Working on 0.8.0 compatibility

Windcatcher · #1 05-16-2010, 12:43 PM

It's been a long time since I've been active in the community, but I've decided to bite the bullet and try to switch SimpleClient to the newest svn. I'm very nearly there, near enough that I feel comfortable posting about it. Here's my current status:

- 0.6.1+ netcode is working
- World server starts and SC can create characters
- My 0.5.5 DB has been largely converted to 0.8.0, including pathing (I need a little help with the guilds table, though, I'm missing some fields).
- Spells have been upgraded to Titanium format and imported to the DB using GeorgeS's tool.
- Upgraded ClearLogin so it can talk to the latest SVN.
- Upgraded SC so it has the Titanium opcodes and structures (with the exception of serialized items for the moment)

To do:

- Working on zoning in. It looks like I'm going to have to create an arena zone with ID 189 since the server seems to want to move characters to that when all else fails. I can probably throw something together tonight.

- Once I get zoning in working, I need to upgrade SC so it can understand Titanium serialized items. It looks like the server won't serialize items until it actually sends them, so I don't have anything to work with until I can zone in.

- Package up the next version of OpenZone. SimpleClient and OpenZone have been upgraded so they can support dynamic lighting with fragment shaders. This meant that I had to expand the .XWF file format, so a release of SimpleClient will have to come with a release of OpenZone. I had wanted to include support for bumpmapping, but that will have to come at some point in the future. When it does, it will involve another file format change.

Now...

Since working on SimpleClient has been so cumbersome for me, I've decided that I want to release the source code. I'm announcing this early because I know that there are concerns about cheating, so I want to give the admins a chance to say, "no, keep it private". If that's the case, though, then YOU will have to provide a private SVN where you can store it, because that's just too much for me to handle. At some point, if that doesn't materialize I'm just going to release the lot publicly, so if you want it kept private it's in your best interests to set something up. I've basically reached the point where I don't want SC to languish anymore.

pfyon · #2 05-16-2010, 02:09 PM

As far as cheating goes, I imagine that anything you could modify simpleclient to do, MQ2 can already do.

Amphitryon · #3 05-19-2010, 12:05 PM

Thank you THANK YOU!!!

You just made my day!

as far as cheating goes, Im not worried and nobody else should be either (since its not like the entire planet does not already know of things like MQ, ShowEQ, packet injectors, and a host of other cheating methods.

ITs up to GMs and admins to pay attention if they want to combat cheating, be willing to knock some heads together so to speak.

Besides, there is some major precedent for releasing the code now...The game Ryzom..well last month they released their server code, client code and dev tools as open source...yea the actual production game code. I think getting SC into more developer hands will be a boon for EQEmu, and realy enable/empowered those who want to make custom content free of SOE EULA entanglements.

At any rate I am so glad to hear this news...I have already invested a lot of effort into learning SC, OZ and a host of other tools, for the project I am working on..great news indeed!

This code should not be made private...if admins wind up sitting on it, its never going to grow

Also...it wasnt that long ago someone managed to decompile and publish all the source for the Eve Online client..you know what,it did not matter,,it did not increase cheating, nor did it give undue advantages (since the important stuff is server side). As such having the SC sources public, likely will NOT change anything as far as cheating goes and we will finally see a LOT more custom zones being published.

bristle · #4 05-21-2010, 06:33 PM

i as well think WC does a great service by releasing the client. there is a lot to learn. maybe i will not remove the delphi 6 after all.

Windcatcher · #5 05-22-2010, 03:20 AM

Definitely keep your Delphi 6 handy. I'm still putting together an arena zone to make the server happy, but it's almost ready for me to use. Then I need to get zoning in working and upgrade to the 0.8.0 item serialization layout. Once that's done, maybe a day or two to test and then it will be ready to post.

Have any admins had a chance to think about how to handle the code? Public or private?

Assuming that this gets posted publicly, I can just post a link to a ZIP file for starters, but a public SVN makes the most sense in the long run. That's not something I know how to handle (or care to).

Secrets · #6 05-22-2010, 09:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Windcatcher

Definitely keep your Delphi 6 handy. I'm still putting together an arena zone to make the server happy, but it's almost ready for me to use. Then I need to get zoning in working and upgrade to the 0.8.0 item serialization layout. Once that's done, maybe a day or two to test and then it will be ready to post.

Have any admins had a chance to think about how to handle the code? Public or private?

Assuming that this gets posted publicly, I can just post a link to a ZIP file for starters, but a public SVN makes the most sense in the long run. That's not something I know how to handle (or care to).

I talked with KLS about making a client after we talked about this in PMs.

I believe we'd be fine with it, as said previously in this thread, anything SC can be modified to do, MQ2 can already do.

I would go ahead and post a zip, I can also get an SVN repository for you set up if you'd like. (and for anyone else who wants to develop on it.)

I don't think security is a concern for the EQEmu dev team at this time, at least that's what KLS thinks.

**GeorgeS** · #7 05-22-2010, 01:27 PM

That's excellent news, WC

As a backup, I'll host the source here on this forum site where the server resides. It will therefore always be available for people.

GeorgeS

bristle · #8 05-22-2010, 01:39 PM

ok i dont know delphi but i have look at it and it seems nice by comparison to certain language (c++). but do you need a verison that support enterprise edition? also i think delphi support .net in some form. do you need enterprise for that?

basically, can i use a free delphi 6 to do everything, including .net? the think with .net is that i can use other language too (in theory anyway).

Windcatcher · #9 05-22-2010, 07:40 PM

The free version of Delphi 6 should be able to compile SimpleClient, though I haven't tried it, as I bought the Pro version when it came out. However, I don't think I'm using anything that only comes with the Pro version.

bristle · #10 05-23-2010, 07:45 PM

i will go through and recompile all the sources files and see how im doing. of course with delphi 6 free version. i would spend more for the pro, but then i would get the newest one, and i dont know what that costs.

bristle · #11 05-23-2010, 10:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bristle

i will go through and recompile all the sources files and see how im doing. of course with delphi 6 free version. i would spend more for the pro, but then i would get the newest one, and i dont know what that costs.

well i dont think i have the delphi 6 any more. there is a free pascal which i may use. i guess the delphi 6 was available for a short time only. now they have 2010 architect that cost thousands of dollars. with the free pascal it should do it though.

Windcatcher · #12 05-27-2010, 12:53 AM

Just a little update...I haven't yet gotten to getting zoning in working yet, because I've been throwing together a little arena zone...

Most of the hard work is done; once I'm satisfied with it I'll see about zoning in.

Secrets · #13 05-27-2010, 11:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Windcatcher

Just a little update...I haven't yet gotten to getting zoning in working yet, because I've been throwing together a little arena zone...
Most of the hard work is done; once I'm satisfied with it I'll see about zoning in.

Just as an FYI, it is defaulting to that zone because 189 is the "Mines of Gloomingdeep", which is the new EverQuest tutorial. You can change where you are going in the rule_values table, by setting the entry "World:TutorialZoneID" to a different value.

Windcatcher · #14 06-03-2010, 12:12 AM

That's good to know. I've finished my arena zone, at least enough that it's usable, and I've updated Peshara Highlands so you can get to the arena. One question I have is, is a tutorial zone necessary? In other words, when you create a character, does the server automatically send you to whatever zone is the tutorial zone, regardless of the start_zones value for that race/class combo? I can throw together a tiny tutorial zone, but I'm wondering if I need to. That said, if I have to create one, is there some special way of handling exiting from the tutorial zone so that the server knows to route the character to the correct starting zone?

As a side note, one benefit of making this arena zone is that I had to add several new features to OpenZone, such as greater control over individual polygons (especially vertex normals). In my opinion, the arena zone is quite stunning.

Secrets · #15 06-03-2010, 01:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Windcatcher

That's good to know. I've finished my arena zone, at least enough that it's usable, and I've updated Peshara Highlands so you can get to the arena. One question I have is, is a tutorial zone necessary? In other words, when you create a character, does the server automatically send you to whatever zone is the tutorial zone, regardless of the start_zones value for that race/class combo? I can throw together a tiny tutorial zone, but I'm wondering if I need to. That said, if I have to create one, is there some special way of handling exiting from the tutorial zone so that the server knows to route the character to the correct starting zone?

As a side note, one benefit of making this arena zone is that I had to add several new features to OpenZone, such as greater control over individual polygons (especially vertex normals). In my opinion, the arena zone is quite stunning.

You can disable it entirely afaik in the rule_values table. Tutorialbutton or something like that. You'd have to look through it all.

As for the rest, i'm looking forward to seeing the arena zone!