News

Odyssey 13 is ready to try. The game, the server and Odyssey Server Admin are all on the downloads page, for Linux, Windows and macOS.

It's labelled beta 3 because the first two went out quietly while we tested the release process. This is the first one we're announcing.

What it is

Odyssey 13 is Odyssey rebuilt. The game, the server and the editors have been rewritten from Visual Basic 6 into C#, so they run on today's computers. It plays the way Odyssey 12 does, with the same rules, the same art and the same keys, plus a few long-standing bugs fixed along the way.

Playing

• It keeps itself up to date. When a new version is out, the game tells you when it starts and installs it with one click.
• A server's own art comes with it. A server's art, sounds and music download the first time you join, so a custom world just works.
• Your keys, your way. Play with the classic keys, or switch to a modern layout with one click. Every key can be rebound.
• The chat line helps you type. Tab finishes a command, a player's name or a guild, and Up and Down bring back what you've sent. /help explains every command.

Running a server

• Bring your Odyssey 12 server across. Its maps, items, monsters, characters, guilds and scripts all convert, and so does its own art, which a wizard brings in.
• A proper admin app. Odyssey Server Admin covers your server's settings, players, bans, the console and chat, every editor, and a Performance page that shows what's slowing the server down.
• Scripts are C# now. Your existing scripts are converted automatically, and the script editor checks each one before it runs. Scripts can now also draw text, pictures and health bars in the world.
• Run it however suits you: as a download, or as a Docker image.

It's a beta

Expect rough edges, and please report anything that breaks on the forum. The full notes for each program are on the downloads page.

It's been a long time. Odyssey has been rebuilt from the ground up, and version 13 is getting close. Here's a first look at what's coming.

Everything shown here is still in progress and may change before release.

The game you remember

Version 13 is meant to be a faithful(ish) port: the world, the HUD and the way it plays are Odyssey as you know it, with a few long-standing bugs fixed along the way. The bigger new features come after 13 is out; getting the game you remember running on a modern foundation comes first.

Finding a server

Sign in with your Odyssey account and the server registry is right there: every public server, who's on it, and whether it's open. Double-click to join. You can still connect straight to a server by its address, and create an account on that server itself, as before.

Servers bring their own look

A server's own art, sounds and music download the first time you join it, so a custom world just works. No separate downloads, no patching by hand.

The client keeps itself up to date

When a new version is out, the game tells you when it starts, shows you what changed, and installs it with one click. If a server needs a newer client than yours, it says so and offers the update.

Your keys, your way

Play with the classic keys exactly as they were, or switch to a modern layout (WASD to move, a key to start typing) with one click. Every key can be rebound, and your own setup is kept if you switch between the two.

For server owners

Running a server gets a proper admin console: server settings, player administration, and a live console and chat where you can talk to players as the server.

Scripting has moved from MBSC to C#. Your existing scripts are converted automatically, and the script editor checks every script before it runs.

Bringing an existing server across will be as simple as uploading it here on the website and getting back one ready for version 13: maps, items, monsters, characters, guilds and scripts included.

When?

Not quite yet. Accounts and the server registry open with the release, and we'll post here when they do.

This is probably obvious to everyone, but I no longer have a stable windows server that can run the server registry. Unless I get a lot of requests on the forum, it will remain offline until the rewrite is up.

I apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused you.

I have released the odyssey private connector complete with source code on the download page. Go try it out since the registry is now offline.

I am currently nearing the point where I can begin porting the old VB6 code to the new language. BSGame library is basically complete, I just need to get a small framework for the server and client and then the projects will be forked and work on Odyssey will resume.

Public Beta builds are a possibility, but only when feasible. I would not suggest anybody to use the Beta builds as a full server yet though. They will be highly experimental and will not have the full functionality of the current build.