Well, I have finally started writing the DDL to build the database that the diplomacy server will run on. For a while there I was getting pretty down on myself for putting it off for so long, but as I began creating the tables I realized that all that time I spent just thinking about it has been priceless in the development process. I still anticipate making mistakes that I have to correct as I go, but some of the insights I have been able to put together and incorporate at this stage of the project will save me literally days if not weeks of coding I would have had to modify if I had just jumped in with my original model.
Without getting too technical, I can say that I’ve set up a structure for the application that will allow for an unlimited number of game variants to be created and played. Obviously, the goal for now is just to model a standard game, but the ability to flexibly support those other games will be built into the system.
This whole thing is pretty exciting, seeing something I only pictured in my imagination starting to become a digital reality.