How to Hire a Coder?

[Soen Eber]

Just a quick plug for Nebula - they've been around SLU and VVO longer than I have, and knows what they're talking about. I've never had any personal dealings, but Christopher would have shirley run them off a long time ago if they weren't at least moderately trustworthy.

Still, too early yet to set up a backend, whatever data needs are required during preliminary development can be handled by wrapper functions calling link set data functions to emulate calls to a database on a separate object with inter-object communication via chat.

(I know it would be easier to have the link set data stored in the same object, but in production the data comes back via an event, and if data access via event-driven code isn't baked in at an early stage, it's going to be much harder to switch over to http.)

 

[Imnotgoing Sideways]

Personal experience, my lowball fees would be:
C# $60US / Hr development @ 160 hours minimum
C++ $80US / Hr development @ 240 hours minimum
Java||LSL TBD
$40US / Hr consultation @ 8 hours minimum
ETD 8-12 Weeks

 

[Madi Perth]

In world post in one of the scripter groups, scripting or scripts. As argent stated be prepared to pay real life prices if you find some one.

 

[Madi Perth]

My first piece of advice beyond the money. You are a first time poster here, but beyond that "I need a coder for a game"? You need to describe your concept of your game in some detail. In enough detail, that if it grabs someone's interest might be able to help you.

As a contract script in SL (retired) and in RL in my experience you want to do just the opposite of this. Post that you are looking for a scripter, what you are willing to pay, and inform them that a nondisclosure agreement is required. Give the bare minimum required for the project in a description. If they are not willing to sign a nda, walk away. Back when I was active the NDA was aways the first thing I passed over before even listening to the first word the client had to say.

 

[Madi Perth]

Were you prepared to pay RL software developer salaries? I am a scripter in SL and spent a lot of time writing scripts for fun, many of which I published and some became quite popular for a while. I have in the past been approached by people looking for a scripter in-world but paying game-level "wages" for the work. When I quoted RL contracting rates they seemed astonished.

This is one of the reasons I no longer take any scripting jobs in SL outside of close friends. I would listen to the project, think it over, then quote them a expected price. They would balk and that would be the end of it. Wasted my time and theirs. The few people that I do pick up work from know my prices and are prepared to pay them. Most of them pay up front.

 

[Soen Eber]

This is one of the reasons I no longer take any scripting jobs in SL outside of close friends. I would listen to the project, think it over, then quote them a expected price. They would balk and that would be the end of it. Wasted my time and theirs. The few people that I do pick up work from know my prices and are prepared to pay them. Most of them pay up front.

Just as a thought experiment (nothing planned for the moment), what arrangements would you make for an experienced coder who just wants a consult on the best way to approach a major project? Perhaps a two hour consult up-front and the odd occasional "Hey, I got a problem! How should I work my way through this?"

Again, nothing planned or expected, but I've been in those situations before. And this question is open to everyone.

 

[Soen Eber]

Just a quick plug for Nebula - they've been around SLU and VVO longer than I have, and knows what they're talking about. I've never had any personal dealings, but Christopher would have shirley run them off a long time ago if they weren't at least moderately trustworthy.

Still, too early yet to set up a backend, whatever data needs are required during preliminary development can be handled by wrapper functions calling link set data functions to emulate calls to a database on a separate object with inter-object communication via chat.

(I know it would be easier to have the link set data stored in the same object, but in production the data comes back via an event, and if data access via event-driven code isn't baked in at an early stage, it's going to be much harder to switch over to http.)

(in regard to Govi's LOLWUT)

I was doing some random brainstorming for the OP's problem. I think it might be too early for them to do any serious backend work, and most of their effort should be focused on the Second Life side, using existing LSL tools to emulate the client-server database calls using test data. The Second Life environment itself is going to be THE major chokepoint for their project, so it might not be worth the hundred hours of contractor work it might take to implement this full-stack, if you can't get anything to work in-world.

 

[Bartholomew Gallacher]

It's not too difficult if you have the time to do it yourself, if all you need the backend for is to perform database lookups and updates, passing data back and forth with the in-world game. Dream Host, Blue Host, any number of providers can spin up a database instance, and you can modify canned PHP scripts for the back end communication. This is assuming you're already comfortable with Second Life scripting.

It is not too difficult with enough experience in that area, yup. For a first timer though it is overwhelming, because he's got no clue about many underlying concepts of these building blocks nor what they are about and their pitfalls...

For example: I've been working with Postgres for a decade by now. I am used to write SQL by hand, know my way around joins, their differences, indexes, materialized views and much, much more.

Also I know how to optimize things and scale them, and how to optimize my various Postgres query caches.

If you don't have even the slightest idea what a database is about, what it can do and what not you would first have to overcome that hurdle.

Same goes with PHP - canned scripts are nice for beginning. But what if you run down into PHP module hell, or need to upgrade it?

Also a gaming setup needs backups and a restore strategy. And since we are talking PHP, this stuff will most likely run under Linux due to being cheaper. So administrative knowledge about Linux is also a requirement.

The list goes on and on...

 

[Madi Perth]

Just as a thought experiment (nothing planned for the moment), what arrangements would you make for an experienced coder who just wants a consult on the best way to approach a major project? Perhaps a two hour consult up-front and the odd occasional "Hey, I got a problem! How should I work my way through this?"

Again, nothing planned or expected, but I've been in those situations before. And this question is open to everyone.

This sounds like might have answered your own question. Up front and a 2 hour min. That is a sounds like a good place to start. The more work that is required of you the more you can adjust the price. I can't set a price for you because I don't know what you normally command. In SL my min contract price is $25 an hour, 2 hour min. I also work with "i get 10% to 20%" of the profit if they prefer that and I'm now an investor in your project. I did that a few years ago and still get a nice little linden income off it. My price is also variable on how interested I am in the project and how well I like you.

The biggest thing I always do is the NDR. One of my pet peeves that so many contractors and consultants is they forget the first rule. "Keep your Mouth Shut." The NDR kind of gives written assurance that I won't talk about the project with others. I know its more of a honor thing in SL but some people seem to appreciate it.