vzWordyHoster: A Windows app for hosting word games in VZones
Author: Spud
Goals: To implement a modern Windows application that allows a VZones user to host games such as Trivia, Devil's Dictionary and Word Scramble.
My agenda: The majority of games being hosted in VZones today are games of chance such as bingo. Those don't interest me at all. Several years ago I used to enjoy playing, in VZones, games that required some thought, which were therefore more rewarding, such as trivia quizzes and word games like "Devil's Dictionary" (the host gives a word's dictionary definition, then incrementally reveals letters in the word until someone guesses it) and "Word Scramble" (solve the anagram). I want to reverse the trend and make games like these more popular again in VZones. If such games become more popular, VZones (which has a dwindling population) might become a more attractive place for those who are not happy to while away hours clicking a bingo card.
My experience is that the existing VZones game-hosting apps are buggy and ugly. I'm not aware that anyone (as of May 2013) is creating new apps that might offer a modern-looking user interface and be more robust. I want to create an app that is capable of hosting games such as these, through a common interface.
At the same time, this might encourage others to make their own VZones apps. On the internet there are a few bits of VB6 source code that demonstrate how to use wadapi.dll, but nothing modern. This will be a C# app, developed in SharpDevelop, a freely available IDE.
Roadmap: vzWordyHoster will first implement a trivia hoster, simply because a trivia game is the simplest, functionally, of the three games that I have mentioned. Thereafter I intend to add Devil's Dictionary and Word Scramble. After those, I'm open to suggestions!
Warning! I am not a professional coder, but I can get things done if I clutch my forehead and think long and hard. This is also my first C# project. If you spot defects, inelegance or bad style in my code, please clone the project, make the code better, then send me a git pull request -- or just send me a message with your suggestions.