Improving the Dedicated Server Client

Jimbobslimbob

This was briefly mentioned on the stream yesterday, so would be a good idea to get a thread going for ideas that could be added and improved upon.

Some stuff to start with:

- Ability to inspect players, including inventory.
- Better support for savegame saving/loading. Currently the client does not remember the last slot or savegame name you used if it is closed and re-opened.
- Additional to the above: Specify the save game used for autosaves. Currently it's only ever one, regardless of how many different games you may be running, meaning the potential exists to overwrite an autosave accidentally.
- Some limited DM features - Such as warping players, levelling, giving gold etc. Basic stuff so that you don't have to jump in as a DM for "essential" stuff like that.

Chris_theViking

these can all be managed by the administrator

Chris_theViking

Some upgrades I'd like to see to the dedicated server.
- included watchdog service so we can save the online characters and reset the server without just crashing it and then using a third party utility to reload it.
- setting to disable player login after a reset for XXX
- Ability to transmit player lists, chat, server announcements across multiple servers even if on other side of the world(my partner in this endeavor lives in Aus and I'm in US)
- upgrade the DM ability to hide presence even from view from outside the server. As it stands now at login players can see my account is online even though they can't see me in-game. I don't want ppl thinkin they can talk to me. GOD!
- i'll add more stuff if i think of it. Maybe i'll post as a new topic if i think of a lot more stuff.

Jimbobslimbob

Cool, keep 'em coming. The more features we can get added to this the better.

Jimbobslimbob

Additional request: Shortcut keys for some of the functions in the program, like "Send Message", "Shutdown" and "Save", so that we can automate and remotely access them via keyboard (e.g. from another program).

IndyWendieGo

A couple of requests I can think of;

- Make it where you can make or edit current server descriptions
- Save said server descriptions with specific modules so that when they're loaded, the associated description also gets loaded.

NeverwinterWights

I'm wondering if there's going to be a new type of integrated database? Maybe something more like SQLite rather than the default NWN one that had some bloating issues.

Jimbobslimbob

I develop in SQLite myself and love it, so would like to see that. It's such a tidy and compact engine with many uses.

PlasmaJohn

SQLite has its uses but is not a general purpose solution. BD's NWNX does have MySQL support in their database plugin. Shouldn't be too hard for people to add SQLite or support for other relational DB's.

Jimbobslimbob

I much prefer SQLite to MySQL as far as "cut-down" SQL engines go, but each to their own. SQLite has a much smaller footprint and is very self contained as well. MySQL likes to spread its tendrils all over the place.

NeverwinterWights

PlasmaJohn said:

SQLite has its uses but is not a general purpose solution. BD's NWNX does have MySQL support in their database plugin. Shouldn't be too hard for people to add SQLite or support for other relational DB's.

The idea was to have a better "stock" database without having to use NWNX.

PlasmaJohn

NeverwinterWights said:

The idea was to have a better "stock" database without having to use NWNX.

Unless I've misinterpreted what I've read it is my understanding that their dedicated server comes stock with BD:NWNX. If that's the case yet another API is redundant.

There is the Campaign DB API but I'm not sure if recoding that against SQLite is warranted or really achieves what you're after.

Chris_theViking

a way to check the name of the server from inside the module running in the server