News

Ash Qin

January updates

Posted by Ash Qin on 03 February 2025, 1:46:20 pm

The Alteran Stargate Network has seen significant improvements and updates.

Non-user facing enhancements

A new webhook system has been implemented which allows real-time notifications for new SSoP (Stargate Standards of Placement) reports and tickets via Discord. Now, there's no need for staff to manually check, updates will arrive faster than a Goa'uld escape plan! This improvement replaces the previous manual checking process, which previously led to prolonged delays in response times.

Team Expansion

Tornado Siren is a new member of the ASN team! Give him a warm welcome before the gate closes!

System & Database Enhancements

• Password Reset Update: The password reset page now provides clearer instructions on how to reset your credentials using a Stargate, because sometimes even the best explorers forget their GDO codes.
• SL Username Handling: If your identity changed like a Tok'ra host, don't worry, ASN has you covered. ASN now recognizes updated Second Life usernames for both website login and display. Your current legacy name is now required for authentication. You may need a Stargate rezzed in world for the change to be recognised.
• Data Cleanup Fixes: An issue with outdated gates persisting in the database has been addressed, ensuring proper pruning of non-existent gates. Time to bury the old, inactive gates - Abydos style!
• Top Gates Query Resolved: A query error caused by a database upgrade has been fixed, restoring functionality to the "Top Gates" feature.

API Overhaul & Improvements

The ASN HTTP API has undergone a major rewrite to improve reliability and usability. Key changes include:

• XML responses are now correctly formatted, with JSON support introduced for easier processing in Second Life scripts.
• A new Nearby Gates API (suggested by Tornado Siren) allows users to locate the closest gates, even across regions.
• Features like format selection (XML/JSON), character encoding options (ASCII/UTF-8), and response body size limits have been introduced to optimize data handling.
• The new API documentation is available at: ASN API 1.1

Bug Fixes

• RLV Shield/Iris Bypass Fix: A long-standing issue allowing RLV users to bypass the shield/iris has been patched.
• Effect Script Bug: The Tollan "forced wormhole" effect currently causes gate failures due to a script issue. While this cannot be fixed in version 1.1.3, efforts continue to resolve it in a future update.

Search System Revamp

The ASN database search has been improved based on feedback from MICKE94 Avora:

• Partial searches are now supported for the "Owner" field.
• A new "All" search field allows partial matching across all fields.
• "All" is now the default search option for a more intuitive experience.

You can test the improved search on the ASN Database.

Upcoming Focus & Future Updates

Development remains focused on server-side improvements before a new ASN version is released. While ASN can support multiple gate versions simultaneously, maintaining multiple iterations is challenging. The goal is to refine version 1.1.3 to a stable state, reducing the need for future updates.

Additionally, new scripts have been added to the ASN LSL Library on Discord to support commonly requested functions.

Website & Ticketing System Fixes

• The ASN website email system has been repaired, ensuring users receive email notifications for ticket responses (you will need to have an e-mail set in your profile settings).
• Legacy functions in the codebase have been replaced, contributing to long-term stability.
• SSoP Reports: The backlog of SSoP reports has been cleared.
• SSoP change: Stargates will now confirm successful report submissions.

Forums

In the near future, we plan to retire the ASN forum as it has seen little to no activity in years and requires significant maintenance that could be better focused elsewhere. Instead of maintaining an unused platform, we aim to move valuable discussions and information over to Discord, where the community is far more active and engaged. This transition will make support more accessible, streamline communication, and provide a more dynamic space for collaboration. The forum remains accessible for now, and we will ensure that any valuable content is preserved before the transition. If there are specific threads or posts you'd like to see migrated, please let us know so we can prioritize them.

Final Thoughts

A significant effort has been made to modernize the ASN codebase by removing deprecated functions and replacing them with up-to-date alternatives. Over the past development cycle, a total of 108 files were updated, with 3,586 lines of new code added and 2,602 lines removed, streamlining the system for better maintainability and performance. Many of these changes were necessary to ensure compatibility with newer server environments. This update not only improves the efficiency of existing features but also lays the groundwork for future enhancements, making ASN more robust and easier to maintain in the long term. The transition away from deprecated functions has also helped eliminate long-standing technical debt, eliminating the burden of maintaining outdated, unused code.

If you encounter any issues, please report them so they can be addressed promptly. Discord is the best place currently to do so!

--Ash Qin