A free tool has risen

[Hellman2]

Hi,

i just want to announce a tool for Regnum, that some people wanted to be implemented a long time ago in the game itself. A small group of players like me, implemented a tool, because we found the features needed.

We called it the RegnumHelper.

Features:

• Shows Realm mates or Group mates on a map
• Shows Mana/Health status of players in a frequent way
• See fort status
• Direction people are heading to with range rings that show what is reachable in 30 and 60 seconds
• the executable includes the client and the server (if clans want to use an own server)
• manually marks of enemy locations
• Some small chats for realm/group or global
• Mule feature
• and some more features

What is needed for that tool?

• A more or less strong CPU (>2 GHz is preferred)
• Java 1.6 installed
• Tested on Linux and Windows systems

How does the tool work?
The tool itself is totally based on taking screenshots of the gamewindow and doing some textrecognition on position and health/mana. So NO manipulation of the regnum sources and NO network sniffer.

Limitations:
Yeah, the tool has some limitations as well.
First of all a strong CPU is needed. Not only because of the tool, but the regnum client itself is using too much of the CPU. Taking screenshots is a operation that uses some resources too. So some users have encounter additonal lags in the game. But see for yourself and if you have, increase the update time of the screenshots. A good value is around 3 or 4 seconds.
I am using a 2,8GHz Pentium 4 on WinXP and i didnt have lags that were coming due to the tool.

Where do i get the tool?
http://sourceforge.net/projects/regnumhelper

Try it, test it, gimme feedback.
Its used up to now, only on a small user group. So i dont know how the tool will react with some more users.

[Envy]

I'll wait for someone else to download it, as I trust no one

[misaccc]

Uh i will downoad it....laterz....

[mrclean]

The idea is good, but technically challenging. Would take too much resources for my system. Probably it would be better (even if requires more effort) if written in c.

[Hellman2]

The good thing of java, is that the tool is working without any adaption on linux and windows systems (and possible macs as well).
In C you would have had different native approaches (for each operating system), how to gather the needed information from the Regnum client.

And by the way, i am used to program in Java. So it was my first choice as well.
Java itself is not that slow. But starting other applications, while Regnum is running in the foreground, is quiet hard, because Regnum uses almost every resource it can get from the CPU.

But whoever wants to port the program to C, can have the java sources.

[ArcticWolf]

Originally Posted by Hellman2

But whoever wants to port the program to C, can have the java sources.

I don't have knowledges of c (just the basics), but I'm interested on the souce. I'll take a look at the app later, I'm on a rush now!

[Angelwinged_Devil]

Originally Posted by Xephandor

I don't have knowledges of c (just the basics), but I'm interested on the souce. I'll take a look at the app later, I'm on a rush now!

I want to look at it too ^^

[CumeriTarenes]

Originally Posted by Hellman2

Try it, test it, gimme feedback.

it was not: read it, gimme feedback.

Before you start discussing you should test it, and I give my word that you can download it without getting a virus. The source is very serious, the developers are my clanmates and I myself used the tool already. It works very well.

At the very beginning I had some problems to set up it right, because I didn't know that it works with screenshoots. But with the given info and the help in the tool itself it it no problem to set it up.

[Miraculix]

Is it too much to ask to get the source then?

[Hellman2]

@Miraculix:
The Text recognition was not that easy. Thanks to Eli we got the OCR working quiet performant after a while. And we grap only needed parts of the screen. If something is overlapping the needed areas, this may lead to false information in some way.
The Window via ALT+i is needed (sorry for that, but that was the only way)
And my PC is not the best... P4 with 2,8GHz is more or less outdated. But for me its working. Some slower systems, especially Notebook systems, may have bigger problems with it, even if the graphics card needs lots of CPU resources as well.
But you can run it in a view mode (without the screen grabbing) with one mouseclick.

@aric_swartzell:
I dont know whats NGDs opinion on the tool. But its not manipulating any code of them. They havent said anything about using Teamspeak/Mumble or something else. So why should they complain about it. Maybe they find some options of the tool fine enought to take it over in the game itself.

@magnet:
If you want to use the map yourself, you need a windowed mode. Overlay would be nice to have, but thats again system dependend i think. But if someone has some ideas for it, i would like to hear them.
But first we need some tests with more users and the information if the tool may be used at all, or if its big bullshit.

@all:
I will provide the source in the webspace as well. Its a Netbeans 6.0 Project.
My only wish is, that if anyone do changes on the code, you provide me with the changes, to take them maybe over. But beware... the code is not that much commented as i wished it to be.
I think in a few hours, after i finished working i will upload it.
If someone likes to develop it further (s)he should sent me a PM and i will possible give out suberversion contact data.