How to Configure Premium Account System on MU Online Server

System Overview

A Premium account system lets you offer differentiated benefits to players — boosted experience rates, improved drop chances, access to exclusive events — all controlled directly through the SQL Server database and read by the GameServer at runtime.

This guide covers the full implementation: database structure, server configuration, web panel integration, and automated expiration.

Step 1 — Prepare the Database Structure

Connect to SQL Server Management Studio and select the MuOnline database.

1.1 — Add columns to the MEMB_INFO table:

USE MuOnline;
GO

ALTER TABLE MEMB_INFO
  ADD premium_status  TINYINT      NOT NULL DEFAULT 0,
      premium_tier    TINYINT      NOT NULL DEFAULT 0,
      premium_expire  DATETIME     NULL,
      premium_notes   VARCHAR(100) NULL;
GO

• premium_status: 0 = Normal, 1 = Premium active
• premium_tier: 0 = no tier, 1 = Bronze, 2 = Silver, 3 = Gold
• premium_expire: expiration date/time (NULL = no expiry)

1.2 — Create an activation log table:

CREATE TABLE MEMB_PREMIUM_LOG (
  log_id        INT          IDENTITY(1,1) PRIMARY KEY,
  memb_guid     INT          NOT NULL,
  memb_name     VARCHAR(10)  NOT NULL,
  tier          TINYINT      NOT NULL,
  activated_by  VARCHAR(50)  NOT NULL,
  activated_at  DATETIME     NOT NULL DEFAULT GETDATE(),
  expire_at     DATETIME     NULL,
  duration_days INT          NOT NULL
);
GO

Step 2 — Create Management Stored Procedures

2.1 — Procedure to activate Premium:

CREATE PROCEDURE sp_ActivatePremium
  @memb_name    VARCHAR(10),
  @tier         TINYINT,
  @duration_days INT,
  @activated_by VARCHAR(50)
AS
BEGIN
  SET NOCOUNT ON;

  DECLARE @memb_guid   INT;
  DECLARE @expire_date DATETIME;

  SELECT @memb_guid = memb_guid
  FROM   MEMB_INFO
  WHERE  memb_name = @memb_name;

  IF @memb_guid IS NULL
  BEGIN
    RAISERROR('Account not found: %s', 16, 1, @memb_name);
    RETURN;
  END

  -- If account already has active Premium, extend from current expiry date
  SET @expire_date = CASE
    WHEN premium_status = 1 AND premium_expire > GETDATE()
      THEN DATEADD(DAY, @duration_days, premium_expire)
    ELSE
      DATEADD(DAY, @duration_days, GETDATE())
  END
  FROM MEMB_INFO WHERE memb_guid = @memb_guid;

  UPDATE MEMB_INFO
  SET    premium_status = 1,
         premium_tier   = @tier,
         premium_expire = @expire_date
  WHERE  memb_guid = @memb_guid;

  INSERT INTO MEMB_PREMIUM_LOG
    (memb_guid, memb_name, tier, activated_by, expire_at, duration_days)
  VALUES
    (@memb_guid, @memb_name, @tier, @activated_by, @expire_date, @duration_days);

  SELECT 'Premium activated successfully. Expires at: ' + CONVERT(VARCHAR, @expire_date, 120) AS result;
END;
GO

2.2 — Procedure to expire accounts automatically:

CREATE PROCEDURE sp_ExpirePremiumAccounts
AS
BEGIN
  SET NOCOUNT ON;

  UPDATE MEMB_INFO
  SET    premium_status = 0,
         premium_tier   = 0
  WHERE  premium_status = 1
    AND  premium_expire IS NOT NULL
    AND  premium_expire < GETDATE();

  SELECT @@ROWCOUNT AS expired_accounts;
END;
GO

Step 3 — Configure SQL Server Agent Job for Automatic Expiration

1. In SSMS, expand SQL Server Agent → right-click Jobs → New Job
2. Name: PremiumExpiration_Job
3. Under Steps → New Step:

• Step name: Expire Accounts
• Type: Transact-SQL script (T-SQL)
• Database: MuOnline
• Command:

``sql EXEC sp_ExpirePremiumAccounts; ``

1. Under Schedules → New Schedule:

• Name: Hourly
• Frequency: Daily, recurs every 1 hour

1. Click OK to save.

Step 4 — Configure Benefits in GameServer

Experience and drop benefits are controlled by configuration files and, in some versions, by database tables.

4.1 — Main rates file:

Edit GameServer/Data/Etc/Rates.ini (or GameServer/Data/Config/Rates.cfg depending on version):

[PremiumRates]
; Tier 1 - Bronze
Bronze_ExpRate     = 150    ; 1.5x normal experience
Bronze_DropRate    = 120    ; 1.2x drop chance
Bronze_ZenRate     = 110    ; 1.1x zen

; Tier 2 - Silver
Silver_ExpRate     = 200
Silver_DropRate    = 150
Silver_ZenRate     = 125

; Tier 3 - Gold
Gold_ExpRate       = 300
Gold_DropRate      = 200
Gold_ZenRate       = 150

4.2 — On servers that read rates from the database:

-- Table T_PREMIUM_RATES (create if it does not exist)
CREATE TABLE T_PREMIUM_RATES (
  tier        TINYINT PRIMARY KEY,
  tier_name   VARCHAR(20),
  exp_rate    SMALLINT,
  drop_rate   SMALLINT,
  zen_rate    SMALLINT
);

INSERT INTO T_PREMIUM_RATES VALUES
  (1, 'Bronze', 150, 120, 110),
  (2, 'Silver', 200, 150, 125),
  (3, 'Gold',   300, 200, 150);

Step 5 — Integrate with the Web Panel

If you use a PHP panel (AppServ, XAMPP) or ASP.NET webEngineNET, create the activation endpoint.

PHP example with MSSQL (PDO):

<?php
// admin/activate_premium.php
require_once '../includes/db.php'; // PDO connection to SQL Server

function activatePremium($membName, $tier, $durationDays, $activatedBy) {
    global $pdo;

    $stmt = $pdo->prepare("EXEC sp_ActivatePremium ?, ?, ?, ?");
    $stmt->execute([$membName, $tier, $durationDays, $activatedBy]);

    return $stmt->fetchColumn();
}

// Usage via admin form POST:
if ($_SERVER['REQUEST_METHOD'] === 'POST' && isset($_POST['memb_name'])) {
    $result = activatePremium(
        $_POST['memb_name'],
        (int)$_POST['tier'],
        (int)$_POST['duration'],
        $_SESSION['admin_user']
    );
    echo json_encode(['success' => true, 'message' => $result]);
}
?>

Status check on player profile:

SELECT
  mi.memb_name,
  mi.premium_status,
  pt.tier_name,
  mi.premium_expire,
  DATEDIFF(DAY, GETDATE(), mi.premium_expire) AS days_remaining
FROM MEMB_INFO mi
LEFT JOIN T_PREMIUM_RATES pt ON pt.tier = mi.premium_tier
WHERE mi.memb_name = 'PlayerName';

Step 6 — Verify and Test

6.1 — Activate manually for testing:

EXEC sp_ActivatePremium 'TestAccount', 2, 30, 'Admin';

6.2 — Confirm in the database:

SELECT memb_name, premium_status, premium_tier, premium_expire
FROM   MEMB_INFO
WHERE  memb_name = 'TestAccount';

6.3 — Force-test expiration:

-- Force the test account to expire
UPDATE MEMB_INFO
SET    premium_expire = DATEADD(MINUTE, -1, GETDATE())
WHERE  memb_name = 'TestAccount';

-- Run the procedure manually
EXEC sp_ExpirePremiumAccounts;

-- Verify it returned to status 0
SELECT memb_name, premium_status FROM MEMB_INFO WHERE memb_name = 'TestAccount';

Common Troubleshooting

GameServer does not apply Premium rates even after the database is updated: Check whether your MuServer build supports dynamic rate reading. In older builds (pre-2010), rates are compiled into the executable. In those cases, use source patches or edit the values directly in the executable with a hex editor (consult the forum for your specific version).

sp_ActivatePremium returns a permissions error: The SQL user used by DataServer needs EXECUTE permission on these procedures:

GRANT EXECUTE ON sp_ActivatePremium TO [muserver_user];
GRANT EXECUTE ON sp_ExpirePremiumAccounts TO [muserver_user];

Player retains Premium status after expiration: The GameServer may have an active session cache. Force the player to reconnect or restart the GameServer to clear the account cache. Lower AccountCacheTime in DataServer/Data/DataServerInfo.ini to minimize this delay:

[DBConfig]
AccountCacheTime = 60   ; in seconds, default is usually 300

Perguntas frequentes