As the time of a new release is approaching with (hopefully) great steps forward, I was suggested to open a thread about the future client testing phase. and here it is!
First of all, if you want to be a tester, all you have to be is a player, so no technical background is given as a prerequisite here, don't worry.
I'll post in a second thread the known bugs, if they're fixed, or how they're planned to be fixed and the related info. I'll also update this thread with the newest info and binaries, so stay tuned!
So, how do I test that client?
- For windows users, you can install the second release candidate, present here:
http://nightlies.manasource.org/mana-0.1.0.20120207.zip
I'll do a new release candidate once the main known blocker bugs of the moment are fixed.
- For Linux users, please follow the following instructions:
You'll first need to install the git package. then in a local folder clone the development repository using this command:
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git clone git://github.com/Bertram25/mana.git
http://doc.manasource.org/dependencies (Note that we're using cmake to compile on linux, so you'll need to install it also.)
Then, go to the mana git folder newly created, and compile:
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cd mana
cmake .
make
To update the repository once certain bugs have been fixed, just go to the mana folder and type: 'git pull'
- Mac user? Well, I'll need help in this area. Can you compile a mac binary from the same repository?
2. What should I test, btw?
The new client has a way lot of changes. So much in fact that everything in it could have a look upon. Yet, here are below the main area where the changes should be tested:
- New movement system. The movement system has been rewritten to not handle being sprite using tiles offset, because this was causing a lot of graphical glitches on players movements, especially on the 'other' players. This has been hard work and is working really much better now. Yet, changes are changes, and that area will surely need tuning.
- Attack, pickup, ..., (main characters actions): As the client has been changed to handle any tile square size instead of the hard-coded 32x32 ones, this might have changed many hidden ways of how the client behave when dealing with the mouse or the keyboard for the map actions.
- The GUI: images buttons have been added, background images to the equipment window have been added, and the chat window should already be much more readable on low opacity case. Those a small examples of what gui part have changed, but I hope you will notice useful changes from the first displayed window at startup.
- The client stability: Don't hesitate to to be rude with the client. Let's try to make it crash. Then tell how to!
For content developers:
- Hair fixes at character creation, dynamic (hair) sprite change according to the equipment, dye channel support in particle effect files, custom monster attack effects and sounds, hit and critical hit effect and sounds on their victim can now be added, and therefore should be tested.
- <insert favourite area here>
3. I've found a bug, yes, I'm sure it is new and no one else has seen it!
Congrats. You can report in this very same topic. Please also add screenshots when possible. (P key in game, IIRC), and never forget to add how you did it and if it does reproduce everytime.
The screenshots will be in the 'My Images' folder on windows, and on the desktop folder on Linux.
Happy testing!
Bertram