New programming course

[RaptorParkowsky]

How about that:
Some virus (AlienWorm) attacked NASA systems remotely and destroyed all research data. Right now, they wouldn't be even able to build a new SpaceShip if the player destroyed the previously built one that he recieved.
A bit big of a plot change, but it explains why you can't build more bots, and makes the gameplay more interesting ("Oh no, don't destroy the SpaceShip, we don't have another one!!")

IMO that's good idea. The previous "only-bots" expedition built RadarStations on planets to keep contact with Earth. Then AlienWorms infected this RadarStations network at some point and even most of the servers on Earth has been infected. Before that incident there was such technology like Wheelers, Trackers, Wingeds, Grabbers, Builders, Sniffers, Shooters and maybe even also Subbers, if we will need them on Earth in some Exercises. The other robots are to research in Missions.

But there's a lot of details about the script for whole game, that I think that's topic for other thread and other time of development. Until the game isn't refactored and we don't have any comfortable tools for creating levels and SatCom I guess that's safe to create now only raw and clean Exercises with documentation that focuses only on learning the programming, without any big plot features, that will be to add later:

Location: Earth, Nevada. In future we'll add more NASA buildings (to build "Area 64" or something like that... ) that some exercises will be inside them, some outside.

Features: Only that's, what is need in exercise until the GOLD Beta development stage. In future we will add more details to explore in exercises. More buildings, Engineers and robots walking around and doing some stuff. There should be some dialogues with Engineers, maybe side quests, that the player will be able to learn not only about programming, but also about the game's world before the main Colobot story will start in Missions. But remember, this still can't cover the main thing about learning the programming. This is going to be only the background.

Robbie: Another funny feature-creature that will be standard enabled for beginners. She will give some tips in the Exercises and if the player will have her enough, there will be option to disable her (not only in Settings UI, but also in Level UI). She doesn't have to talk about game's world like Engineers, but only about controls, some situations and rules in exercises. She also can't cover the main reason of playing in Exercises. I think the first exercise shouldn't be about programming only, but about controls in the game and what the game's about.

Well, so, I think we can now create another colobot-data branch for refactoring of the main programming course, that will be implemented in GOLD 0.1.7 or 0.1.8. But before that we should again look at programming course material script. Especially the people, who are programmers. I can help only with level design and structure.