Author Topic: The Shot Heard Around Paragon City - SCORE Public Release  (Read 262331 times)

Nyx Nought Nothing

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Re: The Shot Heard Around Paragon City - SCORE Public Release
« Reply #680 on: April 19, 2019, 05:01:42 AM »
This is so surreal. I can't believe we're talking about playing again in this matter of fact tone.
i can, and it's wonderful.
So far so good. Onward and upward!

Noyjitat

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Re: The Shot Heard Around Paragon City - SCORE Public Release
« Reply #681 on: April 19, 2019, 05:25:35 AM »
My boss offered me time off if I thought i'd get to play this again soon before I learned the source was going to be released. I have paid vacation and im traveling out of the country this summer with the paid time, but I may just take 1 day off anyway if coh shows up before then.

Sinistar

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Re: The Shot Heard Around Paragon City - SCORE Public Release
« Reply #682 on: April 19, 2019, 05:33:45 AM »
My boss offered me time off if I thought i'd get to play this again soon before I learned the source was going to be released. I have paid vacation and im traveling out of the country this summer with the paid time, but I may just take 1 day off anyway if coh shows up before then.

I'm thinking of coming down with a bad case of 3 day flu when this comes out....
In fearful COH-less days
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When all seems lost in the effort to bring CoH back to life,
Look to Cyberspace, where HOPE burns bright!

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Re: The Shot Heard Around Paragon City - SCORE Public Release
« Reply #683 on: April 19, 2019, 05:38:53 AM »
And if you're worried that Leandro was holding back the database, you can rest easy knowing that it, in all it's 47.4 megabyte glory, is now publicly available at a Discord near you.

Wyrm

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Re: The Shot Heard Around Paragon City - SCORE Public Release
« Reply #684 on: April 19, 2019, 05:42:33 AM »
I managed to remain blissfully unaware of any of this until today. Wow. =)

This is all incredibly heartening. Thank you to everyone involved in keeping CoH alive. I look forward to finding my way onto some of these servers in the near future, and tanking my heart out.

Or, you know - speed boosting everyone.

The main thing that surprises me about the last few hundred messages in this thread is that apparently, not everyone has their old builds, Sentinel+ files, and screenshot folders archived on multiple computers. I may have had a hard time letting go...

Victoria Victrix

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Re: The Shot Heard Around Paragon City - SCORE Public Release
« Reply #685 on: April 19, 2019, 05:54:39 AM »
When you are calculating costs, don't forget bandwidth.

We use a lot of it here--Larry uploads his ready-for-print cover paintings, the guys host a twitch stream for car rebuilds and Doom, ,<can't remember the space game>, Quake streams, and Larry participates in tabletop twitch streams.

And that kind of bandwidth, which is insignificant compared to a game server, is $500/month.

Plus, if you try to host as few as 4 people outside your property on the server you've got in your basement, I guaran-damn-tee you that unless you are paying as much as we are a month, you will be throttled down to nothing by your ISP.  And probably reported for "suspicious activity."
« Last Edit: April 19, 2019, 09:14:22 AM by Victoria Victrix »
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Azrael

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Re: The Shot Heard Around Paragon City - SCORE Public Release
« Reply #686 on: April 19, 2019, 06:25:45 AM »
Folks please give all credit to the coders and server people - they are working the magic!

Stop and think that what is being done now would not have been so easy in 2012 or 2013.

Leandro is also working hard to help and so are some of the SCoRE people.
Give credit where due. I would have stepped up if needed but these folks hit the ground at a dead run and are doing the work.

It would have been a lot harder in 2012/2013 and chances NC Soft would have been more vigilant.  Will they be now?  That's a test.  But I expect the community to pass it.

Here is now.  That's the most important thing.  A time of celebration.

Great to hear Leandro is working hard to help along with some of the SCoRE people.

That 15th anniversary seems to be going accordingly to some cosmic plan...

Azrael.

Azrael

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Re: The Shot Heard Around Paragon City - SCORE Public Release
« Reply #687 on: April 19, 2019, 06:43:37 AM »
I think in the next month you are going to be seeing a LOT of servers.

I know 1 server was up and another one was being worked to add the fixes they were doing from the first one, live - as I said it is amazing to see these folks work. I won't be needing to host a special server - they are going to be simple to host - they are working on making the install idiot proof.

Thank you for the updates, Ironwolf.  Most welcome!

I think the best thing is to make 'this thing' idiot proof for the likes of the non-tech' heads out there.  (I count myself amongst that group.)

I'd also hope that the community programmers get a LAN, 'solo' capacity 'doomsday' switch capability built into the game.  So, it can be run privately 'solo', P2P, LAN, 'modest' local server capability to serve as a 'doomsday' fall back position in the case of litigation or whoever has the 'server code' gets hit by a bus.

The one thing that I always admired about Unreal Tournament.  You could run the game solo, LAN, run your own server, play over the internet on somebody else's served game.

That, really, should be the aim.  Then?

It's about the community.  Some will modify.  Some will refine.  Some will want to play the 'Legacy' as is.  Some will play on Ironwolf's server.  Some will wait for Leandro's/SCORE's 'Unbroken' server.  Some will get a variant of that given to the community whilst they continue their work.  Some will get new content.  Some may finally get a map/mission creator. 

All roads are now possible.  That this game gets handed over to the community.  'It' can be the custodian of CoH 'Legacy' (The 'Unbroken.')

The speed of events and the rallying around of the CoH/programming community is heart warming.

Well met, Leandro, Iron Wolf, SCORE and the 'scores' of others helping get this 'real.'

Azrael.

Tubbius

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Re: The Shot Heard Around Paragon City - SCORE Public Release
« Reply #688 on: April 19, 2019, 06:47:16 AM »
And the real kicker is this:

It could have been NCSoft getting the glory, praise, AND money through subscriptions or purchases had they merely stayed the course years ago.

Azrael

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Re: The Shot Heard Around Paragon City - SCORE Public Release
« Reply #689 on: April 19, 2019, 06:47:25 AM »
Well a couple i24 servers are up but without character data or missions.

The i25 code will be out tomorrow and it is complete. The coders and server folks expect to have something up this weekend but a stable idiot proof product in a month or 2. One of the guys is going to work on a local lan client to run a small home server and he said likely 6 months for that.

Excellent news!  Stable.  Idiot proof in 2 months.  Home LAN in 6.  By the GODS!

A 'small home server' to run a local client?

Now, THAT is the HOLY GRAIL!

September is looking good.  8) ;D

Azrael.

Azrael

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Re: The Shot Heard Around Paragon City - SCORE Public Release
« Reply #690 on: April 19, 2019, 06:49:43 AM »
The i25 code will be out tomorrow and it is complete.

Complete.

Finally.

The day has come. 

A day that will be long remembered.

I always knew the game would come back.

Always believed.

Azrael.

Azrael

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Re: The Shot Heard Around Paragon City - SCORE Public Release
« Reply #691 on: April 19, 2019, 06:51:19 AM »
How much would it cost to buy a hundred friends?

More than that. ;)

Azrael.

Azrael

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Re: The Shot Heard Around Paragon City - SCORE Public Release
« Reply #692 on: April 19, 2019, 06:59:43 AM »
They are waiting to get the player base and missions tomorrow - realize for code junkies they have heard about this code for over a decade and they are going crazy fixing it and understanding it.

They must be very excited to finally 'see' the 'legend' of the code. 

It's a Neo and Morpheus moment.  It finally exists.  It's...'real.'

The 'matrix.'  It's 'just code.'

As for the player base, don't know if it includes the European servers (where the American and Euro ones amalgamated in the last year?) and access to your characters.  That would be nice.  I have my email that I used for them so I can verify my characters.  But if I had to start from scratch?

Who cares?

"Long term - 6 months or so - you will see a better City of Heroes likely than the original."

No doubt.  Can't wait.  It's going to be beautiful.  A 'smoother' pieces of software running on modern, powerful home PCs.  This is the CoH's community's chance.  And who knows, it bring in 'SCORES' of other programmers, players who didn't get the chance to play it 'back when.'

"Now make the call to the Atlas Revival people."

Indeed.  They'll have the 'real thing' to work with!  And a poster mentioned about the original Studio Max plug in to work with...

...here we go.  This is just the beginning.


Azrael.
« Last Edit: April 19, 2019, 07:05:26 AM by Azrael »

Taceus Jiwede

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Re: The Shot Heard Around Paragon City - SCORE Public Release
« Reply #693 on: April 19, 2019, 07:17:12 AM »
So forgive me if this is jumping the gun here, but if the DB has been released does that mean we will be able to retrieve our characters at some point in the future?

Harq76

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Re: The Shot Heard Around Paragon City - SCORE Public Release
« Reply #694 on: April 19, 2019, 07:23:53 AM »
I check this website every few days.  April 16th is my birthday and before I went to bed I decided to check it out. All I can say is wow.  Just wow about everything.  I was tempted to say my two bits since then and decided to just be patient and read up on everything carefully before saying something that would be misinformed and unfair.

I'm very glad I did. because now I really just want to say this to everyone that is making this happen again. 

Thank you.

Not many people understand what this game meant to me and others like me.  I have very fond memories of this game.  My daughter (3 at the time) sat on my lap watching me take down mobs.  Now her and my son may have an opportunity to make their own as well (providing I even let them have a turn haha).

Thing is, I was just hoping.  That's all. Its becoming a reality and soon as well. I appreciate everything that is being done. I don't care about the player database.  Playing from scratch is what I plan to do anyway. I love earning my street cred hehe. 

Anyway, I'm rambling and I'm not really saying anything that hasn't been said already by others in the past.  Just wanted to share this.

Again.  Thank you.  Thank you everyone.

See you on the other side!

Azrael

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Re: The Shot Heard Around Paragon City - SCORE Public Release
« Reply #695 on: April 19, 2019, 07:25:48 AM »

The source code release is all the source code that I was given access to. I am pretty sure it's all the source code that has ever existed; you can build the game client and all servers, with not a lot of effort if you know what you're doing in Visual Studio 2005.

Things like NPCs, missions and so on are not source code. That's data. The binaries created with the source code load the data from pigg files and/or a data folder, just like the game client. In fact, a lot of the client pigg files are used as-is by the server components, and others are modified variants.

Creating all the server-side data files from scratch could take months even with help. That's why I am out there asking for servers to load working binaries on, so everybody who just wants to play can do it right away, and everybody who has actual interest in development can take a deep breath and start figuring out what to do.

Whatever servers I set up will use the latest binaries and data that SCORE itself was using, internally referred to as "Issue 25: Unbroken Spirit". This is simply because it will be the fastest to deploy, since it already has tools for account creation, all the microtransaction garbage like the Paragon Rewards tree removed, and many other optimizations. I am sure there will be a lot of complaints about it not being a "pure" release that will want a lot of changes stripped. Have some patience. It will take much longer to get a server set up if I have to roll back my repositories to early 2013 and hunt down a version of the data files that would play nice with it and does not have massive gaps in content. I don't even think such a version exists. This was a massive reverse engineering operation that took months to get something usable.

The Issue 25 data files, while they will work to set up as many servers as you want based on Issue 25, cannot be directly used with binaries built from the source code. You could mount an entire operation to decompile those files to get something editable back, or you can just have some patience and wait until I can put together a release. I am moving as fast as I can to get this thing out there because I believe that once a few running servers are out there being managed by different people with no connections to me, people will back off and give me the time I need to make sure that anything else that is released does not put anyone at risk; neither former Paragon Studios developers nor former SCORE members.

On that note, former SCORE members that have access to the data repository: please don't take it upon yourself to release anything. You would be putting others at risk. Have some patience.

Leandro,  thank you for the comprehensive post and the leadership.  It's good to see you come out swinging with common sense, constructive action and yes, we need patience and discipline.

We've waited this long.  A few days or a week or so for a stable i25 release sounds like a dream.  A home server in '6 months' sounds like the holy grail.

We don't want to put you, SCORE or any Paragon Developers in jeopardy.  No one wants that.  I don't want the game at any price.  Not at that price. 

Again, I say.  I hope you're ok.  DO look after your health.  We don't want any more casualties of 'war.'  I always found you to be a positive force in the CoH community and P.R wing of the SCORE that gave me the confidence that the game would come back and this day would arrive.  That you and the SCORE team were custodians of the game is fine by me.  You've preserved it.  Improved it.  Refined it.  And players or rather, 'Heroes' who have 'Fallen' got to play it...that's more than fine by me.

Star Wars galaxies took years and it had legions of programmers on it and a source leak from Sony themselves.  (Correct me, if I'm wrong on that...folks.)

I was always prepared for this to take about ten years as a comparative timeline.  So the fact that it's happening sooner(TM) is a bonus to me.

That you're passing over 'source code' to get others involved, help develop or to just play is good news.  The time seems about right. 

This allows developers to ponder the next moves for the game.  Whilst people can enjoy SCORE'S work on issue 25 'Unbroken Spirit.'  A worthy release and a worthy title for the CoH Community.

Having something that includes i24's content is exciting enough.  But to have  SCORE's hard work on issue 25 with revisions (I'll more than trust you guys, we have ICON and the Paragon Chat and the excellent work on SG bases as reminders of what sound work you've done) for stability and other 'Easter Eggs...' will be the 'worthy' release that we'd all hoped for before it was cruelly shot down.

As Ironwolf has mentioned.  Some servers are or will be 'Idiot Proof' real soon and talking home server/LAN within 6 months.  I consider this crucial.  So the 'mortals' can play it privately.  P2P with people we knew.  And that way we can 'solo' our way and enjoy the game.  Others may want to run a server with 50 friends.  Others may want a thriving community of 1000 or more.  I think allowing the community to embrace it on many levels allows the CoH community to elevate existentially to the higher level is deserves.  It won't be held hostage to fortune anymore by any corporation.

Working together, Leandro, SCORE, Ironwolf and the 'transfixed by legend' programmers getting their hands on the 'code' for the first time is more than we could have hoped for mere days ago.

Regards,

Azrael.
« Last Edit: April 19, 2019, 07:38:05 AM by Azrael »

slickriptide

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Re: The Shot Heard Around Paragon City - SCORE Public Release
« Reply #696 on: April 19, 2019, 07:35:14 AM »
So forgive me if this is jumping the gun here, but if the DB has been released does that mean we will be able to retrieve our characters at some point in the future?

No, the database being referenced is the content database; the missions and scripts and such. The player character database is a different kettle of fish.

MWRuger

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Re: The Shot Heard Around Paragon City - SCORE Public Release
« Reply #697 on: April 19, 2019, 07:46:33 AM »
I was waiting for you to finally respond about the news.

I may be slow, but I'm sure!
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BitLoadR

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Re: The Shot Heard Around Paragon City - SCORE Public Release
« Reply #698 on: April 19, 2019, 08:47:00 AM »
... Some servers are or will be 'Idiot Proof' real soon and talking home server/LAN within 6 months.  I consider this crucial.  So the 'mortals' can play it privately.  P2P with people we knew.  And that way we can 'solo' our way and enjoy the game ....

This is what I got most exited about while trying to catch up on all the news. Paragon Chat is great for exploring and chatting. And I loved playing together with others when the game was up.
But my life has changed a lot ever since the game was shutdown, not because of the game being pulled btw, but I had to make choices and redirect my attention to other parts of my life that makes it difficult for me to be online in an MMO environment. I've tried, by use of Champions Online, but even then I don't team up much and just try to complete missions by myself.

So getting back into CoH and being able to 'solo' missions using a private server that I'm running at home, that would be awesome.
Sure, it would be more fun to team up with other players and have a good team to run trails with, but I no longer have the privilege to spent 3 consecutive hours doing a Statesman Trial on the weekend. Or spent half a day taking down Hamidon. My life has changed so much over the past 10 years that my gaming-time mostly consists of playing Assassins Creed, Watch Dogs or Kerbal Space Program for 30 to 60 minutes during the evenings, just before bed.

....

But if anyone has success running a private server online with i24/i25 code I would gladly try to join others for some missions. :)
playing on Reunion as Star Jewel, Emberflair, Lumitia, Novaspark, Dawnshade, Mystfure, Ion Blaze, Heatstrike, more...

Azrael

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Re: The Shot Heard Around Paragon City - SCORE Public Release
« Reply #699 on: April 19, 2019, 09:43:08 AM »
This is what I got most exited about while trying to catch up on all the news. Paragon Chat is great for exploring and chatting. And I loved playing together with others when the game was up.
But my life has changed a lot ever since the game was shutdown, not because of the game being pulled btw, but I had to make choices and redirect my attention to other parts of my life that makes it difficult for me to be online in an MMO environment. I've tried, by use of Champions Online, but even then I don't team up much and just try to complete missions by myself.

So getting back into CoH and being able to 'solo' missions using a private server that I'm running at home, that would be awesome.
Sure, it would be more fun to team up with other players and have a good team to run trails with, but I no longer have the privilege to spent 3 consecutive hours doing a Statesman Trial on the weekend. Or spent half a day taking down Hamidon. My life has changed so much over the past 10 years that my gaming-time mostly consists of playing Assassins Creed, Watch Dogs or Kerbal Space Program for 30 to 60 minutes during the evenings, just before bed.

....

But if anyone has success running a private server online with i24/i25 code I would gladly try to join others for some missions. :)

I nodded my way through this post.

Though I'm thrilled about what is to come.  I won't be able to afford it the time I once did. 

Being able to solo and enjoy the nostalgia on my own terms without committing to a 3 hour TF.

Having 'solutions' to honour the spirit of 'pick up and play' of the original game is the way to go.

Those who want to go 'hardcore' TF, perfect their IO builds, grind ten alts in the 1st few weeks?  Have at it.

For me?  To causally fly in wonder and let loose an energy torrent to an errant mob as a 'rookie' hero once more...will be something I will slowly savour.  It's been so long a wait.  What time I give to it will be savoured.

Having THAT option care of a Solo server, LAN, 'small' server capacity or 'me and my thousand' strong community gives the community the flexibility.

Times have changed.  People have changed.  The time we can give to it may have changed.

But it will be fantastic to enjoy the game once more on our own terms rather than those imposed by the pressure of utilising our subs.

Azrael.