## Summary
`BaseCreature` stored the pet owner (`ControlMaster`) and the summoner (`SummonMaster`) in two fields. Every flow that manages pets kept them in step by hand: summon, transfer, stable, claim, ball of summoning and GM obey. They now share one `_master` field, and the two properties read it through the Controlled and Summoned flags:
```csharp
ControlMaster => Controlled ? master : null
SummonMaster => Controlled && !Summoned ? null : master
```
Every existing reader keeps its meaning:
- `ControlMaster` is still "the owner".
- `SummonMaster` is still "the summoner, controlled or not".
Blade spirits, energy vortexes, clones, undead minions and enraged creatures (a summon master without `Summoned`) never become visible through `ControlMaster`, so the ungated readers (ML notoriety, aggressor entries and similar) behave as before.
- Setting `SummonMaster` on a plain pet does nothing, instead of quietly replacing the owner.
- `SetControlMaster` now keeps both masters in step, so the hand-written `SummonMaster` copies are removed from ball of summoning, GM obey, pet transfer, auto-stable and claim, the animal trainer's stable and claim, and jail stabling.
## Serialization
BaseCreature moves to v24 with one serialized master (slot 15); the old `SummonMaster` slot is dropped.
- `MigrateFrom(V23Content)` resolves absent fields through the same default-value methods the live reader uses.
- A save that carried both masters (a summon traded before ownership followed transfers) resolves to the owner. Legacy pre-codegen streams follow the same rule.
Requires `ModernUO.Serialization.Generator` 4.2.0 (#2671). `UOContent.Tests` was still on 4.1.0 and is bumped to match.
## Test plan
- [x] `MasterShapes_RoundTrip`: controlled pet, controlled summon, energy vortex, enraged creature
- [x] `SummonMaster_OnPlainPet_KeepsTheOwner`: owner and follower counts unchanged
- [x] `LegacyV22Stream_DifferingMasters_OwnerWins`
- [x] `V23Stream_MigratesToOneMaster_AndDefaultsAbsentFields`: both master slots -> owner; flags past bit 32; absent fields take class defaults
- [x] UOContent.Tests (1168 passed, 2 skipped) and Server.Tests (907) green
Pet and summon bugs found by the master-reference audit for #2592 (comments there have the full inventory). Independent of delta saves.
## Releasing a pet never finished
The Release order ran two half-releases that never met:
- The order handler cleared the master. That set `Controlled` to false, so `Obey` never ran again and the think-side `DoOrderRelease` (re-home, three-day delete timer, backpack drop) was dead code: a released pet kept its pack and never despawned.
- The loyalty drain called `DoOrderRelease` directly, so a pet whose loyalty hit zero got the countdown and dropped its pack but kept its master and its owner's follower slots, the opposite of the code comment's intent.
`DoOrderRelease` is now the whole release (targets, bonding, `SetControlMaster(null)`, re-home, delete or countdown, pack drop) and runs once, synchronously, from the handler or the loyalty drain. Summons still die on release, as before. Two tests pin both entry points: master cleared, follower slots returned, countdown running, home anchored.
This is the one place the `PetOrders` / `PetOrderHandlers` split bit; the wider audit of that duplication is a separate task.
## Summon master follows the pet
Transfer, stable claim, GM "obey" and Ball of Summoning copied `SummonMaster` only when `Summoned`, so a talisman summon (`Summoned` is false, `SummonMaster` set) kept its original summoner after a transfer: two different masters on one creature, with the original summoner's area spells still exempting it. They now mirror the summon master whenever it is set. Jail stabling cleared only `ControlMaster`, so a jailed talisman summon kept charging the summoner's follower slots; it now clears both, like the stable master and auto-stable already do.
## Small ones
- The faction horse breeder set `Controlled`/`ControlMaster` directly; it now goes through `SetControlMaster` and tells the buyer why it refused (1049607) instead of silently deleting the horse.
- `Notoriety` dereferenced `SummonMaster` on a summoned creature without a null check.
## Tests
UOContent.Tests 778 green (two new).
## Why
Delta world saves (only changed entities re-serialized during the freeze) need two things from content: `Serialize` must be pure, and an unchanged entity must produce identical bytes on every save. An audit of the tree found the places that break this today. This PR fixes them and adds a diagnostic that measures byte stability in a running world over real time. No wire format changes, no version bumps.
## What
- **Guild**: `Serialize` ran the daily guildmaster recalculation (dictionary-order tie breaks, random picks, mutates another entity), war expiry, and the alliance leadership check on every save. That work now runs from `GuildMaintenanceTimer` (the former `WarTimer`, now started for both guild systems; the war and alliance checks are no-ops without the new guild system).
- **BaseHouse**: the `DecayLevel` getter wrote `LastRefreshed` and advanced the dynamic decay stage on every read, so any undecayable house changed its persisted bytes whenever a sign, gump, or `[Props` looked at it. It is now a pure read; `UpdateDecay()` on the decay tick advances the stage and refreshes a house that leaves the undecayable state.
- **Locked-down container contents decay through `DecayScheduler`** instead of a sweep inside `BaseHouse.Serialize`. `Item.CanDecay` now accepts a parent container whose new `Container.ContentsDecay` is true (locked down and not secure) when the content item is not itself locked down or secured; the `IsLockedDown`/`IsSecure` setters re-evaluate a container and its direct contents; `OnDecay` resolves the region from the world location. `BaseBoard`, `Aquarium` and `FishBowl` override `ContentsDecay` to false, matching the exclusions of the old sweep. Items already inside such containers are picked up at load, where every item re-evaluates its registration. The per-save O(all locked-down items) walk is gone; the work is now event driven.
- **BraceletOfBinding**: the `Bound` getter nulled its backing field for a deleted target; it now returns null for a missing or deleted target without writing.
- **`[SaveStability [delaySeconds=60] [sampleStride=1]`** (Administrator): hashes the serialized bytes of every entity in every registered entity persistence (`Persistence.EntityPersistences`, new), waits the delay in real time, hashes again, and reports per type how many records changed. Both passes are chunked under a 20 ms per-tick budget. Serializing twice inside one tick cannot see drift derived from `Core.Now`, which is frozen within a tick; the real-time wait is the point. On an idle shard the only legitimate churn is NPC movement and regeneration, so a static type with a high changed fraction is a serialization bug. `[SaveStability cancel` stops a run.
Engine additions: `Container.ContentsDecay` / `UpdateContentsDecayRegistration()`, the `CanDecay`/`OnDecay` change above, and diagnostic-facing `IGenericEntityPersistence.Name`, `EntityCount`, `EnumerateEntities()`, and `Persistence.EntityPersistences`.
## Behaviour notes
- Fealty recalculation now happens on the minute timer for both guild systems instead of at save time.
- A house that becomes decayable is refreshed on its next decay tick rather than at the exact moment of transition (at most one minute later).
- Contents of locked-down containers now decay on their own schedule (same `LastMoved + DecayTime` rule) instead of at the next world save after becoming due.
## Testing
- New tests: `GuildSerializePurityTests`, `HouseDecayPurityTests`, `SaveStabilityTests` (stable entities hash identically after the clock advances; a clock-stamped record is reported by type only after the clock advances; the snapshot covers Items, Mobiles and Guilds).
- `LockedDownContainerDecayTests` (Server.Tests): registration on drop, lock/secure/release transitions, excluded containers, nested containers, and decay on schedule through the scheduler.
- Full suites: Server.Tests 855 passed, UOContent.Tests 765 passed.
## Summary
Folds **113** hand-written `[SerializableProperty]` members into plain `[SerializableField]` declarations using the v4 setter hooks — value coercion/vetoes via `allowFieldChange`, post-change side effects via `fieldChanged` (whose `oldValue` parameter covers the old-house/old-sender unsubscribe patterns). Net **-450 lines** of setter boilerplate.
```cs
// before
[SerializableProperty(1)]
[CommandProperty(AccessLevel.GameMaster)]
public int Charges
{
get => _charges;
set
{
_charges = Math.Clamp(value, 0, MaxCharges);
InvalidateProperties();
this.MarkDirty();
}
}
// after
[SerializableField(1, allowFieldChange: nameof(AllowChargesChange))]
[SerializedCommandProperty(AccessLevel.GameMaster)]
[InvalidateProperties]
private int _charges;
private bool AllowChargesChange(ref int value)
{
value = Math.Clamp(value, 0, MaxCharges);
return true;
}
```
## How sites were selected
A classifier parsed all 204 `[SerializableProperty]` sites and converted only those matching strict shapes: getter is exactly `get => _field;`, the assignment comes first (after at most an equality guard), and relocated side effects contain no `return`, no `value` mutation, and no field re-assignment. Everything else was left alone deliberately:
- **~34 custom getters** (fallback defaults like `_x == -1 ? Default : _x`, self-healing refs) — no setter hook can express these.
- **~35 pre-assignment logic** (durability Unscale/Scale sandwiches, old-state captures like PotionKeg's pile weight).
- **virtual/override members, name-mismatched backing fields (`m_`), exotic semantics** (guards' `Focus` does work on *equal* assignment; `ChampionSpawn.Active` never assigns its field).
Five sites the classifier refused were converted by hand where the hooks fit cleanly: `ReceiverCrystal.Sender`, `PlayerVendor.House`, `PlayerBarkeeper.House` (old-value unsubscribe via `oldValue`), `BaseSuit.AccessLevel` (its existing virtual `OnAccessLevelChanged` already had the exact callback shape), and `DyeTub.DyedHue` (a true veto: `AllowDyedHueChange(ref int value) => _redyable`).
## Verification
- Build: **0 errors, 0 warnings**.
- **Schema regeneration produces zero Migrations changes** — the conversion is wire- and schema-neutral by construction (same orders, types, and property names), and CI's schema diff check enforces it.
- **835 + 708 tests green.**
## Behavioral notes (all strict improvements, called out for review)
- Generated setters skip everything when the incoming value equals the current one; a few converted setters previously re-ran side effects on equal assignment (redundant `Update()`-style refreshes).
- Generated setters always `MarkDirty()` on change; several converted setters never did (e.g. `DyeTub.DyedHue`, `MorphItem` ranges) — their changes only persisted if something else dirtied the entity. Those latent persistence bugs are fixed by construction.
## Summary
Phase 1 of a multi-phase optimization to eliminate intermediate string allocations between `$"..."` interpolation and the packet text region for ModernUO's player-facing message APIs.
- Adds `[InterpolatedStringHandler]` overloads to every `Send*`/`Public/Local/Private/NonlocalOverheadMessage`/`Say`/`Emote`/`Whisper`/`Yell`/`SendLocalizedMessageTo` API in `OutgoingMessagePackets`, `Mobile`, and `Item`. Each overload is a 3-line shim that forwards `handler.Text` to the existing span-based path then calls `handler.Clear()` to return the rented `STArrayPool<char>` buffer (matches the established `SpanWriter.WriteAscii(ref RawInterpolatedStringHandler)` precedent).
- Converts `string text/args/affix/name` parameters to `ReadOnlySpan<char>` for consistency with the handler path. `lang` intentionally stays `string` (it's never interpolated and the `??= "ENU"` fallback stays cleaner).
- Adds `int charCount` overloads of the three `GetMaxMessage*Length` helpers so stackalloc sizing can avoid the redundant `ROS<char>` round-trip.
- Moves `Mobile` (17 methods) and `Item` (4 methods) message methods into new partial-class files (`Mobile.Messages.cs`, `Item.Messages.cs`) for organization.
No UOContent call sites change in this PR — existing `string`/`ROS<char>` calls compile unchanged via implicit conversion. Phase 2 (intermediate-string audit) and Phase 3 (cleanup PRs) follow.
## Files
- `Projects/Server/Network/Packets/OutgoingMessagePackets.cs` — `string` → `ROS<char>` for text params, `int charCount` length helpers added, class made `partial`
- `Projects/Server/Network/Packets/OutgoingMessagePackets.Interpolated.cs` (new) — 3 `ref RawInterpolatedStringHandler` extension overloads
- `Projects/Server/Mobiles/Mobile.cs` — message methods extracted (-262 lines)
- `Projects/Server/Mobiles/Mobile.Messages.cs` (new, 463 lines) — moved + ROS-converted methods + 25 handler overloads
- `Projects/Server/Items/Item.cs` — message methods extracted (-93 lines)
- `Projects/Server/Items/Item.Messages.cs` (new, 142 lines) — moved + ROS-converted methods + 4 handler overloads
- `Projects/Server.Tests/Tests/Network/Packets/Outgoing/MessagePacketTests.cs` — 3 new regression tests verifying byte-equivalence for the handler overloads
## Summary
- Adds `public virtual bool Murderer => Kills >= 5` property to `Mobile`, replacing ~30 scattered `Kills >= 5` / `Kills < 5` magic-number checks across the codebase
- `BaseCreature` overrides `Murderer` to also return `true` when `AlwaysMurderer` is set
- Updates `Corpse` serialization to v15, storing `_murderer` as a `bool` field (migrated from `int Kills >= 5` in earlier versions)
### Summary
- Fix AccountGold gold duplication exploit: When AccountGold.Enabled was true, double-clicking a BankCheck deposited
the full value to the account but then continued creating physical gold piles for the same amount, duplicating the
value
- Fix Deposit/DepositUpTo partial deposit exploit: Both methods created new max-size gold piles and checks without
first filling existing partial stacks, wasting container slots and causing premature "bank full" failures that could
be leveraged to manipulate gold distribution
- Fix BagOfSending bank stacking: Gold and BankCheck items sent via BagOfSending now use Banker.Deposit for efficient
stacking instead of naive TryDropItem, which could fail on a full bank even when existing piles had room
- Improve gold/check deposit efficiency: Banker.Deposit and Banker.DepositUpTo now top off existing gold piles (up to
60k) and bank checks (up to 1M) before creating new items, maximizing use of available container slots
## Summary
- Removes allocation of a `List<ContextMenuEntry>` every time a context menu is created.
- Moves packet/context menu creation logic out of the core
- Fixes tame entry
## BREAKING CHANGE
> [!Important]
> **Developer Note**
> ```cs
> public virtual void GetContextMenuEntries(Mobile from, List<ContextMenuEntry> list)
> ```
> and similar functions changed to
> ```cs
> public virtual void GetContextMenuEntries(Mobile from, ref PooledRefList<ContextMenuEntry> list)
> ```
## MAJOR CHANGE (API BREAKING)
Moved the virtues to it's own system _VirtueSystem_. This should make it easier to extend or remove the virtue system. Virtues will be saved to a new folder called _Virtues_.
### Motivation
The motivation was also two-fold, performance/stability, and to fix bugs.
First, virtues is the second system (first is murders), that has a pre-world-save check on _every mobile in the game_ to atrophy virtue stats. This is taxing since it freexes the world and makes world saves take longer. Every mobile had Gain/Loss dates for each virtue, whether they needed them or not. Most players don't even use the virtue system, so this will increase performance considerably.
Second, when I tried to optimize/refactor the code, I found several bugs that needed to be fixed.
### Major API Changes
- [X] The properties on players related to virtues are gone. Use `pm.GetVirtues()?.<PropertyName>` instead.
- [X] Virtues were removed from non-player Mobiles.
- [X] `pm.JusticeProtectors` was removed. Use `JusticeVirtue.GetProtector()` or `JusticeVirtue.GetProtected()` instead.
### Screenshots
<img width="221" alt="Props-1" src="https://github.com/modernuo/ModernUO/assets/3953314/5c09cb83-b8d5-44a2-b899-a7ed7cd736ac">
<img width="220" alt="props-2" src="https://github.com/modernuo/ModernUO/assets/3953314/aeade4d3-8df0-47bd-955a-a864d0946cf7">
## **MAJOR CHANGE**
* `Stabled` has been moved to `PlayerMobile`.
* New methods added, `PlayerMobile.AddStabled` and `PlayerMobile.RemoveStabled`.
* Added `PlayerMobile.AddFollower` and `PlayerMobile.RemoveFollower`.
* `Stabled`, `AutoStabled`, and `AllFollowers` are now `HashSet` and **_CAN BE NULL_**.
### Summary
* Fixes monster abilities causing harm to the monster through reflect
* Adds `CanTriggerAgainstSelf` to override this for healing or some other self-affecting ability
* Fixes a major memory leak where `UnsummonTimer` from animated dead spell lasts up-to 24hrs and therefore holds onto references of dead/deleted mobs.
* Fixes another minor leak where a mob is not unregistered from the animated dead spell list until the next spell cast.
- [X] `BaseRegion.CheckTravel` now properly cascades through parent regions
- [X] `SpellHelper.CheckTravel` now returns a failure message instead of sending one internally.
- [X] Consolidates travel restriction messages so they aren't duplicated.
## Changes
- [X] Adds OPL convenience methods
- `opl.Add(cliloc, value)` and `opl.Add(value)` - value as an integer or string works just like `opl.Add(cliloc, $"{value}")`
- `opl.AddLocalized(cliloc, clilocValue)` - works the same as `opl.Add(cliloc, $"#{clilocValue}");`
- [X] Simplifies basic `list.Add()` situations
- [X] Changes cliloc as an argument so it works with custom IPropertyList implementations (HTML)
- [X] Fixes plants so they support the old localization and new (changed in 7.0.12.0+)
- [X] Exposes more methods to override for Item to make creating custom OPL possible.
## Important Notes
* Using a ternary as an argument, like this `opl.Add(number, showType ? $"{type}\t{value}" : $"{value}");` _will not use the correct string interpolation_. This means if you use a custom PropertyList (for HTML or some other purpose), the property list won't be localized properly.
* All localization values must be interpolated, even if they are literal strings, or integers. Example: `opl.Add(number, $"{"Charges"}\t{m_Charges}");` is correct. Using the following: `$"Charges\t{m_Charges}"` will not work for custom PropertyList implementations!
## Breaking Changes (New API)
ObjectPropertyList supports the following API:
```cs
list.Add(500000);
list.Add(500001, stringArgument);
list.Add("Some text");
list.Add($"Some text with {argument}");
list.Add(500002, $"{arg1}\t{arg2}");
```
## Notes
1. All API uses that require a formatter like this:
```cs
list.Add(500002, "{0}\t{1}", arg1, arg2);
```
Should be changed to use string interpolation, for example:
```cs
list.Add(500002, $"{arg1}\t{arg2}");
```
2. The following paradigm should no longer be used:
```cs
list.Add(1061170, prop.ToString()); // strength requirement ~1_val~
```
The new string interpolation API will avoid having to convert the argument to a string before writing it to the packet. Instead use the following:
```cs
list.Add(1061170, $"{prop}"); // strength requirement ~1_val~
```
### Benchmarks
```cs
| Method | Mean | Error | StdDev | Gen 0 | Allocated |
|------------------------------- |---------:|--------:|--------:|-------:|----------:|
| BenchmarkOldOPL | 241.0 ns | 0.56 ns | 0.47 ns | 0.0105 | 88 B |
| BenchmarkStringInterpolatedOPL | 199.9 ns | 2.44 ns | 2.39 ns | - | - |
```
### Changes
- [X] Removes crash in STArray.Return when array is null.
- [X] Fixes NPE in OPL when entity is null. Serial in packet will be 0 when entity is null.
- [X] Fixes NPE in AosAttributes when Parent is null.
- [X] Changes OPL to use string interpolation.
- [X] Introduces `IPropertyList` to allow extending PropertyList for other uses.
- [X] Caches DateTime.NowUtc on the game loop (not other threads)
- [X] Replaces all locations where it makes sense
- [X] Adds Min/Max for `IComparable` (TimeSpan, DateTimes, etc)
Closes#261
- [X] Fixes an issue where a buffer smaller than 8 bytes would not double with enough space in some cases.
- [X] Fixes an issue with dupe copying the savebuffer reference (ugh).
- [X] Streamlines the IGenericWriter API to use better generics.
- [X] Streamlines the IGenericReader API to use better generics.
- [X] Forces `tidying` of a List/HashSet to be done externally since Writers/Readers should not have side effects.
- [X] Fixes an issue where Tidying a list didn't TrimExcess, causing memory leaks.
- [X] Reverted the meaning of `World.Running` to specifically refer to any world state post world loading.
- NOTE: Do not use this if you want to block on world saves. Instead use checks against `WorldState.Saving` states.
- [X] Fixes an issue with serializing negative DateTime deltas.
- [X] Fixes a potential issue with serializing non-UTC DateTime.
Bumps release version
### API Breaking Change
Combined `AsciiMessage` and `UnicodeMessage` into a single function that takes two arguments, `bool ascii` and `string lang`. Lang can be null (or anything) if ascii is true.
- [X] Changes message packets
- [X] Cleans up some code
- [X] Uses benchmarks to determine if the spanwriter + copyfrom
- [X] Fixes several bugs
- [X] Updates more ordinal issues
- [X] Cleans up the code a bit
- [X] Turns classes static that should have been
- [X] Changes TcpServer.Instances to a HashSet
Bumps release version
