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Post by **LethalEncounter** » Mon Jul 30, 2007 1:33 pm

Perl will not be the scripting language. I havent decided which one we should use, but perl is definately not one of the options. I do like php, but even though it is easy to learn, it still might be out of reach from some people. It might even be xml based. This is what we use for packet structs and it has worked out fairly well and is flexible.

Bafoon · Post by **Bafoon** » Mon Jul 30, 2007 2:08 pm

techguy84 wrote: Anything that is content based is going to be the tricky part as the devs cant gather all the information themeselves on this front.

what can we do to help gather information?

Post by **LethalEncounter** » Mon Jul 30, 2007 2:35 pm

We have a packet collector, but we dont want to let anyone use it until about a month before the release of Kunark. The reason for this is that once it becomes available, SOE will probably try to prevent it from working ASAP. If we release it now, the packets might not be any good in 4 months when the expansion is released. Hopefully this will allow us to get all the packet logs we need before SOE can break it again.

Infirno · Post by **Infirno** » Mon Jul 30, 2007 6:20 pm

LethalEncounter wrote:We have a packet collector, but we dont want to let anyone use it until about a month before the release of Kunark. The reason for this is that once it becomes available, SOE will probably try to prevent it from working ASAP. If we release it now, the packets might not be any good in 4 months when the expansion is released. Hopefully this will allow us to get all the packet logs we need before SOE can break it again.

That, I must say, is a plan designed by a genious.

techguy84 · Post by **techguy84** » Tue Jul 31, 2007 2:20 am

I think if quest/scripts are in something other than perl, that is awesome. If we could make part of it DB driven and the complex parts in a very simple and easliy done language, that would help more people be able to code up quest from Live thefore increasing Live likeness. I only said perl because i figured that alot of stuff was just going to be built upon what is already know to work. Although, I think that perl wasnt a oringinal part of EQ Emu for questing needs was it. At least I dont remember having to install it way back then =)

Post by **LethalEncounter** » Tue Jul 31, 2007 4:34 am

No it wasnt part of the original, perl was introduced probably 3 years ago now. Before that we had a quest system designed by Wes. Was it called WesQuests? Something like that.

Post by **SAweb** » Tue Jul 31, 2007 5:42 am

Humm, well on the scripting subject I agree fully... SOEness could only be achieved if a large amount of people work together, thus a simpler scripting system might work out perfect.

techguy84 · Post by **techguy84** » Tue Jul 31, 2007 5:52 pm

We dont have to shoot for "SOEness", but it would be nice if it was possible. One of the biggest things like in my last post is rounding up contnet to bring the emu up to speed with live. DB stuff can be kinda easy once packet collecting is perfected and not broken, something can be done to convert thoses into easily sourcable sql files i think. The catchy part is questing. Questing was big in EQ1, but not near as big as EQ2. Hell, you cant even get off the noob island without some sort of quest type script.
I dunno, maybe im just rambling here and being incoherent, but the point is, questing in perl is a pain in the ass for someone that doesnt know a lick of programing. Some language has to be involed to drive questing, but something simple could power it. XML would be a good idea as you dont need any additional programs to utilize a xml file, only support built into the emu right? And xml is a read hard task to learn like perl.
(Note: Im a noob so some/all of this post is based upon logical guess and is in no way factual. Im probably wrong on ever sentence, but hey, I got another post in so im cool)

Post by **SAweb** » Wed Aug 01, 2007 8:43 am

techguy84 wrote: (Note: Im a noob so some/all of this post is based upon logical guess and is in no way factual. Im probably wrong on ever sentence, but hey, I got another post in so im cool)

Lol! Well, nothing you ever say is particularly "wrong" - What I meant by SOEness was that we need to get the games features working as good as possible.

techguy84 · Post by **techguy84** » Thu Aug 02, 2007 11:13 pm

SAweb wrote: Lol! Well, nothing you ever say is particularly "wrong" - What I meant by SOEness was that we need to get the games features working as good as possible.

Hehe, what I meant was mainly pertaining to the xml comment. I dont know xml a great deal, but to my knowledge, its just slapped together and written in something simple like notepad or wordpad. Give that you can write it there, i figured that a xml translator could just be incorporated into the emu, resulting in everyone not needing to install addition programs to get the server going. The only thing that should be installed is a database engine such as MySQL or PortegeSQL. (the latter is just for another reference.
Anyhow though, i plan to take addition interest in this far beyond what I did in eqemu so no matter what quest are wrote in, i plan on learning that language.

Post by **SAweb** » Fri Aug 03, 2007 12:42 am

techguy84 wrote:
SAweb wrote: Lol! Well, nothing you ever say is particularly "wrong" - What I meant by SOEness was that we need to get the games features working as good as possible.
Hehe, what I meant was mainly pertaining to the xml comment. I dont know xml a great deal, but to my knowledge, its just slapped together and written in something simple like notepad or wordpad. Give that you can write it there, i figured that a xml translator could just be incorporated into the emu, resulting in everyone not needing to install addition programs to get the server going. The only thing that should be installed is a database engine such as MySQL or PortegeSQL. (the latter is just for another reference.
Anyhow though, i plan to take addition interest in this far beyond what I did in eqemu so no matter what quest are wrote in, i plan on learning that language.

Cool mans

Post by **LethalEncounter** » Fri Aug 03, 2007 4:34 am

Hehe, the emu already has an xml parser. We use it for making dynamic packet structs. For example, here is the struct for ZoneInfo:

Code: Select all

<Struct Name="WS_ZoneInfo" ClientVersion="1" OpcodeName="OP_ZoneInfoMsg">
<Data ElementName="server1" Type="EQ2_8Bit_String" />
<Data ElementName="server2" Type="EQ2_8Bit_String" />
<Data ElementName="unknown1" Type="int8" Size="1" />
<Data ElementName="unknown2" Type="int32" Size="1" />
<Data ElementName="unknown3" Type="int32" Size="1" />
<Data ElementName="auction_website" Type="EQ2_8Bit_String" />
<Data ElementName="auction_port" Type="int32" Size="1" />
<Data ElementName="upload_page" Type="EQ2_8Bit_String" />
<Data ElementName="upload_key" Type="EQ2_8Bit_String" />
<Data ElementName="zone" Type="EQ2_8Bit_String" />
<Data ElementName="zone2" Type="EQ2_8Bit_String" />
<Data ElementName="unknown4" Type="int16" Size="1" />
<Data ElementName="zone_desc" Type="EQ2_8Bit_String" />
<Data ElementName="char_name" Type="EQ2_8Bit_String" />
<Data ElementName="x" Type="float" Size="1" />
<Data ElementName="y" Type="float" Size="1" />
<Data ElementName="z" Type="float" Size="1" />
<Data ElementName="unknown5" Type="int32" Size="1" />
<Data ElementName="unknown6" Type="int8" Size="3" />
<Data ElementName="unknown7" Type="float" Size="2" />
<Data ElementName="unknown8" Type="int8" Size="1" />
<Data ElementName="unknown9" Type="float" Size="2" />
<Data ElementName="num_adv" Type="int32" Size="1" />
<Data ElementName="adv_array" Type="Array" ArraySizeVariable="num_adv">
	<Data ElementName="adv_name" Type="EQ2_16Bit_String" />
	<Data ElementName="adv_id" Type="int16" />
</Data>
<Data ElementName="num_client_setup" Type="int32" Size="1" />
<Data ElementName="client_cmd_array" Type="Array" ArraySizeVariable="num_client_setup">
	<Data ElementName="client_cmds" Type="EQ2_8Bit_String" />
</Data>
<Data ElementName="unknown11" Type="int32" Size="1" />
</Struct>

When starting up it loads all the packet structs and when needed, it gives us a copy of one we can use to set the data and send it to the client.

techguy84 wrote:
SAweb wrote: Lol! Well, nothing you ever say is particularly "wrong" - What I meant by SOEness was that we need to get the games features working as good as possible.
Hehe, what I meant was mainly pertaining to the xml comment. I dont know xml a great deal, but to my knowledge, its just slapped together and written in something simple like notepad or wordpad. Give that you can write it there, i figured that a xml translator could just be incorporated into the emu, resulting in everyone not needing to install addition programs to get the server going. The only thing that should be installed is a database engine such as MySQL or PortegeSQL. (the latter is just for another reference.
Anyhow though, i plan to take addition interest in this far beyond what I did in eqemu so no matter what quest are wrote in, i plan on learning that language.

Spooler · Post by **Spooler** » Wed Aug 29, 2007 5:54 pm

I may be posting this a little to late but i notcied last night i was the only person thinking of the aggro system.
It's one of those things that really is important especially in instances for things like mobs running through walls and killing you or coming from ontop of you.
Just thought i would add my 2 cents worth.
Keep up the good work guys !

techguy84 · Post by **techguy84** » Wed Aug 29, 2007 6:08 pm

Spooler wrote:I may be posting this a little to late but i notcied last night i was the only person thinking of the aggro system.
It's one of those things that really is important especially in instances for things like mobs running through walls and killing you or coming from ontop of you.
Just thought i would add my 2 cents worth.
Keep up the good work guys !

Pfft.. Aggro is overrated. Who in the hell wants mobs to attack them just cause they dont like them. Thats not realistic. Mobs should just stand there with zero AI and watch you run through and kill all thier brothers and sisters, one by one.... now thats realistic.
j/k btw...
Aggro is a great feature, and will of course be implemneted in due time, but this was kind of a priority poll. What good is a aggro system if you cant fight the aggro. As far as Intellgent aggro, thats a different story all together. Starting out, mobs may attack through walls, or magically see you from 300 yards away just cause your a high elf. Getting aggros to work is step one, tweaking them is step two, and then step three is perfecting them. You only have to make them right once, as aggro in general will not change with every live update and new expansion. It will still be aggro. Get aggro going is going to be a higher priorty, but below things like zoning, movment, combat, but above thins like Guild features, trade skills, and dare I say questing. Assuming of course, but it would make sense that way.

Zex · Post by **Zex** » Wed Aug 29, 2007 6:23 pm

You had me up until the jk. Too much Hypnotoad tv.

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