Putting Our Ages On Shards

[Kedri]

Busy right now, so I'll hurry.

1. Yes
2. Central
3. Multiple
4. See #2
5. Hm. Good question, and I don't know the answer. The bigger problem would be if that update broke Volcano.

[Tsar Hoikas]

Would
the server also need a copy of the custom age's .fni and .prp files?
Or are those on the Volcano data server

No just the age and sdl files.

If there are multiple UU shards with fan-created content, will the
client list all these available shards, or only one shard?

Atm it shows all of the shards.

Is the Volcano Dataserver in one central location, or does each UU
shard server with fan-created content have a Volcano Dataserver
running on it?

ONe central Dataserver.

If Cyan updates their data server again after the Volcano Dataserver
is up and running (along with a UU shard), how will the Volcano
Dataserver be updated accordingly?

Hmmm ask Zrax...

[Robert The Rebuilder]

Thanks for the answers, Adam and Kedri! I guess Zrax is the one to answer that last question.

But here's a crucial question: since the patched client will still show all the shards (and not just the UU "Volcano" shards), there is the risk of corrupting a regular shard, right? Will there be a future version of the client patch that will only display the "Volcano" shards? Perhaps it can get a list of shards from the same location that has the centralized Volcano dataserver.

[ShadowDude]

If there are multiple UU shards with fan-created content, will the
client list all these available shards, or only one shard?

The dataserver determines which shards to show on the drop down list. Whoever is going to host the dataserver will be sent instructions for setup when the time comes.

If the multiple UU shards have different sets of fan-created content
on it, what will happen if the client switches from one shard to the
other?

The additional book added to the Relto bookshelf is designed to check the server's vault to see which ages to display, so that this problem does not occur.

If Cyan updates their data server again after the Volcano Dataserver
is up and running (along with a UU shard), how will the Volcano
Dataserver be updated accordingly?

More than likely Zrax will figure out which modifications will need to be made and send them over to whomever is running the dataserver so that it can be updated.

Adam answered everything else...

-----

Just a few small things that need to be changed in the proposal:

A supplimental dataserver to Cyan's dataserver will be introduced, which supplies the patched client with the new ages' .PRP and .FNI files

The dataserver will also host the .AGE, .SUM and (depending on the age) the .P2F files.

4.b.2) The following additions to the Vault will be made by an admin (e.g. via the Vault Manager):

GlobalInbox folder
... \-- Text Node: [ServerInfo]
......... |-- Chronicle: VolcanoEnabled = 1
......... \-- Chronicle: VolcanoAges = (List of ages available on this shard, separated by spaces)

I realize that you don't know exactly what that means, but it could use some clarity... *cough* Zrax *cough*

4.c. CLIENT MODIFICATIONS. Anyone wishing to visit a UU shard containing fan-created content must install a separate URU: Ages Beyond Myst or URU: Complete Chronicles installation on their client machine.  Then, they must apply a "Volcano patch" to the standard URU client which will make the modifications listed below:

The patcher will update a UU client to become a Volcano client, not going straight from the standard offline client.

4.c.2) All available fan-made ages are downloaded either from the Dataserver or included in the patch program (depending on what version of the patcher is downloaded and how new the age is), and are added to the "dat" folder of the URU installation.

You should also mention that it adds files to the SDL folder.

[Robert The Rebuilder]

ShadowDude, thanks for the detailed feedback! I've incorporated your suggestions into the draft. For Cyan dataserver updates, I just mentioned that the Volcano folks will upgrade the Volcano dataserver software when the time comes, and I'll leave it at that. And I don't think we need to clarify the vault GlobalInbox modifications to Cyan - they wrote the software, so they should know what that means.

OK - I plan on sending the proposal out tonight! Before I do that, I'd like everyone (shard owners, Volcano developers, and age builders) to take one last look at the UU Shard Proposal and provide comments. At a minimum, I'd appreciate it if Starfyre and Zrax could look it over and post below their thoughts.

[Zrax]

A couple of things I noticed:

the patched client with the fan-created ages' files (.AGE, .SUM, .P2F, .PRP and .FNI)

Here you should also specify the .sdl and .py file extensions, since those are vital to the ages as well...

Anyone wishing to visit a UU shard containing fan-created content must install a separate Until Uru installation on their client machine.  Then, they must apply a "Volcano patch" to the standard UU client which will make the modifications listed below:

Actually, the patch takes an existing UU installation and copies it to a new location before modifying it... There are a couple of reasons for this, one being the fact that copying it over tends to be faster than installing from CD, and another being the fact that the eventual Phase 2 patcher (when P2 is ready to be brought forward) takes data from both the UU directory as well as the PotS directory, and not from just one. It doesn't really matter much for P1, but nonetheless it's probably how the Patcher will work for now.

The file Volcano.pak, which contains python modifications for the Relto Bookshelf to enable clients to visit the fan-created ages from the Volcano book, is placed in the Python folder of the UU installation.  The Volcano book will check the selected UU server's vault and will only display the fan-created ages that are available on the UU server.

Please add: Any files contained in this pak will also be updated with any python.pak updates from Cyan's dataserver if and when it is necessary.


Otherwise, it looks pretty good for now... Some info might change over time as we keep working on things, but that proposal matches what we've got so far pretty well... Come to think of it though, you might want to add a note about this, just to cover our legal butts...

I'll not really be available from now until much later tonight, so if you've sent it off by the time I get back, good luck . I really hope this all works out

[Robert The Rebuilder]

Thanks for the feedback, Zrax! I've made the modifications that you've suggested. I've also added a section that explains how we'll handle future modifications to the proposal.

Starfyre, if you're available, would you mind giving the proposal a once over and letting me know what you think? I'll check back just before I go to sleep and send in the proposal.

If Cyan does approve it, I was thinking about posting a new topic here entitled, "Proposal For Hosting Fan Created Content On a Until Uru Shard". The topic will contain the text of the proposal, along with a list of UU shard owners that have received permission from Cyan to apply the proposed modifications to their shard. Shard owners can reply to this thread, citing the date that they received the response from Cyan as well as the reference number that they place in the subject. I'll then add them to the list.

Does that sound reasonable to everyone?

[Starfyre]

Good thing I got off work early otherwise I wouldn't have seen your post Robert till in the morning. I'll look it over now.

[Starfyre]

Everything looks fine to me. May have to use my email account instead of my husbands for the shard request. They kept calling me by his name in all my emails. And I am sure it would look odd to have his name on my reference number.

[Robert The Rebuilder]

Thanks for reviewing it, Starfyre! Glad I caught you in time. Your husband's email account seems to be lucky; you could always sign it "aka Husband of Starfyre"

OK - I sent the proposal. Many thanks to the Volcano team, who appeared just at the right moment with just the right solution. And many thanks to Starfyre and the others who helped shape this proposal. We hopefully have provided enough information so that Cyan will know exactly what we plan to do, and thus improve its chances for approval.

Let's keep our fingers crossed!