Game Mechanics: The evolution of /logging

[Daldaen]

I’m not clear if the ability to create log files was inherently in the game prior to the mid-late Kunark era. However even if it was, it was tedious and clunky. See below path notes:

August 17, 2000 Patch

The EQCLIENT.INI has some new features, including one allowing logging (/log) to be on by default. Updated documentation for the EQCLIENT.INI file is at the end of this patch message.

August 23, 2000 Patch

Log - TRUE for logging on, FALSE for logging off.

November 15, 2000 Patch

The eqlog.txt file now has a name that includes the server number and character name. For instance, if your character is named 'Bobb', and you are on Server 1, your log text file name would be eqlog_01_Bobb.txt

So a rough run down of the logging timeline.

August 2000 (17 months after launch, 4 months after Kunark) - Players gain the ability to enable logging by default in their eqclient.ini file.
November 2000 (20 months after launch, 7 months after Kunark) - Log files begin to have unique names rather than all logs being entered to a single text file across all characters.

I’ve looked as far back as I can and I really can’t find much about when the ability to log came in but it seems like prior to the August 2000 patch it really wasn’t prevalent as logging had to be enabled each session you logged in, and your logs when to a base file shared by every character you played.

I’m curious if the devs have the ability to or would consider disabling the ability to use logs on Green99 until the August 2000 portion of the timeline? The use of logging 3rd party programs is extremely prevalent on P99 in general, and it would seem that they just weren’t feasible options for all of classic and the beginning portion of Kunark.

For most CSR purposes, GMs tend to favor screenshots over logs anyways, so I’m not sure this would be a concern. But I do understand if this is a game mechanic you don’t want to replicate as it does remove a valuable information tool players may rely upon.