Raistlin
11-15-2002, 05:40 PM
Ok, i've not looked at this packet structures for SEQ so this could be a strange question, but...
When in GPS mode, if I click and CON a mob (right click or c key) that will show the mob on my SEQ installation...
It will then track this mob all over the bloody zone. Now this tells me a few things.
1) The move packets are un-encrypted (otherwise it wouldn't show movement)
2) There are identifiers in the move packet to differentiate one mob from another mob...otherwise one move packet would move EVERY conned mob in the zone...or would move the wrong mob..depending on how it was coded...but it doesn't, only the moving mob moves with the move packets.
3) Since mobs move even when "off screen" then move packets for mobs even not in visual contact are still sent to the zone...In fact I would expect that move packets for EVERY MOB in the zone are sent to the client.
Call me stupid (and i'm sure some of you will) why the heck can't we capture the move packets comming in and "interpret" where the mobs are in the zone by what's in the move packets? There has to be SOMETHING in the move packet that would denote a starting possition. You couldn't simply say "mob x, move rate 4, direction NE" could you? Wouldn't you ahve to say "starting here, move rate 4, NE, Mob X?" Wouldn't a start possiton for the mobs explain the warping effect we see with the mobs? There'd have to be something in those move packets that said "Mob X should be HERE at this point and moving in this direction." Otherwise you'd be attacking a visual mob at possition X when it's actually at X+5 feet to the left of you according to the server.
Considering dropped packets and such I would think that would be the only safe way to do it would be to give corrdinate and then direction...and if so why don't we just interpret the coordinates and possition the mobs on the screen...it might not be all of them, and it woudln't show what they were, but at LEAST you could see the MOVING mobs (and maybe the spawned mobs) and be able to dodge those...then if there was a way to load a list of static spawns with the zone file (maybe in a different color) produced by another EQ session (or even the same EQ session, any conned mob that doesn't get a move packet would be considered a static spawn and could be registered), then you'd have ALMOST full Map functionality back into SEQ passively.
I guess there's missing info in the move packets that disallows this, but i'd like to know what the problem with this would be?
--Raistlin
When in GPS mode, if I click and CON a mob (right click or c key) that will show the mob on my SEQ installation...
It will then track this mob all over the bloody zone. Now this tells me a few things.
1) The move packets are un-encrypted (otherwise it wouldn't show movement)
2) There are identifiers in the move packet to differentiate one mob from another mob...otherwise one move packet would move EVERY conned mob in the zone...or would move the wrong mob..depending on how it was coded...but it doesn't, only the moving mob moves with the move packets.
3) Since mobs move even when "off screen" then move packets for mobs even not in visual contact are still sent to the zone...In fact I would expect that move packets for EVERY MOB in the zone are sent to the client.
Call me stupid (and i'm sure some of you will) why the heck can't we capture the move packets comming in and "interpret" where the mobs are in the zone by what's in the move packets? There has to be SOMETHING in the move packet that would denote a starting possition. You couldn't simply say "mob x, move rate 4, direction NE" could you? Wouldn't you ahve to say "starting here, move rate 4, NE, Mob X?" Wouldn't a start possiton for the mobs explain the warping effect we see with the mobs? There'd have to be something in those move packets that said "Mob X should be HERE at this point and moving in this direction." Otherwise you'd be attacking a visual mob at possition X when it's actually at X+5 feet to the left of you according to the server.
Considering dropped packets and such I would think that would be the only safe way to do it would be to give corrdinate and then direction...and if so why don't we just interpret the coordinates and possition the mobs on the screen...it might not be all of them, and it woudln't show what they were, but at LEAST you could see the MOVING mobs (and maybe the spawned mobs) and be able to dodge those...then if there was a way to load a list of static spawns with the zone file (maybe in a different color) produced by another EQ session (or even the same EQ session, any conned mob that doesn't get a move packet would be considered a static spawn and could be registered), then you'd have ALMOST full Map functionality back into SEQ passively.
I guess there's missing info in the move packets that disallows this, but i'd like to know what the problem with this would be?
--Raistlin