# Ninth Official Chat

### Sunday, 17 September 2000

Abaddon | Okay folks, welcome once again to the Ninth Official UOX3 House of Commons Chat
Abaddon | There's no set topic for today, so it's basically anything goes. Same deal as last HoC, all questions are to go through QuestionBot
Abaddon | Please add your questions through /msg QuestionBot !addq Why do we use a bot you ask?
Unseen | points to the QuestionBot in a Vanna White style
Abaddon | And also feel free to peruse the questions already there, and vote for the questions that you most want answered
Abaddon | So, let's get started, add those questions now!
Xuri | Welcome to the newcomers..../msg QuestionBot !addq to ask questions.

# Questions

- What are the main fixes/updates to this build? (Dreoth, 3 votes)
- With the new script system will it be possible to write AI scripts which can be assigned to NPCs ? Will it be also possible to write scripts for quests and link them with AI scripts ? (Fred777, 1 votes)
- What's the official way contributing to uox3? (Knoxos, 1 votes)
- Can we expect to see any new skills soon? (Jin, 5 votes)
- Will there be any planned releases that will fix rain in dungeons? (Sir_Fawnpug, 1 votes)
- I realize PvP isn't a priority for UOX but will you ever make a precasting feature available? (Jin, 4 votes)
- When will the Dev Team be accepting new members, and what sort of criteria/experience are you looking for in an Official Developer? (Thyme, 2 votes)
- Any ETA on the huge release we've heard about *probably not but worth asking =]* (Dreoth, 1 votes)
- Further elaborating on the fact that the new script system will allow single AIs assigned to each character, will it be possible to randomize the AI? (Sir_Fawnpug, 1 votes)
- Why has the quote of the week been the same for 5 years on the UOX.dev page? (Jin, 1 votes)
- When with the line-of-sight issue in caves be fixed? (Unseen, 1 votes)
- Can you send more than one picture for the UOX3 pic contest? (Jin, 1 votes)
- Can we ever expect to see people be able to get in bed? Now that would be handy! *grin* (Jin, 1 votes)
- Will the new system simplify GUMPs? (Sir_Fawnpug, 1 votes)

What are the main fixes/updates to this build? (Dreoth, 3 votes) Abaddon | Well, first and foremost amongst the new fixes will be a fix for the "It begins to rain" problem. I know a number of you find it incredibly annoying, and at the moment it's only quickly suppressed. However, a full fix is forthcoming, so rejoice, lag will get better :>
Abaddon | There'll be a few combat and magic related fixes (no real details as yet), so basically it'll be a 19b release not a 20 release

With the new script system will it be possible to write AI scripts which can be assigned to NPCs ? Will it be also possible to write scripts for quests and link them with AI scripts ? (Fred777, 1 votes) Abaddon | Well, this falls very much in my department, as I've been working on the Script Engine here
Abaddon | What we envision at the moment, for a first initial (but not complete) implementation is an event based system
Abaddon | So you can write a script for an item/char for when they're attacked, or when they use a skill, or any number of events (around 25 or so at the moment)
Abaddon | A full and complete API will be provided as well (over 100 functions), so there really is a lot of room for expandability!
Unseen | The old scripts (.scp) are now know as definitions. They are A LOT more detailed, a lot easier to manage, and have a lot more info
Abaddon | At it's simplest, we ran a test script the other day which fired when a person stepped on an item
Abaddon | The script fired, the person was teleported, the person emoted, and they had sparkle effects around them
Abaddon | Which, I believe, is more than you can do with the current triggers (but I could be wrong)
Unseen | it is
Abaddon | Please note, that this can be assigned to an individual item or npc, or a class of them via the data files (old script files)
Abaddon | So each character can have their own AI

What's the official way contributing to uox3? (Knoxos, 1 votes) Xuri | Basically it's this: All code goes through EviLDeD or Abaddon. So if you have some code you feel would gain the UOX3 community to have in UOX3, you send the code to them.
Xuri | Of course, no bad code goes in, should be un-necessary to mention :>

Can we expect to see any new skills soon? (Jin, 5 votes) Abaddon | Well, we'd all love new skills, I know, but first and foremost we need to finish up the skills that already exist
Abaddon | Also, I don't think most people realize what new skills would require. It would require updates to the clients file, a modification to one particular packet (rendering any unmodified clients useless), and a few other niggling things
Abaddon | So it's not a simple solution, but it's something to investigate for the future

Will there be any planned releases that will fix rain in dungeons? (Sir_Fawnpug, 1 votes) Xuri | A partial fix for that will be the rain-lag fix for 19b that was mentioned earlier.
Xuri | The means to do the other part of that fix is already there, by setting up the weather in the regions for those dungeons.
Xuri | Each region in regions.scp should have a WEATHAB # number which is connected to the various section numbers in weathab.scp - and that is the file you need to edit if you want to disable rain in dungeons.

I realize PvP isn't a priority for UOX but will you ever make a precasting feature available? (Jin, 4 votes) Abaddon | Well, basically, the majority of this feature already exists in UOX
Abaddon | I've had some requests to take it out actually :>

When will the Dev Team be accepting new members, and what sort of criteria/experience are you looking for in an Official Developer? (Thyme, 2 votes) EviLDeD | Well I guess that one was saved especially for me. Really there are 2 things holding the process up. one lack of time(as I need to get a good set of questions etc, hashed out with abaddon, and the fact that it is to be an online app that I just haven't had time to throw together.
EviLDeD | The criteria and experience I would have to say would be of the moderate, to advanced c/C++ levels, understand a good portion of how things work in UOX3, and if nothing else will be able to work along Ab and myself, and the rest of the DevTeam harmoniously
EviLDeD | The most important I guess would be liberal amounts of dreamer with coder to back it up.. and to have some fun along the way.

Any ETA on the huge release we've heard about *probably not but worth asking =]* (Dreoth, 1 votes) EviLDeD | Yes very worth asking, and as I have mentioned before in previous HoCs, the plan is to have the BIG release you kind of sarcastically point at is destined for release Dec 31, 2000. A kick off to the new millennium

Further elaborating on the fact that the new script system will allow single AIs assigned to each character, will it be possible to randomize the AI? (Sir_Fawnpug, 1 votes) Abaddon | The simplest answer I can give to that is: The AI randomization will come from your scripts, not from the code
Abaddon | If you want it to behave randomly, write it that way. If you want it linear, write it that way
Abaddon | We're putting the tools back in to your hands to do things as you want them to be

Why has the quote of the week been the same for 5 years on the UOX.dev page? (Jin, 1 votes) Xuri | What can I say... Hm mm errhmm uhm...ho hum.... I like it ;) bleh I'll change it :P

When with the line-of-sight issue in caves be fixed? (Unseen, 1 votes) Abaddon | We have people working on the walking code at the moment, and I'm sure that *hint hint* they're working on the Line of Sight issues as well
Abaddon | So no idea on a time frame, but it is being looked at

Can you send more than one picture for the UOX3 pic contest? (Jin, 1 votes) EviLDeD | I have been considering that. One of the reasons that I put the limit on the number of image submitted for a given category was to stop only images coming in for just one category. Well at least try to limit it, and get more people to submit to the other categories as well.
EviLDeD | I will makes changes, that will allow you 2 images per category. My thought to you though is if you have more than 2 images in mind could they possibly be made to fit in with one of the other categories available.
EviLDeD | Hope that helps. its not a lot, but its something

Can we ever expect to see people be able to get in bed? Now that would be handy! *grin* (Jin, 1 votes) Abaddon | Well, one of the things that UOX3 aims for is a mature real experience
Abaddon | I guess beds have their place in that, but we don't want to degrade the image or maturity of UOX3
Abaddon | The whole LSD thing caused numerous problems with very young people want more "drugs" in game, to go with LSD and smoking
Abaddon | LSD and smoking were not put in just for that, I believe they were put in for a reason (though we're regretting LSD now, by a long long way)
Abaddon | If we thought that adding beds could be done with maturity and not cause problems, then we'll look into it
Abaddon | But if it's just another thing to cause the maturity level to drop, then I doubt it
EviLDeD | LSD I think was put in so there was a way to hack into buildings.
EviLDeD | Was just coded poorly
EviLDeD | And of course effects everything, and one

Will the new system simplify GUMPs? (Sir_Fawnpug, 1 votes) Abaddon | That's another aspect of the Scripting Engine, it will be responsible for custom user gumps and actions based upon button presses and what not. But that may not make the 1st release of the Scripting Engine (being complex and all that :>)