OpenMidgard

OpenMidgard is an open source recreation of the Ragnarok Online client.

The current direction of the project is intentionally biased toward the pre-Renewal 2008-era client experience: classic presentation, classic game flow, and packet behavior aligned to that period rather than later Renewal-era client behavior.

This repository is focused on rebuilding the client as source code, modernizing the renderer and platform layer where needed, and keeping the gameplay/client feel anchored to the classic 2008 style.

Status

• Open source Ragnarok Online client recreation in active development.
• Current work includes the world renderer, UI systems, networking, effects, and modern rendering backends.
• The project currently prefers the 2008 pre-Renewal client style and behavior.

Packet Version Target

The current packet target is:

• packet_ver 23
• 2008-09-10aSakexe

More specifically, this is the intended target for client-originating map-server packets.

Progress Video

Current progress showcase:

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ApS1wgUmgzE

Repository Layout

• src/ — client source code
• cmake/ — CMake helpers and deployment scripts
• docs/ — project notes and focused implementation docs
• third_party/ — third-party notices and bundled support files

Prerequisites

At a minimum you will need:

• CMake 3.20 or newer
• A C++17 compiler
• Git
• A legally obtained Ragnarok Online data/runtime setup for testing

For runtime asset discovery, the client looks for things like data.grf, data/clientinfo.xml, and data/ near the executable or current working directory. You can also point it at a custom runtime root with:

• OPEN_MIDGARD_DATA_DIR=/path/to/runtime

Building On Windows

Windows currently has the most complete build flow.

Option 1: Visual Studio 2022

Available presets:

• vs2022-win32
• vs2022-x64

Configure and build:

cmake --preset vs2022-win32
cmake --build --preset build-release --config Release

Or for x64:

cmake --preset vs2022-x64
cmake --build --preset build-release-x64 --config Release

Notes:

• Native Direct3D 11 and Direct3D 12 backends are only enabled on Windows MSVC builds.
• If you do not want the executable copied to D:/Spel/OldRO, configure with -DRO_ENABLE_DEV_DEPLOY=OFF.

Option 2: MinGW + Qt 6

The repository includes a ready-made preset for the current Qt-based runtime path:

• mingw-qt-x64

Configure and build:

cmake --preset mingw-qt-x64
cmake --build --preset build-mingw-qt-x64

Debug build:

cmake --preset mingw-qt-x64-debug
cmake --build --preset build-mingw-qt-x64-debug

Expected environment:

• Qt 6 desktop kit compatible with the chosen compiler
• For the included preset, the project expects a Qt/MinGW layout similar to:
  • C:/Qt/6.11.0/mingw_64
  • C:/Qt/Tools/mingw1310_64

Notes:

• On Windows, the Qt-enabled MinGW build is one of the main day-to-day workflows in this repo.
• If Qt is installed elsewhere, set RO_QT_ROOT to the matching kit root.
• Qt deployment is handled automatically for Windows Qt builds.

Building On Linux

Linux has an included preset for the non-Windows Qt/Vulkan path:

• linux-qt-vulkan

Configure and build:

cmake --preset linux-qt-vulkan
cmake --build --preset build-linux-qt-vulkan -j

What this means in practice:

• Non-Windows builds force the Qt 6 UI path on.
• Native Direct3D 11 and Direct3D 12 backends are disabled automatically.
• The Linux path is Vulkan-oriented.

Recommended dependencies:

• cmake
• ninja
• g++ or clang++ with C++17 support
• Qt 6 development packages, including QML/Quick
• Vulkan development packages / SDK

Practical note:

• On Ubuntu-like systems, the Qt runtime may also need the QtQml.WorkerScript module package installed separately for the QML UI to start correctly.

Building On macOS

macOS does not currently have a checked-in preset, but the project does have a non-Windows CMake path you can configure manually.

Recommended tools:

• Xcode Command Line Tools or Apple Clang with C++17 support
• cmake
• ninja
• Qt 6

Example configure and build:

cmake -S . -B build-macos \
  -G Ninja \
  -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release \
  -DRO_ENABLE_DEV_DEPLOY=OFF \
  -DCMAKE_PREFIX_PATH=/path/to/Qt/6.x/macos

cmake --build build-macos -j

Notes:

• On non-Windows platforms, the project enables the Qt 6 UI path automatically.
• Native Direct3D backends are disabled automatically.
• The macOS path is less exercised than the Windows build flow, so expect some platform-specific integration work.

Running The Client

After building, run:

• Windows: open-midgard.exe
• Linux/macOS: open-midgard

Make sure your runtime directory contains the client data/GRF files and configuration files the client expects, or set OPEN_MIDGARD_DATA_DIR to point at them.

Project Goals

• Recreate the Ragnarok Online client as open source code
• Preserve the feel and behavior of the classic pre-Renewal client
• Modernize the renderer and platform layer where it makes the project easier to build, debug, and maintain
• Keep packet behavior aligned to the chosen 2008-era target profile

License

See LICENSE for the project license.