NEXGEN RESEARCH 2022 Q1 PLANS
Welcome back to y̶e̶t another schedule/timeline update! So lets get to the point then! What have we done and what is left to do?
WHAT WE HAVE COMPLETED
EicOS V3 our new and improved Discord bot has been finished. It now features more commands and new features like an auto responder t̶o̶t̶a̶l̶l̶y̶ ̶w̶o̶n̶’̶t̶ ̶b̶e̶ ̶u̶s̶e̶d̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶p̶o̶s̶t̶ ̶m̶e̶m̶e̶s. With this we also released the EicOS Server V3.
EicOS V3’s new help command showcasing all the new commands.
- New and improved IntellacoreOS. It is our primary backend responsible for managing moderation. Linked Discord accounts in our Discord server, keeping track of legacy group members and a variety of other things. IntellacoreOS has received a major overhaul which is more reliable and easier to maintain and modify in the future. Some new features have been added along with the removal of some unused or poorly implemented features.
The home route for V3 of NexByte’s IntellacoreOS/EicOS API.
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Backend server upgrades and maintenance. Patching and updating of vulnerable systems cough cough (̶m̶i̶n̶e̶c̶r̶a̶f̶t̶ s̶e̶r̶v̶e̶r̶). The actual backend servers were also moved around for more convenient management and maintenance.
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Practically redid our Discord server, yes we have one and you’re 13+ you should totally join it we are more active there. You can find the invite on our group’s social links!
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Completed some brainstorming and primitive design planning for Project: Void.
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Setup a on site git server. Source version control finally woohoo! W̶h̶y̶ ̶I̶ ̶d̶i̶d̶ ̶n̶o̶t̶ ̶d̶o̶ ̶t̶h̶i̶s̶ ̶e̶a̶r̶l̶i̶e̶r̶ ̶b̶e̶a̶t̶s̶ ̶m̶e̶ ̶I̶ ̶t̶h̶i̶n̶k̶ ̶I̶ ̶w̶a̶s̶ ̶j̶u̶s̶t̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶l̶a̶z̶y̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶l̶e̶a̶r̶n̶ ̶h̶o̶w̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶u̶s̶e̶ ̶i̶t̶.
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NexByte datastore server. An external datastore system which allows secure external data storage and for us to bypass any limitations of Roblox datastores while also maintaining a similar developer facing storage system that uses tables and key value pairs for data storage with data being modifiable via an easy to use module which communicates via http service to the backend server. Module now fully complete!
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NexByte telemetry server. A logger service similar to the one in IntellacoreOS V2 but now separate and with more features such as support for multiple games and the ability to retrieve and sort log data remotely. It will allow us to securely collect chat logs for moderation and server logs to help with debugging during game development. Game script and server are now complete.
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NexByte rank center system. Completely overhauled, now with a better user experience and user interface. It features proper error handling, greater customization and compatibility with IntellacoreOS V3.
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NexByte verification system. The verification game and required bot commands. (The original idea of having a website has been canceled for the time being). Now finished and hopefully easier to use and hopefully more reliable too.
WHAT WE ACTIVELY WORKING ON
NexGen Legacy revamp. Same old games just a new menu UI and in game UI, just with new features and a better UX. Plus exclusive features for Legacy Members and Legacy Testers! (More information to come soon.)
WHAT WILL BE WORKED ON NEXT
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NexGen Testing Facility (NGTF). Previously opened but then closed. We’ll be working on new stuff for the game along with developing some new actually useful tools there.
We’ve added two badges that will be acquirable in the game along with some various easter eggs. We’ll also be testing out the NexByte Custom UI which will be a “drop in” replacement for the default Roblox UI elements for NexGen and NexByte games. -
Project: Void, our anticipated new Roblox game project. Which might just so happen to n̶o̶t be a research facility. We aren’t going to spoil much about the project though.
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NexGen Research website. We might remake the website from scratch and will actually try to complete it this time.
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NGRF (NexGen Research Facility)
Our Legacy
To end off this post I would like to thank everyone in our community for their patience throughout the year. I've had important personal matters and education on my list of todos along side NexGen Research so it was hard to find time for stuff and naturally NexGen was the lowest on that list *sorry*. I would also just like to thank everyone for being part of NexGen Research. I started NexGen Research off back in 2018 as legitimately a small side project and didn't expect much to come off of it. I started off with limited knowledge on Lua scripting and poor dev skills and produced Area 19 (the 2018 version) with it consisting most of free models and messy buggy scripts I found on YouTube ages ago.
NexGen Area 19 from 2018. Yes the text is images buttons
The game had no real purpose and was abandoned not to long after I started it. I later created NexGen Hub which barely used any free models but had practically zero scripts.
The lift lobby for the two nonfunctional entrance lifts in NexGen Hub from 2018
Then from there I moved on to our original flagship game the 2019 version of Area 19 which featured a completely redesigned facility with a tram “system” (it only went between two stops) which was were NexGen started to gain some slight traction but was still fairly small and therefore a very small side project.
The evolution of Entrance Zone A’s lift lobby. Area 19’s entrance and the game’s spawn room
NexGen Research continued to grow and reached around 100 members when Area 19 V4 was publicly released. Unfortunately Area 19 started to become a buggy unoptimized mess as more was added to it.
Area 19 having a bad time
Finally that is the point where I chose to discontinue Area 19 and begin work on the NexGen Research Facility (NGRF) which ended up being a huge success until I also discontinued it due to the overwhelming about of work I had to do outside of NexGen Research and me also knowing that it would be best to wait before I fully commit to such a large scale project as the NGRF. It will make a return in the future that’ll most likely be after Project: Void is completed.
The Entrance Zone A station of the NGRF’s automated transit.
A Bright Look To The Future
As 2022 creeps up around the corner, I've taken some time to admire how far NexGen Research has come with the main group currently having 1400+ members, our YouTube channel having 400+ subscribers and 100+ members being in our Discord server. We've come a long since out beginnings and are not as much of a small obscure Roblox Sci-Fi community as we used to be. Of course the entire journey to now was not a smooth ride, I've taken the time to review my past mistakes or things I could've done better when developing our games and managing our community as to allow me to improve. I've slowly made some changes over the past months as our community grew to make it well more orientated towards a public semi-professional community (as professional as Roblox can get), changing layouts, creating more reliable backend systems, expanding our social presence and changing the way I interact with members of the community. 2021 has been a rough year but has had its ups and downs. I do look forward to a hopefully brighter future in 2022 and the great things NexGen Research and its possible staff team will create and accomplish. Also of course a huge thank you to you, the reader and possible community member in NexGen Research who helps make the community what it is now and for also giving me the motivation to continue on with NexGen Research knowing a decent following is interested in my creations.– iialexidai