Status Update (November 13)

[ruintheslayer]

Awesome Tony keep us posted I'll mossy over to Plan Z page and see if I can pitch concepts and ideas.

[avelworldcreator]

Awesome Tony keep us posted I'll mossy over to Plan Z page and see if I can pitch concepts and ideas.

"We thank your for your support." (Bartles & James).

[srmalloy]

Of course if someone were to also clone the client and release replacement IP, they'd be up the creek.

Reverse-engineer the server, to get the play experience. Reverse-engineer the client, to get a similar look and feel. If, in the process, we move to a more current graphics engine that lets us take the game places that the old engine was unable to support, that's all to the good, and further distinguishes the reverse-engineering from the original.

[Victoria Victrix]

I been under the impression that that Demorecord files will still play on the cliet without the server. has anyone tested that at all? I pretty sure it does wotk that way so you at least have that for a while.

I am confused a little how much of the program is actually on the server even?

The server (actually officially the mapserver) contains two things: the way to talk to your computer and everyone else's computer to tell you where you all are, relative to the map that lives on YOUR computer---and some of the NPC dialogue. 

This is why demorecords work even when you have no connection to the server.  All of that information is recorded in the file, allowing you to play it back via the game programming on your computer.

[Kurukaze]

Great, first post and already legal stuff:

1) The process of reverse enginieering software is not illegal at all. You create a piece of software on your own in that process. However, the resulting software may get you into some IP or patent trouble.

2) If the resulting reverse engineered server is not providing the IP but the IP is stored solely in the game clients of the connecting users, then the server does neither break copyright nor IP related laws. The IP was received via NCsoft's download servers and is not "completed" via the reverse engineered server, but brought back to be working after being disfunct by the manufacturer. In software, compare to the running and unprosecuted project SWGEmu, an emulation server for the disfunct MMO Star Wars Galaxies. In general this process can be compared to rebuilding a spare part for a classic car or a WW2 fighter (like the P51) that the original manufacturer cannot or does not want to provide any longer.

3) If the patents concerning the way game mechanics are too generic, lawsuits may get turned down - keep an eye on the lawsuit Worlds Inc. vs Blizzard for that one.

4) To prove that the reverse engineered server works in a to similar way compared to the original server software, NCsoft would need to reveal their source code.

5) Success of any C&D or comparable action highly depends on the location of the server, and you don't have to move the server to Uganda or Uruguay to gain a massive advantage: Germany alone would do, and in the same move takes care of the success concerning IP and copyright problems as well. Ask any frustrated lawyer of EA about this.

So basically, if the process running behind what we call the loading screen isn't much more than registering our chat-handles from local.ap to local.kr (e.g.) and copying information from the clients' HDD/SDD to the clients' RAM, there won't be much NCsoft could do against the RE'd server. It will just turn a lil more complicated if the server is adding IP-containing information to the clients' systems - if you don#t move to a zone with more user-orientated laws ;)

[MishaFox]

So where do we stand now that the original game is down?

[NecrotechMaster]

i think it be smart to wait at least this week before a status update to see what news awaits post-shutdown

[dwturducken]

Agreed. I would be surprised if we see anything this week, even from TF Hail Mary. This week will mostly be the "wrap up" articles as people articulate the last 72 hours.

[eabrace]

Yeah.  Best bet for this week is to take a break, breathe deeply, meditate, rest up - do whatever you need to do to recharge after the efforts we've already put into trying to save the game.

Then be ready to hit the ground running when Tony's ready with the next update.

(No, I don't know what that update is going to say.  Don't read too much into that.)

[emu265]

Yeah.  Best bet for this week is to take a break, breathe deeply, meditate, rest up - do whatever you need to do to recharge after the efforts we've already put into trying to save the game.

Then be ready to hit the ground running when Tony's ready with the next update.

(No, I don't know what that update is going to say.  Don't read too much into that.)

but... but... you have orange dots, YOU MUST KNOW SOMETHING.

[avelworldcreator]

but... but... you have orange dots, YOU MUST KNOW SOMETHING.

Look like red dots to me. :)

[corvus1970]

They are red-orange.

There, now everybody is happy! ;)

[avelworldcreator]

They are red-orange.

There, now everybody is happy! ;)

Works for me.  ;D

[emu265]

Works for me.  ;D

BUT NOT ME.

I kid, I'm terrible with colors.  Only thing I'd say definitively is that they're different from our dots.

[dwturducken]

Meh. I figured they meant something, and if someone decides my color needs to change, they'll let me know. Until then...

[Segev]

I'm still trying to figure out what the number of dots means. I know the forum title goes from "minion" to "boss" based on post count. I'm not sure if the dot count does the same.

[Codewalker]

Looks like for anyone who's not in a special primary group like Titan Admin / Developer, the number of dots is tied to the post count member group. It tops out at Elite Boss / 5 dots with 250 posts, so fortunately that doesn't give people a reason to spam meaningless posts to inflate the count. *cough* Forum Cartel *cough*

[Triplash]

Only thing I'd say definitively is that they're different from our dots.

They've gone to plaid!

I'm still trying to figure out what the number of dots means. I know the forum title goes from "minion" to "boss" based on post count. I'm not sure if the dot count does the same.

Mine said "Underling" and had one dot until I hit 20 posts, then I levelled up to "Minion" and received my second dot. Not sure what I'll slot in it yet.

[Victoria Victrix]

Mine said "Underling" and had one dot until I hit 20 posts, then I levelled up to "Minion" and received my second dot. Not sure what I'll slot in it yet.

End Mod, of course.

[spindisc]

I have plans to basically build the City Vault site that we never got from NCsoft (as I understand it, NCsoft failed us on that, not Paragon Studios--NCsoft handled all web sites and development that interacted with the user database), maybe I'll allow people to import their City of Heroes characters just as a historical shrine to them or something.

This sounds nice. I had plans to do that myself but when I looked at the XML I failed when I tried to figure out how to match those names with the texture names in the piggs. Maybe there is a textfile in there that maps them together but I could not find anyone.

So, basically I wish this site would happen where you could upload your Sentinel+ XML file with an image of your character and out would come a nice page with all stats and info together with all the correct icons.

Do you need any help?