Quick question on the SQL Database (ARCEmu)

[thesixth]

Hi Ya'll!
Before I get ahead of my self, I just want this straightened out.
If I've got this right, I figure -the SQL database instructs/referrs to and overrides the DBC-files located in the 'repack/dbc' folder, is that correct?
If so, there are, indeed, a whole lot of information within the DBC files, that the SQL-database isn't using.
Thus, as far as customization goes, the DB's (as browsed in Navicat) are quite limited.
If there's a way of designing new tables with new references to manipulating the handling of the DBC files, please, how do I accomplish this?

[The-Eradicator]

A server consists of several parts:

- Core: This term usually refers to the core code of the emulator you're running. This means the world and log on server executables.
- Log-on server: Handles account information and realm selection.
- World server: Handles characters and the game world itself.
- DBCs: Any information that is stored on the client side as well as serverside. This means spells, character races, classes, ectera.
- Database: Any information used by the servers and sent to the client. This means items, characters, accounts, NPCs, NPC spawns, game objects, game object spawns, so on and so forth.
- vmaps and maps: Used for collision by the world server.


With very, very few exceptions, changes to the DBCs are pointless without using a client patch.

Emulation is not limited at all. Editing the database can accomplish very complicated changes, and by learning C++ and scripting the core there are almost no limits.

[thesixth]

I see, thank you for cairifying theese terms/definitions.
Now, let's say if I were to customize ex. Mana-consumption costs for spells, I could tamper with the DBC-files, but that would require those very same changes being applied to the client-side DBC in order to work properly. That pretty much tells me that SQL Database manipulation is the way to go.
If I remember correctly, Mangos had that very feature pretty lain out in the SQL-Database, aswell as manipulating how stats, HP and such would react at level-up etc.
If I'd want that information in my ACREmu Database, I'm either required to go deeper into C++, or...?

[stoneharry]

A lot of changes that you do server side, will effect everyone else. It just might not display it so.

There are generally work arounds for everything though, for example if you wanted to change a spell to do something else, adding a script to it overwrites a lot of the old effects, and by tinkering you can have your own custom spell. You won't be able to change how the spell looks or anything on the interface without a client side patch.

You can parse data through the DB rather than the DBC's, an example of this is experimental vehicle projects for ArcEmu. Instead of loading the data from the DBC files it is loaded from the DB, and this means you can add and customise your own vehicles

As far as the stuff Mangos has that ArcEmu doesn't, that is because both projects work in completely different manners and are handled differently. Should you want to do one thing the same as another, you would need to know C++ quite well as it would probably require the rewrite of a section.

[thesixth]

Hi, thanks for the tip! I'll check out the Viechle projects, maybe that'll give me some ideas.
I'll need all I can get at this moment.
Perhaps it's just me and my 'stupid' creativity, but I find it strange that so much customization is actually avaliable, and yet there's no highly customizable DB out there.
If there is, it's surely not released to the public. I just kinda wish I hade some more ground to build upon.
Because I've come to agree the huge possibillities within the DBC files. Sadly, I find no description regarding the DBC-files and their specific collumns either.
They are quite hard to figure out and it takes allot of trial and error to take specify what theese collumns actually do.
I'd lie if I said they were easy to figure out.....
Anyway, so far, I've managed to understand and test a couple of few things (to redouce spellcosts etc.)
And you are indeed right, the results doesn't show on the clientside but they do damn well appear on the serverside.
I wouldn't mind creating a clientside patch for this since I'm not all too familiar with C++ and probably can't figure out how to override info from the DBC-files via the DB's at this very moment.

This leads me to a new problem.
I can't get WoW to load my client-side "patch-999.MPQ"-file.
I figure there's some sort of a signature-issue going on but I'm not quite sure actually.
Does anyone have any insights on how to actually load a clientside, patched MPQ file?

[stoneharry]

Take a look at the model editing section, they have literally everything you need. There are sites that have every DBC file and documentation on it etc, it might even be on the wiki here.

The reason why there aren't custom DBs with epic content you can make yourself, is because it requires core edits to load the data through the DB rather than the DBC's. Also, data through the DB is often inaccurate or outdated whereas the DBC files are always up to date.

[thesixth]

Hi!
Thanks! I found the DBC descriptions you mentioned. Though most of the collumns doesn't match properly, it still makes editing the files a hell of a much an easier job. =D
The Core->DB relation still looks like a tough one at the moment though.
Anyway, you rock! Thanks for the help man!