FAQ

Arianne Project

What is Arianne?: Arianne is the name of the project that aims to create a free open source framework to create multiplayer online games.

Arianne is composed of several projects like Marauroa, a java implementation of the framework to run games, and all games using it, such as Stendhal.

What is Marauroa?: Marauroa is a free open source GPL implementation of a persistent multiplayer online game framework using Java, MySQL for storage and TCP for data connections to clients.

Why not license Arianne under the AGPL/other license?: It's been discussed and we wish to continue with GPL.

What is Marauroa written in?: Java
What is Stendhal written in?: Java
Which is the minimum Java version required?: 1.5
What IDE do you recommend?: Eclipse (because it is best known by most project members, so you can ask questions about configuration)
What version system do you use?: CVS
Why do you use CVS, when newer SCM are better?: Although we know newer version control systems with more features exist, we want to continue with CVS because CVS is very stable, has a long history and is widely supported.

I want to join the project, can I have cvs access?: Our usual procedure is to ask potential team members to submit initial work as patches, at http://sourceforge.net/tracker/?group_id=1111&atid=301111; Please note our developers may take some time to look over your patch, but be assured we value all contributions, and will give you feedback, or submit the patch, as appropriate.

How many players can the engine support?: Stendhal has had up to 60 players online, no production testing has been done of limits yet. But simulations show that a lot more players are supported given a fast enough Internet connection of the server (e. g. something faster than a slow DSL upstream).

So the server is Java, but is it scriptable in python?: Yes, but Python support is currently not actively maintained, so there may be some compatibility issues with newer version.

I want to use Marauroa for my game, where do I start?: Read how to create a game using Marauroa, it should give you a nice idea.

I want to use Stendhal as a basis for my own RPG, can you help?: Stendhal was written as a test case for Marauroa zone changes. Using it as a base game for an RPG is not advised. You will find a lot to do with our own map, quest, and NPC system is hardcoded. Using marauroa as a framework for your own RPG is what we advise.
But, I can't write my own RPG, can I use Stendhal as a base and make my own maps?: Ok, but please follow our conventions as you never know what is hard coded. And you will need to learn Java.
Is there a FAQ about Stendhal?: Yes, have a look at Stendhal FAQ