I had what I believe is a good idea for my current project: Allow other coders to create more areas to explore. Of course, this is only after I actually finish the main game, but I think it might be a good idea to prepare for that while I code. At the moment, I am imagining the player coming along and seeing a link somewhere that directs them to wherever I am hosting the user maps (probably some forums somewhere), where they download the maps to the directory in which they saved the main game. While there, they add the necessary mount command to the configuration file (as packfiles would be the best way to distribute these), and add a line in a text file that keeps track of the "installed" maps. Then, when the player next boards a ship, they can select their new map from a list (populated with the text file) and sail away to a new land. Is there a better way to do this, which would not require the changing of text files? Is there anything that I should know about doing something like this (e.g. do not use some functions because they are OS specific)? Thanks!

EDIT: I thought that it might be a good idea to include the making of the areas, as well. The developer would first have to download the backbone of the game (the files that I am currently working on, and will be for a few years) in order to have access to the game-wide functions. They would then create their new map, making sure not to create anything with the same name as a function, #define, variable, etc. in another file, and upload it to wherever I was hosting them. If I was using forums, they would probably add their files to the post as an attachment, and include a list of the names that they used. There would be more guidelines to follow in order to insure compatibility, but they haven't all been thought out yet, and those that have might change.

The multiple-windows functions are not likely to live very much longer in new versions of verge.

Sorry I took a while to respond. Currently, I have the user write or copy and paste an #include and a call to an initialization function into a heavily-commented file, and, if needed, a mount into the .cfg. The #include would load a system file, where the region can be handled. The way that I am imagining the map making, the creators would essentually create an entire game, but have more functions to work with and follow some guidelines to ensure compatibility. Of course this is assuming they can, actually, make a game with VERGE, but I don't think it will be too much of a hastle.