https://github.com/moongate-community/moongate
Moongate is modern Ultima Online server emulator built from scratch in C# with AOT compilation for high performance and nostalgic gameplay experience.
https://github.com/moongate-community/moongate
high-performance mmo mmorpg mmorpg-server modernuo retro rpg runuo servuo ultimaonline uox3
Last synced: 4 months ago
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Moongate is modern Ultima Online server emulator built from scratch in C# with AOT compilation for high performance and nostalgic gameplay experience.
- Host: GitHub
- URL: https://github.com/moongate-community/moongate
- Owner: moongate-community
- License: gpl-3.0
- Created: 2025-06-06T13:33:12.000Z (12 months ago)
- Default Branch: main
- Last Pushed: 2025-08-12T10:32:58.000Z (10 months ago)
- Last Synced: 2025-08-12T12:33:35.969Z (10 months ago)
- Topics: high-performance, mmo, mmorpg, mmorpg-server, modernuo, retro, rpg, runuo, servuo, ultimaonline, uox3
- Language: C#
- Homepage:
- Size: 31.2 MB
- Stars: 11
- Watchers: 4
- Forks: 4
- Open Issues: 0
-
Metadata Files:
- Readme: README.md
- Changelog: CHANGELOG.md
- License: LICENSE
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README
```
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\ \ \_/\ \/\ \L\ \/\ \L\ \/\ \/\ \/\ \L\ \/\ \L\.\_\ \ \_/\ __/
\ \_\\ \_\ \____/\ \____/\ \_\ \_\ \____ \ \__/.\_\\ \__\ \____\
\/_/ \/_/\/___/ \/___/ \/_/\/_/\/___L\ \/__/\/_/ \/__/\/____/
/\____/
\_/__/
++ New generation of Ultima Online server ++
!! Please support me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/MoongateServer !!
Source code: https://github.com/moongate-community/moongate
```
## 📑 Table of Contents
- [Overview](#overview)
- [State of the Art](#-state-of-the-art)
- [Vision & Philosophy](#vision--philosophy)
- [Key Features](#key-features)
- [Prerequisites](#prerequisites)
- [Quick Start](#quick-start)
- [Configuration](#configuration)
- [JavaScript Scripting](#javascript-scripting)
- [Networking & Protocol](#networking--protocol)
- [Performance Benchmarks](#performance-benchmarks)
- [Development](#development)
- [Monitoring & Diagnostics](#monitoring--diagnostics)
- [Roadmap](#roadmap)
- [Community & Support](#community--support)
- [Contributing](#contributing)
- [License](#license)
- [Acknowledgments](#acknowledgments)
## Overview
Moongate is a cutting-edge, ultra-high-performance Ultima Online server emulator built with .NET 9 and AOT (Ahead-of-Time) compilation. Designed specifically for the passionate UO community that still cherishes this legendary MMORPG, Moongate delivers exceptional performance and unprecedented customization capabilities through modern architecture and a powerful JavaScript scripting engine.
Our mission is simple: create the **most performant and customizable UO server** ever built, giving dedicated players and server administrators the tools they deserve.
## 🧭 State of the Art
**Codename**: *"It's not ModernUO with JS"*
> Moongate is not a clone of ModernUO, RunUO, ServUO or any other emulator — and it doesn't aim to be. In fact, we owe a great deal of inspiration to these projects. Their legacy and technical achievements are invaluable, and this project wouldn’t exist without them. Thank you.
Moongate is a personal journey — a way to study the internals of MMOs, experiment with high-performance .NET architecture, and explore advanced networking and scripting systems. It is **not** meant to replace existing servers or communities, but to learn, contribute, and share.
### ✅ Milestone: *"It's not ModernUO with JS"*
The following features have been implemented in this phase:
- ⚡ **Ultra-fast binary persistence** for game entities
- 👤 **Character creation and deletion**
- 🌍 **World segmentation into sectors** for spatial optimization
- 🔐 **Command system with account-level permissions**
- 🎒 **Item pickup and equipment handling**
- 🧱 **Initial implementation of Megacliloc (tooltips)**
- 🧳 **Backpack management**
- 🧍 **Paperdoll system**
## Overview
Moongate is a cutting-edge, ultra-high-performance Ultima Online server emulator built with .NET 9 and AOT (Ahead-of-Time)
compilation. Designed specifically for the passionate UO community that still cherishes this legendary MMORPG, Moongate
delivers exceptional performance and unprecedented customization capabilities through modern architecture and a powerful
JavaScript scripting engine.
Our mission is simple: create the **most performant and customizable UO server** ever built, giving dedicated players and
server administrators the tools they deserve.
## Vision & Philosophy
While Ultima Online may have a smaller player base today, those who still play deserve nothing less than perfection. Moongate
is built on these core principles:
- **Performance Above All** - Leveraging .NET 9 AOT for maximum speed and efficiency
- **JavaScript-Powered Customization** - Making server modification accessible to everyone
- **Modern Architecture** - Clean, maintainable code built for the future
- **Community-First** - Empowering server owners to create unique experiences
- **Legacy Respect** - Honoring classic UO while enhancing it with modern technology
## Key Features
### 🚀 Extreme Performance
- **AOT Compilation** - Faster startup, lower memory usage, predictable performance
- **Zero-Allocation Paths** - Critical code optimized to avoid garbage collection pressure
- **Asynchronous I/O** - High-throughput network operations with minimal overhead
- **Priority-Based Event Loop** - Intelligent task scheduling inspired by classic emulators
- **Memory Pool Management** - Efficient buffer reuse and memory management
### 🔧 Advanced Architecture
- **Modular Service Design** - Clean separation of concerns with dependency injection
- **Event-Driven System** - Comprehensive event bus for loosely coupled components
- **Pluggable Middleware** - Extensible packet processing pipeline
- **Configuration Management** - Flexible JSON-based configuration system
- **Comprehensive Logging** - Structured logging with Serilog including packet tracing
### 🛠️ JavaScript Scripting Engine
- **Jint Engine** - Full-featured JavaScript runtime with .NET interop
- **Planned Hot-Reload Support** - Feature not yet implemented
- **TypeScript Definitions** - Auto-generated type definitions for development
- **Module System** - Organized script architecture with module support
- **Rich API** - Extensive scripting interface for all game systems
## Prerequisites
- [.NET 9 SDK](https://dotnet.microsoft.com/download/dotnet/9.0)
- Ultima Online Classic Client **version 7.x only** (officially supported)
- 4GB RAM minimum (8GB recommended)
- Visual Studio 2022 or JetBrains Rider for development
## Quick Start
### 🚀 Installation
1. **Clone the repository**
```bash
git clone https://github.com/moongate-community/moongate.git
cd moongate
```
2. **Build the solution**
```bash
dotnet restore
dotnet build
```
3. **Configure the server**
```bash
# Edit the configuration to set your UO client path
nano moongate/moongate.json
```
4. **Run in development mode**
```bash
dotnet run --project src/Moongate.Server
```
### ⚡ AOT Production Build
For maximum performance in production:
```bash
# Build with AOT compilation
./scripts/run_aot.sh
# Or manually:
dotnet publish -r linux-x64 -o dist -p:PublishAot=true -c Release src/Moongate.Server
./dist/Moongate.Server
```
### 🐳 Docker Deployment
```bash
# Build the Docker image
docker build -t moongate-server .
# Run with volume mapping for configuration and data
docker run -d \
-p 2593:2593 \
-v ./moongate:/app/moongate \
moongate-server
```
## Configuration
Moongate uses a simple JSON configuration file:
```json
{
"network": {
"port": 2593,
"logPackets": false
},
"webServer": {
"port": 23853,
"enabled": true
},
"name": "Moongate Shard",
"ultimaOnlineDirectory": "~/uo/"
}
```
## JavaScript Scripting
### 🎯 Powerful Scripting Engine
Moongate features a sophisticated JavaScript scripting system that makes customization accessible:
```javascript
// Auto-generated TypeScript definitions provide full intellisense
///
// Example: Custom spell implementation (future implementation)
class Fireball {
constructor() {
this.manaCost = 15;
this.requiredSkill = 40;
}
cast(caster, target) {
if (!this.checkMana(caster)) {
logger.warn(`${caster.name} lacks mana for Fireball`);
return false;
}
const damage = this.calculateDamage(caster);
target.takeDamage(damage);
logger.info(`${caster.name} cast Fireball on ${target.name} for ${damage} damage`);
return true;
}
calculateDamage(caster) {
const magery = caster.skills.magery;
return Math.floor(10 + (magery / 10));
}
}
// Register with the spell system
spells.register(new Fireball());
```
### 📚 Available Script Modules
- **Logger Module** - Advanced logging capabilities
- **Account Module** - User account management
- *More modules are planned as development progresses*
## Networking & Protocol
### 📡 Advanced Network Stack
- **Custom TCP Server** - Built from scratch for UO protocol optimization
- **Packet Registration System** - Comprehensive UO packet handling (200+ packet types)
- **Session Management** - Robust client state tracking
- **Compression Support** - Optional packet compression for bandwidth optimization
- **Middleware Pipeline** - Extensible packet processing chain
### 🔍 Network Monitoring
Built-in packet logging and network diagnostics:
```bash
# Enable packet logging in config
"LogPackets": true
# View real-time packet flow
tail -f logs/network_packets_*.log
```
## Performance Benchmarks
### AOT vs JIT Comparison
| Metric | JIT | AOT | Improvement |
|----------------------|-------|--------|-------------|
| Startup Time | 2.3s | 0.8s | 65% faster |
| Memory Usage | 145MB | 98MB | 32% less |
| Packet Processing | 85k/s | 120k/s | 41% faster |
| Steady State Latency | 2.1ms | 1.4ms | 33% lower |
*Benchmarks run on Ubuntu 22.04 with Intel i7-12700K*
## Development
### 🛠️ Building from Source
```bash
# Restore dependencies
dotnet restore
# Build all projects
dotnet build
# Run tests
dotnet test
```
### 🧪 Testing
Comprehensive test suite with NUnit:
```bash
# Run all tests
dotnet test
# Run with coverage
dotnet test --collect:"XPlat Code Coverage"
# Run specific test category
dotnet test --filter Category=Network
```
### 📝 Code Style
- **C# 12** with nullable reference types enabled
- **XML Documentation** for all public APIs
- **EditorConfig** for consistent formatting
- **Modern async/await** patterns throughout
- **SOLID principles** and clean architecture
## Monitoring & Diagnostics
### 📊 Built-in Metrics
- **Performance Counters** - CPU, memory, network utilization
- **Event Loop Metrics** - Tick timing and queue depths
- **Script Execution Stats** - JavaScript performance monitoring
- **Network Statistics** - Connection counts, packet rates, errors
### 🔧 Administration
```bash
# Runtime commands via console
> status # Show server status
> reload scripts # (planned) hot-reload all scripts
> gc # Force garbage collection
> metrics # Display performance metrics
> shutdown # Graceful shutdown
```
## Roadmap
### 🎯 Milestone 1: Basic Gameplay Foundation
**Goal**: Get a player character visible and moving on the game world
**Core Features**:
- [ ] **Character Creation & Login** - Complete login flow with character selection
- [ ] **Character Rendering** - Player character appears correctly in the world
- [ ] **Basic Movement** - Walking, running, and direction changes
- [ ] **Map Display** - Load and display Britannia map tiles
- [ ] **Client Synchronization** - Proper character position updates
- [ ] **Basic Networking** - Stable client-server communication
- [ ] **Session Management** - Handle multiple concurrent players
**Technical Requirements**:
- [ ] UO packet handlers for movement (0x02, 0x22)
- [ ] Map file loading (.mul files)
- [ ] Character data persistence
- [ ] Position validation and anti-cheat basics
- [ ] Network packet compression
**Success Criteria**:
A player can log in, see their character on the map, and walk around the world with other players visible.
---
*Further milestones will be defined after completing the basic gameplay foundation.*
## Community & Support
- **Documentation** - [Full Wiki](https://github.com/moongate-community/moongate/wiki)
- **Issues & Bugs** - [GitHub Issues](https://github.com/moongate-community/moongate/issues)
- **Discord Community** - [Join our server](https://discord.gg/3HT7v95b)
- **Support Development** - [Patreon](https://www.patreon.com/MoongateServer)
## Contributing
**🚀 We're actively looking for developers to join the Moongate project!** Whether you're passionate about UO, .NET
development, or building high-performance systems, we'd love to have you on board.
We welcome contributors! Whether you're fixing bugs, adding features, or improving documentation:
1. **Fork** the repository
2. **Create** a feature branch (`git checkout -b feature/amazing-feature`)
3. **Commit** your changes (`git commit -m 'Add amazing feature'`)
4. **Push** to the branch (`git push origin feature/amazing-feature`)
5. **Open** a Pull Request
### 🎨 Contribution Guidelines
- Follow the existing code style and conventions
- Add tests for new functionality
- Update documentation as needed
- Ensure all tests pass before submitting
### 👥 Areas Where We Need Help
- **Core UO Protocol Implementation** - Packet handlers, game mechanics
- **JavaScript Engine Integration** - Scripting API development
- **Performance Optimization** - AOT improvements, memory management
- **Testing & QA** - Comprehensive test coverage
- **Documentation** - Technical docs, tutorials, examples
## License
This project is licensed under the **GNU General Public License v3.0** - see the [LICENSE](LICENSE) file for details.
## Acknowledgments
- **Ultima Online Community** - For keeping the dream alive after all these years
- **ModernUO, RunUO, UOX3, and ServUO Teams** - For creating countless worlds and keeping UO servers alive throughout the
decades. Your dedication has preserved this incredible game for new generations of players
- **.NET Team** - For the amazing AOT capabilities in .NET 9
- **Jint Project** - For the excellent JavaScript engine
---
**⚡ Built for Speed. Designed for Community. Powered by Innovation.**
*Moongate Server - Where classic meets cutting-edge*