EQ Zone "Previewer"

Mongrel · #1 02-03-2004, 09:44 PM

I was curious about the WLD file format and WCs OpenZone always makes me jealous, so I decided to write my own zone viewer.

I can load zones and objects just fine and fly around. Transparent/Masked textures aren't really working yet, but that won't take long. Also it's kinda slow right now, but unoptimized, since I was learning WLDs while I was writing the viewer.

(Note: I know, there's another zone viewer out there, but I never really liked the fact that it's closed source, plus it's not THAT advanced.)

This, in itself, doesn't justify the time spent, so I'm thinking of extending this to make it a "zone previewer" for EQEmu.

I could connect to the DB and populate the zones with the mobs (with dummies as models, since we can't load the actual EQ models).

The viewer would always show your loc, show the aggro radius (large 3D circle on the ground or maybe a sphere) of mobs, the loot, stats, etc... (maybe by clicking on it), the names of all placed objects and things like that.

This would allow world builders to quickly preview a zone without having to use the client. And it would be possible to show additional information about the mobs which would otherwise need complicated commands.

Now, here's my question:
Would you be interested in this?

Kroeg · #2 02-04-2004, 02:11 AM

http://www.rpgexpert.com/articles/Ev...es-Offline.htm

Great Idea, but just know that it has been done.

Although, something that would be new and cool would be the ability to be able to view animated textures on-the-fly (like you're really in the zone) in the "previewer", and stuff like that. Otherwise, it'd only be an extra app to load to do the one thing that openzone already does. Hope this helps.

Mongrel · #3 02-04-2004, 02:15 AM

Read my post again

I know that there's a zone viewer, which is why want to add the DB stuff to make it more usable for EQEmu.

Trumpcard · #4 02-04-2004, 02:59 AM

If you could meld in the ability to manipulate the objects, say visually move a mob around, change its facing, etc, then you'd have an awesome world building tool

Kroeg · #5 02-04-2004, 04:17 AM

that would be awesome, and would probably get used by everyone..

Mongrel: sorry man, I shouldn't read the forum before 7am... sometimes tired eyes don't read everything. Actually, your idea is awesome and I, for one, would love it.

farce · #6 02-04-2004, 04:41 AM

So what you're saying is to create an EQ zone viewer, with some code written to allow you to view spawns ( but maybe not with models ) and to place them, edit loot, spawngroups and such, perhaps paths?

Kinda like EQemu and an eq client... =P

But you're right.. a custom interface for it would be much better than #commands.

I say yes!

Mongrel · #7 02-04-2004, 06:03 AM

This is in no way meant to be a client. It should never communicate with the server.

A ZoneViewer that is able to communicate with EQEMu -> A ZoneViewer that is able to communicate with live server -> Lots of trouble with SoE -> BAAAAD thing!

samandhi · #8 02-04-2004, 07:14 AM

Quote:

If you could meld in the ability to manipulate the objects, say visually move a mob around, change its facing, etc, then you'd have an awesome world building tool

There IS such a basic tool out there that you can do all this, except you will have to stick with using #commands like we do, and that basic viewer is called Ethernalquest <smile>

Kroeg · #9 02-04-2004, 03:19 PM

Are you being serious, or are you just trying to knock your post count up? lol :lol:

Windcatcher · #10 02-04-2004, 04:33 PM

Quote:

A ZoneViewer that is able to communicate with live server -> Lots of trouble with SoE

I doubt that could ever even happen, let alone be a problem for SOE. I doubt anyone would ever be able to 100% recreate the encryption anyway, and it would be absolutely trivial for SOE to detect anyone using a client other than theirs to connect to their servers. I don't think you need worry about creating a client. Frankly I look forward to laughing (hard) at the nimrods who'd use it to try to cheat on EQLive and get their behinds banned.

The only thing I was worried about when writing OpenZone was if people tried to use it to cheat ingame. Not as a client, but if people tried to change existing SOE zones. That's why OpenZone doesn't have the ability to load .WLD files. It would be utter child's play for me to add that capability, but I won't -- because cheating would indeed then be easy and that isn't my intention at all (and I'm not interested in antagonizing SOE for no reason).

WC

Shadow-Wolf · #11 02-04-2004, 04:47 PM

actualy wind they wouldn't be able to play if you skip the patcher servers wont let you in atleast i dont think they would be able to cause i went past the patcher to eqlive servers(not for cheating reasons i didn't even know Openzone or custom zones existed) and i kept gettin 1017 until i patched(and there was nothing for the patcher to DL)

Mongrel · #12 02-04-2004, 07:15 PM

Hmm, I stopped playing live over a year ago, but back then it was possible to skip the patcher. I did it every time, because the patcher was/is so annoyingly slow, hehe.

1010101 · #13 02-06-2004, 07:01 AM

I still skip the patcher on a daily basis. It can certainly be done. From past experience, however, I seem to recall that if you try to use a modified executable (well, a significantly modified executable, anyway), it'll dump you rather than let you log all the way in. If I'm remembering correctly, zoning into a modified S3D caused the server to dump you, too. It's been a few years since I've done any experimentation with that, though, so my memories might not be correct.

Daeath · #14 02-18-2004, 08:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trumpcard

If you could meld in the ability to manipulate the objects, say visually move a mob around, change its facing, etc, then you'd have an awesome world building tool

Mongrel, if your viewer could both read and write to the DB then you would take an uber-like status with much of the world building community; ie. asked to kiss babies, be put on christmas card mailing lists, name in lipstick on mirrors/bathroom stalls, etc...

Seriously, a 3D viewer with SQL query/statement capabilities would definately top the download charts. And, if you throw in a way to view npc movement/wandering AND/OR quest interaction (practically the whole client, I know)- stop the presses! I for one would be the first in line to download it, nay - I would even think about donating to such a worthy charity - thinking being the keyword, of course.

Chicomalo · #15 02-18-2004, 09:07 PM

Wow! if you can come up with something like that, I think that would kick some serious a$$. I am not much of a coder so I won't have any idea how it can be possible, but if you know a away and have some idea in how to make it happen. Then more power to you bro. The mind is a very powerful tool that if you can put your mind into anything. It can be done.

So, Wish you best of luck if you start a project like that, would love to see the result in the end. I think it would make it easy for alot of world builders and peepz.