Ok so.. this year for my degree I have to do a project. It needs to be a web database really.. and I’ve been trying to think about a subject to pick for it.

I decided eventually on Perplex City, because it’s something I know a great deal about, and is suitable to do a web databse with..

The first thing I thought of doing was setting out possibles for topics. I decided on three different topics:

• Cards - online card database (will explain more later)
• Story - following one of the characters (decided this was shit and couldn’t be used as a database)
• Out of Game - 13th Labour, Billion 2 One, Shuffled sorta thing. Wasn’t sure how to database that either

So I decided on cards. But the only problem is how to do a database that isn’t taken as a rip off of Bri’s, or of Buzman’s pretty card manager?

I want to have all or most of the below points in the web database, which makes it pretty large, but possible.

Cards

Ok, so I was thinking of this.

Online Database

• Use Perplexcity.com updates
• Number of people that have solved the respective card; number of attempts; difficulty; rarity; set; colour; card architect; card designer; wave; season; points (set and card); solved or unsolved. I will probably be including the card picture as well, in the correct res of course.
• Involve the card symbols (playing cards); map backs, and the other interesting stuffs (like the risk pieces and those random numbers, as well as the letters on the back of the map).

Live Updates

• RSS feeds to blogs. I.e.: set up like a wordpress blog, with the different categories (Scarlett, Caine, Violet, Kurt, Perplex City Updates). These would be updated as their respective blogs, or the site was updated.
• Manual updates, such as when the sentinel is updated, VFE’s, forum updates (most likely Perplexorum), and of course live events or meets (such as Cubefest and any similar to PCAG etc).

So after sorting out all this, I need to go on and decide which language I’ll be using to design the database. And NO I’M NOT USING MYSQL SOD OFF! :P. I was thinking of using something like a mix of PHP and java? but being the novice I am, will this work? I’ll safely assume this will be hosted at college for the duration of my course, but if people *really* want me to keep it up on the web, I’ll need hosting (eek money).

So, what do people think, is it too similar to the current Perplex City websites? If so, do you have any other ideas I could possibly try and use instead. Or do you like the idea. I was thinking that it puts all the stuff in one area for people to see. I will be asking Brian and Buzman if they mind me doing this anyway, if people think this is a good idea.

The only worry for me is my time limit. I have to have the following done by the 9th October:

• Title Page
• Background
• Project Proposal (which might I add, is bloody huge and will take me ages!).

Comment with your thoughts!

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