Bind zones/ no bind zones

[Angelox]

well, it's all a matter of how you look at it. When I played Pre-Kunark, it was the best time I ever had in Everquest , only matched by all the fun I have working with the EqEmulator. My main character was a Ranger, and he was very limited at the time, but I managed to find the right people to group with (Wizard, Cleric, Druid, etc.) and together, we did some pretty incredible things for the era.
I always want to make the old zones, just as they were - with hopes someday we might have a nice old school server.
Binding restrictions was an intricate part of the old game, also, travel was restricted to boats and your feet, or whenever you could find a druid. This made the game seem bigger - a trip from Gfay to Freeport took some time, and was risky. The game was hard, but challenging. Little things make a big difference ; where you can bind, where you can use sow, levitate, etc. This is Verant style game, when it got passed over to SOE, things started to change fast.

[ChaosSlayer]

Originally Posted by Angelox

well, it's all a matter of how you look at it. When I played Pre-Kunark, it was the best time I ever had in Everquest , only matched by all the fun I have working with the EqEmulator. My main character was a Ranger, and he was very limited at the time, but I managed to find the right people to group with (Wizard, Cleric, Druid, etc.) and together, we did some pretty incredible things for the era.
I always want to make the old zones, just as they were - with hopes someday we might have a nice old school server.
Binding restrictions was an intricate part of the old game, also, travel was restricted to boats and your feet, or whenever you could find a druid. This made the game seem bigger - a trip from Gfay to Freeport took some time, and was risky. The game was hard, but challenging. Little things make a big difference ; where you can bind, where you can use sow, levitate, etc. This is Verant style game, when it got passed over to SOE, things started to change fast.

I also started playign pre-kunark. And yes, I also adore spirit of adventure by having to travel by foot. But there are features, and there are annoyances: giving half of the classes a convinience to bind and gate, whiel others may have to run from Qeynos to Freeport 7 times just because they keep getting killed in Kithihor - is hardly fair, classic or no classic

not to mention itemezation pre-kunark sucked uterly. I remember melees showing up for nagafen raid in bronze, and entire server casters were either in Green or Black till 50, and sometimes way after that.
What I am trying to say- Verant Vision was horibly unbalanced, it got better with Kunark/Velious. (and no SOE vision is not any better, and thats the reason I am making my own server )

[TheLieka]

I know it's not 100% perfect, but this is how we did it (same type of approach that Angelox was talking about). I hardcoded a list of city zones, and if you're not a caster, you cannot bind or be bound outside of those zones (note: this list only goes up to luclin - but since our server is Old World only, it's overkill for us ).

Anyway, it could be easily expanded upon if anyone was interested in using it.

Currently, it says:
If the zone is not listed as "CanBind" in the zones table, then you cannot bind (unless you're a GM).
If the zone isn't in the hardcoded list of cities, and you're not a caster, then you cannot bind (unless you're a GM).
Otherwise, you can bind.

It's not beautiful, and I would like to clean it up and put it into the database, but honestly, it gets its job done, so I haven't messed with it. If anyone else wants to use it, be my guest.

Dax

./zone/zone.h

void	SetGraveyard(int32 zoneid, int32 x, int32 y, int32 z, int32 heading);
	bool	IsCity(int32 zoneid); //Lieka Edit:  Put in for melee binding rules

./zone/zone.cpp

	void Zone::SetGraveyard(int32 zoneid, int32 x, int32 y, int32 z, int32 heading) {
	pgraveyard_zoneid = zoneid;
	pgraveyard_x = x;
	pgraveyard_y = y;
	pgraveyard_z = z;
	pgraveyard_heading = heading;
}
	bool Zone::IsCity(int32 zoneid) {
	if ((zoneid == 1) || //South Qeynos
		(zoneid == 2) || //North Qeynos
		(zoneid == 3) || //Surefall Glade
		(zoneid == 8) || //North Freeport
		(zoneid == 9) || //West Freeport
		(zoneid == 10) || //East Freeport
		(zoneid == 19) || //Rivervale
		(zoneid == 23) || //Erudin Palace
		(zoneid == 24) || //Erudin
		(zoneid == 29) || //Halas
		(zoneid == 40) || //Neriak Foreign Quarter
		(zoneid == 41) || //Neriak Commons
		(zoneid == 42) || //Neriak Third Gate
		(zoneid == 45) || //Qeynos Aqueduct Systems
		(zoneid == 49) || //Oggok
		(zoneid == 52) || //Grobb
		(zoneid == 54) || //Greateer Faydark
		(zoneid == 55) || //Ak`Anon
		(zoneid == 60) || //South Kaladim
		(zoneid == 61) || //Northern Felwithe
		(zoneid == 62) || //Southern Felwithe
		(zoneid == 67) || //Northern Kaladim
		(zoneid == 75) || //Paineel
		(zoneid == 82) || //Cabilis West
		(zoneid == 83) || //Swamp of No Hope
		(zoneid == 106) || //Cabilis East
		(zoneid == 155)) { //The City of Shar Vahl
			return true;
	} else {
			return false;
	}
}

./zone/spell_effects.cpp

			case SE_BindAffinity:
			{
#ifdef SPELL_EFFECT_SPAM
				snprintf(effect_desc, _EDLEN, "Bind Affinity");
#endif
				if (IsClient())
				{
					if((!zone->CanBind() && !CastToClient()->GetGM())){
						Message(13, "It would be very difficult for anyone to form an affinity with this area.");
						break;
				} else if ( ((!zone->IsCity(zone->GetZoneID())) && ((GetClass() != DRUID) && (GetClass() != CLERIC) && (GetClass() != SHAMAN) && (GetClass() != WIZARD) && (GetClass() != ENCHANTER) && (GetClass() != MAGICIAN) && (GetClass() != NECROMANCER)) && !CastToClient()->GetGM())){
						Message(13, "You cannot form an affinity with this area.  Try a city.");
						break;
					} else {
						CastToClient()->SetBindPoint();
						Save();
					}
				}
				break;
			}

[cavedude]

As ugly as it is, it's also a clever workaround. Though, I bet it wouldn't be hard to add a new column to zone and get rid of the hardcoding. I'll give that shot and see what I come up. I just got done merging your new MQ2 detection system into TGC's code (it looks perfect, I just need to clean up those 700 zone_points *sigh*) and was about to test it out... until I saw this post. Not sure if I should thank you or curse you :P

[TheLieka]

Haha, you're welcome and I'm sorry.

Dax

[BatCountry]

I think pre-Velious they had support for regions of zones being unbindable.

This may be faulty recollection, but I remember having to get bound right up against the wall on one corner of OT's city keep because I was KOS there and had screwed up my FV faction hunting those faerie dragon things.

If I recall correctly, I had just about enough time to squat, memorize SoW, cast it on myself, and run like hell before a patrolling guard ganked me after I died.

[ChaosSlayer]

bad bad bad code.
cuase it forcefuly hinders melee classes.
If we must have melee binding restriction - I much rather have an extra collumn like cavedude said
what we realy could use is a confirmation box when person is been bound, so evil casters do not bind melees say in VT
under Aten Ha Ra feet