A summation of my knowledge

[Sourdough35]

Ok, since I don't actually have a working account, and can't get one yet, I'm stuck reading these posts and slowly filling out my newbie knowledge base. So here's my current understanding of what the server emulator, database does and how it works. If any of this is wrong, i'd appreciate being corrected so I'll understand better.

-The server emulator mimics a server, which is what everyone's connecting to when they change their eqhost.txt file. I got that

-The server must have a locally available database file, of which, the most advanced and complete is the PEQ DB 6.0 or something like that. (This is where i begin to get lost)

-The most complete databases available up until now, accurately spwan in monsters and npcs in the locations they appear on the live servers and do so only for everquest classic and ruins of kunark expansions. Everything else hasn't been populated yet. (Yes? I'm not sure) Also, to populate the rest of the expansions is an undertaking that will probably take many more months to complete.

-What is not available are quests. This may be incorrect, but the quests NPCs give out on the live servers have not been written into the database. A program called PERL enables us to write our own quests, but as far as I know, there is not, in existence, a supplemental database of the quests for any EQ product or expansion that mimics the quests available on the live servers. I'm not sure if this is because including quests is another substantial amount of effort of it's just that no one really cares about the quests on EQlive.

-NPC and monster AI has some issues with pathing in the current emulator, from what I understand. In dungeons, a lot of monsters will default to following players through walls in a straight line, creating trains and other problems. Additionally, guards do not automatically help players who are being attacked by monsters nearby. This can be enabled, but it is not by default in the emulator, or the database. (I'm not sure which needs to be modified.) As far as I know, like the quests, there is no single compilation of aggro, and faction configuration data that allows a server to mimic the guard and monster behavior of the everquest world. (Again, correct me if I'm wrong)

This is my understanding of how the current system works and what some of the major existing limitations are. Keep in mind, these are the rantings of a guy with way too much free time, who just wants to set up a freaking server and see for himself. Until then, I'd appreciate any knowledge guy guys have on here.


**Kudos to everyone involved in developement of anything on here. Seems like you've put amazing amounts of work into this.


ahhhh, EDIT - one more thing! although this might be inappropriate. I'm not sure how many of you have been on blizzhackers, but there's a new server package in developement called NOX. I don't think this is an anti-EQEMU topic since nox appears to be a server package that can be used towards creating clients for software in general. What I wanna know is, will this be a boon to the developement of eqEmu as well, or will the NOX technology not help it out? If it's helpful, it'd be awesome once it hits if the devs took advantage of it to iron the emu out completely!

[Cisyouc]

Originally Posted by Sourdough35

-The server must have a locally available database file, of which, the most advanced and complete is the PEQ DB 6.0 or something like that. (This is where i begin to get lost)

Actually, the database can be hosted anywhere. Just adjust your db.ini. You refer to PEQ DB 6.0... I dont think that PEQ has version numbers but i could be wrong. 0.6.0-DR1/2 refers to the server version. There may be subversions under 1 version number but they usually only change the version number if there is a signifigant change (like an update to live)

Originally Posted by Sourdough35

-What is not available are quests. This may be incorrect, but the quests NPCs give out on the live servers have not been written into the database. A program called PERL enables us to write our own quests, but as far as I know, there is not, in existence, a supplemental database of the quests for any EQ product or expansion that mimics the quests available on the live servers. I'm not sure if this is because including quests is another substantial amount of effort of it's just that no one really cares about the quests on EQlive.

Perl isn't really a program per se, its a scripting interpreter.. so with some knowledge of perl alone, and then add to that prior knowledge the eqemu commands, it really helps improve your quests. The problem with having a quest database is most every server on the EQEMu community wants to hog their stuff, whether its EQLive or Custom. A database can be packetcollected so servers cant usually 'hog' eqlive db stuff, but AFAIK quests cannot be easily anyway, be packetcollected into perl files (however you could manage just using logs and comments).

If you have any more questions feel free to join us in IRC (#support).

[Sourdough35]

Thanks for the help, so far.

It's surprising that no one wants to share their quest databases, especially considering the world of warcraft community is more or less quest-centric, with that being that focus of most of the database. I'm surprised no one has tried to start a project like that. Anyway, is there somewhere or some online vault I can go to get the output information from such packet collectors to create my own quests ? I know alkhazam has many many quests online, but in terms of the logfiles you mentioned. Does anysite host those?

[fathernitwit]

http://www.sf.net/projects/eqemuquests
you gotta use cvs to download them.

only one server is trying to be like live, the rest of the servers are custom so one servers custom quests are worthless to another server,