Meeting 2006-11-18
Contents
Agenda
Feel free to add any agenda point you think needs discussion. Please clearly label who suggested each item on the agenda.
- Recent development(s) [static point]
- Follow up on previous meeting: Meeting 2006-10-28#Summary. [static point]
- C# Atlas implementation plans? (See MMORPG Protocol Requirements) (Tommi)
- Atlas Observations (ie non-guaranteed messages) using additional UDP channel? (Demitar, Tommi)
- Where are we lacking? [static point]
Summary
Recent developments
- Erik has added dynamic sky to Ember: http://worldforgedev.org/archives/82
- Kai has added jayr's castle to the mason map: http://worldforgedev.org/archives/83 (Although he mostly blames both jayr and erik for doing most of the work.)
- Erik has added WF to the Ohloh code metric system: http://worldforgedev.org/archives/84
- zzorn has released version 0.0.1 of Skycastle last weekend - it demonstrates the skycastle terrain engine: https://sourceforge.net/projects/skycastle/
- <tommi> I have added some mmorg protocol requirements as notes to wiki: MMORPG Protocol Requirements
- <tommi> they include those from worldforge protocol requirements in cvs/Atlas
- <tommi> did not name them wf protocol requirements as they are not approved by anyone just some thoughts 8)
- zzorn has also created a planar foliage template for use with fir and palm tree branches, as well as undervegetation such as ferns or big leaves: https://svn.worldforge.org:886/svn/media/trunk/3d_objects/plants/planar_foliage/
- <Demitar> The new website template has not progressed much I'm afraid. ( http://demitar.homelinux.net/worldforge/template.html )
- <zzorn> Yeah, I'm sorry about that too, I haven't had time to finish the new website background pics
- Moving website content is mostly stalled at the moment
Atlas Implementation Plans (Tommi)
Tommi is planning to port Atlas to C# and to create some performance tests at the same time. See MMORPG Protocol Requirements.
<zzorn> Would be nice if the java implementation is dusted off at the same time.
<tommi> So if you guys can help me in anyway it would be sweet. <Demitar> tommi: Feel free to bug me about how it works. :)
Atlas Documentation
See Demitars old Atlas paper and Demitars Atlas Tutorial (it doesn't cover the low-level things but is trying to give "regular" users the gist of atlas quickly).
<Demitar> tommi: Also you may want to see if you can find acorn internals (by al), and one article james and alriddoch wrote. Also aloril has some atlas notes in cvs.
Atlas Observations (ie non-guaranteed messages) using additional UDP channel? (Demitar, Tommi)
The feature candidate is described here: Atlas Feature Candidates.
Briefly, observational messages (such as position updates for entities) could be sent as UDP packets instead of through a TCP channel, to reduce lag.
Exactly what messages are 'observations' and could be sent over UDP needs some thought.
There was some discussion on the current lag with WF servers.
- There is lag because the server is only sending a sync message every four seconds.
- <zzorn> Could it be worth fixing the server first, so we see if it lags with a working TCP based implementation, and then prototype an UDP based implementation to see how much improvement it would give?
- <Demitar> Yes, I don't think we should go live with udp right away, just experiment with ways to make it possible. And if/when stable we could apply it (wether used or not).
- <tommi> yeah protocol level proof of concept would be nice first
- <Demitar> However this is a more well-defined task, and thus quite easy to theorize and work with.
Where are we lacking? [static point]
Editing tools, as mentioned in the earlier meetings?
- <Demitar> Kai mentioned the ember editing support has been very useful when working with the castle.
Someone to figure out what is causing the lag issue on the server side.
Logs
Brenda was frantically writing down our words with colored crayons while we chatted.
Next Meeting
The next meeting is: Meeting 2006-12-09
