simpl-cloud 0.12

Base models and API for Django-based simulations.

Base models and API for Django-based simulations.

Provides an API compatible with the Wharton Interactive marketplace.

Getting Started

Install simpl-cloud, with the API extras if required:

pip install simpl-cloud[api]

Add simpl to your project’s Django settings module, along with the following settings:

INSTALLED_APPS = {
    # ...
    'simpl',
}
SIMPL_GAME_EXPERIENCE = "simpl.GameExperience"
SIMPL_RUN = "simpl.Run"
SIMPL_INSTANCE = "simpl.Instance"
SIMPL_CHARACTER = "simpl.Character"
SIMPL_PLAYER = "simpl.Player"
SIMPL_LOGOUT_URL_NAME = "logout"

Add the following to your project’s URL conf:

urlpatterns = [
  # ...
  path("simpl/", include("simpl.urls")),
]

Architecture Overview

Run objects provide management and configuration of one or more game instances.

Navigation

Provide a function to the SIMPL_SETUP_NAV setting. It should accept a Run object as an argument and return a dictionary of keys as Simpl URL names and the values as a dictionary with the name, optional hint, and one of the following statuses:

• simpl.nav.DISABLED (and unstarted)

• simpl.nav.UNSTARTED

• simpl.nav.INCOMPLETE

• simpl.nav.READY

• simpl.nav.COMPLETE

For example:

return {
    "config": {
        "name": "Game Configuration",
        "status": nav.UNSTARTED,
    },
    "team": {
        "name": "Manage Teams",
        "status": nav.DISABLED,
    },
    "start": {
        "name": "Start Game",
        "status": nav.DISABLED,
    },
}

Provide a function to the SIMPL_PLAY_NAV setting. It should accept a Run object as an argument and return a dictionary of keys as Simpl URL names and the values as a dicitonary with the name and one of the following statuses:

• simpl.constants.DISABLED

• simpl.constants.READY

Launching game instances

When a player is added to a run, their details are stored in a Player object.

When they start playing your game, they will be attached to an Character object in a game Instance object that will track the progress of their game.

For multiplayer runs, these players will be initially grouped into Lobby object so they can be assigned to a game Instances. A lobby can be marked as ready once it is ready to start.

You can use Run.prepare to create new game Instance objects or manually create these.

Game play URL

The API uses a customizable url endpoint for players. You can specify this by using a custom Player model and overriding Player.get_play_url.

Alternatively, you can specify a SIMPL_GET_PLAY_URL in your settings as a dotted path to a function that receives a player instance and returns the correct url.

Run status

A run has the following statuses:

• Set up (initial state, until any configuration options are provided)

• Players prepare (optional step to if your game experience if players can interact with their Instance before gameplay starts)

• Running (game Instances are running)

• Debrief (optional step if your game experience provides a different interface after gameplay finishes)

Game Instance status

Each game Instance also has a status:

• Preparing - waiting to start (Instance.date_start unset)

• Playing - game in progress (Instance.date_start set but Instance.date_end unset)

• Ended - game complete (Instance.date_end set)

Player status

Your app may mark a player as having completed the game (with a date).

Custom models

Extend the Simpl Django models by overriding the default classes in your project’s Django settings module:

• Instance via SIMPL_INSTANCE = "your_app.YourInstance"

• Character via SIMPL_CHARACTER = "your_app.YourCharacter"

• GameExperience (only if your app provides multiple different game experiences) via SIMPL_GAME_EXPERIENCE = "your_app.YourGameExperience"

More rarely, you may also want to override the run and player:

• Run via SIMPL_RUN = "your_app.YourRun"

• Player via SIMPL_PLAYER = "your_app.YourPlayer"

Your overridden classes should subclass the related simpl.models.Base* abstract models.

The Character class will need two related abstract models, BaseCharacterData and BaseCharacterLinked. This is to make it possible to have character data as a template, not linked to a user or instance.