The Shot Heard Around Paragon City - SCORE Public Release

[Azrael]

Potential legal issues aside, I would hope that if the code is released, it will not just be to one other person, but to the public domain instead. Let it out for the world to have so that it can never be shut down again. At least let people have a go at running their own if they so desire.

8)

Azrael.

[Ironwolf]

Potential legal issues aside, I would hope that if the code is released, it will not just be to one other person, but to the public domain instead. Let it out for the world to have so that it can never be shut down again. At least let people have a go at running their own if they so desire.

I won't allow myself to be the only person who carries the future. I hope however to be one with the "official" version that will abide by the law and will seek not to make money but to find a buyer.

I can't stress it enough - I want to protect NCSoft's investment and to find a buyer who will respect the property and develop it. If I win the lottery - I will do it - but I am just a simple guy getting ready to retire. Hell, my vehicles are a 2012 Lincoln MKX and a 1993 Chevy Silverado for hauling wood and working on the farm.

I have a pension and in 18 months social security - I want to move the ball - that's it. This is my play I hope another receiver gets called and runs with it later.

[SilverAgeFan]

I am also a system admin and so some of the stuff I can do - some of it not so much.

This is not going to happen overnight. I literally don't have enough time - but I can get it started. No, I don't want ANY money. This is NOT a cash grab. I will fund the start up - if any lawsuit or letter is filed if not profit has occurred I would be unlikely to faced a criminal proceeding or a civil one since no damages were done - in fact the opposite as NCSoft does not have a currently working COH server.

I also would be happy to freely give them the work done to maintain it or develop it for them.

A general word of advice that a colleague passed along to me...

"When you start organizing something new that you believe in, from day one, you should also be preparing for your exit and how to pass along management of what you've created."

This was in relation to real world systems organizing within the arts, public institutions, activist ventures, etc. But it is true here, too. Time comes for all things.

[Nightmarer]

Ooooh, I have the perfect name for a pantsless character... I'm hoping there will be a pantsless SG, right?

[Azrael]

I am also a system admin and so some of the stuff I can do - some of it not so much.

This is not going to happen overnight. I literally don't have enough time - but I can get it started. No, I don't want ANY money. This is NOT a cash grab. I will fund the start up - if any lawsuit or letter is filed if not profit has occurred I would be unlikely to faced a criminal proceeding or a civil one since no damages were done - in fact the opposite as NCSoft does not have a currently working COH server.

I also would be happy to freely give them the work done to maintain it or develop it for them.

I trust you, Iron Wolf.  ;)

Be nice if NC could understand where the community is coming from.  It's an old game.  We DON"T want to profit from it.  We just want to play a game EVEN they don't have a working server for (I'm shocked if that is the case...)

Ironic.

Azrael.

[Azrael]

Private Server Meets World?

The 'Hydrogen' release...?

Azrael.

[Ironwolf]

I trust you, Iron Wolf.  ;)

Be nice if NC could understand where the community is coming from.  It's an old game.  We DON"T want to profit from it.  We just want to play a game EVEN they don't have a working server for (I'm shocked if that is the case...)

Ironic.

Azrael.

During the sale talks earlier NCSoft did not know if they had the code for the game. It was mothballed on closure. I wasn't told if they found more but they don't have a server running right now.
Well, I want someone to profit from the game so they can keep it rolling - just not me :)

I am picking this up to start it I hope someone else finds the desire to finish it.

[Ultimate15]

I'm almost afraid to even hope to play again but... this turn of events actually seems promising! I'll be watching with great interest!

I'm feeling the same feels. But, I do think we've got some things working in our favor this time around.

[Azrael]

So, no surprise, Leandro is, after all, one of the guys who's most been helping and supporting CoH players and community for years both before and after the shutdown. 

What we know now. 

This IS the original I24 Beta server code leaked anonymously over a period of several days before the shutdown.  The code as he received it is full of timestamps that would allow ID-ing the person who leaked who specifically requested he not publish without scrubbing.  He has been trying to scrub/rewrite but it's very slow going. The player character database was separately sent him anonymously but also contains time information that would allow id-ing the source. 

The game is every bit as much a mess as we've always heard. The "server" is a set of custom boxes running old software versions and talking to each other in specific timing sequences.  The ExCel spreadsheets that the Devs used have been reworked into something more usable.  He has a loose team of roughly 5 who have been able to get the thing running and keep it functional while they work to improve it. The last time anybody but him saved a change was 10 months ago.

At least one other person has a DIFFERENT copy of the source code, not from the same leak.

Interesting.  More than one leak.  Not surprising.  Clearly the developers cared so much, the community cared and SCORE cared to not let this unique community game go gently into the dark.

A good overview, OhioKnight.

Azrael.

[Ironwolf]

Interesting.  More than one leak.  Not surprising.  Clearly the developers cared so much, the community cared and SCORE cared to not let this unique community game go gently into the dark.

A good overview, OhioKnight.

Azrael.

That's why I can honestly say other than hearsay, I don't know the source of the code they have - it seems as much of a jumble as the code itself.

[Azrael]

The news:

A search for rental servers and the best data center to choose is about to begin (think Denver/Dallas).
Rental servers will be initially used because if we get a C&D letter getting stuck with selling $30k of servers would suck.

If you work in such an environment and would like us to consider you - let me know. I will be the fall guy for now and I am also looking for website hosting and development. Once that happens we can take the work away from TonyV's site and let him also be in peace. He has been of incredible value to us and our hopes still exist because of him.

This won't be a 1 day or 2 day fix - my goal is to try and have beta testing by 1 September 2019. It is the goal, but a lot of work needs to be done.


What do I aspire to? I would love to find a partner to hand all this over to and purchase rights to the game along with having the folks who worked on the updated graphics to see if they can merge that with the existing game. I hope if we can have the world ready an investor will make the effort to buy it from NCSoft.

I have no intention of making a profit from this and will post all banking details weekly or as expenses are occurred. Obviously at first I will be paying for it - I opened my mouth - I take the risk. Once it is running the costs will be known and can be budgeted for.

This is not a joke and is completely serious.

Thank you for stepping up, Iron Wolf.

This is what the Coh Community can do.  We can each carry a torch of support and help in what way we can.

Azrael.

[saipaman]

Thank you for stepping up, Iron Wolf.

This is what the Coh Community can do.  We can each carry a torch of support and help in what way we can.

Azrael.

Well said. 

[Kistulot]

If you work in such an environment and would like us to consider you - let me know. I will be the fall guy for now and I am also looking for website hosting and development. Once that happens we can take the work away from TonyV's site and let him also be in peace. He has been of incredible value to us and our hopes still exist because of him.

This won't be a 1 day or 2 day fix - my goal is to try and have beta testing by 1 September 2019. It is the goal, but a lot of work needs to be done.

If there's any help you need at all, please let me know.

I would be willing to give personal information as security to be a part of helping if there's any slots open on this. I'm self employed at the moment, so I have a lot of free time myself, and this community matters to me :)

I don't want the original dev who may or may not have leaked it to suffer, and I just want us all to be able to play.

[Ironwolf]

If there's any help you need at all, please let me know.

I would be willing to give personal information as security to be a part of helping if there's any slots open on this. I'm self employed at the moment, so I have a lot of free time myself, and this community matters to me :)

I don't want the original dev who may or may not have leaked it to suffer, and I just want us all to be able to play.

I won't be doing this secretly - unless people don't want information shared. This will be above board as possible. The initial decisions - yes. Once it's online by then we will have a website and forums set up. The details will be on that site once built.

I just got the word at 6am today, time to plan and research - then get started.

[saipaman]

Do we have any firm idea of how much NCSoft wanted for the rights in the previous negotiations?

[Kistulot]

I won't be doing this secretly - unless people don't want information shared. This will be above board as possible. The initial decisions - yes. Once it's online by then we will have a website and forums set up. The details will be on that site once built.

I just got the word at 6am today, time to plan and research - then get started.

Do you intend to share the code around? Because a lot of us are kindof anxious about few points of failure. I've been watching you for awhile and you seem pretty above board, there's just a lot of concerns about another person getting defacto power :)

Again, anything you need done, someone to do the legwork contacting people with specific details, let me know. I'm happy to be a part of things if I can help get the game back to a playable state for all of us, and not just a special select few.

[Artillerie]

What a lot of ups and downs over the last handful of days, it's all quite an experience by itself.

Hoping for the best here and good luck to all involved in whatever it is that's happening at the moment. Just don't forget we Europeans please :)

[Ironwolf]

Do you intend to share the code around? Because a lot of us are kindof anxious about few points of failure. I've been watching you for awhile and you seem pretty above board, there's just a lot of concerns about another person getting defacto power :)

Again, anything you need done, someone to do the legwork contacting people with specific details, let me know. I'm happy to be a part of things if I can help get the game back to a playable state for all of us, and not just a special select few.

I am not distributing the code. That isn't my place. I want a single thing - to make the server that encourages a developer to buy the game and make money for them and therefore keeping the game alive by getting NCSoft to sell it.

Simple mission statement right there.

[Azrael]

Do we have any firm idea of how much NCSoft wanted for the rights in the previous negotiations?

That would be an interesting question to answer.

Aka.  If the community could kickstarter the amount needed to secure the IP to be open license held by the community?

Leandro.  Codewalker.  (Other members of SCORE) Tony V.  Ironwolf. 

They're torch bearers. 

In the above scenario, though we can't code, we could offer 'our' help to bring the IP to the community and take the 'risk' out of it.  We could all be 'torch bearers' and help bring the IP legitimately to the coh community.  We'd ALL 'own' it.

Again.  Depends on 'if' can 'reason' with corporations. 

Azrael.

[Kistulot]

This only feels marginally better than where we were before :(

I appreciate that being a goal, but I can't be the only one who doesn't want there to only be two people holding the code. This game should belong to the community at this point, not a company.