Zugg Software :: View topic

Newbie Joined: 18 Jul 2004 Posts: 8

With the recent revelation that Turbine will be changing the format and number of data files in Asheron's Call: Throne of Destiny are there any plans to update AC Explorer and/or zExplorer to work with these new files?

As long as we're on the subject, are there plans to update ACX Server to work with the expansion?

*cross fingers*

Posted: Fri May 27, 2005 8:06 pm

No, unfortunately there are no plans to support this. The number of players of AC and the number of people using AC Explorer has dropped to such a low point that I just don't have time to spend working on it anymore. Sorry, but I'm afraid that these types of changes were inevitable when Turbine took over the game from Microsoft and as the user base on AC has declined significantly.

Newbie Joined: 18 Jul 2004 Posts: 8

I've spent the last minute or so keeping from typing out various arguments against your decision.

I'll just have to cross my fingers and hope that you change your mind in the future.

Newbie Joined: 28 May 2005 Posts: 2 Location: Solclaim

I'm dismayed at this news, however I completely understand your position.

As a paid user of ACExplorer, I will continue to use the wealth of information currently in the database, as much of it will remain accurate, and simply add new items for my own personal reference.

Perhaps someone as entrepreneurial as yourself will step up and take over the reigns.

If there's anything I, or the Crossroads of Dereth can provide you with, or do, to show support for all the work you have done and your considerable contribution to the community, just say the word.

-Ellen

Posted: Sat May 28, 2005 10:28 pm

I can understand the disappointment. But hopefully everyone can understand that I'm just one person, and with zMUD sales decreasing (which is what always subsidized AC Explorer), I *must* focus all of my time and effort on the new zApp and eMobius products in order to keep Zugg Software alive.

Perhaps in the future when sales have improved with these new projects then I'll be able to spend time on "fun" projects like AC Explorer.

Newbie Joined: 28 May 2005 Posts: 1

Maybe it's just me... But doesn't this not really make a big deal, at least for those of us who were just using AC Explorer for all the location and portal routing info it has?

I mean, ACSpedia will continue to work just fine -- the best parts of AC Explorer don't depend on AC data files to function.

Hell, by swapping out the AC Explorer map and doing the data files myself, I was long-ago able to make a free "RuneScape Explorer" program that I distributed back in that community, a long time ago.

All this'll break is the server stuff, right?

Newbie Joined: 18 Jul 2004 Posts: 8

Televangelist, and anyone else unfamiliar with AC Explorer:

AC Explorer provides routing based on terrain. If it can't read the data files it can't read the terrain.

AC Explorer will create a new map based on the latest data. If it can't read the files it can't generate a new map. True, you can get a .bmp elsewhere but I've never been able to figure out how, and the app being able to do this itself is very convenient.

ACX Server runs behind AC, sending your current location to AC Explorer. With this and a second computer (or a second monitor or windowed mode) you have a realtime gps-like interface for both yourself and any friends that might want you to be able to track them. I've found this to be an extremely useful feature, far more useful that I ever thought it would be before I tried it. If ACX isn't updated to be compatible with AC:ToD, this functionality is gone.

There's a lot more to AC Explorer than just a frontend to ACSpedia. These are the features I'll miss.

And yes, I'm a registered user of AC Explorer Pro.

Newbie Joined: 29 May 2005 Posts: 2

This is really disappointing, but I understand where you're coming from. Can you perhaps make the program open source -- or pass it on to another -- so players can continue to update it code and functionality wise?

ACVault offers our support as well.

Posted: Sun May 29, 2005 9:03 pm

Unfortunate, AC Explorer shares some source code with components written for zMUD, so I can't share the source, sorry.

Newbie Joined: 30 May 2005 Posts: 2

I understand the business aspects of it, but that doesn't mean I have to like it! Razz

I hope the situation changes in the future.

Newbie Joined: 31 May 2005 Posts: 1

I am just another licensed user stopping in to say first of all, how much I enjoyed using AC Explorer and what a great value it was. (Personally, I liked it better than zExplorer. Maybe it was a comfort thing, but I enjoyed how it was tailored specifically to AC.) I appreciate the effort that went into its creation and continued development.
I can understand the business aspect and that you need to focus your time where the growth is.
If you are ever in a situation where you have the time to update AC Ex for ToD out of love, we would certainly love you back!
;)

Newbie Joined: 31 May 2005 Posts: 2

I just registered to tell of my appreciation of using this fine product for the last couple years
ACexplorer is great and will be a huge letdown if it won't be usable with AC:ToD.
Mind you IMHO one of biggest reasons AC's population has declined is that you couldn't find it on the store shelves.
With the expansion there may be a lot of new blood out there,people who just pick up the box and fall in love with AC and possibly a new audience for ACexplorer.
My thinking is that you may or may not get many sales if you upgrade ACexplorer but you won't get any if it doesn't work with AC:ToD
I don't claim to know what's involved in an upgrade or your business model but it might behoove you to watch the sales/subscription #'s to see if it would be warranted
Thank you for such a cool product and listening
Good luck & I hope perhaps to see you in Dereth again one day Mr. Green

Newbie Joined: 02 Jun 2005 Posts: 1

Just another long time user hoping that AC Explorer gets an update sometime in the future. This is by far the most useful 3rd part application for AC that has ever existed or will.

Newbie Joined: 13 Apr 2001 Posts: 6

I am a registered user, though I quit AC for a while and lost the registration info during that 2 years. I do have to say that AC Explorer was the most useful third party ap I had ever used. I've been thinking about buying a new license recently. I know you mentioned earlier in the thread that you have other products. Do you have a newer product that will still work with AC 1? I mainly need the routing from place to place.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

Posted: Fri Jun 03, 2005 4:22 pm

AC Explorer Pro is the only product here that will handle the terrain-specific routing from place to place. zExplorer is the newer product, but it doesn't have the terrain data to do this function. If you send us a polite email message with your name, email, and postal address that you registered with to support@zuggsoft.com, we can usually send you your registration code.

Back to the issue of support for the new expansion...

If someone else wants to write a program to send the player location to AC Explorer Pro, the protocol for how ACX Server works is documented at: http://www.zuggsoft.com/ac/tracking.htm and also discussed in this thread: http://forums.zuggsoft.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=17795
So if someone figures out how the new client works and can find the memory locations, then you should be able to still get the real-time tracking in AC Explorer.

The terrain-specific route finding is a lot harder. All we can do is hope that Turbine doesn't completely change the data format and that after the expansion you'll still be able to update the terrain file.

Of course, updating the map is trivial...just replace the dereth.gif file that comes with AC Explorer with a new map of the same size.

The biggest problem will be if they completely change their coordinate system. If that happens, then nothing will work anymore. But I'd be surprised if they made such far-reaching changes to such a stable game in an expansion pack...that's just asking for trouble.

Newbie Joined: 22 Aug 2003 Posts: 9 Location: New Zealand

Zugg. I can understand your reasons for not updating AcExplorer.

My understanding is that real time tracking, route finding and map update will no longer work after the xpac arrives.

I can live without route finding. I hardly use it anyway.

But, real time tracking is really useful.

For me, I would be really happy to have a new map + some sort of decal based ACX server.

Any developers out there keen to write something like that :) ?

Zugg. If functions like real time tracking and new maps can be sorted. Would you be prepared to create neww versions of ACX without things like route finding?

Posted: Tue Jun 14, 2005 6:33 pm

Please read the rest of this topic completely. You'll see that I posted links to the ACX Server protocol that is used for tracking. Anyone could write a new ACX Server for the new expansion, as long as Turbine doesn't completely change how the coordinate system works.

But no, I don't have any plans to create a new version of ACX, sorry.

Newbie Joined: 25 Jun 2005 Posts: 1

I just tried @loc to sync up ACX Server and got this:

Your location is: 0xE3480023 [112.074493 70.110291 21.502018] 0.666632 0.000000 0.000000 -0.745387

What. the. hell? Okay well I guess AC Explorer is now officially dead. :(

Posted: Sat Jun 25, 2005 10:47 pm

You'll have to manually set up the memory locations. But it still looks like they are using a valid BLOCK (the hex number at the beginning) and X,Y,Z coordinates, so I don't see a huge problem with that. You'll just have to get your hands dirtier with the ACXServer config, or wait till someone else posts new memory locations. As long as they keep the BLOCK format, AC Explorer should be fine.

Newbie Joined: 06 Jul 2005 Posts: 1

So...does this mean that, in the future, AC Explorer Pro will become free since it's unsuported?

I would still like to use it for some older things that won't really be changing, such as dungeons and the like. Always helpful there.

Posted: Thu Jul 07, 2005 12:27 am

No. That wouldn't be fair to the people who paid for it.

Novice Joined: 14 Apr 2004 Posts: 33 Location: Colorado

A friend of mine and I tried to get a Decal plugin going that would transmit the information to ACXplorer over TCP/IP on a local network, but we could not get it working. I guess our skills are just not good enough yet. :(

Newbie Joined: 22 Jul 2005 Posts: 6

ok great.. ive used acexplorer for many years now.. its a great tool and up and to the time turbine messed up the xpack i always highly recommended it.. thx for dropping the app like a hot potatoe.. really i appreciate it.. well i guesss this just saves me the 20 bucks or whatever the quarterly price u had to pay to use it then.. i know i wont be sending in any more $ to someone for something that doesnt work. and since your dropping the app why dont u just pull it off the virtual shelf entirely and get rid of this pesky forum while your at it. im sure u can use the disk space for something more useful.

Novice Joined: 14 Apr 2004 Posts: 33 Location: Colorado

All is not lost bartz . . .

Rumor has it that a viable solution is forthcoming soon . . . er, as soon as Decal is up and running for ToD that is. And no, there is NOT an ETA yet . . . but stay tuned! <grin>

And don't go bugging the poor Decal devs about the ETA . . . let's just say that once Decal is back up, we might have our remote real live tracking again.

In the meantime, see my other post about an updated map. No, you cannot use the built-in map updater, and likely won't ever be able to again, but we do have a current map that you can manually install over the top of your old map. It works wonderfully.

Newbie Joined: 22 Jul 2005 Posts: 6

ya oks thx dave.. sometimes i just get so mad 8P