EDIT: Maybe I wasn't clear enough, this topic was supposed to stop the emails. Not generate more about when the date is being set. Just keep an eye on things here, ok? Progress will happen when it happens.

Ok. So there's been enough prodding, poking, speculating, and general inquiries on when the 2.0 codebase will be released. I've dropped enough responses in random locations that I figure we need something easy to locate. so here goes.

2.0 will be released when:

* One final release of the 1.x branch is cut and posted. [Done!]
* The KEY'd area format has been written, tested, and approved for use on Alsherok. [Done!]
* Any outstanding bugs or other issues are fixed. [Done!]
* Any other last minute features we want get added and tested. [Done!]
* The codebase is branched from the Alsherok internal repository. [Done!]
* The public branch is cleaned of things we may not want released in public. [Done!]
* Update essential documentation as needed. [Done!]
* A public SVN repository is prepared. [Done!]
* The initial release is committed into this new public SVN repository. [Done!]
* The downloadable release package is readied. [Done!]
* This site is upgraded to QSF Portal and populated with the things which belong here.

Pretty much all of that will be going on behind the scenes and won't involve anything noticeable here. Except that last part. When that happens, you'll know. So until you see it happen, getting me or anyone else on the team to provide you with an estimate is probably not helpful.

So what other stuff might impede this?

* I want to see about making it possible for users to create their own clans/guilds instead of requiring an immortal to be around to do it. Should be relatively easy to do.
* I want to add "linkwalking" support to the OLC so people can move around in the mud and cause it to create and link a new room if one does not exist in the direction they want to go. And a vnum range is assigned and not full.

There was more. But I've lost the email reminders. Teach me to rely on primitive methods.

If you want to nudge things closer to reality, patches against the existing source will help even though they will still need to be modified to include in 2.0.

Getting closer by the day. The area format conversion is coded and is now being tested.

The basics of a format in the new system will look like so:


It may seem ugly but it's already proven itself to be very fault tolerant, except in the obvious places it can't be. Either way, one less obstacle in the way. Once I'm satisfied this is safe to run live then I'll mark it completed in the original post.

I released a snippet that does the room creation/linking, would be easy enough to make it automatic. I'll dig it up and send it to you.

Before 2.0 gets released will be get some kinda idea of all that will be changes/added to it. The main reason i ask is I plan to try out AFKmud as a possible codebase to switch, and if its worth waiting for 2.0 to release I plan to do so, if not then I'll continue with 1.77

Such a change log would be to large and unwieldy to post. Besides, we haven't exactly kept that tight a leash on what's been done. It's going to be very substantial in nature though.

Hmm, personally, I'd read that as check out 1.77 but don't move forward til you've had a chance to also check out 2.0 because there's going to be enough major changes that you might decide you want to use 2.0 instead, but there will also be enough changes that you might just decide to stick with 1.77 since, afterall, it really does come down to personal preferences on so many things...

Milestone completed today. The 1.8 branch release is the last one before 2.0. No further patches, development, or other work will go toward 1.x now. All focus shifts to 2.0 at this point.

Woohoo! Light at the end of the tunnel!

Inching closer. I have to update the documentation that's included with the codebase. Don't know how long that may take but it does need to be done. This would probably be a good chance to think of anything that needs documenting, and if at all possible, submitting something to start with. I really hate writing documentation, so the less I have to write up from nothing, the better.

Also, as the astute may notice, once documentation is done updating, the next step will be SVN repository setup. While I'm not going to start spreading links around or announcing anything until the website conversion is done, those who can guess where to look for the SVN will be able to sneak peak at what's coming. Just don't ask for any tutorials or anything on how to do an SVN checkout until after the official launch.

The astute among you may realize the significance of the updated post and the fact that the SVN repository is created and ready to roll. There may even be some among you who are sharp enough to know how you can get your hands on the 2.0 release now, even though the official launch won't happen until that last critical step is completed. I'll leave that up to the clever ones.

But yes. For those of you who aren't able to deal with SVN in a more direct manner, the official release is literally just around the corner and I think it's reasonable to set a date now. I think it's only fitting that 2.0 should be set for release on January 1, 2007. Those of you who pay attention to these things should realize quickly that this is the 5 year anniversary of the original public release of 1.0 back on January 1, 2002.

It's been a long road to travel, but the journey is almost over, and the rewards should be worth it. Or, at least we hope they are. Now off to go begin the process of converting the site to QSF Portal

It compiles anyway, was missing gd libs and I got some warnings compiling modules, but it seems to be working! woo Good work!

good ole fashioned lib-gd glad samson put that code to use

tis good for loading overland maps (peers around as if he had something todo with it *ducks*)

For those of you who have checked out the SVN, there have been a number of cleanups done on both the 2.0 branch and trunk side. Hopefully this will resolve several issues which have been reported, including:

* Crash if a room description is not set.
* IMC module compile warnings. Module compilation is disabled now by default since it's not working anyway.
* SQL support compile options.
* Help file cleanup. Moved skill/spell/racials text to the skills.dat file for proper use in the dynamic help system.

Continue to report any new issues found and they will be fixed. Addition of features is locked until after the official launch. Only actual bugs or Makefile problems will be considered at this stage.

Two more issues caught and fixed:

* Charmies and pets were unbinding from their masters way too soon.
* No more cryptic IMC2 socket errors.

Threw in one last tidbit - Remcon creates this nifty new WEXTKEY macro which I dutifully turned into a working C++ template. Basically allowed us to turn this:

      char *actflags = NULL;
      char flag[MIL];
      int value;
      actflags = fread_flagstring( fp );

      while( actflags[0] != '\0' )
      {
         actflags = one_argument( actflags, flag );
         value = get_actflag( flag );
         if( value < 0 || value > MAX_BITS )
            bug( "Unknown actflag: %s\n\r", flag );
         else
            SET_ACT_FLAG( pMobIndex, value );
      }

Into this:

      flag_set( fp, pMobIndex->actflags, act_flags );

Repeat for as many of those duplicated blocks as you can think of and you get the idea. All courtesy of this new coolness:

// This temlate is used during file reading to set flags based on the string names.
// Loosely resembled Remcon's WEXTKEY macro from his LoP codebase.
template<size_t N> void flag_set( FILE *fp, bitset<N> &field, char *const flagarray[] )
{
   char *flags = NULL;
   char flag[MIL];
   size_t value;

   flags = fread_flagstring( fp );
   while( flags[0] != '\0' )
   {
      flags = one_argument( flags, flag );
      value = get_flag( flag, flagarray, N );
      if( value < 0 || value >= N )
         bug( "%s: Invalid flag: %s", __FUNCTION__, flag );
      else
         field.set( value );
   }
}

Also, the 2.0 public branch is frozen. Any further commits will be made to the trunk only and will be slated for a future branch. The time draws near.