What Tools can be developed to help world building?
 

Hi all,

I’d like to know some ideas for tools which could be developed to ease database populating.

my first thought was an application, which showed the map (much the same as the map inside of EQ) but on a larger scale, where you could set NPC's pathing, something like click on a point, then another point, then another point, then set delays, timers, triggers. Something along them lines.

Now I’m happy to write something like this, but in order for me to, if someone who is family with zones/maps from a code point of view could liaise with me, We could get it done much quicker.

So please, submit your WELL THOUGHT OUT ideas and suggestions here, the more tools we write to do replace manually doing things, the less the error rate will be and the better the end result will be.

- froglok

Idea's
 

Suggestion: Adding Loot to a NPC application

An updated version of my original tool I wrote to add look to a NPC. Now I think we can make it more flexible and more powerful, eliminating any errors which come from doing it manually.

Suggestion: Adding of NPCs to zones

A tool, which allows you to create a NPC visually... maybe WC can help with this as to put support in to see visually how the NPC will look Could this also be combined with adding loot to the NPC?

Possibility just having a NPC Editing Application, which does everything for NPC's

Suggestion: Quest Writer application

Something sumular to what the SQL builder applications are. It would allow you to construct your quests, add in default event handles. Would also have a "syntax checker"


They just came to be :)

- froglok

Well this will teach me for posting completly in the wrong section.

Seem that we already have a quest writer and NPC application. Sweet!

Id still like to here suggestions on what others we can have to life easier.

- froglok

Hey Frog, one of the best tools I could imagine that have not been made is a visual map 2D, NPC spawn tool, similar to what you've described.

We would need how to take a zone, create a 2D top down view.
Then select a NPC, point to where you want to spawn it.
Grid/paths can be displayed as well if there's one.
Create grids/paths on the fly by mouse pointing around.

I know the S3D files contain geometry details and then there's the zoneconverter source code which is on my site.

I've debated on how to write this, but without x,y,z data, it's much harder. I.e working from a top down screen capture of the zone.


GeorgeS

Anything that can get us into eqg files would be a big help.

Fixing azone would rock, also.

IN other words... any of the tools out there that only work with 3sd files .. well, with Anniversarry support coming... we're all going to need some good zone tools that work with eqg files.

I am a huge fan of GeorgeS' toolset... but one thing I do not like about them is the interface (sorry George ;)). The fact you cannot resize, and it requires all these ocx registers, and odbc drivers. I do not think an all-in-one tool is necessary, but what GeorgeS has already done is a great big help. His NPC Editor is pretty good, but putting all that info on the index line is hard to wrap your mind around. It should be a selectable list with a sub menu or modal window to work on the NPC. In all honestly, if someone could C# the PEQEditor (the web-based one), that would ROCK.

I also like Georges Quest Editor, with the built-in samples. But, I find myself using the other one (not Georges I think?). It is really nice - but the text area itself is horrid. I am not sure if it is because there is a word-wrap feature, but just moving the cursor around, copy/cut/paste, delete key or backspace, the cursor flies all over the line and starts deleting things you don't want gone. Also, the save/reload are iffy - though they work, they are sorta destructive (no "are you sure you want to toss out all your work without saving?" prompts).

Those are really the 2 tools I use the most (and I LIVE in PEQEditor.php). Then of course, there's the OpenZone stuff. But a single-source "suite" of applications to maintain everything? Shit yeah. Sign me up. I have made a request for other useful addons like dynamic (usable) server status export from the World/Zone itself... but a GUI server management app would also be nice.

Ok, there's a bunch of rambling in a not-so well thought out manner. Sorry, it's been a long day. If this becomes a reality, I'll be far more interested in giving specific details. :)

A top down npc editor would be cool, the mapmaker in Openzone give you a picture of the map which includes polys and topography but besides in openzone I don't know how to view those maps. Anyway that would probably be the way to go , just have to ask WC if using that tool would be possible.

Hi all,

I download GeorgeS tool and they are great, but sryr toi say i do have do agree the the UI coudl do with some work. :)

GeorgeS check your PM. I’m willing to move them over to .NET (mainly because it really suits small apps which a nice UI) and can provide a great amount of flexibility..

All of which I’m willing to do at no dev time to GeorgeS at all :)

However, GeorgeS please be my guest to refuse such help as I won’t be offended at all. They are GREAT tools :)

Well done!


Umm, what’s this Anniversary support i hear of? Are we changing from titanium? Hmmm

- froglok

We are [hoping] to switch to the newer package deal from SOE, since titanium itself is becoming hard to obtain. Seems only logical. There is some work beginning on it, showing up in the Emu sources as "Anniversary.cpp" and the opcode patch files. I can't say it's a super push, because I cannot believe we're ready for all the new zones and functionality - considering the current progress is still 5 years behind.

Agreed, In my opinion, with the current level of functional code currently, I dont think the code base is ready for it. Sorry but thats jsut my opinion.

Its my opinion that we stick to Titianium, however, I do see the logic sense in the move. But I think its something which could be done, IF the case base was more along (functionaity wise).

Just my 2cp though :D

- froglok

Regarding the UI for my tools - well that came from years ago when I started to make these tools and had to make them different, but with an true EQ-'esque' feel. Back then the old item editor actually worked with 0.6.6, and when I decided to create the newer version, we went to 0.7.0 and the new version broke the editor. Alas, I came to the rescue, and the UI for the tools was born.


Anyway, back to the topic. This spawn editor needs writing as it will make this task so much easier. I have all the world building and coding experience, but have not figured out how to get the zone loaded.
One possibility is to export the zone as an .obj and go from there, but not all zones can be exported. My feeling is when you make your own zone in OZ, then you should be able to quickly spawn.

GeorgeS

[QUOTE=froglok23;137852]Hi all,
I

(Sorry, Firefox/the web/something ate my last post... I'll redo)

.NET? Ack... and I just started moving over to Ubuntu linux to avoid M$...

Ruby on Rails can develop some wickedly fast and simple web-based apps. The framework does tons for you, and simple CRUD operations come out of the box with a script/generate scaffold command... for a single user, the Webrick server is adequate to host it on your own machine as well.

The default implementation does do an awful lot of DB traffic to render some simpler views, but I just create a view in the DB, then build a model to access the view.

Hmm.. I might just have to do a "proof-of-concept" for myself, but that has to come after I complete bootstrapping a QA database for work... Ruby, Ruby on Rails, MySQL, Mongrel clustered app server, Apache front-end... all open source, but none of the tools is currently used/"approved" by the software development tools/IT shop. *sigh*

I assume there's no issue if I clone your work GeorgeS? Time for some late nights with Moody Blues and Lagavulin... Hmm.. maybe not the Lagavulin part... I tend to write code I can't figure out a week later...

ED: RoR works for Windows as well... Mongrel cluster isn't happy on Windows, but the basic RoR app works fine there as well... so it's cross-platform capable.

You can write anything you want - who knows - It may end up being a classic emu killer app.

Novel ways of doing things are my style - I tend to create apps with a sorta out of the box way of thinking - and that's with Rush or Triumph playing in the background...

GeorgeS

I love you george.

I've been thinking about a web app to edit items using DHTML and maybe even switch/destory/add items to players with the DHTML.. Not sure how many people would actually like that and still trying to figure out how the hex blobs can be translated from the mysql database =S

Probably the most important thing all serverops need right now is something that will allow them to easily browse, view (and even edit) coin on players.

That way, we at least have a way to look if players have been successful in doing any PP exploits and have ungodly amounts of coin stashed somewhere.

Heck, even an SQl query that would allow us to get into that blob and run a report of who has what would be a godsend!

Every character editor I've seen so far conveniently skips coin.

I'm not familiar with the blobs they are using... I've tried the reverse hexidecimal forumulas in php to decode the blobs to about 25% success...

Categorizing the blobs, setting it up in its own array is a pain in the ass by itself... coin, is one of those 75%'s I haven't had the time or patience to figure out yet =( *along with skills, flags, which I really want to be able to get into soon!*

Yeah once that is sorted out and understood it will make everyones' lives much easier... because then maybe a tool can be created to be able to view/edit these things.

As far as EQEMU tools go, I think this sort of toolset is probably the most severely lacking out of anything.

Everything can be figured out from the source cpp files. Took me an hour to figure out the binary blob struct - even tho im not an expert in c++, translating is not too hard.

I've got a tool working which can edit character profiles, including coins.

GeorgeS

My Admin tool up on Sourceforge can do much of this, but I haven't updated it in a while. The latest EQEmu version I've tested it with is 0.5.8. Maybe that can help you?

Yeah, Wind's tool can be more or else updated to work with the current EQEmu build. It's very flexible and is very lenient on new columns and such. The blob crap is stored in a text file for easy editing. I once had his tool updated, but once I took over PEQ I've strictly been on *nix so command line and PHP have been my way as of late. If I can find my altered version I'll post it (if that is OK, Wind) If not, as I said it isn't too hard to get up to date.

Go for it, cavedude :)

I have a dev server and am HAPPY to help you test the tool if you're up for it. PM me. I would have no problem trashing my test database for ya :)

Been looking for it on sourceforge.. if it just needs structs updated, I'm willing to give it a shot for us.

Anyone got a link? We all know that searching on SF is the kiss of death ;)