Minkata Update Build #160 2020.04.14

[rarified]

It has been a long time since I’ve been able to announce news about updates on Minkata!

A new build is now installed on Minkata (or as I might slip up and call it sometimes, Minkata Prime).

This build is significant in several ways. First, the “physics” engine (some of you may know it by it’s commercial name “PhysX”) has been updated. While it is a relatively small change in it’s version number (from 2.6.0 to 2.6.4), it changed the behavior of the engine in many ways. Bugs were fixed in the engine, which the MOULa client actually had code to work around. With the bugs fixed the client had to be changed to no longer expect the “wrong” behavior. And in some cases the interface between the client and engine was revised.

What this means is that almost everything in the game client now needs to be exercised. Any kind of physical interaction in the environment, from kicking cones to opening doors to bumping into walls and jumping off and onto objects needs to be checked. And changes from past behavior needs to be noted as responses to this topic, so we can collect the discrepancies and find fixes for them. This is going to take a large scale effort, and I’m asking for as many community members as have time to help in this effort.

The new client in its current form still has some fixes that we know need to be brought from the H’uru client, so it is not yet ready to be sent to MOULa in it’s current form. But it is close enough that it needs a lot of people to exercise the nooks and crannies now. I’ll be updating the client a couple more times in the next few days as I get the last of the known physics changes incorporated.

This build does not yet take any other bugs off of my TODO list, such as the Windows 10 mouse fix. But I have not forgotten those issues are important, and after I deal with changes I have to add for the physics changes, I’ll try to focus on those long wished-for bug fixes.

Now, for the exciting part. The reason for working on an update to the physics engine is that it was one of the last programming parts needed to be able to use ages built with the GoW Korman system, such as Doobes’ Guild of Messengers Pub. We have been working since last December on first attempts at age testing on the Minkata Alpha shard to get the MOULa client capable of loading those ages. With the physics engine updated, this client has shown itself able to load all of the Korman generated ages we have loaded thus far. And with continued work on fan created and upgraded ages, we are on the verge of bringing fan ages into Minkata for final testing before asking Cyan to try making them accessible on MOULa. So this is not simply an esoteric update to some obscure software feature. This is the real thing!

The new build is live on Minkata now. There are not any fan ages on Minkata yet since we need to get the software working solidly before introducing new content. Please give it a thorough test drive. We may find we need to write new instructions for using the client on some computers where the existing client works but the new one doesn’t. But we need to know! Post your feedback on this topic.

And thank you for continuing to help the advancement of fan contributions to our Uru worlds.

_R

[Treehugger]

Congratulations on this major step forward, rarified, and all who have been helping!

My first significant glitch was finding that the Ae'gura book won't open on my bookshelf. Both a new avvie I created today, and an old avvie. The book drops down from the shelf but freezes, and won't allow me to do anything except relto out. Closed the game, reloaded it and it's still happening.

A small Physix-type glitch was finding that one of the leaves from the Er'cana plants in the pond with the relto page blocks the way as you run round the outside of the pond, and you have to jump over it.

I'll carry on playing through

[rarified]

Thanks Treehugger! You’re going to remind me about all those vault issues I tried hard to forget about

_R

[rarified]

Treehugger, after thinking about what you described with the Ae’gura book, it seems less likely a vault issue and more a PhysX issue.

To make sure we’re on the same page, could you do something for me? After updating Minkata, you now should have a file named PhysX-9.13.0604-SystemSoftware-Legacy.msi in your a Minkata installation folder. Could you double click on it from your file explorer and go through the installation dialog to update the system components of PhysX? Then try accessing the book again?

Let me know what happens.

_R

[Korovev]

My first significant glitch was finding that the Ae'gura book won't open on my bookshelf. Both a new avvie I created today, and an old avvie. The book drops down from the shelf but freezes, and won't allow me to do anything except relto out.

Confirmed.

[JWPlatt]

Same. PhysX updated.

Kadish: Some Kadish floor leaves respond, some don't, it depends on which area you're in whether any respond at all, and never at a run. I don't think they've ever been the same since Havok was jettisoned.

Got an app crash exception upon Quit - for what it's worth (Windows 7 SP1 64-bit):
Problem signature:
Problem Event Name: APPCRASH
Application Name: UruExplorer.exe
Application Version: 0.0.0.0
Application Timestamp: 5e948a7d
Fault Module Name: UruExplorer.exe
Fault Module Version: 0.0.0.0
Fault Module Timestamp: 5e948a7d
Exception Code: c0000005
Exception Offset: 00378427
OS Version: 6.1.7601.2.1.0.256.48
Locale ID: 1033
Additional Information 1: d59d
Additional Information 2: d59d4d6a443348b18a5621f1a9a9ea6c
Additional Information 3: e625
Additional Information 4: e625440f2768c405940990b6fe7b0a3e

[HenryMikel]

My first significant glitch was finding that the Ae'gura book won't open on my bookshelf. Both a new avvie I created today, and an old avvie. The book drops down from the shelf but freezes, and won't allow me to do anything except relto out.

Confirmed.

From my prior post
viewtopic.php?f=108&t=1037#p9713

It seems to be tied into the GZ Markers. All my old AND newly created avatars have this bug the moment they visit and register their KI in the GZ Anteroom. The two newer avatars that have purposely avoid registering their Ki's do nt get this issue - even though at least one has finished about 60% of all the Ages.
Same for yours?

[Hoikas]

The trigger for the issue is acquiring the page for the Great Zero. Under investigation now...

[Korovev]

Confirmed.
I made a new avatar, went straight for the Ae’gura book, back to Relto. Book opens fine.
Linked to the Hood, then to Gahreesehn, picked up the KI. Book opens fine.
Linked to the Hood, then to the GZ chamber without using the machine. Book is now glued shut.

[rarified]

NEW BUILD #161

This build now contains all the recommended H'uru fixes for PhysX 2.6.4

On first examination it doesn't fix the Ae'gura book in Relto, but it may fix some of the other issues. If it does, let us know.

_R