WorldForge Community

I'll do my best to answer your question and explain what I feel is currently implemented.

Cyphesis Server
- Real time generation and manipulation of Terrain by Admin or Player through various methods using the Mercator terrain libary.
- Database/World persistence using PostgreSQL backend.
- AI Knowledge and Goal prioritization using Python, interaction with AI is achieved using Panlingua a form of Natural Language.
- Adding, removing, modifying of "Rulesets" to a running world through command line tools. Rules are anything from simple objects that can populate the world to complex operations and tasks which utilize Python scripts to manipulate and interact with the world in some form.
- Command line tools for database/user management, authoring, saving, restoring interacting and monitoring the world plus bootstrapping the python based AI into memory and the world.
- Servers can announce presence to a "Metaserver" allowing for any player using the clients to find and log into the server. Clients learn world and use the rules from the server and communicate using a common protocol.
- Multiple Worlds/Zones can be inter-connected using Objects that handle "Teleporting"
- Very basic form of Physics, does not allow for very articulate interaction with objects, or entering buildings without alot of detailed editing to place boundaries by hand. Bullet physics is being added which will in the future allow for this to be addressed.

Ember Client
- Graphically it uses Ogre 3D Rendering Engine which implements terrain shaders, particle effects, impostors/LOD, real time shadows, skeletal animation, XML based model defintions and recipes, caelum sky, it also has a beta implementation of hydrax for water which is not currently used because frame rate issues.
- Administrative accounts have access to world authoring tools like Terrain Editing, Model Editing, Entity Creation/Editing etc.
- Real time terrain generation is done using a multi-thread implementation of Paging Landscape Scene Manager.
- LUA GUI scripting and editor of Crazy Eddies GUI.
- The in Development version contains many improvements to the GUI including Chat windows, Trade dialogue, Settings editor, there are also long existing functions like drag and drop functionality, action bars, Compass, Character Stat Idicators, Tooltips, Inventory and other widgets/windows that could be extended or used.
- Audio service is available through the OpenAL service, but is not currently made use of and may need some loving.

It should not be forgotten alot of this is all based around a number of well developed and stable Libraries.
- Mercator terrain system which allows for some real great features and gameplay.
- Atlas protocol is what allows any client and any server to negotiate.
- Eris client abstraction layer to help with Atlas interaction and translation.
- WFMath which provides access to unified math functions.
- Varconf for loading and saving of configuration files.
- libWFut a tool which provides a live media update functionality to clients, this needs to be extended but is still functional and useable in its current state.
- Skstream which provides a mechanism for data streaming.

If I could sum it all up, I would say that the tools are quite functional for world authoring but the slate is fairly clean when it comes to gameplay mechanics, game systems, and NPC/AI and scripting, there are plenty of examples, but there is no front-end of user friendly tools for this, or administrating a server, its all text editing, and command line tools, although this could change in the future as the Client authoring tools become more mature.

Well I hope that helps somewhat, and if I missed anything important I hope someone else will chime in.