Development

Report of Ryzom Forge's meeting - monday, 30th of april 2015.

Tutorials about the base system : Datashhets and Primitives

YannK continue working on tutorials about the base system (meaning Datasheets and Primitives). He has posted recently on how the shops are created and managed in the Primitives. It is on the Khaganat wiki for now, because it was already hard enough for him to manage one wiki system.

Lyne translated it in English so it's ready for transfer on RF wiki as soon as someone knows how to do it.

For the ones who want to help with export: http://khaganat.net/tools/docu-export.php. You'll need to re-read, but it translates most of the dokuwiki tags into mediawiki (for page layout).

Pets

YannK is been working for some time on the pets (so the datasheets) and thinks it will be his next tutorial. It will be the chance to add mobs who follow us and who're not mektoubs.

The idea is to fill all the parameters, so that someone can create the datasheets a "simple" way afterwards.

YannK has never managed anything on the Ryzom Core wiki, but if someone want to transfer them there, he'll appreciate it.



Test server for Ryzom Forge

Mati continue working on how to install a test server for Ryzom Forge.

<Madi> Fist I spent hours to set up a server, recompile the services, set up the web apps... Then I had a problem, the server being on line, I decided to re-do a setup on VM at home for test to avoid making experiments on a server connected 24h a day on the net. And there, again, hours to compile, install... It's when I thought I was going the wrong way.

So I rewrote clearly the objectives:
-make available a test server for ryzom,
-allow everyone to have also at his disposal a test server to make his own tests.

This last point is important, YannK will be able to tell you more about it, he has at his disposal a test VM and it helped himd in this graphical objects tries

My error: I had a dev approach, spent hours setting up a machine by hand, lost again hours for a new machine just after.
How will the basic user do, he who just want to make a test but doesn't have the knowledge to re-edit a scenario of several hours to set up a server?

So I looked on a new paradigm in computer science which takes care of this problem. DevOps. These are tools which allow to automate the set up and installation of a server. First tools like Puppet / Chef / Ansible.
I chose Ansible, because it's the most approachable one to start.

So step 1: I've implemented a script which automate the set up for compiling a ryzom server. Now I can use it on a real server, or on a VM.

On the VM subject, I've used a second tool from the "DevOps" toolkit. It is "vagrant".. It allows with 3 command lignes, to create a VM and to start an ansible script for example on it to "set up" (it is called provisionning) a server. It works on Mac OSX, Windows, Linux.

I've also added to the whole a "Packer" script which allows to create also images of VM for vagrant (kvm, or virtuelbox).

So at this time of my testings: I've got a way to automate the set-up of a real server for Ryzomcome (compile actually) and I can also deploy it automatically on a VM at home.
But at this time, I realise that I've only postponed a problem: If I furnish automatically a ryzomcore server, it takes on a VM on my machine... 8h.

*Madi counts on his finger: take the sources, installe the tools, compile the server, etc... Even if it's automatic, it's easily reached by an average user.

That's when I understand my second error:
The idea of Ansible/Vagrant/packer is to automate the deployment of a server. It should take, say, 15 min... not a whole day.
The problem comes from compiling the sources. There no exist binary packpages for this server.
So I contacted Kervala, and I discussed with him on binary packets which affect the game client. We discussed, and we arrived to the conclusion that we need also binary packets for the server.
At this time, deploying a server, it's just 15 min, binaries to install, a set up script to execute.

As a conclusion: So I created a deposit for the debian/ubuntu binaries through the bintray site. I still have to provide all the scripts which I spoke about here: Patch the install for the binaries packets, ansible scripts, vagrant, packer. I'll try to make it shortly on github/bitbucker because the help of everyone is welcome.

Meeting's report - monday, 13th of april 2015:

Fighting stanzas
[Skeepy] Just for later note/ideas, i have found some entries in the FamilyId of fighting stanzas, probably there to develop some special powers related to grade 3 national weapons. There is room to create and develop new figthing skills to use ie fire on fyros weapons, poison on matis ones and so on. I have not checked yet if it is feasible technically speaking, if some commands can be used for such a use, but I think it could be interesting to let people know first, to see if it can be interesting on a LD/GP.basis
[Goki] such a thing is possible, but may need new code, things like vedice weapons have special code for it.
[Skeepy] There should need new .sbricks of course, but perhaps no new c++ development, I don't know. It could be only new skills, not new feature, if you see what I mean.
[Glorf] If you want to search in the stanzas: http://dsryzom.glorf.fr/liste.php

Test server
[Madi]  During the last meeting, I told you about the ongoing work to install a test server. Now, I've installed deposits to make this work accessible and allow everyone to join in:
1) https://bitbucket.org/maadi/packer. This is a template for building a minimal image of the Jessie. I uploaded an image of the virtual machine créated with this script to: https://atlas.hashicorp.com/madi/boxes/jessie-amd64. Note : you can gnerate a virtualbox or kvm virtual machine with this script.
 2) https://bitbucket.org/maadi/vagrant: This second repository hold a vagrant script to initialise et execute a virtual machine. The repository contain also an ansible script. This script automates the provisionning of a ryzomcore server. I.e: configure the packages, download the sources from bitbucket, compile the ryzom server, etc... The ansible playbook, can be used to provision a virtual machine for local test but can also used to configure a real server or a VPS.
 3) As I said during the last meeting, the aim of packer/vagrant/ansible is to automate the implementation of a virtual machine or a real server, let's say in a few minutes. Except that here, between the creation of the image of a debian, getting the sources from ryzomcore, compiling... it may take 1 day on my machine, so there's a problem. I had discussed with Kervala, and we had stated on the fact that we had to provide binary packets of the tools. Matter of fact, installing under linux is just a simple "apt-get install ryzomcore", "urpmi ..." "yum ..." (it all depends on the distribution). so keeping the same approach as before, but this time using binaries and having nothing to recompile. For this, I forked the sources of libwww, squish and ryzomcore in order to complete what was missing to generate the binaries packets. I've started to complete this on my deposits here (for debian jessie/wheezy):
https://bitbucket.org/maadi/ryzomcore
https://bitbucket.org/maadi/libwww
 https://bitbucket.org/maadi/squish
This will be used as deposit for the dev, then will be integrated in the official ryzomcore deposit.
And finally I also settled a binary deposit for these packets on bintray.com
For now, I've uploaded the binary packets (jessie/wheezy, i386/amd64) for libwww and squish (dependancies of ryzomcore): https://dl.bintray.com/ryzomforge/ryzomforge. You can of course register to join this deposit and help completing it.
(I've decided to work on linux, with a debian distribution, but the tools can be used on any OS (mac, windows, linux)).

Meeting's report - 27th of april 2015:

*YannK: Wiedii: if some Dev have time, RC needs people to help setting up / debugging Ryzom Core Studio. It's the tool used to edit the particle system and partly to work on the graphics.

*Wiedii: Does someone have an idea on the need mentionned by YannK: a Blender to NeL plugin ?
YannK: Wiedii: Kaetemi is the one on RC who knows best the pipeling, I believe, and he had proposed to check the feasibility already.  Kaetemi : did you had some time to study the feasability/time needed/ cost of a blender plugin to replace 3DSMax one ?
<Kaetemi> YannK: basic export functionality for static model with texture is half a week work. Add week or two for skeleton plus vertex weight. Add another week or two for a separate nel material editing tool. Then there's a bunch of additional features like multi-res meshes with LOD etc which probably will take about three weeks to get working and debugged etc. Then there's a shitload of support for animations, including material animations, which i cannot put an estimate on. At this point, still missing is static landscape meshes with lightmapping, clustering, and all that stuff.. but that will need a complete overhaul because it also uses 3dsmax as leveleditor currently.. So estimate 2 000 € / week to be safe. :) And you can calculate what it'd cost depending on what feature you need. :)
<Goki_ET> "to be safe" Safe from what?
<Kaetemi> from running out of time and getting a good dev.
<wiedii> Ok, we'll need to study all this, thanks Kaetemi.

<Goki_ET> There is some work by Ulukyn, that hopefully will allow full ai scripts to be applied to event groups without having to define them with primitives. no ETA on that yet, but combined with Ark, it will allow even more cool things :) ie, make a mob do X when its HP goes below Y. etc.

Meeting of may, the 11th

[Ulukyn] It will be quite short. Nothing really special on the dev side, except for some bug fixes, priority is to let the Level Design progress very soon.
 
[Tamarea] Crowdfunding : For the dev projects up to 1500-2000 €, WinchGate is proposing us not to start a crowdfunding, it will found these projects itself if it find them interesting for Ryzom. For each project, the dev will have to give to WG his detailed project with a price estimate for each task, WinchGate will decide then.
 We'd need for Kaetemi to prepare such a document for the "Blender" project (to get rid of 3DSMax).
 
 [Zatalyz] We found/created lots of documents and we need help to 1)translate 2)migrate it on the RF wiki. Lyne and Osquallo have already translated a lot, but help would be welcome, and there is really a lot of things. 
 Regarding the migration to the wiki: it requires no technical knowledge, only patience. I can teach you the little I know. If you are interested, ask me, we'll chose an evening for this (the group generates emulation). 
 For the interested ones who'd like to see this doc: a part is available in the RyzomCore sources, on how to create missions. I'm told that it looks a bit with the ARK options. Maybe it could help the ones working with it? French: https://khaganat.net/wikhan/fr:rcprimitivemissiondoc / English: https://khaganat.net/wikhan/en:rcprimitivemissiondoc
We also have lots of doc on the datasheets thanks to YannK, it's quite fresh. Here also we'd need help to translate it in English: https://khaganat.net/wikhan/fr:rcdssitem

[Zatalyz] We (Khaganat) are wondering a lot about the choice that Ryzom seems to be doing to work only with Ark to add missions and content, and not on primitives. It won't make the traffic between the server and the players heavier? While everything is in the primitives, most of the tasks are managed by the client? NH is already slow on some days; but how will it be if there are more things based on ARK ? The encyclopedy rites, everything supposed to last, wouldn't it be best in the primitves? Ark is the ideal tool for punctual events, but is it fit for permanent content? Especially on the bandwidth side.
=> [Ulukyn] Indeed, if we had to compare both, ARK takes much more bandwidth than the primitives. Now, if it was simple, fun, efficient to add missions with the primitives, I would have improved the system long ago. But I spent months on it... it's just very very clumsy. The 2 added rites took months, and they bug evey now and then. In addition of not working as expected for socres of reasons. The 2 marauder rites have beed added in 3 years by a very present dev. You cannot really compare. And between developping a not really fitted tool and not really extensible, or rent one more server for Ark, there's no contest. Moreover, new modules will decrease Ark lenghts. With less exchanges between server, client ark, and through the use of new commands.

25th of may 2015

Summary : http://app.ryzom.com/app_forum/index.php?page=topic/view/22636/.

Test server for RF
Madi has not news about server, he had problem IRL for a long time.

Tutorials about datasheets and primitives
Lyne translate, again and again. If someone can help her, welcome.
Zatalyz is waiting volunteers to transfer the tutorials on Ryzom Forge's wiki. Please contact her in PM.

Tutorial about pets
Yannk had a lot of things IRL, so he could not do to make it.

Create a tool to use Blender directly (without 3dsMax)
-Winchgate wait a answer by Kaetemi (or an other people), with the details of each task and the price asked by task. WG is okay for this project, it would be nice to don't wait 6 months to launch it. Especially with 1500€ max per month : it will take time to materialize the project.
 
-We need people who have 3dsmax and Nel's plugins to export that : http://app.ryzom.com/app_forum/index.php?page=topic/view/22961/.
 
[Wiedii] I have already tested, in the past, the export from 3DSMax to .shape.. So I knew how to do it, I may be able eventually to do it, if noone applies (but I already have a lot of things to do .) So I can, but as a last resort. 
I'm told that a tutorial would be needed... but it already exists.I've got a tutorial that I partly wrote, partly copied from somewhere I don't remember... and which had been translated in English. I'll export that, in both languages, during the evenint... I'm surprised it's not on the RF wiki.
And tutorial regarding the teddybear? http://forge.ryzom.com/wiki/EN_Teddybear
[Osquallo] It's especially missing what comes before. Just for getting a working plugin, it's kind of assault course. Or there's maybe Kaetemi's pdf: https://ryzomcore.atlassian.net/wiki/display/RC/Installing+the+Ma x+Plugins. But it's still a pain just to get the plugin
[YannK] There are stps to generate a clean .shape, with its lods, a nice texturing, etc, and that's what we're missing. Anarkia knew it but he had not time to give the informations.
[Wiedii] I've just created the page for the export from 3DS on the wiki, without any layont. There are images, but theay are hidden in the code of the page, so you'll have to wait for it to be cleaner (I've done it in 1 minute and I don't remember really about wikimedia): http://forge.ryzom.com/wiki/Exporter_depuis_3DSMax.

Documentation about datasheets
[YannK] I wanted to explain a bit what I started to upload on the wikhan, meaning documentation on all kind of datasheets. I started with the .sitem, i.e. all inventory objects:  https://ryzomcore.atlassian.net/wiki/display/RC/Installing+the+Ma x+Plugins.
For each kind of .sitem, I've listed all the possible characteristics and parameters (just missing two or three small details, but it's negligible) to be able to create such an objec: It includes weapons, hairstyles, teleportation pacts, pets management, foraging products... It has still to be translated in English, and move to the RF wiki, but it's already available in French.
So if you want to create an object, don't hesitate to read these pages. I expect to give precise and detailed examples from our game server once we have finished to install it.
I started the DS of the skills, but it will be a bit longer. There are hundreds of sheets done juste of the sitem, and it's quite simple in regard to the DS of the skills.
Textile > Mediawiki : http://forge.ryzom.com/wiki/Export_from_3DSMax

13th of May, 2015:

1 Payment system: replacement of PaySpan (PayByCash)

Payment system will be updated to allow "plugin" systems by accepting payments from others. This will work with Steam and Paypal. 
No deadline for the moment because it's a complex task. But it's the dev's priority.

Q: Will Steam card we buy in shops work to pay the subscription?
A: The Ryzom subscription done using Steam will be done on their platform and not on our website, so all the payment options accepted by Steam will be usable to sub to Ryzom.
  
Q: PayPal tells me something, but please What is Steam?
A: It's the gaming plateforme of Valve http://store.steampowered.com/

Q: So I can create an account on Steam and then pay Ryzom with it?
A: Not for the moment (Ryzom will be on Steam but is not yet). Nevertheless it's what is scheduled.


2 Ticket system: news about the creation of an internal ticket system

Uservoice (The Support tool for tickets, that stops to be free) will be slowly replaced by an in-house program. This one already works, only still to improve it to be more comfortable.

Q: It was replaced fast, isn't it ?
A: Yes, in two weeks the new tool was working, and we have been able to retrieve all data stored in Uservoice. Both tools are running in parallel for the moment, we will cut off Uservoice (still free, we profit on it) when the new tool will bemore improved. But if Uservoice became unfree tomorrow, we are ready to switch 100% on the new internal tool.


3 Creation of a Ryzom Name Generator

Daexin has created a Ryzom Name Generator: http://atys.wiki.ryzom.com/RyzomNameGenerator/ 
Be free to use it!

Q: Is it done for NPC names create or for the players?
A: It's for NPCs (and for events characters), but it's easy to use it for a player by taking only the first name.

Q: In the game, is the familly name written in first position or there is no strict rule ?
A: It depends on the nations : fist name + familly name for Fyros and Matis ; family name + first name for Trykers and Zoraïs.


4 Call to the Devs: project of nel plugins to support Blender instead of 3dsMax only (payed work)

Ryzom Forge's artists have difficulties because of the obligation to use 3dsMax (a very expensive tool). They need to be able to use a free one like Blender. Winch Gate will pay a dev to create this plugin. Please send your project to tamarea@ryzom.com, or tell your dev friends about this!

Q: What is needed is well described somewhere?
A: Here: https://semestriel.framapad.org/p/blender_nel_2015


5 Ubuntu logitheque and client update

Despite of many requery, Kervala didn't get a reply from Canonical (the fact that the person who takes care of Ryzom has gone does not help).
Kervala as compiled the new versions on the 27th of june: https://launchpad.net/~ryzom-isv/+archive/ubuntu/ppa. It's not the same visibility but it's better than nothing.
The page on Ryzom Forge Wiki has been updated: http://forge.ryzom.com/wiki/Linux_FAQ_EN and also http://doc.ubuntu-fr.org/ryzom.

6 Dev document about mission

Here is a new document for Dev / LD: http://forge.ryzom.com/wiki/Documentation_sur_les_missions. 
It's documentation about different options usable in missions. It covers a very wild field (for example what we can dig, where... etc). At the begining, it's made to be used in primitives (a complex thing) but it could be useful also for those who use ARK : the same functions are called.
You will need to adapt the syntax to ARK, but it may gives ideas about what is possible in the game.
Documentation in English: http://khaganat.net/wikhan/en:rcprimitivemissiondoc

Q: Does proposing a mission imply to code it myself with ARK?
A: No. First, the mission has to be complete, not just a idea. Then, after validation, you can if you wish participate to it's encoding in ARK, but the Ark team, with specialists as Goki, is faster to do it. The workflow is about to be revealed, all the informations are in it.

27th of july 2015:

Dev group

1 Payment system: addition of Paypal payment option
The addition of Paypal payment option is nearly over and in test phase.

2 Ticket system: news about the creation of an internal ticket system
Uservoice will close very soon, but the new system is 100% ready.

7th of september 2015:

1 Fixing of the recent instability on the "Yubo" test server
A RAID hard-drive broke, which explains the test server big instability in the last time. It should be replaced by OVH next week. Replace of the HDD is done last week, now the raid must be repaired  himself that would need round 6/7 days from today.

Q: Embarrassing question: how many raid discs have broken? The problem is when you've got 2 at the same time...
A: It doesn't seem to be the case. But resynchronizartion is very slow. So we'll have to wait.


2 : Dev project allowing to use any 3D tool without using 3DSmax
Kaetemi's project has been validated by Winch Gate, an agreement remains to be found with him on the prices.

Q: Is there anything new regarding the new zone?
A: YannK: It's a bit late for me but I can answer you during day hours, if you want.

3 Call of YannK:
i'd have a call to launch:  We'd need people knowing how to prepare Linux packts. Nimetu is making already a lot of them, but we're missing someone to make .deb for Debian Sid (it's for me, I've got to admit). So if people knowing how to create packages want to help, it would be to allow an easiest access to Ryzom Core tools (RC Studio especially).

21th of september 2015

1 Reinstallation of Yubo
After the problems with the RAID disks and the lots of persistent errors during the resynchronization, the Yubo server had to be reinstalled totaly, a backup allowed to save the data. It's open again, we still have to check that it's working fine. Please let us know about any problem you may encounter!

2 Ark
Yubo being back, Ulukyn will also be able to continue improving Ark, especially for opening it to the players. An error message has just been received: it seems that there isn't anymore free space on the disk for Ark, Ulukyn is informed. It's the reason for the big slows around 16h/17h CEST today on Yubo. Ulukyn has immediatly done some cleaning to fix it

Q: Would it be possible to discuss with the guy who reinstalled the server? It would help us to create a public procedure, especially if it's based on the last versions of Ryzom Core/
A by Kaetemi: Most of the web stuff is private, afaik, so you can't set up a ingame web app-style ryzom server yourself. WG uses ghetto copy paste server cfg files i think, not the automated install procedure. the "get it to work, and then don't touch it" way . 

3 Documentation on .sbricks
YannK: Documentation on the .sbricks takes more time than excepted because of IRL but also because writing clear explanations is more complexe than for the. .sitem. I'll see to write from now some tutorials on the way to make crafting, fighting.. skills, on a more detailed way than what I did for the .sitem (so it will take some time). I'll work on the .creature next (which will be used to place objects in the world, since we'll have the wonderful tool on which Kaetemi is working to create .shape easily)

4 Kaetemi's project
http://dl.kaetemi.be/nel/blenderexporting.png

Kaetemi:
I still have to add the UV channels and then it's usable for basic textured models.The long term approach is:
1- create a Mesh Editor, which essentially opens your .blend file and is used to adjust nel material and export options - the output from this is (a) accessories/actors that go straight into game, and (b) construction models which are used in ...
2- create a Zone Editor, which essentially assembles the construction models and allows creation of landscape patches.And all the output from these tools the pipes into the World Editor which assembles the zones from zone editor, and where you place the actors that come straight from mesh editor.The main issue with RC studio is that it depends on build output data to work... Mut we're working with the build input data: mesh editor and zone editor will directly open .blend etc, without requiring any output data, straight from your asset database, convert it into nel format in memory.

Q:  It's a tool in command line of a RC Studio plugin?
A: It's a command line utility, just drag drop the file on the app and the exported files appear.  RC studio is too slow and bulky, i do not believe it's the correct approach to put everything in one large app.

Q:  What langage do you use for this tool, btw ?
A: C++.

05th of October 2015

1 Maintenance on Atys server
Atys game server will be closed on wednesday 7th october for some hours (less than one day if everything goes well) for maintenance. Indeed, a hard disk is showing some signs of weakness and will be changed to be on the safe side before all the game server is affected as well. We prefer to act now instead of waiting that what happens on Yubo test server also happens on the game server (Yubo was unavailable for one month). The problem with Yubo started exactly the same way. A technician of OVH will act. The official announcement: http://app.ryzom.com/app_forum/index.php?page=topic/view/23782/

2 Paypal as payment option

• Paypal app has been closed for two days to fix a problem: when a player payed for several months of playing Ryzom, only the first one was automatically given. The other ones needed to be given manually. This is fixed now.
• Paypal as payment option has been added on secure.ryzom.com. For the moment it is available for free trial accounts moving to payed one only. It is still to add it for payed accounts wanted to move from WorldPay to Paypal.

Prices reminder using Paypal:

• 1-month subscription: €8.95 /month = €8.95
• 3-month subscription: €8.50 /month = €25.50 
• 6-month subscription: €7.95 /month = €47.70
• 1-year subscription: €7.50 /month = €90.00

Zakkk: But when the account is not subscribed anymore, it's not possible to use the IG application.
Gaueko: If it was subscribed, then is the same situation as in the already subbed ones that want to change from WorlPay to PayPal.
talkIRC: if you want to pay via paypal and are already unsubscribed you can log in to app.ryzom.com and access the paypal via WebIG to make a payment on an accountFor any other issue with the payment, contact support@ryzom.com please. 

3 Few fixes

• The payment with credit card for new players is working again.- When registering new account, a player sings now for the current Code of Conduct and not for the old one.
• Photo Contest has been removed from Ryzom's facebook page.
• Longer titles are available on the forum posts now, so we are able to use longer ones for multilingual posts. Thank you Nimetu. Also added a way to handle long titles easier if title is over 100 characters. This is visible after you press preview or on edit.

19th of October 2015

1 Paypal payment option
Paypal application has been fixed:
- The missing PayPal button has been added again (under 180 days);
- "Donate" is moved to the right and not to the left;
- Account page: PayPal option is now visible by all the players from their account page;
- Known bug: Paypal via billing account for a resubscription comes with an error message (invalid order). The Dev is working on it.

2 Assessment of the recent maintenance on Atys server
All gone well. Maintenance last for 12 hours, we changed 2 RAID disks and resynchronise them. Game server seems more flowing with less lags.

3 small fixes
- Ryzom registration" on secure.ryzom.com has been updated (There was an outdate text talking about "Klients").
- Bibit has been changed into WorldPay in the payment pages.

4 Current tasks
- Finish virtual items;
- Fix marauder OP plan giver;
- Fix marauder appartment and guild hall NPC;
- Change primitives to set hardcode texmple NPCs to autospwan (Tryker+Zoraï);
- Move some Marauder TPs to better position (there are flying ones, others in the middle of aggro mobs...);
- Definitively move Pyr NH to Cerakos Gate. (For the moment it's moved manually after each reboot);
- Secret work for the next Zoraï long sequence.

5 Coming patch

Riasan: 
"We will start with the stuff that will be 100% ready for next server patch:
1.Move NH definitively near the east gate of Pyr (Cerakos Gate);
2. Change primitives to set hardcode temple NPCs to autospwan (Tryker+Zoraï);
3.Fix marauder OP plan giver.Other stuff that will be added in the patch if finished in time:
- Move marauder TPs: we need more tests and to find a good position for the TPs that are into an aggro zone, so we have to check during the 4 seasons to be sure they will be safe.
- Fix the marauder appartement NPC : some tests of this fix are still running on Yubo but now we see more problems or other important question ...so it will need more time to find a better/good solution."

2nd of November 2015 

1 2nd of november's patch

Reminder: patch's content: http://app.ryzom.com/app_forum/index.php?page=topic/view/23944/ 

Q: Are there marauder drills now?
A: No, only NPCs to buy and repair OP Tools.

Q: Can everyone learn the plans?
A: Yes, no fame request is possible.

16th of November 2015

1 Ryzom on Steam (dev part)
Kervala: I've found a fix for NVidia graphic cards with Optimus, so people using these cards shouldn't have any trouble anymore. Basically, those are the laptops with an NVidia card and Intel: it uses the Intel card by default and NVidia only for the declared games. In Ryzom case, it uses the Intel card which has a lot of graphic bugs. That's why I've changed something in the client so that the driver gives priority to NVidia card.

- Feedback from a tester: the Optimus card under Linux is better managed on Steam. It's very important for all the players with this type of configuration, because they can finally see the water on Ryzom.
- Kaetemi has fixed a bug with the XAudio2 audio driver (Windows default one).
- Kervala has fixed the problem with decimals for numbers in UI for almost all clients (the OS X client is being recompiled right now).
- Kervala updates on a daily basis the client files with the fixes and the missing translations provided by the Translation Team. The whole of it is integrated in Steam data.

Small call by the way, even if it relates to the translation/correction team: The proofreaders are trying to fix the whole of the client (interface text and system info) along with all the NPC texts before Ryzom is released on Steam, which means they have about 2500 pages to proofread in each language in about one month. Some files only have one or two pages, some others have a few tens, and others a few hundreds.So I'm calling to all good proofreaders (DE, EN, EF, FR, FU) to lend them a hand. If you're interested, please contact either Gaueko (gaueko@ryzom.com) or Tamarea (tamarea@ryzom.com).

Q: Why "one month" to fix everything?
A: In order to finish at the same time as the other groups which are working on Steam (Dev and Communication) and so not to delay the release of Ryzom on Steam. But if needed, i'll ask for some extra time. For me it's better to wait a little more and provide an IG text cleaned of its mistakes.

2 Graphic tools
YannK: Two small things regarding the arrival of the graphic tools: 
Q: Which news can you give regarding the availability of the export tool from NeL for the static objects?
A: The tool is under writing, first step is done, second step is ongoing. Kaetemi could tell more about it.

YannK: I'm asking because, and it's my second point, I've temporary given up the study and documentation for the datasheets of .sbricks datasheets and for the.creature because they are the ones which will be the more needed to add objects in game. My goal is to document everything as I did for the .sitem, so that we can add easily everything we want once the tool is ready. But since the .sitem were the simplest ones, with only a hundred of parameters to study, it may be a bit longer this time.

23th of November 2015

Ryzom on Steam (dev part)

Kervala: First, I'll explain what is Steam for the ones who don't know. It's a software and a website which allows to buy and install a great amount of games. Although most of the games run on Windows, Linux and OS X are also supported. So, getting Ryzom on Steam may bring us much visibility for little work needed. And, above all, Ryzom has been greenlighted on Steam : it has been approved by the Steam community. 
For now, all clients are ready for Steam : Linux 32 & 64, Windows 32 & 64 and OS X 64. We corrected most importants bugs (still 1 left) and make better visual quality, so the game will be liked already with firts launch. We are in test phase and bugs correction, we have also to finish the store page.

Q: You said you corrected most important bugs. Is there a list available somewhere?
A: Yep the list of fixes is public: https://bitbucket.org/ryzom/ryzomcore/commits/ For Steam, we'll be only using public code for Ryzom clients, unlike current Windows client that is partially closed source. All the clients are regularly updated with new patches from Ryzom Core.

Q: I am not so good with computers so not understand the client thing.
A: When you launch Ryzom, you're launching the Ryzom client in fact. MMORPG have two parts: client and server.

Q: Will the Teleport while music on bug ever be fixed for Mac?
A: New OS X client is already more stable than previous ones.
Tgwaste: But does it fix the bug?
Kervala: The last bug we didn't fixed is the one you have. I succeeded to reproduce it.

Q: How can I get these new clients if I don't have a Steam account (and don't want to have one)?
A: As client are compiled from the open-source code, I'll create a page where the same clients as ones on Steam can be downloaded. There is no DRM at all with Steam clients and they can be launched without Steam, but patch is disabled because we're using Steam updates.

Q: What are the visual improvements?
A: 128 MB VRAM being the new default and detecting monitor current resolution for fullscreen, and some fixes/improvements we did some months/years ago.

Q: Did you think to modify the restrictions of free accounts, temporarily for Steam launching, or more definitly?
A: We are volunteers, we can't decide that.

----------------------------------------------------------

Kaetemi: I have been working on the Ryzom Core code since way back, and I am very happy that all the changes we've been doing since then are finally moving into the published client. I was part of open beta, closed focus beta, Ryzom Ring alpha, etc... and also worked on the NeL engine before the Ryzom code became available. So. Shiny new stuff. On the audio side we have worked to get rid of the proprietary and deprecated Fmod driver, and for all platforms there is OpenAL support, and for Windows there is additionally a completely new XAudio2 based audio engine. What this means concretely: The EAX button in the config now actually does something. Graphics. Lots of optimization on the OpenGL backend, the most important being: Vertex buffer streaming (technical term) is now a lot faster - which means that getting bombarded with spells won't lag the client as much anymore as it used to. And for new features the post-processing and gpu program pipeline has been cleaned up to allow for... Amazingly beautiful FXAA anti-aliasing, which makes for really smooth looking visuals (no more ugly pixels). Maybe a bit exagerated but it does look good. It also allows VR render outputs to be implemented... one day. (I have played on the Oculus, it works). 
And finally, and this is maybe the most interesting part for some of you, is that I am now working on new tools related to content creation. There is now an exporter which can export your Blender files directly into Ryzom compatible NeL format. On the Ryzom Core repository. (It actually supports a very large number of file formats as input). This will be further improved by additional tools for modifying and previewing NeL 3D model material effects in realtime (along with specifying various other export settings). And the direction this eventually should be going is to get rid of reliance on proprietary tools for creating new zones, and provide a streamlined way of preparing new 3D content for the game. 

Q: We start to become old, would it be possible to bigger the size of the font?
A: All the fonts? It's possible to change the font size in the UI xml files manually, but there exists no global scaling parameter in the code YET as far as I know. I think it will break some of the UI sizes though, text will flow out of the interface... Alternatively, it is now 
technically possible to render the UI separately to a separate render target and scale it entirely, but it's not the cleanest result...
Q: The chat, at least?
A: Changing font size of the chat : U / Interface / Chat / Fontsize (bottom of window).

Q: Given the current hourly and random PW's, is there any expectation of all this new content and influx of Steam players not cause more server lag or glitches?
A: The changes here are client-side. I am not involved with the running of the Atys shard, so I don't know what their server hardware is. But I do have my own shard running, and I can tell you it is very easy to scale the shard up to multiple physical boxes if necessary. Back in 2004 a single shard was running on around a dozen physical dual core servers, if I remember correctly. That is, a box per continent, two frontends, two backups, logging, etc, all separated. I think Atys shard is running one 1 server, but I don't know.
Cyndalia: Yes, when the merge happened we started seeing more pw's but it's been somewhat better.

Q: Did I understand well... the new 3D content is not only for apartments this time? New buildings, for example? 
A: I am not working on any content myself, I am working on the tools to bring the 3D content ingame, but yes, it will eventually allow importing buildings into the game, if someone makes them. Importing buildings into game requires addition of new landscape tiles to the data and rebaking the shadow maps. Also, we want lots of 3D content to test the new export tools.
Aileya: Sure, it will be possible to add buildings, clothings, weapons or whatever with a working tool we can use to export from 3D programs like blender into the games NeL engine. But we from graphics team are very low numbered by now. So everyone who is able and want to help us with any 3D or 2D elements are more than welcome to help us including new stuff. 

Q: Where's Winch Gate (WG) in all of this? Shouldn't it be the responsible and that gives the big lines and decides the strategies? Are you supported by anyway?
A: The new export utilities is specifically done at WG's request.
Kervala: That's WG that asked to publish Ryzom on Steam. And WG created the Greenlight page. And I think that's a good decision. Steam wasn't adapted for MMORPG at first, but now there are more and more MMORPG available on Steam.
Yenno: Speaking about the content, do WG have a dedicated Team for that? 
Kervala: That's Ryzom Forge goal.
Yenno: What I was hoping for... Is that WG has special 'local' where Teams work with salary and fixed hours... Counting on JUST volunteers wouldn't do much...
Tamarea: Winch Gate decides of strategics (eg : get Ryzom on Steam) and validates the intregrations in the game (eg: Ryzom Core modifications, additions of content by Ryzom Forge). 2015 allows the creation of the tools needed for content creation. Winch Gate helps Ryzom Forge as it can, for example by asking for a tool which alllow graphists to create content with free tools as to avoid the use of proprietary (and expansive) tools. As these bases are now established, 2016 will focus on the creation of content visible in game. The more Ryzom will have premium players, the more Winch Gate will be able to invest for new employees (devs especially).

Q: Is the exporter ready? What environment and OS does it need? Or is it server-side? If it is ready, can we have a direct link from which download it?
A: The exporter works. It should be able to compile cross-platform. You have to compile yourself at the moment.. and the exporter needs actual 3d model test cases for validation: https://bitbucket.org/ryzom/ryzomcore/commits/all.

Q: You spoke about new clothes, will they be craftable?
A: Someone needs to 3D model them first.
Kiwalie: But is it in the project, with new items to craft?
Aileya: Yes, some of them will be also craftable. But for now it will still take its time to be really seen ingame.
Kaetemi: Seriously, learn some 3d modeling tools, and help out. it's easy!

Q: Is there a due date for Steam?
A: Not now, we work hard to improve the game before, update of the clients, bug fixes, but also text fixing. We also need to make the Steam page of Ryzom, find text, translate in DE, EN, FR, ES, RU, screenshots and videos. We are in hurry to publish Ryzon on Steam, but going too quick would be a mistake, better if all is ready before!

Q: I don't really see the link between Steam and the tools Kaetemi talks about... Is there hope to see some new devs, graphists or content creators to come?
A: Yes: Steam is a very large platform. It will help us to attract more players, and therefore more subscribers, and more resources to add content.
Kaetemi: One of the roadblocks to getting content out has been all the steps involved in getting the new goodies from the artist's computer onto yours. So one part is getting the data from the artist into the right format, the second part is practical distribution to players - someone needs to be responsable for taking that final step of testing and distribution, 
otherwise it never happens. So for the first part, NeL used to require 3DS Max which costs 5000€ or something, which is not affordable by most people who want to help -- so by enabling free tools like blender being used that clears one blocking issue. For the second part, there were problems with distribution of patches and apple's app store back in the day, and the original Ryzom patching system was abandoned at one point, and they hacked in the patchlet system... But the patchlet system cannot be used to patch in new landscape. Because it's very inefficient. So steam allows for a more standardized approach to getting the latest version of the game out there.

7th of december 2015

1 Ryzom on Steam

Kervala: 
Changes done since 23 of november in Ryzom Core:
- Complete suppression of Yubo chat.
- Fix of crash within OpenGL driver (patch by Kishan)
- Fix of weather diffireces among all the OS (patch by Kaetemi)
- Temporary disabling of CFixedSizeAllocator which made crash the client (must be corrected)
- Fix of the icon in Linux dock (for steam)
- Adding of RC files for DLLs and client under Windows to get exact version number.
- Update of translations.
- Improving configuration detection with CMake.
- Suppress of revision.h generation to avoid having to recompile client each time.
- Using of CMake timestamp instead of system commands.
- Fix of mesh_export compilation under Linux.
- Fix of client compilation under Debian Squeeze.
- Dispaly of virtual reality page only if compiled with Occulus Rift SDK.
- Several ergonomic improvement of configuration pages.
- Adding of anisotrop filtering among options (graphics => special effects, just above Bloom)
- Implement of new HTML tags (H1, H2, ...) (by Nimetu)
- Implement of links with anchor (by Nimetu)
- Style for <del> <u> <em> <strong> <small> and <dl> tags (by Nimetu)
- Compiling of crash_report, message_box_qt et words_dic_qt with Qt 5

In progress/to do:
- Compilation of windows client under Linux (automatic process)
- Finalization of Ryzom configuration (MFC and Qt5 versions).
- Suppress of too verbose messages in logs.
- Final fix of the crash with those CFixedSizeAllocator.
- Implenting launching of apps from OS X client
- Updating of game data and fixing textures' bugs (by Kaetemi).
- Updating game credits ( + adding the contributors ).
- New manuals.
- New FAQ.
- Fix crash after reselecting a toon.
- Bad mapping of keys for shortcuts under OS X.
- Recreate NSIS package for windows official client and upload it on SourceForge.
- Create PKG package of OS X and upload on SourceForge.
- Update linux client on sourceforge.
- Fix the bug of univers channel that does'nt close.
- Put a new SSL certificate on RSYNC (Ulukyn).
- Recompile server with weather code (Ulukyn).
- Regenerate .packed_sheets.
-Improve graphic of downloading page of beta client.

Q: Is it possible to have the complet list of changes regarding html, list of tags and new attributes implemented? Or at least a link where we could keep informed.
A: There is a changelog: [i]http://ryzom.kervala.net/clients/ryzom_changelog.txt[/i].
Nimetu: I will compile a list of changes I have made to ingame browser.


2 New Encyclopedia
The dev group goes on creating missing Arkmodules for rites, following arkitects needs.

Q: Is Ulukyn still mainly working on Ark?
A: Yes, his main task is to work on Ark.