What Frustrates You the Most?

Malok

I think a few of the posts in this thread have hit things right on the mark. PvP in Aetolia consists more of artifacts and coding ability than strategy and skill. Sadly, there isn't much that can be done about this without a revamping of the way player combat works in the game.

As for what frustrates me?

The tutorials for lua/mudlet are sorely lacking. I know some exist, but they aren't very good at explaining things. I was always very good at AL Client/Cmud type stuff but when I came to mudlet I had no idea what the hell I was doing, because of how much different all the syntax is. Now that I've figured it all out, I don't mind it so much.

I find it really bizarre that I can actually make things in mudlet now like @Areka described, and all it took was looking at how tables work in the mudlet wiki/documentation and trying it in my own way and seeing it work, for things to finally click for me.

As you and I have talked about before @Ashmer, and I'm still not joking about this, you should totally do webinars or something on lua and/or mudlet in general. Just like...for dummies fashion. I think this would be a far more productive way to help the community learn the coding side of things than just doing it for them like you did before, or making threads like this now. Just an idea.

Ashmer

I contest that first statement, @Malok. Artifacts and coding ability definitely make things easier, but look at @Lim - he codes with nothing more than booleans and logic, mainly. That isn't what this thread is about, though, and it's very very easy to get sucked into that conversation.

You know I've been following your coding progress for awhile, too, and I'm really really excited that you've created what you've created. My favorite thing about coding and PKing is seeing new PKers slide onto the scene and actually have some success.

Veovis

I don't want to derail this thread, but if you're having issues getting your system to read an updated class from GMCP, you need to use STAT or SCORE to get it to update. I found this out when I swapped from BB to Tera.

Draiman

@Ishin

You could manually kill people in the past because their curing was piss poor. Fitness and class curing with no cool downs? How did any of us die back then? Seriously.

but hey free curing was a great thing amirite /derail

Serrice

When I started playing in 2011-2012, a lot of people didn't use lockbreakers at all. It was glorious, especially since for like the first two years I played destroyed_throat was bugged to not block undead fitness, only living.

Ashmer

I spoke with the person who co-built Oasys' back end, loader, and server with me (also the creator of Logsty, if any of y'all want me to pass along words of love and adoration) and I've got a fairly clear direction in mind with what I want to do, but POLL TIME.

Considering that the biggest gaps I've heard expressed are:

1) Handling complex queue codes
2) Basic up-front learning curve with minor tools like tables and Lua language (UI, etc)
3) Having an inroad to combat theory

What would you want to see most?

A) Tutorials, webcast + screen-shared basics for Lua code/combat theory
A forum-based walk-through or series of tutorials
C) An API or toolset that you could use to build a system with

YOU

DECIDE

Malok

A! 

Ahuul

C makes my nipples hard.

Ashmer

No other votes/input?

Riluo

This is tricky mate as I want to see how it is done but I am lazy too so C is tempting!! However I choose you:

A

As its better to learn so you can improve.

Ashmer

I need more than an audience of three people if I'm going to do project work.

Oleis

I think a system/framework/documentation to help people better understand and interact with GMCP would be extremely helpful. Most have a basic comprehension, but many are missing out on some of the more powerful features.

Ashmer

Oleis said:

I think a system/framework/documentation to help people better understand and interact with GMCP would be extremely helpful. Most have a basic comprehension, but many are missing out on some of the more powerful features.

Could you say a bit more about that, @Oleis? Either here or PM?

Oleis

The prevalence of people string matching it rather than interpreting the JSON sure startled me a little bit. I've also found that many people are unfamiliar with the idea of SENDING GMCP, and what it can get them in terms of behind-the-scenes system work without gagging. The case-sensitivity (in Mudlet, at least) can also be a sticking point.

Not sure exactly what to suggest, but I seem to recall your having a fluency with GMCP, and wondered if inspiration might strike.

Ashmer

I'm pretty sure I string match GMCP personally, since it's the simplest to execute, but I have a skills fetch I might be able to make available. GMCP isn't something I'm personally more than a journeyman with.

I actually didn't know GMCP was delivered as JSON. <.<

Areka

Who is Jason and what does he have to do with a system.

Keroc

Jason is the worker at the factory that makes sure the selected pieces of string don't get tangled together when they're packaged for shipping.

Xenia

My vote is for A

Veovis

Oleis said:

The prevalence of people string matching it rather than interpreting the JSON sure startled me a little bit. I've also found that many people are unfamiliar with the idea of SENDING GMCP, and what it can get them in terms of behind-the-scenes system work without gagging. The case-sensitivity (in Mudlet, at least) can also be a sticking point.

Not sure exactly what to suggest, but I seem to recall your having a fluency with GMCP, and wondered if inspiration might strike.

Finding documentation on GMCP isn't all that easy. Would you, or one of your minions, be willing to write a deeper tutorial or point us to one that's available?

The only real experience I had writing code was Python and GNU Common Lisp, and that was years ago; so, I have no idea how to use JSON versus treating the stuff I get from Mudlet like a string or a table.

Riluo

GET /characters.json <--- weird stuff like this???

Aishia

GMCP changes that make me want to ragequit.

Keroc

Veovis said:

Finding documentation on GMCP isn't all that easy. Would you, or one of your minions, be willing to write a deeper tutorial or point us to one that's available?

The only real experience I had writing code was Python and GNU Common Lisp, and that was years ago; so, I have no idea how to use JSON versus treating the stuff I get from Mudlet like a string or a table.

JSON (short for JavaScript Object Notation) is the format in which we encode the information we want to send and pass along to the user through GMCP. It's super simple to figure out to the point that you could quite easily do it in you head.

When we send the Char.Status packet, it quite literally looks like this:

Char.Status { "name": "Keroc", "fullname": "Keroc", "race": "Celani", "status": "Living", "level": "200 (0)", "explorer": "a Landstrider", "class": "Sciomancer", "spec": "N/A", "city": "Duiran", "guild": "Cabalists", "order": "(None)", "gold": "599502", "bank": "0", "unread_msgs": "0", "unread_news": "0" }

Or to strip it down:

Object { "key": "value" }

Mudlet users will most likely never have to worry about decoding a JSON packet into an easy to use lua table because I'm fairly certain (disclaimer: I've never actually used Mudlet) that this is already done for you. All you need to do is check a flag to enable GMCP and call 'gmcp.Char.Status.' to get what you need within your script. Hunting up a JSON decoder is more important for other clients, like MUSHclient, that don't have that sort of thing built in.

If you're super curious about JSON, head over to json.org/ where it's nicely explained.

Ashmer

Yeah, Mudlet just parses the JSON and builds a gmcp.Whatever table for all gmcp data. You still have to sendGMCP() to fetch skills and rift data (and hack it a bit with Lua logic), but beyond that it's done for you. Super easy.

Reux

--

Ashmer

Yeah, I won't be coding anything for MUSH. I use Mudlet, personally.

Just to re-rail this thread; any other votes/suggestions/wishes from A, B, or C?

Drahkuna

A!

Riluo

Honestly making some videos that show the basic of using gmcp, curing and what is require to setup an offensive would be great. Insofar as how to make a script that fires via a alias "kill on, kill off". In fact just simple "follow my steps" videos are fantastic as a lot of people are visual/auditory learners vs. reading about it.

It might be nice to get others on board also who are willing to show simple ideas and explain what for example this could mean in layman's terms:

 sendGMCP("Char.Skills.Get "..yajl.to_string{group = "survival"})
    sendGMCP("Char.Items.Inv")
    signals.gmcpcharskillsinfo:unblock(install.checkskillgmcp)
    signals.gmcpcharitemslist:unblock(install.checkinvgmcp)
    signals.gmcpcharskillslist:unblock(install.checkskilllist)

Having it broke down can open up a whole new world of scripting.

Ishin

@Oleis - In my system I string match a lot of GMCP too. I think. Looks like so:

beast.vitals.curhp = tonumber(gmcp.Char.Vitals.hp)
beast.vitals.maxhp = tonumber(gmcp.Char.Vitals.maxhp)
beast.vitals.curmp = tonumber(gmcp.Char.Vitals.mp)
beast.vitals.maxmp = tonumber(gmcp.Char.Vitals.maxmp)
beast.vitals.hpperc = beast.vitals.curhp/beast.vitals.maxhp*100
beast.vitals.mpperc = beast.vitals.curmp/beast.vitals.maxmp*100
beast.name = gmcp.Char.Name.name
beast.bal = toBoolean(tonumber(gmcp.Char.Vitals.balance))
beast.eq = toBoolean(tonumber(gmcp.Char.Vitals.equilibrium))
beast.prone = toBoolean(tonumber(gmcp.Char.Vitals.prone))
beast.lab = toBoolean(tonumber(gmcp.Char.Vitals.left_arm))
beast.rab = toBoolean(tonumber(gmcp.Char.Vitals.right_arm))
beast.second = toBoolean(tonumber(gmcp.Char.Vitals.ability_bal))
beast.myclass = gmcp.Char.Status.class

toBoolean is just a function that determines something as true/false instead of 1/0. It runs in my prompt, and it's just easier to process this way, at least imo.

Aldric

Please tell me you have a beast.mode variable Ishin.

Ishin

Aldric said:

Please tell me you have a beast.mode variable Ishin.

Shit yeah I do.