Tuesday 31st July 2001

Thanks to one of the most helpful XMaps beta testers out there, Anthony Woods, and BDB, creator of the excellent MapVote, a serious problem with the XMaps client has been found that can occur in multiplayer games, when the HUD Menu is open or closed at precisely the wrong time - when the server is changing levels.

The problem can cause the client to generate General Protection Gault (GPF) errors, although it is quite rare.  The cause is actually inherent to an internal part of UT, which of course I can't change, and I'm going to have to change XMaps quite significantly to work around the restriction.  If you can all bear with me, I'll have a solution for you as soon as I can.

Until then, multiplayer clients that GPF in this fashion are going to have to restart UT to get back into multiplayer games ... I've updated the To-do List for the client, but it's going to be a while before I can really look into this one.

Saturday 28th July 2001

XMaps 221 is now available for download; new compiled HTML and HTML documentation can be downloaded here.  XMaps 221 has the Mutator-loading and fresh install bugs fixed, and adds an 'XMaps Client' menu item to UT's Mod menu, as well as a few other minor changes.  It's a full installation, but only contains updated server package and documentation files; the client package hasn't changed.

Note that, since the client package is still at version 220, you'll see different version numbers in different parts of XMaps.  Server-side, in the Setup window, you'll see "Version 221".  Client-side, in the HUD Menu and the Client Setup window, you'll see "Version 220".  This is intentional.  ;-)

A note to server admins: It looks like there may be problems using the compressed version of the client package during redirection.  Until I've sorted this out, you may be best using normal client package downloads...

Friday, 27th July 2001

There's a bug in the Game Switching routines to do with mutator loading - I've added it to the To-do List.  Thanks to [SAU]Joschi for reporting this problem.

The new release I've mentioned in the To-do List (XMaps 221) should be out over the weekend.  It'll be a full installer, but will only contain updates to the server package and the documentation.

Tuesday, 24th July 2001

Damn, damn and damn.  Because XMaps 220 was built using a completely different mechanism to that used for earlier versions, you'll find that a fresh install of XMaps 220 will include some settings from the system used to build it.  For example, after a fresh install, the Game Types list in the Game Options window will contain the Game Types I had installed when I built XMaps 220.

Note: your current settings will NOT be overwritten if you're doing an upgrade.

To get around this, all you need to do is change the options to what they should be.  In the Game Types example, just hit the Refresh button and XMaps will sort itself out.

I'll get a new release out as soon as I can - it's most likely that I'll just re-release the server package, since the client is hardly affected.

I really can't apologise enough for this ... boy, do I feel dumb.

Saturday, 21st July 2001

Updated the FAQ with questions regarding ServerPackage INI file entries and opening the Client Setup window.

I've opened up a To-do List page to the site, which I'll be using to post the problems and suggestions that XMaps users have mailed in that I think you need to know about.  If you're getting a problem with XMaps, it'll probably be worth your time to check it - and the FAQ - out, to see if it's already been reported.

Added XMapsClient220.ini to the INI Files section.

I've also slightly modified the format of these news items to try and make them a little easier on the eye, and changed the name of the XMaps downloads ready for future updates.  Links to my own file mirrors have also been added, due to the number of emails I get saying that the FilePlanet links aren't available at one time or another.

Sunday, 15th July 2001

Rumours of my demise have been greatly exaggerated ... at last I'm back, and with a completely re-implemented XMaps.  XMaps 220 is here ... in a full client-server architecture, with HTML and compiled HTML documentation.  It's taken a lot of hard work, but I hope you think it was worth it!

At long last, XMaps finally supports network UT as well as it has always supported stand-alone UT.  Many, many thanks to all the server admins who let me know the problems they were having with the beta releases.  It wouldn't have been possible without them!

Among the new features is a Client Setup window which pops up when you connect to UT servers, which allows you to choose or change your XMaps key bindings and set up automatic admin login (securely this time!).  Server admins can disable this feature using XMaps' new Client Options window from the Mod menu.

The HUD Menu hasn't changed much - I'm afraid I've been so busy with the networking that I haven't had time to implement any new user features ... but keep them coming in, who knows what we'll do next?

And finally ... all the angry Netscape users who keep mailing me to let me know this site doesn't work well in that particular browser might be happy to know that the XMaps site is currently being re-vamped by the wonderful t6 design team.  It's all happening here!