Status of ConnectUO

[Ryan]

RunUO Community -

As many of you have been asking about ConnectUO and it's future I wanted to publicly address what we have decided and know at this point.

First and foremost... I appreciate the conversations I've had with a lot of you in private, the frankness of the conversations gives me hope that this community still remembers it's roots as a free software development community and know we can and will see our way through any and all obstacles that come our way.

On to the details...

ConnectUO will have a future. We debated canning the name but the reality is what else are we going to name a shard portal? So... ConnectUO it is. How it will work is a whole different story...

Our initial step into getting this done will revolve around building and maintaining an all new site at ConnectUO.com This site will be a custom developed portal which will allow you to register and maintain your shard and provide potential players the ability to find a shard they are interested in, simply click the button on the site and play it.

Instead of building and maintaining a "thick client" on the computer we've long since recognized the proper model was to simply move as much of the functionality of ConnectUO to the web as possible. The reality is trying to maintain a website and application for the sake of logging into shards is just downright silly in the long run.

When we were deciding on how to make the "magic" happen on the client side we thought the most prudent route was not to re-invent the wheel. Over the next few days we will be pushing a Razor update which will have a small feature pack which will enable it to work with ConnectUO.com's upcoming revamp. This will enable you to click a button at ConnectUO.com (or a shard's website) and immediately get launched into their shard.

The initial iteration of ConnectUO v3 will not contain the ability to apply a patch. We understand the importance of patches for custom shards but as of now our goal is to get the portal done and basic log in functionality working.

Patching will be coming in the future, just please be patient.

The portal features and functionality will be a surprise to everyone when we get there...

Overall I know the decision to discontinue ConnectUO (in its former iteration) was a dissapointing one for many of you, I also realize not having patching in our first re-release of ConnectUO isn't the greatest news you're getting but the reality is for just under 24 hours of development we've made a ton of progress up to this point.

ConnectUO's portal will remain at http://www.connectuo.com and it's forums will remain here.
Thank you for your continued support of RunUO and our affiliated projects.

Regards,
Ryan

 

[trevorc21]

I am confused. No client base just web based?

Sounds cool but i have a feeling alot of people will have a problem with anti-virus being very annoying.

 

[Ryan]

I am confused. No client base just web based?

Sounds cool but i have a feeling alot of people will have a problem with anti-virus being very annoying.

The initial version will invoke Razor as I stated above.

 

[milva]

future

This is really a shame, meaning connectuo will not work with patches for at least a year :<
I for one really had alot of hope- using connectuo just to connectuo to shards is about the same as using razor
Well, all we can do is sit and wait, once again I thank you for listening to the community.

 

[KHzspeed]

re-inventing the wheel here.
sounds to me your mocking what already exists, JoinUO, UOgateway, ect ect. "a shard portal webspace, with no patching capability".
I'll be impressed once it handles client patching.

just telling it like it is.
and I do apologize if I sound bitter. these last few days have left me in not the best of moods.

best of luck. we'll see how this one goes.

 

[Ryan]

This is really a shame, meaning connectuo will not work with patches for at least a year :<
I for one really had alot of hope- using connectuo just to connectuo to shards is about the same as using razor
Well, all we can do is sit and wait, once again I thank you for listening to the community.

No where did I say it was going to take a year. We just need to get basic functionality done first... once the delivery/launch mechanism is done adding patching becomes a feature we add later.

 

[Ryan]

re-inventing the wheel here.
sounds to me your mocking what already exists, JoinUO, UOgateway, ect ect. "a shard portal webspace, with no patching capability".
I'll be impressed once it handles client patching.

just telling it like it is.
and I do apologize if I sound bitter. these last few days have left me in not the best of moods.

best of luck. we'll see how this one goes.

I don't know anything about those services, nor do I really care about them. Neither of them offer client launching capabilities to the best of my knowledge and quite frankly we are going to expand the capabilities of what has been done traditionally. As I stated previously we will be adding patching.

I'll exercise my patriotic duty of "telling it like it is" myself...

I really don't care how you feel about the last few days, you're incessant bitching isn't doing anything to help the situation that's for sure. Your deep seeded desire to attack me over the past few days just tells me you have no idea who I am or what is really going on around here.

 

[trevorc21]

I think what people dont understand is. You dont just make a perfect program. Its take time after time after time. Each time adding alittle thing. Otherwise you get lost in your work and you dont ever finish what you started because it was never launched to begin with. The faster connectuo is back online the faster the updates will come after.

 

[Iraq-]

I've followed this "discussion" for a while now... While I don't really care much for the patching features, it sounds like this could potentially help bring the community back together, and give us a kick in the right direction.

I look forward to having a functional/RunUO-Hosted service such as this in the future, the others just seemed after it for money from advertising spaces.

Anyways, keep on keeping on.

 

[Pure Insanity]

Patching should be one of the features that must be added. As it's the only thing that ever really set CUO apart, that and launching the client.

I'm just curious as to why this topic was made. I know that a new project must be made. But clearly it hasn't been started? There is just discussion about it...

As you asking for feature ideas? People to help? Or just promising to everyone that we'll get something back to replace CUO...eventually?

Who ever it is that actually starts working on a new launcher. When you get to the patching part, add OPTIONAL patches. Would be neat to let players choose optional patches that are set by the host, thus allowing multiple different "themes" to the UI. As most shards, everyone really really like the look except a few...and some just want the classic. This could allow custom shards to offer some stuff default, but still patch in clothing and items. This would mean maintaining multiple copies of your patches too...which could end up being a pain the ass, but I think it'd be worth it in the end run. =P

And you're going to allow launching the client from the web? That's a really nice idea...and possible now with recent advances in web programming. =D

 

[Ryan]

Work has already started, Mark, Myself and Nick are all three hard at work on it.

Thanks,
Ryan

 

[Pure Insanity]

Ah, awesome. Just keep us updated on the progress. Would be nice to have a good launcher for when I get around to opening my shard. D:

If you do manage to figure out the whole launching from browser bit...are you going to like generate code for a button for all hosts or something? Would be pretty damn awesome to start seeing "Play" buttons all around on UO sites. I believe it would make the player base for all shards pick back up again. UO isn't dead, it isn't dying. It's not even close. For those of us that has been lucky enough to of been playing the game for over 10 years, we know that UO will always be here to stay.

P.S. Please...please, please...., don't do voting. Horrible idea. I would maybe suggest the ability to do comments and a longer description (maybe a more detailed info page where the owner can add a few pictures or something.) Oh yeah...who is Nick? o.o

 

[Hammerhand]

Looks like the cuo source code just got put on Orb. Someone made an account and posted it. Guess its up for grabs?

 

[Ryan]

Looks like the cuo source code just got put on Orb. Someone made an account and posted it. Guess its up for grabs?

As long as Jeff doesnt release the Razor source code portions I have no issue with the ConnectUO source being released. The majority of it was his work and it would likely be a great learning tool for those who wish to review it. We largely expected he would do this... so it comes as no surprise. It's comical that he released it on Orbsydia though given all the "smack" he's talked about them

 

[Hammerhand]

It's comical that he released it on Orbsydia though given all the "smack" he's talked about them

I know, right? lol Just goes to show that some people talk out of strange orifices sometimes. *snickers*

 

[Ryan]

I know, right? lol Just goes to show that some people talk out of strange orifices sometimes. *snickers*

I'm not really a fan of Orb personally but to each their own.

 

[Jeff]

Looks like the cuo source code just got put on Orb. Someone made an account and posted it. Guess its up for grabs?

It wasn't released on orb, it was released on codeplex. It was simply linked on orb (and many many many UO related websites).

 

[migzilla]

I've been following RunUO, ConnectUO, UOGateway, Razor and many free shard lists on the web for years and the one thing I find common to all of these is a general lack of respect for hard work. I don't want to make a preachy post to any specific "users", criticizing them and doing exactly what they themselves do to the developers of this "FREE" site and software. I also don't want to come off as "kissing a$$" to the programmers who provide this luxury for us to use. As I troll around the forums of all the above mentioned sites I see a common theme; a total, reckless, rude, lack of respect with a heaping helping of disgusting entitlement. This then trickles down out of these forums out onto the shards themselves, ruining the labors and love of UO for shard owners, staff and other players. This all ends up boiling over and we end up in situations like we have here and now.

I use RunUO almost daily, I used to use ConnectUO almost daily and this split has really hit home. I can only speak for myself here, but I just want to say thanks to Ryan, Jeff and all the other developers for all the work they've done for us and all the work they have yet to do. I apologize if I made any posts that contributed to any frustration you guys may have experienced over my years of being here. Ryan, I look forward to anything you and the team will be putting out in the future, Jeff I am sorry to see you go.....your posts and connectUO have helped me and my shard many times over.

 

[mumuboy]

I was on vacation too. Interesting news to come home to. I am not sure to be sullen, happy, or perturbed.

 

[Lokai]

Would be pretty damn awesome to start seeing "Play" buttons all around on UO sites.

I would echo this. It would be nice to visit a website and if you like the way the Shard looks, be able to click "Add to ConnectUO Favorites" or "Play Now on ConnectUO", rather than trying to follow a long page of instructions on downloading patches, downloading and setting up Razor, downloading and setting up ConnectUO, unchecking this box, checking that box, then crossing your fingers and hoping it works.

Let me also add, thanks to the Dev team for all their hard work. Thank you also, Jeff, for your contributions.