Hi everyone!

It seems like there isn't going to be a big response to the coding tasks, but while we fiddle with that, I think getting a working map for all places in Lusternia would be a great intermediate step.

Now, I've been thinking about how we can have different people helping to map different areas, and the logistics, and I think I've come up with a workable solution. Anyone who wants to can choose an area that hasn't yet been mapped anywhere in Lusternia, and create a file that contains all the information needed to make a pretty map for Mudbot for that area.

Here is how it will work.

1) Download the following zip file: <> (for windows).

2) Extract the files to any directory on your computer, remembering where it is. Windows XP has an inbuilt wizard for extracting files, or you could try free zip programs such as Winzip or PowerArchiver.

3) You'll see a number of files that have been extracted. "mb-core.exe" is the main program file that you can run, "config.txt" contains some configuration settings that you shouldn't have to change, but you can check if you like. Finally, "IMap" is a blank file that will store the map for an area you will create. Other files are used in running the program.

4) Run mb-core.exe. A Mudbot v2.4 window with green writing should appear, and this means that it is ready to be used.

5) Open the client you use to connect to Lusternia (Zmud, Mushclient, etc), but instead of connecting to lusternia.com on port 23, connect to localhost on port 23. (If you want to use Nexus, PM me about it because it requires a few extra steps)

6) Log into Lusternia, and go to the place you want to start mapping. Now its time to get underway!

changed:
First set the room title colour that you use by typing MAP COLOR TITLE . For me, I use a bright white color title, so I need to type MAP COLOR TITLE BRIGHT-WHITE. The colours you can use here are:

red, green, brown, blue, magenta, cyan, white, dark, bright-red, bright-green, bright-yellow, bright-blue, bright-magenta, bright-cyan, bright-white

You should also set the colour of your exits line. I use brown, so I type here MAP COLOR EXITS BROWN.

7) Type MAP CREATE to start the mudbot mapper. It will ask you to LOOK, and when you do you'll have created your first room! It should appear when you type MAP. Don't forget to SURVEY in every room, so that it knows what the environment is and what the area is called.

8) Now just move around, looking and surveying in each room. Gradually a map of the area will take shape. You might like to look at MAP HELP, ROOM HELP, EXIT HELP and AREA HELP as you progress, but I found I didn't need to know many of these.

The extra commands you might find useful are:

EXIT LENGTH : This makes a link between two rooms longer. It can help if you need to rearrange the rooms slightly to make the map look better. To use it, you type EXIT LENGTH 1 (0 is the default length, 1 is twice as long, 2 is three times as long, etc), then move in the direction you want the link extended.

EXIT LINK : This will create a link from the room you are standing in, to a room that already exists in your map, if the mapper isn't doing it by default. To use it, you type EXIT LENGTH 23 (if room number 23 was where I wanted to link to), and then move in the direction that the exit is.

9) When you're done, type MAP SAVE. Now find the file IMap and you will see it has been filled with all the rooms you have explored. Upload it to this thread so that others don't remap the same area, and we'll put them all together at the end.

If you want to map multiple areas, make sure you start with a clean IMap file each time, so that it is easier for us to collate at the end. The reason I would like to do it this way is so that the room numbers mudbot creates are always from 1 to around 100 for each area, so putting them together just means adding a prefix to each of the vnums. Simplicity sounds good.

Ok, this might have been confusing, or it might not work for you even by following the above steps. If so, feel free to PM me in these forums or on AIM as LorienSpirit9 and I can try and make it easier or solve whatever the problem might be.

I'll be putting up a corresponding version for Linux users shortly.

Hmm, ok. Apparently we can't upload files without an extension. So before you upload your completed area map, just rename it from "IMap" to "IMap.txt".

Example:

Area: Avaerin
Creator: Elryn
File:

As promised, I think this minimal version of mudbot should work for linux users:

The instructions follow almost identically, just run "bot" instead of mb-core.exe.

Wow, thanks to the generous efforts of Jarwin, the following areas have been added to the list:

Shallamar
Avechna's Peak
Transcendental Fulcrux
Newton Caverns
Ackleberry Highway
Avechna's Teeth
Northern Mountains
Rockholm
North Serenwilde
Razines
Old Imperial Road
Southern Mountains
Southgard
Grey Moors
Glomdoring
Ankgrad
Blasted Land
Emerald Road
Acknor
Magnagora
Estelbar
Alabaster Road
Toronada Tidal Flats
South Serenwilde
Oleanvir Valley
New Celest
Delport
Skarch Desert
Dairuchi
Nomad Camp
Mesa Compound
Great Southern Highway
Stewartsville
Shanthmark
Paavik
Balach Swamp
Lolliprin
Caverns of Smoke Mountain
Top of Smoke Mountain
Faethorn
Nil
Earth

So.. Err.. What's left?

Astral, the two seas, the Celest Sewers

That was fast, here I was thinking I could set some time aside later this week.. ah well, I'm glad to see it moving along! I wish I knew more about the codey stuff so that I could be more of a help.

Well damn, I feel useless . Oh well, well done!

There are still lots of places to be added, don't be disheartened! Also, for any who would like to see what we've got so far (mostly due to Jarwin ), I'll add the latest IMap file for you to use.

I've also slightly modified the mapper program of Whyte's to be a little more helpful. Aether manses will now be mapped properly as separate areas, and you can configure the room exit colour that you use.

If you'd like to add more areas, I guess we'll just build on top of the IMap file that is already included in this package. Just let us know and upload a copy whenever you add one.

<-- Updated windows mapper files

I'll see about getting a sourceforge project set up as Morik suggested, so its easy to compare sources.

Even if you don't want to add new mapping areas, try it out for yourself and see what you think!

Edit: Added following areas:
- Shallach River
- Sea of Despair (surface only, incomplete)
- Spectre Isle
- Shallach Ruins
- Some manses (incomplete)

Incidentally, if you're using the above mapper and find something isn't working with Lusternia movement skills, post it. I've noticed a few things that need to be changed already, such as sprint.

sorry to be a pain, but whats left. I really want to help

Dunno what I'm doing wrong but I have no map, using the file you uploaded.

EDIT: I lied it's there, I just expected something different. I keep getting the error 'no current room set' ?

Ok, make sure you have told it the right colours that match your Lusternia CONFIG COLOUR settings for your title and exits, via

MAP COLOUR TITLE (colour)

and

MAP COLOUR EXITS (colour)

For me, I use bright-white for the title, and brown for the exits. Once you've done that, try LOOK, and it should find where you are. (The list of colour names is in the first post in this thread)


As for what areas are left, there are a few. The Inner Sea, the remainder of the Sea of Despair, the rivers, the Astral plane... I'm sure there are more though. If you get the map up and running, try typing AREA LIST to see what's included. Anything with a green (l) beside it means that there are links not completed (which could be locked doors, but maybe unfinished areas). Oh, guildhalls probably won't be there, since we can each only access our own.

Also, just using the map generally would be helpful at this stage. No doubt there are hidden areas that might have been missed, or links which weren't quite mapped correctly or have changed. Any of these modifications can be reported too, not just new areas themselves!

Edit: Did that work?

Yes! Thank you so much. Now, how to speed walk *goes through the help files*

Er, just be careful with those advanced functions.

I'm pretty sure they'll work, but a lot of the code is still referencing Imperian stuff, like whether you've eaten pear or not, or their sprinting messages. And we'll probably have to code something about not wandering through enemy territory.

Well, let us know how you get on.

Pathsetting is fine, speedwalking is..not happening at the moment.

EDIT: MAP PATH 4160, for example, maps the path but hitting GO will only take me one room at a time along the path. Is there a different command for speedwalking?

Nuts, I'll have a look at that when I get home. Anyone else had a go at either the mapper or perusing the code and can see why speedwalking might be a problem?

Type in: MAP NONE, then MAP FOLLOW ON, then do it.

You had map create on. - Edit

Ooo, if that works, nice.

Thanks Silvanus!

Thanks Sil!

As a side note, this thing has me giggling like a school girl! No more fumbling about to get somewhere!