NetGore

A free, open-source 2D online RPG engine built with C# and SFML. NetGore provides a strong and flexible foundation for creating side-scrolling and top-down 2D online games using a client-server architecture.

Note: This project is no longer under active development by its original creator but remains maintained by the community.

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📋 Table of Contents

• Overview
• Features
• Quick Start
• Architecture
• Building the Project
• Running the Game
• Project Structure
• Recent Updates
• Documentation
• Contributing
• License

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🎮 Overview

NetGore is a complete 2D game development framework designed for creating online RPGs. It provides:

• Client: Game client with SFML.Net 2.6.0 rendering
• Server: Game server with networking and world management
• Editor: Visual map and content editing tools
• Database: MySQL-backed game data storage

The engine supports both side-scrolling and top-down perspectives, making it suitable for a wide variety of 2D RPG styles.

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✨ Features

Core Engine

• SFML.Net 2.6.0 rendering and audio
• Client-server architecture with network synchronization
• MySQL database integration for persistent game data
• Lidgren networking for efficient multiplayer
• Cross-platform support (Linux, Windows, macOS)

Game Features

• Character management and leveling
• Inventory and equipment system
• Skill and stat systems
• Quests and NPCs
• Guilds and peer trading
• Map editing and world management
• Particle effects and animations
• Sound and music support

Editors

• WinForms Editor: Original editor for Windows (fully functional)
• Avalonia Editor: Cross-platform editor with basic UI skeleton (work in progress)

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🚀 Quick Start

Prerequisites

• .NET 8.0 SDK
• MySQL Server (for running the server)
• SFML native libraries (for graphics and audio)

Build the Solution

# Clone the repository
git clone <repository-url>
cd netgore

# Build all projects
dotnet build

# Or build specific projects
dotnet build DemoGame.Client/DemoGame.Client.csproj
dotnet build DemoGame.Server/DemoGame.Server.csproj
dotnet build DemoGame.Editor.Avalonia/DemoGame.Editor.Avalonia.csproj

Run the Server

cd DemoGame.Server
dotnet run

Run the Client

cd DemoGame.Client
dotnet run

Run the Editor

Avalonia Editor (Cross-platform, work in progress):

cd DemoGame.Editor.Avalonia
dotnet run

Note: The Avalonia editor is still a work in progress. Use the WinForms editor (DemoGame.Editor) for full functionality.

WinForms Editor (Windows only):

cd DemoGame.Editor
dotnet run

Quick Launch Scripts

The repository includes batch files for quick launching:

• Run Server.bat - Start the game server
• Run Client.bat - Start the game client
• Run Editor.bat - Start the WinForms editor
• Run InstallationValidator.bat - Validate installation

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🏗️ Architecture

Solution Structure

NetGore/
├── NetGore/                  # Core game engine library
├── NetGore.Db/              # Database layer
├── NetGore.Features/        # Shared features
├── NetGore.Features.Client/ # Client-specific features
├── NetGore.Features.Server/ # Server-specific features
├── NetGore.Features.Editor/ # Editor-specific features
├── NetGore.Editor/          # WinForms editor utilities
├── DemoGame/                # Game logic and database objects
├── DemoGame.Client/         # Game client
├── DemoGame.Server/         # Game server
├── DemoGame.Editor/         # WinForms editor
├── DemoGame.Editor.Avalonia/ # Cross-platform Avalonia editor
├── NetGore.Tests/           # Unit tests
└── DevContent/              # Game assets

Client-Server Model

┌─────────────┐         ┌─────────────┐         ┌─────────────┐
│   Client    │ ◄─────► │   Server    │ ◄─────► │   MySQL    │
│   (SFML)    │  TCP    │ (Lidgren)   │   SQL   │  Database  │
└─────────────┘         └─────────────┘         └─────────────┘

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🔨 Building the Project

Build Requirements

• .NET 8.0 SDK
• SFML native libraries (platform-specific, via SFML.Net 2.6.0 NuGet package)
• MySQL Server (for server-side features)

Build Output

All projects build to a shared bin/ directory structure:

bin/
├── net8.0/
│   ├── NetGore.dll
│   ├── DemoGame.Client.exe
│   ├── DemoGame.Server.exe
│   └── Content/               # Game assets

Content Files

Game content is automatically copied from DevContent/ during build.

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🎮 Running the Game

Starting the Server

1. Configure the database connection in DemoGame.Server/DbSettings.dat
2. Run the server: dotnet run in DemoGame.Server/
3. The server will start listening for client connections

Starting the Client

1. Ensure the server is running
2. Run the client: dotnet run in DemoGame.Client/
3. Connect to the server and create a character

Configuration

• Server settings: DemoGame.Server/app.config
• Client settings: DemoGame.Client/app.config
• Database settings: DemoGame.Server/DbSettings.dat

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📁 Project Structure

Core Libraries

• NetGore: Core game engine with rendering, networking, and game logic
• NetGore.Db: Database abstraction layer with MySQL support
• NetGore.Features: Shared game features (stats, skills, quests, etc.)

Applications

• DemoGame.Client: Game client using SFML.Net 2.6.0 for rendering
• DemoGame.Server: Game server with world simulation
• DemoGame.Editor: Visual map and content editor (Windows)
• DemoGame.Editor.Avalonia: Cross-platform editor skeleton (work in progress)

Demo Game

• DemoGame: Game-specific logic, database objects, and content

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🆕 Recent Updates

.NET 8 Migration (2025) ✅

The entire project has been modernized from .NET Framework 4.0 to .NET 8.0:

• ✅ Modern SDK-style projects
• ✅ Cross-platform support (Linux, Windows, macOS)
• ✅ Updated NuGet packages
• ✅ MySqlConnector integration
• ✅ Improved performance and compatibility

See: MARKDOWN NOTES/DOTNET8_MIGRATION_COMPLETE.md

Avalonia Editor (2025)

A cross-platform editor skeleton has been created:

• ⚠️ Basic UI structure
• ⚠️ Docking system set up
• ⚠️ Some panels implemented
• ⚠️ Work in progress - not fully functional

Note: This is still under active development. Use the WinForms editor for full functionality.

See: DemoGame.Editor.Avalonia/README.md for current status

Modern Dependencies

• Migrated to SFML.Net 2.6.0 via NuGet
• Migrated from MySql.Data to MySqlConnector for cross-platform support
• All database queries updated
• Improved async/await support

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📚 Documentation

Migration Guides

Located in MARKDOWN NOTES/:

• START_HERE.md - Quick start guide for the Avalonia editor
• DOTNET8_MIGRATION_COMPLETE.md - .NET 8 migration summary
• AVALONIA_MIGRATION_COMPLETE.md - Editor migration details
• SFML_MIGRATION_STATUS_FINAL.md - Graphics library status

Editor Documentation

• DemoGame.Editor.Avalonia/README.md - Avalonia editor status and progress
• Note: The Avalonia editor is still under development and not fully functional

Code Documentation

• Inline XML documentation in source files
• Architecture patterns documented in markdown notes

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🔧 Development

Project Dependencies

Core Libraries:

• SFML.Net 2.6.0 via NuGet (graphics and audio)
• MySqlConnector 2.3.7 (database)
• Lidgren.Network (networking)
• log4net (logging)

Editor (Avalonia, work in progress):

• Avalonia 11.0 (cross-platform UI)
• Dock.Avalonia 11.0 (docking support)
• CommunityToolkit.Mvvm (MVVM helpers)

Note: Basic skeleton created, full functionality pending

Building on Linux

# Install SFML libraries
sudo apt-get install libsfml-dev

# Build the solution
dotnet build NetGore.sln

# Run the Avalonia editor
cd DemoGame.Editor.Avalonia
dotnet run

Building on Windows

# Visual Studio 2022 or later
# Open NetGore.sln

# Or use command line
dotnet build NetGore.sln

Database Setup

1. Create a MySQL database for the server
2. Run the schema from db.sql
3. Configure connection string in server settings

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🤝 Contributing

Contributions are welcome! This project benefits from community maintenance.

Getting Started

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch
3. Make your changes
4. Test thoroughly
5. Submit a pull request

Development Guidelines

• Follow the existing code style
• Update documentation for new features
• Test on multiple platforms when possible
• Use meaningful commit messages

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📄 License

This project is licensed under the GNU General Public License v2.0.

Original project: NetGore by NetGore contributors
Original homepage: http://www.netgore.com/

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🙏 Acknowledgments

• NetGore creators for the original engine
• SFML community for excellent graphics library
• Avalonia team for the cross-platform UI framework
• Community contributors who maintain and improve NetGore

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📞 Support

• Check existing documentation in MARKDOWN NOTES/
• Review the Avalonia editor README
• Examine the migration guides for technical details
• Open issues for bugs or feature requests

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