Jackson Wagner
A full-stack developer.
About Me
Hello, I'm Jackson Wagner and I'm a full-stack developer. I started my programming pursuit in 2007 at 12 years old. When I first started to learn to program, I had developed a relatively bad looking website that was a homage to the video game series Command and Conquer by Westwood Studios. A lot of my technological pursuits came from my love for Command and Conquer. Eventually it evolved past that into a love for programming. After my time modding Command and Conquer games, I began writing mods for Minecraft and even custom themes for websites using GreaseMonkey to run custom JavaScript.
Eventually these skills came together into my current knowledge about SQL database management and administration, modern CSS practices, and advanced interactive JavaScript. Many of my projects take advantage of these skills. Eventually I evolved from mini-projects and fan projects to fully featured websites and web applications.
Languages, Libraries, and Skills
Please be mindful that this list is not complete. Every new library or language is an opportunity to learn. I may not have listed all of them.My Projects
Dead Frontier Contracts and Projects
Task: Perform updates to Dead Frontier to benefit the end-user.Working on Dead Frontier taught me how to work with a team of many different backgrounds and world views. We regularly worked with legacy software and made use of implementing modern programming practices in a fun and inclusive way. The experience gained from working on Dead Frontier has been invaluable. I appreciate everything that I was able to achieve working on Dead Frontier as well as the friends I made along the way.
>Flash Replacement
As Flash approached its End of Life (EOL) in 2020, many websites haven't properly prepared or replaced their Flash elements. I was tasked with replacing Dead Frontier's Flash elements with HTML, custom CSS, and JavaScript functionality.
Goals of the Project
The major and most obvious goal was to replace Flash. The biggest task was to keep the original functionality of the replaced Flash elements. I was also tasked with adding functionality at my discretion. With the freedom to do so, I began adding more functionality including simplifying the in-game market search, giving the user control over how avatars are rendered, and proper volume controls.
>Item-for-Item Trading
Dead Frontier did not have a system for trading items for other items without the use of a middleman or placing trust in trade partners. I was given the task of writing and implementing a system to accomplish these item-based trades without the use of middlemen or the trust needed for a item exchange.
Goals of the Project
The goal of this system was to improve the archaic trading system that Dead Frontier already had. The implementation of the Item-for-Item trading system also included a built-in logging and messaging system to help users and moderators track trades. This system went on to become an integral part of the trading system for Dead Frontier and received generally positive feedback.
>Challenges
Dead Frontier did not have a challenge-based system for gaining rewards for completing tasks aside from a limited pre-existing mission system. I was challenged to create am automated challenge-based system to allow for tasks to be given to users for rewards upon completion of said tasks. These tasks are designed to be separate from missions and offer more dynamic, and better, rewards.
Goals of the Project
The achieved goal of this system was to add an alternative to daily missions while rewarding users for continual play and daily participation. The challenge system rewards items and currency to the users through the item-for-item trade system that I implemented into Dead Frontier. These challenges can be generated by an automatic daily challenge system or hand-crafted by a trusted individual for seasonal events and special occasions.
>Masteries
When you reach level 415 in Dead Frontier, the only thing left was competitions and perfecting your item collection. I wrote the mastery system to increase long-term playability as well as giving the users a reward for continuing to enjoy the game. The mastery system is dynamic and piggybacks on the work of the challenge system making it as expandable and integratable as the challenge system.
Goals of the Project
The goal of the mastery system was to increase playability and improve long-term commitment to Dead Frontier from the users. Masteries reward the users with bonuses such as experience boost, damage boost to specific weapon categories, and loot boosts. As masteries become more refined, new bonuses such as cosmetics can be added to the rewards for the system.
>Collection Book
There are many ways to share one's adventure in an MMO but Dead Frontier was lacking a way to share a lot of unique items at once. I created the collection book out of my own desire to share my unique items from my adventures as a developer and player. The collection book offered a solution to sharing a lot of items as well as offering a sense of accomplishment.
Goals of the Project
When creating the collection book system, the objective was to enable users to share their unique and fascinating items with anyone and everyone. By filling out the collection book with their items, users feel a sense of completion. This system especially works well with items that have unique stats, names, and other unique modifiers.
>Minor Additions
Minor additions are projects that were not considered important enough for their own sections but did receive positive feedback and responses from the community.
Additions
- SlotLock - An inventory slot locking system to protect accidental deletion of user's important items.
- Service Search - The ability to search the in-game market's service section by skills rather than as a general list.
- Backpacks - Storage has always been an issue in MMOs, backpacks help fix that by offering more room for items.
DFProfiler
Task: Taking raw information from Dead Frontier (Online Game) and making it easy to view and use.Dead Frontier is the largest massively multiplayer online survival game set in a zombie apocalypse. DFProfiler (DFP) is provided as a third-party companion site for dynamic tracking of player load-outs, statistics, and locations; real-time updates of in-game bosses, missions, and outpost-attacks; plus numerous other game data and query tools.
Main Website
Frontend
DFP's main website consists of a list of top players from the current week listed in order of their scores. The information available on user profiles is pulled from Dead Frontier and parsed in a way that is easily accessible through JSON. Part of this is also including custom CSS that users can use to make their profiles more appealing in their own eyes.
Backend
DFP's backend takes advantage of a MySQL database to automatically record, update, and track user information. This information is pulled directly from Dead Frontier and automatically modified to be used in JavaScript as JSON data objects.
The Bossmap
Frontend
The bossmap's frontend uses a table constructed in PHP, populated in JavaScript, and stylized through accompanying CSS files. This grid-like view allows users to view and track bosses, players, and ongoing events in Dead Frontier.
Backend
The backend for the bossmap takes data directly from Dead Frontier in a way that isn't accessible to average users. It parses this data into convenient JSON that various bots, programs, and my frontend uses to display all the information for users to take advantage of.
Undead Dawn
Task: Create an MMORPG Backend and Interface.Undead Dawn was a project I was working on with my co-developer Clayton. I was placed in charge of handling the tasks listed below.
- Database Management
- User Login
- Client-to-Server Communication
- Web Design
- Server Security
My Services
- Basic
- A simple website that takes advantage of basic JavaScript and HTML.
- Email Support
- Advanced
- An advanced website with strong use of PHP, HTML, and JavaScript.
- Email Support
- Flash Conversion
- Recreate parts of your website in PHP, HTML, and JavaScript.
- Email Support
- Full Rewrite
- I'll remake your entire website using modern practices.
- Direct Contact Support