GWFreaks.com - The Tools for Guild Wars Freaks / GWFreaks Tools / Beta version issue / Version 2.2.11.15-17 (2.3 BETA) / Latest Posts

RE: Version 2.2.11.15-17 (2.3 BETA)

Thortok2000 — Wed, 21 Dec 2005 14:36:27 GMT

Thortok2000 (11/24/2005)

Sequence errors (the green numbers are wrong) in the following skills (still, in 2.3):
Axe Twist, Cyclone Axe, Deadly Riposte, Healing Signet, Power Attack, Obsidian Flame

Hammer Bash is marked as a 'Spell' when it should be a 'Hammer Attack'. O.o

These are W/E skills. I'll check other professions later. If I had a program like the NPC Manager, I could fix these myself. ^_^

Add Backbreaker to this list.

Could I have a program like the NPC Manager to go in and edit skills.xml?

RE: Version 2.2.11.15-17 (2.3 BETA)

Zyo — Mon, 12 Dec 2005 14:01:42 GMT

C++ do not required .NET framework, GWFreaks does.

GWFreaks client is coded in VB.NET using framework 1.1

GWFreaks server is coded in VB.NET too but framework 2.0

Source code will be unlikely released, but if want to create an updater from scratch... because the current one have nothing good at all, good luck.

- Sending 1 files at the time for update is not a valid solution.
- Sending file in a XML is probably not good either because of the binary encoding overhead.
- Having to create a list of each files modify for each release doesn't see to be interesting from my point of view. What if we add a new map that have 300 parts? Who gonna write the updater file?

The best approach would be (What I can think at the moment):

- The client send the date of his most recent file (for example 2005/04/04).
- Server compute what files had changed since the date.
- Return data using a custom blog of binary (zipped would be excellent for instance).
- Client find a way to shut down itself, download the file, replace himself and other files and restart.

This approach seems simple but you have to exclude file such as template and config since they may be modify everyday but the client.

The updater could be done in C++... GWFreaks call the updater, GWFreaks close, the update replace everything and relaunch it. The server could be a page in PHP, ASP, ASPX or almost anything.

If the update required 1 exe with 3 dll that take 400+ kb, not sure if it's good. The current updater is about 10kb + updater image.

I'm willing to help you if needed, I have no issue programming with C#, VB.NET and C++. I've works with all of them for years. My current job is in C#.

Hehe good luck and happy programming.

RE: Version 2.2.11.15-17 (2.3 BETA)

Thortok2000 — Mon, 12 Dec 2005 13:17:35 GMT

Well, what language is the program in? C++? I'd be willing to take a crack at it myself, I've got plenty of free time. I'll need to teach myself the language first, but no biggie.

RE: Version 2.2.11.15-17 (2.3 BETA)

Zyo — Mon, 12 Dec 2005 09:02:34 GMT

Sending a list of missing files is almost impossible. If version 2.2 that want to upgrade to 2.3 would have a 1000+ list of file name, directory and file size? Ignoring the map and the jpg is possible but, the map [cut in piece] IS new from 2.3.

Another issue is that the update was working with an XML file that was returning missing files, XML means binary files in base64. With the map cut off the download is about ~12 meg since they can't be compressed as the Installer is. So updating is slower for nothing.

Another issue, is that the server got updated last with with the latest version of .NET framework and seems to removed the "Enter" in the patch note... that's why is only on a single line.

Thortok2000 (12/11/2005)

I realize it's a lot of work, Zyo, but...what else are we working on? I haven't seen much discussion about GWFreaks in the last couple of weeks.

I've change job, and I'm doing stuff that will actually paid me. I sill need food and an apartment.

Wanna GWFreaks turn commercial with money involved? On a side note GWFreaks server takes 2 gig per day to run so don't think you can host it on your local internet connection.

The tool will be still be updated over time but probably not major update. When Chapter 2 will be out, the tool will be updated to make sure new classes are working well.

My conclusion is, considering the low number of update their gonna be, take it easy and download the file as you do for Winamp, ICQ, MSN, name it... the updater was a cool feature I got fun doing it, with over 1000 files it is just not working well.

RE: Version 2.2.11.15-17 (2.3 BETA)

Thortok2000 — Sun, 11 Dec 2005 15:45:29 GMT

I think it'd be great if I could send my updates to the xml files and they could be downloaded through the updater program, using Fredrick's 'compare versions' feature, without taking an official patch to implement them.

I realize it's a lot of work, Zyo, but...what else are we working on? I haven't seen much discussion about GWFreaks in the last couple of weeks.

I think the easiest one to implement first would be a 'do not check for update of these files' which you could then do for all the *.jpg or whatever extension you use for pictures for the map and for skills. Since that's the way the system seems to work now (by checking each individual file and comparing it to the server), I think that would work best, simply saying 'don't check picture files'.

I think, of the three options, that's the one that involves the least amount of work.

RE: Version 2.2.11.15-17 (2.3 BETA)

Fredrik — Sun, 11 Dec 2005 13:15:53 GMT

I think that the best would be option 2.

Another option is to make the server have a list of updated files in each version. A list of which files changed since previous versions. Then send that list to client and client can compare list to what version the client have. Then the client download the missing files and update them in the installed directory.

Ex:

Version 2.3-2.2 GwFreaks.exe, Map.jpg
Version 2.2-2.1 GwFreaks.exe, Map.jpg, Skill_Gale.jpg

Then if the client has version 2.1 and latest is 2.3 the client download Skill_Gale.jpg from version 2.2 and the Map.jpg and GwFreaks.exe from version 2.3

Or is this not a good option?

RE: Version 2.2.11.15-17 (2.3 BETA)

Zyo — Sun, 11 Dec 2005 08:15:02 GMT

All 3 solutions are good, all 3 solutions required to change the client code... so the application do not send all informations about images to the server. So it can't be a little fix, but rather a full update of the 60 000 GWFreaks clients.

RE: Version 2.2.11.15-17 (2.3 BETA)

Thortok2000 — Sat, 10 Dec 2005 23:42:38 GMT

There's two ways I can think of to solve this.

1: Don't try to look for updates for picture files since...when do those change, really? Like, never. If they do change, for that particular release, use option #2:

2: Have the updater compare versions and just download the exe file you have hosted automatically. As an option, you could have that exe file only 'patch' instead of 'install', but the program's so small that's not a big deal.

Option #3, which I wouldn't prefer, is to disable the support for updating and remove it from the program since it's now a dead feature.

RE: Version 2.2.11.15-17 (2.3 BETA)

Zyo — Sat, 10 Dec 2005 23:37:55 GMT

It will never be fixed. The updated wasn't plan to support that much files.

GWFreaks have at least 1 icons per skill (450) and 700+ images for the map... over 1200 files totals, send all those files name, file size and date and comparing on the server to find the news one is just a bad idea. It wasn't design to handle that much files at first.

The best approach will be to re-download the application and install it over.

Sorry!

RE: Version 2.2.11.15-17 (2.3 BETA)

Thortok2000 — Sat, 10 Dec 2005 19:44:32 GMT

The updater is still not working...

RE: Version 2.2.11.15-17 (2.3 BETA)

Thortok2000 — Thu, 24 Nov 2005 20:02:27 GMT

RE: Version 2.2.11.15-17 (2.3 BETA)

Zyo — Sun, 20 Nov 2005 10:15:16 GMT

Thanks for reporting the sequence error. The following skill have been adjusted:

Animated Bone Minions

Barbed Trap

Barbs

Belly Smash

Blinding Flash

Choking Gas

Clumsiness

Deadly Riposte

Disrupting Lunge

Dust Trap

Dwarven Battle Stance

Feral Lunge

Ferocious Strike

Hunters Shot

I Will Avenge You!

Insidious Parasite

Mark of Subversion

Melandru's Arrows

Read the wind

Shield of Regeneration

Troll Unguent

Check out version 2.3 (will be release somewhere today).

RE: Version 2.2.11.15-17 (2.3 BETA)

Thortok2000 — Fri, 18 Nov 2005 23:51:07 GMT

"I Will Avenge You!":
For level 14 in Strength, the +X health regeneration is 7 (current value: 6)

RE: Version 2.2.11.15-17 (2.3 BETA)

Thortok2000 — Fri, 18 Nov 2005 23:46:08 GMT

My axe has Damage +14% vs Hexed Foes.

The closest I can put in GWFreaks is 'while Hexed', which isn't the same thing.

RE: Version 2.2.11.15-17 (2.3 BETA)

Thortok2000 — Thu, 17 Nov 2005 14:32:55 GMT

Mark of Subversion:
For level 1 in Curses, the X health stolen is 15 (current value: 16)

RE: Version 2.2.11.15-17 (2.3 BETA)

Thortok2000 — Thu, 17 Nov 2005 14:25:13 GMT

Insidious Parasite:
For level 1 in Curses, the X health stolen is 6 (current value: 9)

If I had the skill manager program, I'd fix these errors for you myself. ^_^

RE: Version 2.2.11.15-17 (2.3 BETA)

Thortok2000 — Thu, 17 Nov 2005 13:03:58 GMT

Feral Lunge:
For level 4 in Beast Mastery, the X more damage is 9 (current value: 8)

RE: Version 2.2.11.15-17 (2.3 BETA)

Thortok2000 — Thu, 17 Nov 2005 02:28:51 GMT

Barbs:
For level 1 in Curses, the X more damage is 2 (current value: 1)

RE: Version 2.2.11.15-17 (2.3 BETA)

Thortok2000 — Thu, 17 Nov 2005 02:24:07 GMT

Animate Bone Minions:
For level 13 in Death Magic, it creates level 10 minions (current value: 11)

RE: Version 2.2.11.15-17 (2.3 BETA)

Thortok2000 — Thu, 17 Nov 2005 00:35:07 GMT

Shield of Regeneration:
For level 13 in Protection prayers, it offers 9 health regeneration (current value is 10).

RE: Version 2.2.11.15-17 (2.3 BETA)

Thortok2000 — Wed, 16 Nov 2005 21:24:45 GMT

I get the part about how {x} numbers correspond. I know that much in the SkillsDesc file.

Could I perhaps get the skills manager, then? And the npc manager, too, again, now that I'm on a new computer.

You can send the file transfer to me (even if I'm AFK) on msn (Thortok2000@msn.com). When I get back, even if you're afk (as long as you haven't closed the window), I can just hit accept and get it from ya. Or you can e-mail it. Or send me a link to download it from.

I tried running the main manager with -npc after it and it didn't seem to work, at least not in the latest beta version...

RE: Version 2.2.11.15-17 (2.3 BETA)

Zyo — Wed, 16 Nov 2005 18:36:13 GMT

Pogs, I did change the font size from 11pt to 10pt. Hope thats better. Also took your French file placedesc.xml.

Grimpaw: The team xml has been updated to be human readable.

Thortok: Divine Intervention, Ether lord, Blessed Signet (sequence is now like Kindle arrows and stone daggers).

On a side note. The skill.xml {0} refer to the first value, {1} the 2nd... Some {x} exist only for internal usage such as calculating the duration, damage or energy gain listed in the skill grid or used by equipment bonus module. I wouldn't recommand anyone to modify this file without the Skill Manager.

RE: Version 2.2.11.15-17 (2.3 BETA)

P_o_g_S — Wed, 16 Nov 2005 05:06:39 GMT

The new split image map is really good. It loads instantly and does no longer slow the PC down ! Great job

Suggestion : The location names are great but I think they should be a bit smaller.

Regarding the french PlacesDesc.xml, you did not include the updated version I supplied on the french translation forum, which is up to date. The one you included still have untranslated location names such as Sorrow's Furnace.

Untranslated :

in the skillinformation frame, location is still impossible to translate.

I saw that you used the reworked icons i made. I'm pleased

RE: Version 2.2.11.15-17 (2.3 BETA)

Thortok2000 — Wed, 16 Nov 2005 00:22:05 GMT

Another error in Skills.xml that I can't fix myself:

Divine Intervention is an Enchantment Spell, not a Spell.

Ether Lord is a Hex Spell, not a Spell.

RE: Version 2.2.11.15-17 (2.3 BETA)

Thortok2000 — Wed, 16 Nov 2005 00:03:43 GMT

The Skill Blessed Signet needs looking at. For a Divine Favor value of 14, the green number is 23, current version of GWFreaks shows 24.

I could fix such errors myself, I just don't understand the Skills.xml. For instance, the Blessed Signet skill there shows a listing for 'Energy Gain' which is not a green number. From my understanding, this could be removed, and the SkillsDesc entry for that skill change from {1} to {0}. Do you want me to do such cropping to lower the size of the Skills.xml? If so, are there any other things about the Skills.xml I should know before I change it?

RE: Version 2.2.11.15-17 (2.3 BETA)

Zyo — Tue, 15 Nov 2005 18:00:39 GMT

Oups, it's fixed in 2.2.11.16. Thanks for reporting it.

RE: Version 2.2.11.15-17 (2.3 BETA)

vagabond66 — Tue, 15 Nov 2005 15:04:52 GMT

Started to test this, looks good.

1 bug so far on the bonus section for your rune upgrades if you try to click up or put in a number it errors out and gives a System Stack Overflow error.

Version 2.2.11.15-17 (2.3 BETA)

Zyo — Tue, 15 Nov 2005 11:09:40 GMT

Version 2.3 offer more flexibility on map.

- Map is cut into 744 images block.
- Add couple zooming level.
- Translation: Can display the translated text on the map (check icon top right)
- Update skill, npc and location based on reported error and Thortok files.

If no error is reported, the version 2.3 will be released in few days. The beta updater have been shut down. You can to download it manually.

http://www.gwfreaks.com/download/gwfreaks_beta.zip