Zugg Software :: View topic

Magician Joined: 23 Apr 2003 Posts: 358 Location: USA

I'm lucky enough to have access to the DR2 test server, and as a fan of zMUD, I'm intent on using it. With DR2 (as well as GemStone IV), Simutronics has implemented support for their new front end, StormFront. SF has gauges that indicate current Health, Mana, Fatigue, and Spirit. At first I thought these would be handled with additional GSL tags, but it has been confirmed by a Development GM that they use XML to keep those gauges updated. Since I've only used zMUD with DR, and up to this point it didn't use XML, I'm clueless how to discover and use those codes. I've tried turning off all my emulation, including MXP/HTML as Zugg suggested, and I still see no codes other than the gsl codes that I've already been working with.

Can anyone suggest how I might discover what XML tags are being used for these functions?

Magician Joined: 17 Oct 2001 Posts: 371 Location: USA

Well, my first question (since I don't have access to the DR2 test server, but I'm itching to get access to build support for it into my DRzMUD plugin), is - are the gauges updating? Some of them might be support for Gemstone IV, but I can't be sure until I actually look at it. Also, where are you turning off MXP emulation? Are you expanding the 'General' category (in Preferences), going to Emulation and turning it off, or are you unclicking the 'Enable MXP' option in the MXP category? My guess is that you need to cut off the former, not the latter. But maybe you need to cut them both off, I don't know. Or click the 'Debug MXP' option on, which might echo the XML codes to the screen. Anyway, until I get access to the DR2 server, I can't be much more help. Once I do, I'll actively figure out how all those codes work, and will implement them into my plugin (home.comcast.net/~myrddyn/).

Btw, if you get any of the codes, I'd be happy to help you muddle through them, and implementing them. Just send me an email at Myrddyn@comcast.net.

Magician Joined: 23 Apr 2003 Posts: 358 Location: USA

I fiddled around with SF to see how the gauges worked, and yes, they update in real time. For example, if I start swinging a 2HB, I can watch my fatigue drop with each swing, and then go hide and watch it build back up without any other output from the server.

As for what I've tried... first I tried checking "Debug MXP", then unchecked Enamble MXP, then I unchecked everything under Emulation, and turning them on one by one, and I tried several variations. All I manage is if either uncheck "Emulate control codes" or check "Display control codes" (in Emulation), then gsl codes are no longer registered as such, but instead appear in the game window... no codes that are not gsl appear. (Another difference is without "MXP/HTML" under telnet options, then I see code for pictures instead of the pictures themselves... but this is unrelated to the gauges.)

Any other suggestions are welcome.

Wanderer Joined: 27 Feb 2003 Posts: 69 Location: Australia

My guess is that stormfront would use a different "client" string that enables the XML response from the server.

We have 3 values to choose from in zMUD (currently) and these are pre-stormfront ... I guess that there needs to be another one in the next version ;)

...my 2c.

Magician Joined: 17 Oct 2001 Posts: 371 Location: USA

Your probably right, Cbisazza. We need to find out what the client code for stormfront is. Hmmm... Somebody should ask on the zMUD forum on the play.net site.

Magician Joined: 23 Apr 2003 Posts: 358 Location: USA

That's exactly what it was. Here's the details on how to get the XML code, which is sent instead of GSL codes:

From the character select, choose your character icon, and hit the "Offline" button. Open Prefs, go down to GSL Emulation. Under the General tab, "GSL Client" is a drop-down. Click in the field, and you can type in "stormfront". Apply and close Prefs. Under File, select "Reconnect". Log in as normal, and you'll receive XML instead of GSL. However you connect is what mode you'll be in for the entire session.