Getting Started

Firelands (firelands-next) is a WoW Cataclysm 4.3.4 private-server emulator (client build 15595) built with modern software engineering: hexagonal architecture, test-driven development, and C++20 throughout.

Repository: github.com/FirelandsProject/firelands-next

What Firelands Provides

Feature	Detail
Auth server	SRP-6a authentication, realm list, optional REST login
World server	Character gameplay, spells, combat, gossip, GM tools
Three databases	firelands_auth, firelands_characters, firelands_world
Lua scripting	Server-side customization without recompiling
GM commands	In-game . commands and FTXUI interactive console
DevTools CLI	Account and realm management from the terminal

Tech Stack

Language	C++20
Build	CMake 3.10+ + Ninja (required)
Networking	Boost.Asio (C++20 coroutines)
Database	MySQL / MariaDB 8
Auth crypto	SRP-6a, OpenSSL
Config	yaml-cpp (authserver.yaml, worldserver.yaml)
Logging	spdlog 1.14.1
Testing	GoogleTest 1.14.0 + GMock
Scripting	Lua 5.4.7
Console UI	FTXUI 5.0.0
Archives	StormLib 9.26 (extractors / vmap)
Deploy	Docker Compose + GitHub Actions

Architecture Overview

Firelands follows Hexagonal Architecture (Ports & Adapters). Dependencies flow inward:

Infrastructure → Application → Domain → Shared

src/
├── shared/           # Config, logging, crypto, DBC, wire formats
├── domain/           # Entities, world model, repository ports
├── application/      # Use cases, services, application ports
├── infrastructure/   # MySQL, ASIO, Lua, DBC stores
├── auth/             # Auth server executable
├── world/            # Game server executable
└── tools/            # FirelandsDevTools

See Architecture for full layer definitions, all ports, adapters, and domain entities.

Servers

Server	Binary	Default port	Purpose
Auth	build/bin/auth	3724	SRP login, realm list, REST (8081)
World	build/bin/world	8085	Gameplay, characters, Lua, GM console
DevTools	build/bin/FirelandsDevTools	—	CLI account/realm tool

Quick Start

git clone https://github.com/FirelandsProject/firelands-next
cd firelands-next
cmake -B build -G Ninja -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Debug
ninja -C build auth world
docker-compose up -d db
./build/bin/auth
./build/bin/world

Full setup details: Developer Setup.

Documentation

Core guides

• Architecture — Layers, ports, adapters, domain model
• Contributing — Workflow, code standards, PR process
• Developer Setup — Environment, build, configuration
• Database — Schema, migrations, tables
• Testing — TDD and GoogleTest
• Core Roadmap — Unified tracker: phases, parity matrix, extractors, status legend

Module deep-dives

• Shared · Domain · Application · Infrastructure · Executables · Tools & build

Gameplay & staff

• Lua Scripting — Gameplay scripting
• Gossip & NPC text — Menus, dialog, quest lines
• GM Commands — Staff . commands reference
• GM Tickets — Help desk persistence and wire format

Tooling & data pipeline

• DevTools — CLI account and realm management
• Extractors — MPQ, DBC, and client data extraction
• VMap pipeline — Collision and mmap extraction plan
• StormLib — MPQ extractor roadmap
• C++20 migration — Toolchain upgrade status