It turns out gbk is swamped with work and has allowed me to be the one to take over this web site. If anyone wants to help and has some basic web knowledge it might make the transition go faster. My plan is to transition the site to a new server, close any gaping security holes, and then have CM close the old site while DNS is transferring.

In the longer term I plan to fix up some features that are broken but might be useful (levels search maybe, news script, whatever). Longer term I may regenerate a lot of the pages to get rid of the frameset (but will maintain the look/functionality). The ultimate plan is to make the main site more of an archive (like TACC), but one on which all the features actually work (or get deleted). I'll continue to maintain the forums and keep up with software updates as long as people are using them. If they get completely dead I'll figure out a way to put them into archive mode as well.

The circle is complete!

Haha, alright. Long live Massassi.

Well now I just feel silly sending that mass e-mail out earlier...

Death? Life!

Let's get an Asheron's Call server going while we're at it.

This is fantastic news, welcome back Brian! Love that Massassi's fate is back in your hands.

Real talk.

All of the items, NPCs, quests, spells, and everything else all exist exclusively on the server side. GUI graphics and 3D models are downloaded to the client (portal.dat) but the world data, fixed objects and terrain are streamed to the client on demand and cached locally (cell.dat). Nobody outside of Turbine/WB has a complete cell.dat newer than Throne of Destiny. Effectively this means you can't make an actual Asheron's Call server emulator, all you'd be getting is the Asheron's Call client and that's a white elephant. I'd argue that it would be easier to make your own MMO from scratch. A few years ago some AC devs publicly discussed an open source release of the game and assets, but considering that was a few years ago it probably means it's not going to happen. And even if it did, it would take a heroic effort to roll the world back to 1999 when it was halfway interesting to explore.

But yeah we should totally do it. I'll set up the wiki!

I got the email, that's why I came back -- to see if I could help.

<(Then what was the point of sanding my face off!?)

Cool beans.

Brain if you need to Web front/back end help give me a shout at millypede [at] me.com

Nice! If you need any help drop me an email: tom [at] r.je

http://whatkindofahospitalwasthat.ytmnd.com/

MASSASSI IS DEAD

LONG LIVE MASSASSI

seems like a good time to start a star wars blog and put some ads on the site and wait for that sweet sweet nerd money to roll in

nerd cred is the only currency we deal in around here

I work in ad tech and would prefer not to have any of that on this site. Bleck.

woot the email was a lie!

now I'll run away again for 4 years...

(and damn I need to update my sig)

Woohoo. Welcome back, Brian.

Sorry for your loss

Great! Finally I'll get that prepatch Hoary Mattekar Robe that I could never get on Solclaim, and I'll be spiritually fulfilled.

I worked for a small web security startup that was acquired by a big(ger) ad tech company. I still work in security and not directly on any of the ad tech itself. They treat me very well so it's difficult to leave. I appreciate (and agree with) the sentiment, though.

So we're not having the big crazy naked countdown to doomsday orgy where we tear everything down with bloodied knuckles, rosy cheeks and absolutely no eye contact? But I made lil smokies with cheesewraps.

Man I'd make some serious eye contact with some lil smokies right now if you know what I mean.

SO ****ING HYPED.

woohoo sounds great

That's weird, I was just randomly thinking about Rbots this morning for some reason.

Not to meme game of thrones, but this board truly follows: What is dead may never die.