23.1. - "Tickets, please"

[Gregory]

The transport system has been completely rewritten to achieve functionality of dynamic transports. These transports are special in their server-controllable movement between so called "stop frames" (i.e. floors in dungeons, ..).

This allows us to open Ring of Valor arena, add it to rated arena rotation and make it possible to join it for wargames.

This also allows us to move the development of the rest of battlegrounds. Mainly, the Strand of the Ancients battleground is nearly finished, thanks to dynamic transport support (the boats are now also controllable, even across cells/grid, so they won't disappear). This battleground is not yet opened, but it's in alpha testing stage, so there are possibilities of developer-controlled testing.

Also, the elevator in Halls of Origination should now be controllable using the console. The second floor is accessible after Anraphet's death.

Please, report all bugs related to these changes, since they include major rework of one big system.

[Gregory]

First of all, after huge testing by you, players, we were able to increase stability, which was slightly lower due to several bugs in transport system rework. (For now, all of transport-related crash causes were fixed)

Some additional transport-related stuff has been fixed as well:

• When logging out on transport, you should appear back on the same transport after logging in, without falling through it
• Sometimes, when you logged in near player standing on transport, a glitch occured - you weren't able to see any active objects, until you ran somewehere else. This should be also fixed since tomorrow.
• Some minor adjustments, mostly internal stuff

[Gregory]

Now your position is also properly interpolated between transport key frames. This should allow several spells to work properly on transports as well.

For example Demonic Circle should now work fine on pillars in Ring of Valor, even with visual motion (not just standing on original position but moving like regular "passenger")

[Gregory]

Dynamic transports (excluding intercontinental and "dumb" transports) are now part of dynamic vmap tree. This means, the collision detection should now consider even their position to determine LoS or, in future, path generating.

We also implemented several mechanisms, which, for example, allows us to teleport your character directly onto transport, or determine, if there is some transport under your character. This will be the key implementation in future, for enabling creatures (and pets, ..) to persist on transport (instead of staying on original position, where the transport used to be).

[Gregory]

Probably fixed the bug, that caused transport objects to sometimes "disappear" from dynamic vmap tree. This should i.e. fix dynamic line of sight generated by pillars in Ring of Valor.