Zugg Software :: View topic

Beginner Joined: 28 Jun 2002 Posts: 13

I've been trying to set up zmud like the Simutronics Wizard FE, which has several very handy graphical indicators. The wizard gets its information through secret tags the game sends it. If you want to copy the wizard, you need to know the tags. To save people work, I'll be sharing the tags as I figure them out.

Everything here works in Gemstone III. It might be different in other Simutronics games, but I doubt it.

First you need to get the game to send you the tags, so send the command FeStArT

Before I get to the tags, I need to describe the format in which I explain them versus their actual format.

The GS tags all start with a special command character which I will omit, then the name of the tag (which seems to always be 3 letters: GS plus a third), then a string of concatenated parameters. Concatenated means all run together - no space or comma separation. Integers are shown in ten digits always (except for one tag which has a 5 digit int, but also says to ignore it). So a tag may look like this (I made this tag up):

GSe12345678901234567890

This would be a tag GSe with two integer parameters. In my tag explanations below, I will write it as

GSe (int A)(int B)

Of course, if anybody has more information about this stuff, please please post it!

My next post will have the tags I've figured out.

Beginner Joined: 28 Jun 2002 Posts: 13

GSg (int stance) The integer is your stance percentage. 0 is stance off, 100 is stance def.

GSH Marks the beginning of a room description.

GSI Marks the end of a room description. The wizard probably says "send everything between GSH and GSI to the arrival window".

GSl (15-char string extra)(15-char string adjective)(15-char string noun) What you are holding in your left hand.

GSL marks the beginning of a highlighted NPC name.

GSm (15-char string extra)(15-char string adjective)(15-char string noun) What you have in your right hand.

GSM Marks the end of a highlighted NPC name.

GSo Marks the beginning of a room title.

GSp Marks the end of a room title. The Wizard probably highlights the room title by saying "GSo, turn on highlight, GSp, turn it off". But of course we can do it with pattern matching.

GSq (int time) the time in seconds. This tag appears after every line sent by the game.

GSV(int maxHP)(int currHP)(int maxSpirit)(int currSpirit)(int maxMana)(int currMana)(int don't know)(int don't know) Pretty self explanatory, except for the last parameters, which I don't know what they do. This tag is put out as part of the initial FeStArT header.

GSX (int) Your character's current HP, with a lot of leading zeroes.

GSZ (int) Your character's current mana, with a lot of leading zeroes.

GSr (char value) This tag contains how full your mind is. value ranges from "A" (clear as a bell) to "G" (must rest).

Beginner Joined: 28 Jun 2002 Posts: 13

Oh, with GSl and GSm (the "what you have in your hands" ones), if you don't have anything in the hand, the string is "Empty"

Beginner Joined: 28 Jun 2002 Posts: 13

GSn (string) The name of your prepeared spell. If there is no prepared spell, value is "None" without the quotes.

Beginner Joined: 28 Jun 2002 Posts: 13

GSa (int) Informs the wizard of the presence of any wounds (info is used in the injuy window and the paperdoll). This tag is sent to the client when any change in the state of your wounds occurs (add, upgrade, and remove).

The int parameter is a bitfield converted into decimal form. A bitfield is best thought of as a binary number in which each digit has a special meaning, like an array of true/false (1/0). To convert the bitfield into decimal, just treat it like a regular binary number instead of an array of 1/0.

Each bit, digit, place value, or whatever you want to call it indicates the presence (1) or absence (0) of a specific wound.

Known fields (woefully incomplete):

2^ 0 = head 1
2^ 4 = right arm 1
2^ 5 = right arm 2
2^ 6 = left arm 1
2^10 = left leg 1
2^18 = stomach 1
2^20 = back 1

GSb (int) Indicates the removal of a specific wound. The parameter works exactly as in GSa. This tag is sent every time a wound is removed, but not when a wound is upgraded (you can't have both a head 1 and a head 2 wound - the wizard overwrites the old wound with the new one in the graphic display, so there is no need to manually remove the old wound).

Posted: Tue Jul 02, 2002 6:27 pm

Oooh, Oooh, Oooh....could you please send me the details on the Simutronics codes to me via email (zugg@zuggsoft.com)? I've been looking for some documentation on them. If I can find a complete set I'd be happy to add this emulation directly to zMUD in a future version. I'd really like to make zMUD easier to use on Simutronics games, especially since they seem to have abandoned their development of the Windows client and are going all Java.

If someone could summarize this post and collect any other available info and send it to me, it would be a lot easier for me to implement. Thanks!

Beginner Joined: 28 Jun 2002 Posts: 13

Sure thing. I'll email them to you as I figure them out. I'll be out of town for a few days though.

Posted: Wed Jul 03, 2002 11:47 pm

If you send me an attachment, send it to sales@zuggsoft.com since the spam protection on the normal support@zuggsoft.com seems to be deleting messages with attachments right now.

GURU Joined: 10 Oct 2000 Posts: 873 Location: USA

There's a DRZMUD forum/email list on Yahoo.

They've got what they've been able to figure out available for download, and have had some pretty informative mail items in terms of establishing the connection.

I haven't been by there in a while, but it seems to be alive.

-Tarn

Apprentice Joined: 13 Oct 2000 Posts: 114 Location: USA

quote:

There's a DRZMUD forum/email list on Yahoo.

They've got what they've been able to figure out available for download, and have had some pretty informative mail items in terms of establishing the connection.

I haven't been by there in a while, but it seems to be alive.

-Tarn

Yes we are still alive over there. One thing. The tags are different for each game, same basic tags, some different uses especialy in Dragonrealms since we don't see Hitpoints, or anything like that, I will see what I can pull up and send it to you.

Alan

Come play with us in Dragonrealms

http://www.play.net/dr

Apprentice Joined: 13 Oct 2000 Posts: 114 Location: USA

quote:

Oooh, Oooh, Oooh....could you please send me the details on the Simutronics codes to me via email (zugg@zuggsoft.com)? I've been looking for some documentation on them. If I can find a complete set I'd be happy to add this emulation directly to zMUD in a future version. I'd really like to make zMUD easier to use on Simutronics games, especially since they seem to have abandoned their development of the Windows client and are going all Java.

If someone could summarize this post and collect any other available info and send it to me, it would be a lot easier for me to implement. Thanks!

Also might wanna talk with the guys over at dr-connect.com as they are developing a client exclusively to use with simutronics games and even have the login procedure down.

Alan

Come play with us in Dragonrealms

http://www.play.net/dr

Posted: Fri Jul 05, 2002 7:10 pm

Why would someone want to use a client that only works for Simutronics games when you can use zMUD instead and then access any MUD game? (assuming zMUD has improved Simutronics support).

Or, on a similar note, I wonder why they are trying to write an entire MUD client from scratch rather than just writing a plugin for zMUD?

Oh well, whatever makes them happy.

Apprentice Joined: 13 Oct 2000 Posts: 114 Location: USA

quote:

Why would someone want to use a client that only works for Simutronics games when you can use zMUD instead and then access any MUD game? (assuming zMUD has improved Simutronics support).

They like to program stuff. Also Simu games have some very unusual login procedures and what not. They also have their own game called Eaxia and developed the Connect engine to best use some features they built into their game, though you can access Eaxia through and MUD client.

Alan

Or, on a similar note, I wonder why they are trying to write an entire MUD client from scratch rather than just writing a plugin for zMUD?

Oh well, whatever makes them happy.

Come play with us in Dragonrealms

http://www.play.net/dr

Apprentice Joined: 13 Oct 2000 Posts: 114 Location: USA

Oh also the Wizard has it's own scripting language which they have built in support for all those folks who have been playing Simu games for years and don't want to rewrite all their scripts.

Alan

Come play with us in Dragonrealms

http://www.play.net/dr

Posted: Sat Jul 06, 2002 6:42 am

Yes, I wrote that reply a bit quickly. Of course zMUD does need some enhancements in order to work better with Simutronics. But I don't think you can compare scripting languages. Yes, it's a matter of learning something new, but the zMUD scripting blows away anything else, which is actually why the Simutronics people were initially a bit afraid of zMUD as it allowed players to do more than they wanted. True, some people don't like to learn something new...but a lot of other people would much rather learn something new if it brought them more power and flexibility, which is why some clever users figured out how to use zMUD with these games in the first place.

But, now that people are using zMUD anyway, they realize that more administrative rules about scripting and botting need to be enforced since you can't control the client software no matter what you try to do.

Back when Simutronics was supporting the Wizard FE, it always surprised me that they were willing to pay enough money to develop an entire client rather than simple modifications to an existing client like zMUD, just because they were worried about scripting power. Now that they have gotten over that and realize that people are using zMUD anyway, we should see some improvements to zMUD in the future to handle some of this stuff.

Newbie Joined: 10 Jul 2002 Posts: 2

This has less to do with scripting that in my opinion, simtronics not considering it's games MUD's, obviously they are MUD's, but when you've been running a game for 13 years, and have tens of thousands of paying accounts, you most likely feel yourself aloof to the point of not needing help from the rest of the MUD community.

Of course that's just what I think, I doubt most of the people who play Gemstone, and Dragonrealms even know what a MUD is, something makes me think the majority of them would refer to it as "Text based adventure"

Either way, I've used the simutronics wizard for 5 years now, ever since they moved to the web, and it is the only game I don't use zmud with.

Oh, one other reason Simutronics games don't use Zmud is the fact that they have comissioned an art company to do character art for players at the price of 250 dollars per portrait.

Either way, I've rambled long enough.