Mob position updates now completely only send to 600 units range defined by Range:MobPositionUpdates

Client updates nearby clients more often because they will disappear after 10 seconds without a position update to the client
This results in a massive reduction in unnecessary traffic as we only update clients of their relevance around them
This also resembles live-like packet sending behavior of positions

common/ruletypes.h

@@ -234,7 +234,6 @@ RULE_BOOL(World, StartZoneSameAsBindOnCreation, true) //Should the start zone AL
 RULE_CATEGORY_END()
 
 RULE_CATEGORY(Zone)
-RULE_INT(Zone, NPCPositonUpdateTicCount, 32) //ms between intervals of sending a position update to the entire zone.
 RULE_INT(Zone, ClientLinkdeadMS, 180000) //the time a client remains link dead on the server after a sudden disconnection
 RULE_INT(Zone, GraveyardTimeMS, 1200000) //ms time until a player corpse is moved to a zone's graveyard, if one is specified for the zone
 RULE_BOOL(Zone, EnableShadowrest, 1) // enables or disables the shadowrest zone feature for player corpses. Default is turned on.

zone/client_packet.cpp

@@ -588,10 +588,10 @@ void Client::CompleteConnect()
 		}
 	}
 	else {
-		Group *group_update = nullptr;
+		Group *group = nullptr;
-		group_update = this->GetGroup();
+		group = this->GetGroup();
-		if (group_update)
+		if (group)
-			group_update->SendHPPacketsTo(this);
+			group->SendHPPacketsTo(this);
 	}
 	
 

zone/client_process.cpp

@@ -256,17 +256,29 @@ bool Client::Process() {
 
 			close_npcs.clear();
 
-			auto &npc_list = entity_list.GetNPCList();
+			auto &mob_list = entity_list.GetMobList();
+			float scan_range = (RuleI(Range, ClientNPCScan) * RuleI(Range, ClientNPCScan));
+			float client_update_range = (RuleI(Range, MobPositionUpdates) *  RuleI(Range, MobPositionUpdates));
 
-			float scan_range = RuleI(Range, ClientNPCScan);
+			for (auto itr = mob_list.begin(); itr != mob_list.end(); ++itr) {
-			for (auto itr = npc_list.begin(); itr != npc_list.end(); ++itr) {
+				Mob* mob = itr->second;
-				NPC* npc = itr->second;
+				float distance = DistanceSquared(m_Position, mob->GetPosition());
-				float distance = DistanceNoZ(m_Position, npc->GetPosition());
+				if (mob->IsNPC()) {
-				if(distance <= scan_range) {
+					if (distance <= scan_range) {
-					close_npcs.insert(std::pair<NPC *, float>(npc, distance));
+						close_npcs.insert(std::pair<NPC *, float>(mob->CastToNPC(), distance));
 					}
-				else if (npc->GetAggroRange() > scan_range) {
+					else if (mob->GetAggroRange() > scan_range) {
-					close_npcs.insert(std::pair<NPC *, float>(npc, distance));
+						close_npcs.insert(std::pair<NPC *, float>(mob->CastToNPC(), distance));
+					}
+				}
+
+				/* Clients need to be kept up to date for position updates more often otherwise they disappear */
+				if (mob->IsClient() && this != mob && distance <= client_update_range) {
+					auto app = new EQApplicationPacket(OP_ClientUpdate, sizeof(PlayerPositionUpdateServer_Struct));
+					PlayerPositionUpdateServer_Struct* spawn_update = (PlayerPositionUpdateServer_Struct*)app->pBuffer;
+					mob->MakeSpawnUpdateNoDelta(spawn_update);
+					this->FastQueuePacket(&app, false);
+					safe_delete(app);
 				}
 			}
 		}
@@ -455,7 +467,7 @@ bool Client::Process() {
 			// Send a position packet every 8 seconds - if not done, other clients
 			// see this char disappear after 10-12 seconds of inactivity
 			if (position_timer_counter >= 36) { // Approx. 4 ticks per second
-				entity_list.SendPositionUpdates(this, pLastUpdateWZ, 500, GetTarget(), true);
+				entity_list.SendPositionUpdates(this, pLastUpdateWZ, RuleI(Range, MobPositionUpdates), GetTarget(), true);
 				pLastUpdate = Timer::GetCurrentTime();
 				pLastUpdateWZ = pLastUpdate;
 				position_timer_counter = 0;

zone/entity.cpp

@@ -2634,10 +2634,9 @@ void EntityList::RemoveDebuffs(Mob *caster)
 // Currently, a new packet is sent per entity.
 // @todo: Come back and use FLAG_COMBINED to pack
 // all updates into one packet.
-void EntityList::SendPositionUpdates(Client *client, uint32 cLastUpdate,
+void EntityList::SendPositionUpdates(Client *client, uint32 cLastUpdate, float update_range, Entity *always_send, bool iSendEvenIfNotChanged)
-		float range, Entity *alwayssend, bool iSendEvenIfNotChanged)
 {
-	range = range * range;
+	update_range = (update_range * update_range);
 
 	EQApplicationPacket *outapp = 0;
 	PlayerPositionUpdateServer_Struct *ppu = 0;
@@ -2645,27 +2644,37 @@ void EntityList::SendPositionUpdates(Client *client, uint32 cLastUpdate,
 
 	auto it = mob_list.begin();
 	while (it != mob_list.end()) {
+		
+		mob = it->second;
+
+		if (
+			mob && !mob->IsCorpse() 
+			&& (it->second != client)
+			&& (mob->IsClient() || iSendEvenIfNotChanged || (mob->LastChange() >= cLastUpdate))
+			&& (!it->second->IsClient() || !it->second->CastToClient()->GMHideMe(client))
+		) {
+			if (
+				update_range == 0 
+				|| (it->second == always_send) 
+				|| mob->IsClient() 
+				|| (DistanceSquared(mob->GetPosition(), client->GetPosition()) <= update_range)
+			) {
+				if (mob && mob->IsClient() && mob->GetID() > 0) {
+					client->QueuePacket(outapp, false, Client::CLIENT_CONNECTED);
+
 					if (outapp == 0) {
 						outapp = new EQApplicationPacket(OP_ClientUpdate, sizeof(PlayerPositionUpdateServer_Struct));
 						ppu = (PlayerPositionUpdateServer_Struct*)outapp->pBuffer;
 					}
-		mob = it->second;
-		if (mob && !mob->IsCorpse() && (it->second != client)
-			&& (mob->IsClient() || iSendEvenIfNotChanged || (mob->LastChange() >= cLastUpdate))
-			&& (!it->second->IsClient() || !it->second->CastToClient()->GMHideMe(client))) {
 
-			//bool Grouped = client->HasGroup() && mob->IsClient() && (client->GetGroup() == mob->CastToClient()->GetGroup());
-
-			//if (range == 0 || (iterator.GetData() == alwayssend) || Grouped || (mob->DistNoRootNoZ(*client) <= range)) {
-			if (range == 0 || (it->second == alwayssend) || mob->IsClient() || (DistanceSquared(mob->GetPosition(), client->GetPosition()) <= range)) {
 					mob->MakeSpawnUpdate(ppu);
-			}
+
-			if(mob && mob->IsClient() && mob->GetID()>0) {
-				client->QueuePacket(outapp, false, Client::CLIENT_CONNECTED);
-			}
-		}
 					safe_delete(outapp);
 					outapp = 0;
+				}
+			}
+		}
+		
 		++it;
 	}
 

zone/entity.h

@@ -370,7 +370,7 @@ public:
 	Mob*	FindDefenseNPC(uint32 npcid);
 	void	OpenDoorsNear(NPC* opener);
 	void	UpdateWho(bool iSendFullUpdate = false);
-	void	SendPositionUpdates(Client* client, uint32 cLastUpdate = 0, float range = 0, Entity* alwayssend = 0, bool iSendEvenIfNotChanged = false);
+	void	SendPositionUpdates(Client* client, uint32 cLastUpdate = 0, float update_range = 0, Entity* always_send = 0, bool iSendEvenIfNotChanged = false);
 	char*	MakeNameUnique(char* name);
 	static char* RemoveNumbers(char* name);
 	void	SignalMobsByNPCID(uint32 npc_type, int signal_id);

zone/mob.cpp

@@ -131,7 +131,6 @@ Mob::Mob(const char* in_name,
 	SetMoving(false);
 	moved=false;
 	m_RewindLocation = glm::vec3();
-	move_tic_count = 0;
 
 	_egnode = nullptr;
 	name[0]=0;
@@ -1443,8 +1442,7 @@ void Mob::SendPosition()
 	auto app = new EQApplicationPacket(OP_ClientUpdate, sizeof(PlayerPositionUpdateServer_Struct));
 	PlayerPositionUpdateServer_Struct* spu = (PlayerPositionUpdateServer_Struct*)app->pBuffer;
 	MakeSpawnUpdateNoDelta(spu);
-	move_tic_count = 0;
+	entity_list.QueueCloseClients(this, app, true, RuleI(Range, MobPositionUpdates), nullptr, false);
-	entity_list.QueueClients(this, app, true);
 	safe_delete(app);
 }
 
@@ -1456,31 +1454,18 @@ void Mob::SendPosUpdate(uint8 iSendToSelf) {
 
 	if (iSendToSelf == 2) {
 		if (IsClient()) {
-			CastToClient()->FastQueuePacket(&app,false);
+			CastToClient()->FastQueuePacket(&app, false);
 		}
 	}
-	else
-	{
-		if(move_tic_count == RuleI(Zone, NPCPositonUpdateTicCount))
-		{
-			entity_list.QueueClients(this, app, (iSendToSelf == 0), false);
-			move_tic_count = 0;
-		}
-		else if(move_tic_count % 2 == 0)
-		{
-			entity_list.QueueCloseClients(this, app, (iSendToSelf == 0), RuleI(Range, MobPositionUpdates), nullptr, false);
-			move_tic_count++;
-		} 
 	else {
-			move_tic_count++;
+		entity_list.QueueCloseClients(this, app, (iSendToSelf == 0), RuleI(Range, MobPositionUpdates), nullptr, false);
-		}
 	}
 	safe_delete(app);
 }
 
 // this is for SendPosition()
-void Mob::MakeSpawnUpdateNoDelta(PlayerPositionUpdateServer_Struct *spu){
+void Mob::MakeSpawnUpdateNoDelta(PlayerPositionUpdateServer_Struct *spu) {
-	memset(spu,0xff,sizeof(PlayerPositionUpdateServer_Struct));
+	memset(spu, 0xff, sizeof(PlayerPositionUpdateServer_Struct));
 	spu->spawn_id = GetID();
 	spu->x_pos = FloatToEQ19(m_Position.x);
 	spu->y_pos = FloatToEQ19(m_Position.y);
@@ -1491,10 +1476,10 @@ void Mob::MakeSpawnUpdateNoDelta(PlayerPositionUpdateServer_Struct *spu){
 	spu->heading = FloatToEQ19(m_Position.w);
 	spu->animation = 0;
 	spu->delta_heading = NewFloatToEQ13(0);
-	spu->padding0002	=0;
+	spu->padding0002 = 0;
-	spu->padding0006	=7;
+	spu->padding0006 = 7;
-	spu->padding0014	=0x7f;
+	spu->padding0014 = 0x7f;
-	spu->padding0018	=0x5df27;
+	spu->padding0018 = 0x5df27;
 
 }
 

zone/mob.h

@@ -1373,7 +1373,6 @@ protected:
 	void ClearItemFactionBonuses();
 
 	void CalculateFearPosition();
-	uint32 move_tic_count;
 
 	bool flee_mode;
 	Timer flee_timer;