Reason to use SOD client

[provocating]

Is there any reason to use the SoD client over the SoF client ? I am just curious I have TiT, SoF and SoD. I notice the human model character deal on SoD and I am sure I can work that out, but is there are a reason to use it ?

[Chanus]

Zone availability would be the best reason. If your client doesn't have the expansion where the zone was introduced, you won't be able to go to it. But with SoF/SoD, it's only an issue if you're in your 70s as there wasn't any new lower level content between those expansions.

Also previous clients tend to be more stable, just as the nature of things.

[trevius]

I am not sure which human model character issue you are referring to on SoD, unless you mean a few zones having humans instead of normal races, where the races have since been updated (like rats, snakes, mummies, etc).

Either way, there are several reasons to use SoD over the SoF client. The most important reason is SoD has MUCH better stability than SoF and even better than Titanium as well. It also has fixes for nearly all of the issue that the SoF client has, but stability is the main one. Also, there are more new zones, weapon models, higher max level, etc etc.

[provocating]

So basically things like the old "device reset" error and stuff where the clients steps on it's own d*ck ?

Yeah I was talking about the humanoid snakes and lions and stuff running around the zones. Is there a compelling way to know exactly which SoD I have ? I downloaded it a while back but not sure if it is the Underfoot version or not.

[Chanus]

Check for these zone files (.eqg or .s3d, I imagine they would be .eqg) in your Everquest folder.

http://everquest.allakhazam.com/db/zone.html?zcont=Underfoot

Those are Underfoot zones which you wouldn't have if you had an earlier SoD client.

[provocating]

Looks like mine is Underfoot.

I payed for mine via steam and I guess there is no way to revert back ? Is there a problem using the Underfoot version compared to the earlier ?

[Chanus]

I think they're working on the Underfoot version, so you may run into some issues, but it won't be a dead end at least.

I believe it's also missing some files (which may be intentional to force you to patch in order to have the full game). Of course, you don't want to patch, so you'd need to find those files, possibly in an older client version. There's a list of the missing ones somewhere if you search, I think... possibly in the development thread for SoD/Underfoot if I remember right.

[Chanus]

Info here:

http://www.eqemulator.org/forums/showthread.php?t=31635

[provocating]

I am going to go ahead and use it. I am also going to work on obtaining a pre patched SoD version. I just would like to have every version on my NAS, just to have them.

[trevius]

After you run the client, you can check the everquest/logs/dbg.txt file and check the date at the top of it. If it isn't June 7 2010, then it should be the real SoD client.

[provocating]

After you run the client, you can check the everquest/logs/dbg.txt file and check the date at the top of it. If it isn't June 7 2010, then it should be the real SoD client.


June 8, 2010


So my question is, if I want to start using the Underfoot client, which I am seriously considering then how can I fix the little model problem. If I understand correctly these zones have been revamped, is it that our server just does not have the current information for these revamped zones and we are sticking to the old stuff ? So like right now I am in Toxulia (TOX) and everything, even the guards are male human. Is there an easy way to display the revamped zone or I do I need to copy files from an older client ?

[trevius]

It is partially because they revamped many of the old zones and replaced them with completely new versions. So, there is no longer a need to load any of those models for the old versions of the zone. The other part is like I said that some models were updated to new global models or just new models and so the old ones don't need to be loaded anymore.

You can do any of the following:

1. Copy the zone_chr.txt (for each zone you have model issues with, where "zone" is the short name of the zone) files from your Titanium client over to your UF install folder, and overwrite any there. This will make it load them just like Titanium did, but would need to be done on each client using UF on your server. You could also just copy all of the _chr.txt files from your Titanium folder to your UF folder and just replace them all to have the same result and simplify the process a bit. You can search your Titanium folder for files named *_chr.txt and just copy paste them into the UF folder. This is the simplest solution.

2. You can update the models on your server on a case by case basis to new models that have replaced the old ones. This probably wouldn't be all too hard with some SQL queries, but you will still need to have a full list of all models that need to be updated from what to what. Though, you could just do them as you find them. This solution should make the UF client work fine for all players, I think, but Titanium won't load those same models, so it would mess up the Titanium clients and they would then see humans instead. This solution is a little harder than the first, but not really too bad if you know what you are doing.

3. You can manually finish off the new revamped versions of the old zones by adding loot tables, quests, factions, etc to each zone to match the old versions as close as possible. Then, you can adjust zone lines to send the new clients to the new version and old clients to the original versions. I think this is actually the best solution, but it is also by far the most work to do. The downside to doing this is that your Titanium clients won't be able to group with your SoD and UF clients in those zones, since they will each be in their own separate version of the zone.

So, there you have it. Probably more than you wanted to know, but that is it in a nutshell.

[provocating]

So, there you have it. Probably more than you wanted to know, but that is it in a nutshell.

Not at all, in fact that is a great answer. Thanks so much for taking the time to type that out. I think I will go with the two later answers. I know I can easily do the SQL queries and adjust the zone lines. No worries on the Titanium clients, because there are only three players and I know them. One thing though, if you can just point me in the right direction. I know how to change the zone points and change the character models in the database. The loot tables, factions, quest and such, you say they would have to be changed ? Is this because of them being a different what ?

[blackdragonsdg]

So basically things like the old "device reset" error and stuff where the clients steps on it's own d*ck ?


That type of error can be the game or other things. As an example Nvidia has had major issues with their drivers generating erroneous messages about device driver resets and also driver failure in general where the device resets itself completely. Both of those problems still existed as of early 2010. I don't know if either were ever completely resolved.

[provocating]

Yep. So the SoD client seems to be a little better ? So far it has not crapped out on me yet. I could do a simple ALT-ENTER or ALT-TAB and kill the Titanium client 50% of the time.

[Chanus]

I never had a problem with Titanium myself, but I also have not had a problem with SoD.

So... yeah.

[provocating]

Probably using an ATI. Nvidia is awesome, but seems to have issues with EQ.

[Chanus]

Yeah, NVidia always has. I remember around the time LDoN came out and armor textures went completely white on me.

Stupid GeForce...

[provocating]

Stupid GeForce...

No, sacrilegious ! Good GeForce !