project have changed, and thus I think it important to clarify my thoughts on the subject.

The project shall now be known by the term “The Midnight Project” and this will include;

1. The Midnight Engine ( back-end )
2. A Default Front-end
3. WinLom99 Scenario
4. The Editor

In order to facilitate the release and actual fulfilment of the project, a basic skeleton of the engine (alpha1.00) will be released with the Lom Scenario ASAP.

This will allow me to evaluate and structure all future enhancements, features etc.. accordingly.

The database for the LOM scenario will be in a format that is easy to modify and understand but will only be the basis on which the project will grow. No detailed specification will be implemented or suggested.

The editor will follow later when a better overall picture is available. This will allow for further consultation with all would be authors. Maybe someone else may want to take on this part of the project.

Nothing about the project is or will be fixed by the release of alpha1.00 I just want to place the project out into the public domain as quick as possible to allow for a gradual but better development of the engine. It may even be that certain elements of the engine may be hard- wired at this initial stage until better analysis has be given on the first release. I will however try my best to avoid such issues.

In order to get to actual alpha1.0 I may have to ignore bigger scope suggestions; but don’t think they will have been dropped I will just have to feel my way through this initial stage.

May I first point out that; I hope this doesn’t conflict with or cause problems with anyone else doing a LOM conversion. Please email me directly if this does. I just thought it important to make my intentions clear.

As you are all aware from previous postings or my Web site etc. I have always intended on doing a Windows Version of LOM. I have bitted at this since 1991 ( time of the conversion! ) and started and restarted a number of times. Some of these versions are currently being used by others to help with their conversions or have proved more than a little useful in explaining how LOM works.

I finally sat down a few weeks before Christmas to start looking at the new version. I mocked up a few screens (will try an put on web site soon ) and wrote the basis of the following document - I then wWin rote the skeleton code of the system which has pretty much everything apart from a few night features.
I then took a Christmas break.

I’m about to start the process again and thought I would post this document for your comments before I get too entwined in the project.