[MUD-Dev] NWN gets more MUD-like (again)

[Sean Kelly]

shren wrote:
> On Wed, 22 Jan 2003, Freeman, Jeff wrote:
 
>>  But the guys listed below my stuff claim to have solved that
>>  problem, and say they have real-time db access working. This
>>  could be absolutely huge for NWN online worlds....IF it
>>  works. The biggest change will be that it will allow multiple
>>  server worlds to function. Right now each world is a little
>>  island, with no sharing of information between them...even
>>  though they are SUPPOSED to be just parts of one big game world.
 
> Rewriting the core game scripts to use the database and writing
> some useful database schema for the game to use is almost as big a
> task as actually allowing the queries.  Not that this isn't
> incredible progress if it does what it says it does, but there's
> still a lot to be done.

I think the schema will tend to be customized to the game server.
I've already thought about a bunch of additions I'd like to make
that would only be appropriate for a multiserver system.  I've also
thought of a few interesting additions to the wrapper program to add
some nifty features to NWN (did you know that scripts stored in the
\override directory are executable by modules and not cached after
they're run?).

As for some technical background -- the DB system is using a parent
process to run the game engine in debug mode.  They're allocating a
couple large blocks of memory in script and then watching for
changes in those blocks.  This relies on the fact that the engine
won't reallocate a memory block unless more space is needed to store
a larger chunk of data.  I had concerns about performance
degradation but apparently there isn't any to speak of.

All in all, getting real DB support in NWN is going to allow for
some amazing things.  Especially since some SQL servers can run
external code as stored procdedures.  Oh, the possibilities...

Sean


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