Hi everyone!

I know its been a while since we looked at creating a basic system that is free for everyone to access, but I would like to suggest that a new effort be started. Zmud and mushclient are very common tools for Windows users, and creating GUI interfaces for them is a lofty goal that I hope continues, but they certainly aren't very universal clients. Especially Zmud, costing money.

Instead, I'd like to start up a new project that modifies Whyte's Imperian Mudbot system (created under GPL) for use with Lusternia. The goals would be to create a basic, accessible healing system that is free for anyone to use with any client; to provide an ingame mapping system that covers all public areas without detracting from the enjoyment of exploration, and finally to make it easy and customizable in use.

The original system sources (v6) of the Imperian Modularized Trigger System is available at Sourceforge - http://sourceforge.net/projects/imts.

I'm only a hobbyist coder, but I know that we have many amazing coders and creative minds in Lusternia, and I think we can create something really wonderful. If you're interested, please speak up!

There are a number of simultaneous areas I envision we will need to progress through:

1) Modifying the main server communications code to work seamlessly with Lusternia (main.c mainly).

2) Creating a lusternian defensive module to handle afflictions and so on. The more similar this is to the Imperian module with the differences externalized the better. ((lusternia.c say)

3) Modifying the mapping module -slightly- in case there are any differences with Lusternia. (l_mapper.c)

4) Collecting the map data once the mapping module is complete. (IMap)


The beauty of this system is that other modules can be created and added later, to do anything that the creators want. In this way, if we can create a useful and stable base, it can really give every player an equal opportunity to succeed in the amazing world of Lusternia.

Is this something that others would be interested in working on?

I pondered playing with the system too when I found it back then... my main problem is that I'm not familiar with C. Right now my main problem is a lack of time, also known as examn preparations.

I'm in if we can get a decent team to work together.

I no longer play, but I am knowledgeable enough in C to help if there's something needed and I am provided with the game information (I am not researching the triggers, afflictions, cures and all that myself).
Should be easy enough, problem would be just adding power tracking, and deciding what skills use to priorize, etc...

So it basically functions as a proxy?

I am more than happy to help, my C is plenty up to scratch, but if we are thinking modular, maybe we should pick an easier scripting language that others can get involved with, something like Python or Lua or Ruby, throw together an interface module for talking between the main proxy and the scripts thus meaning people proficient in more useable programming languages have a chance, along with giving people who want to help but may be less proficient coders an easy language to learn not having to dive into the beast that is C as a first attempt?

EDIT: It would also make the thing extremely extensible for people who have less powerful clients to do some of the client side scripting as script modules for the proxy

EDIT 2: Ok so I know actually looked at the source and it already has its own script language sort of, so I guess thats a bit redundant.

As an aside, if we are going to do this in any form, is there any chance of one of the gods explaining how exactly the ATCP works in Lusternia?

I assume we need an IAC DO ATCP so 255 253 ??? I think someone mentioned its option 200 somewhere but not sure, but what is the message structure for an ATCP message? IAC SB ATCP something IAC SE?

If I remember the Rapture manual correctly, ATCP is 200. As to how it works, I think that it is just responsible for sending the information about health, mana, etc with that "NL:..." line that showed up in Joli's log that one time. The structure you have is right, it's just the question of what that something is.

In about 3 months or so, mudbot won't be needed anymore - at least for those that upgrade to zuggsofts CMUD. Everything in nice packages, getting rid of the clunkiness because of the forced backwards (to windows 95) compatability, compiled scripts, etc...

Not to mention the Package Library which will mean you can just download packages other users have chosen to upload (and put in as shared not private) for your muds in question.

Well, the reason that Mudbot is interesting (at least to me) is:

1) Free of charge (and Free as in speech for those who care, which you should)
2) Works on any platform, with any client.
3) Fast, as it's a compiled C program

I don't know anything about Zuggsoft or their future plans, as I don't run any Windows computers and do don't pay any mind to it. But if it's cross-platform and at free of charge, it might be something to look into as an alternative.

Mudbot is also a bitch to setup properly, just look at the sheer number of people that have taken a look at what he has done and then gone off onto alternate options because of the imminent brain haemorages that trying to convert it to that caliber takes. And this isn't just talking about that awesome little mapper he has there either.

CMUD won't make much of a difference, if only for current zMUD users. The main problem with the current MUD clients is that they:

1) Are great, but Windows only (Mushclient, Zmud, Wintin.Net).
2) Are great and run anywhere, but too "Linuxish" (Tinyfugue, Lyntin).
3) Run anywhere but suck.

CMUD automatically falls into the 1st category above.

MudBot won't solve the problem either, since it's too complicated to tweak in its current form and thus will still require a decent client on top. But it has at least one killer feature going for it: the free mapper.

P.S. What would be really cool, though, is a MUD client as a Firefox extension. Why won't IRE jump on that fashionable bandwagon? Just imagine all those Firefox bloggs light up with terms "Achaea", "Aetolia", "Imperian", "Lusternia"!

I dunno. In Imperian, mudbot Just Works for a pretty good population of people. Once the module is converted for Lusternia it'll just work too. It's relatively easy to add new afflictions and even new cures. It's really just a big initial effort to convert it, if it's worthwhile for some people to do it, then we'll do it. If other people want to set up something for zMud, something new from scratch or whatever, they'll do that.

I'm just saying that I personally think the Mudbot program is pretty good in how it works and in its goals. I'll help as I can to convert it to Lusternia as I'm already looking at it for Achaea too.

I looked into fiddling with Mudbot a while back when I was starting on building a system of my own... And while at first it seemed a simple enough task of just adding and changing various cures, and adding new affliction lines etc. I soon realized that it would take a fairly large amount of adjusting with the power system, the differences in the balancing in Lusternia, as well as how there are acctually curative potions and a completely seperate balance for that.... I'm decent enough with C to do whatever... But its a pain in the buttocks to start cold looking at someone elses work with little to no knowledge of what they did with it or how they did it... In my experience, its simpler to work off a much more basic template and go from there, rather than having to backwards engineer a fully developed system to a point you can work from.

I agree it may be better to start from scrath but using Whyte's code as a guide, because trying to evolve the code from the current state is only going to end up causing all sorts of wacky and wonderful bugs we didn't think of, because we do not know the code base inside out.

i can use that automapper here, can't i?
hmm

Guessing Project L was a bust, as well as the split offs of Z and M?

Well, Project Z ran right into the wall. I've made a new forum account as I'm restarting my Lusternia experience, but I'm glad to help with Project L instead.

Since I already posted in this topic about cmud, I can't really be bothered starting a new topic on something that will be invaluable to the Project L community. Take a look at these screenshots of the new Package Library that will be part of cmud.

what does that matter to the rest of us who don't have zmud and won't be getting zmud/cmud?

@Asarnil
You seem to be forgetting one of the important reasons that MudBot was decided upon - FREE.
CMUD will cost MONEY, MUBOT will NOT.

And, where is the Lusternia MudBot code now? I haven't seen or heard anything about development in months. zMUD, on the other hand, has many combat systems available. None of them is yet free, but there are various reasons for that. Either zMUD or CMUD is well worth the price you pay for the registered version, and the money goes a long way towards encouraging the developer to continue improving the product. Free stuff carries very little incentive with it, other than the satisfaction that you're helping someone who can't (or won't) pay for a product.