Author Topic: OK, what now? I need a private server or the ability to run my own.  (Read 332569 times)

malonkey1

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Re: OK, what now? I need a private server or the ability to run my own.
« Reply #1040 on: May 26, 2014, 05:43:21 AM »
Invite any of us?  You'd have a better chance sleeping with your favourite actor/actress than get that invite.

I'm off to find Scarlett Johansson.
BadWolf: "The point that JaguarX is trying to make, of course, is that City of Heroes is like a tree. And Google is like a Toyota...Corolla...? Which would make NCSoft a trespasser, shot by...um, Mister T...which is good, because diplomacy...?"

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Golden Girl

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Re: OK, what now? I need a private server or the ability to run my own.
« Reply #1041 on: May 26, 2014, 07:17:46 PM »
Third of all, I've heard from multiple sources within Paragon Studios that during the meeting in which everyone was being laid off, someone from NCsoft was physically at their building on Leghorn Street shutting out accounts.  If I recall correctly, there was even a police officer at the building to make sure everything went smoothly.  I've actually had a couple of former artists contact me because they got locked out of their own artwork and needed copies of assets from the game for their portfolio to interview for other jobs.  I just find it really hard to believe that during the chaos of what was going on, someone managed to secretly make a copy of dozens of gigabytes of code and assets or else walk a hard drive right past NCsoft and law enforcement.  (That would take immense balls, though, and would be a GREAT addition to the book/movie of our story once we get the game back!)  I will concede that it is possible that someone might have chunks of code or even a complete copy that they may have, for example, taken home with them in the past to work on at home, but a lot of companies crack down even on that kind of thing, and who knows what kind of state such code would be in.

I should probably point out that that argument is totally flawed, as it assumes that no one at Paragon Studios considered the possibility of a shut down while the buy out negotiators were going on, and didn't do a little data transfer work as a kind of back-up - a sort of Plan Z option, if you prefer ;)
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TonyV

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Re: OK, what now? I need a private server or the ability to run my own.
« Reply #1042 on: May 27, 2014, 03:48:21 AM »
I should probably point out that that argument is totally flawed, as it assumes that no one at Paragon Studios considered the possibility of a shut down while the buy out negotiators were going on, and didn't do a little data transfer work as a kind of back-up - a sort of Plan Z option, if you prefer ;)

Then ask for an invitation to their private server.  Let us know what you find out.

I've also fielded some PMs about this as well.  Look, folks, it's really easy.  If someone says there's a private server out there, then the proof, I say, is in the pudding.  The correct reaction to this news, considering that you're not going to be invited to such a server, is, "Until you can prove to me that this server exists, I do not believe you."  It is not, "I will consider this maybe true until some indeterminate time has passed that makes it highly unlikely by some arbitrary standard of confidence..." because I'm telling you, you will never meet that level of confidence, and the trolls will have won by driving you nuts.

Have you all ever noticed that even on days like April Fool's, I've never once posted a message, even joking around, saying that there is a private server up and running, or that some kind of deal has been made and the game is relaunching?  I kind of doubt you've ever noticed it, but the truth of the matter is that I have actively avoided making such claims, even in a joking manner, because I know that such comments can be misconstrued, and next thing you know, people have hurt feelings over it.  People want to know who's running it, why they haven't been invited, who they can talk to to get invited, who else is part of it, are more people going to be invited, how they can offer input into the process, etc.

That reason right there why I don't even jokingly refer to a private server or game relaunch?  That's what makes such a claim ripe for trolls to exploit.  Please don't feed the trolls.

ScottyB

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Re: OK, what now? I need a private server or the ability to run my own.
« Reply #1043 on: May 27, 2014, 04:19:13 AM »
[...] Have you all ever noticed that even on days like April Fool's, I've never once posted a message, even joking around, [...] because I know that such comments can be misconstrued, and next thing you know, people have hurt feelings over it. [...]  Please don't feed the trolls.
George Takei gets me every April 1st with posts that I want to believe so bad I forget what day it is.

I never even knew I wanted an Excelsior movie until that joke.

Joking about something that people are actively looking forward to is quite a different animal, though.

Twisted Toon

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Re: OK, what now? I need a private server or the ability to run my own.
« Reply #1044 on: May 27, 2014, 05:56:19 PM »
George Takei gets me every April 1st with posts that I want to believe so bad I forget what day it is.

I never even knew I wanted an Excelsior movie until that joke.

Joking about something that people are actively looking forward to is quite a different animal, though.
What!?! They're not making an Excelsior movie?   :'(
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Azrael

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Re: OK, what now? I need a private server or the ability to run my own.
« Reply #1045 on: May 28, 2014, 12:25:31 AM »
I should probably point out that that argument is totally flawed, as it assumes that no one at Paragon Studios considered the possibility of a shut down while the buy out negotiators were going on, and didn't do a little data transfer work as a kind of back-up - a sort of Plan Z option, if you prefer ;)

I see what you're saying.  Protect the grail at all costs in this context.

But the legalities of having the code in secret is one thing, releasing it via a torrent quiet another?  *Not that I'm advocating that sort of thing.  ;)

I guess that's the thing about the grail. 

It's elusive.  Though it's not out the question that a few missionaries somewhere know where it is...and have access to it...as a closely guarded secret...

Being sued into oblivion may see it that way for a while yet.

Between SCoRE *Whispers, the posts from Iron Wolf and the 3 'Spiritual' efforts of valiant CoH community leaders...

...I'm more optimistic that ever 'CoH' will return one day...

Azrael.

malonkey1

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Re: OK, what now? I need a private server or the ability to run my own.
« Reply #1046 on: June 12, 2014, 07:08:11 PM »
http://www.reddit.com/r/Cityofheroes/comments/27fzjb/are_you_a_programmer_we_need_you/

Just gonna put this here, since it seems to be exactly what the OP is wanting. It's in its infancy, but they could use programmers. As far as I know, they already have basic authentication working.
BadWolf: "The point that JaguarX is trying to make, of course, is that City of Heroes is like a tree. And Google is like a Toyota...Corolla...? Which would make NCSoft a trespasser, shot by...um, Mister T...which is good, because diplomacy...?"

The internet is full of Comedy Gold.

Osborn

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Re: OK, what now? I need a private server or the ability to run my own.
« Reply #1047 on: September 22, 2014, 09:01:36 AM »
The thing with the private server is that, the last people that are going to put out one are probably going to be the Devs, because they are under a whole different level of professional and legal scrutiny in the project.

And unless they want to retire from this career and into possibly jail, I don't think they'll make a private server. There is, MAYBE, some TINY CHANCE one of them has some/most of the code lying around, somewhere. There is, MAYBE, some TINY CHANCE one of them has enough they could make a private server. But we'll never see it.

Because chances are, I doubt that NCSoft gave any ONE developer access to EVERY piece of the server code. I'm not a coder myself, so if somebody that is tells me "No, you're wrong" believe them, but CHANCES ARE that the game isn't one giant block of software like what you might be used to with say, a console game. It's probably a bunch of different applications doing various different things on different computers. And even then, for safety and legal reasons no one developer probably has access to the entire thing at any one time.

Political arguments aside, at the end of the day, NCSoft were the owners of the code, and it was in their best interest to keep it as under wraps and secret as possible. There's probably little reason why one set of eyes would need to see all of it at once. I mean, again, you can make the argument that the people actually doing the work should have more rights to it, or the people buying it should, but that's not what I'm doing.

The thing is, somebody like Tony V can make his own code to emulate the game, and it'd be somewhat semi-legal because it's still HIS code. In the same way that if I draw an Iron Man drawing, I don't own Iron Man, but I still own my DRAWING.

But Paragon Studios don't have as many legal rights to their own code and work, because that was part of their agreement for working at the job. They're under, I almost guarantee you, various non-disclosure agreements and the like.

So basically, them revealing the code to you, is tantamount to corporate espionage, which is both illegal and guaranteed to end their career in this field. Tony V isn't/wasn't a member of Paragon Studios so his entire situation is completely different (and also what he's delivering is different as it's his own work, not NCSoft's code).

So like the man said, if you don't see it, don't believe it, and even then, I'd still doubt it'd be the original code.

Also, most of them had like, what, a weekend to clear out their offices?

Power Gamer

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Re: OK, what now? I need a private server or the ability to run my own.
« Reply #1048 on: September 22, 2014, 04:19:51 PM »
Then ask for an invitation to their private server.  Let us know what you find out.

I've also fielded some PMs about this as well.  Look, folks, it's really easy.  If someone says there's a private server out there, then the proof, I say, is in the pudding.  The correct reaction to this news, considering that you're not going to be invited to such a server, is, "Until you can prove to me that this server exists, I do not believe you."  It is not, "I will consider this maybe true until some indeterminate time has passed that makes it highly unlikely by some arbitrary standard of confidence..." because I'm telling you, you will never meet that level of confidence, and the trolls will have won by driving you nuts.

Have you all ever noticed that even on days like April Fool's, I've never once posted a message, even joking around, saying that there is a private server up and running, or that some kind of deal has been made and the game is relaunching?  I kind of doubt you've ever noticed it, but the truth of the matter is that I have actively avoided making such claims, even in a joking manner, because I know that such comments can be misconstrued, and next thing you know, people have hurt feelings over it.  People want to know who's running it, why they haven't been invited, who they can talk to to get invited, who else is part of it, are more people going to be invited, how they can offer input into the process, etc.

That reason right there why I don't even jokingly refer to a private server or game relaunch?  That's what makes such a claim ripe for trolls to exploit.  Please don't feed the trolls.

Good on you, mate.
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JanessaVR

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Re: OK, what now? I need a private server or the ability to run my own.
« Reply #1049 on: September 22, 2014, 04:37:42 PM »
Also, most of them had like, what, a weekend to clear out their offices?
Not even that, IIRC, they were given notice and immediately escorted off the premises, and their personal effects mailed to them later.  SOP, unfortunately, for a lot of big companies.

dwturducken

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Re: OK, what now? I need a private server or the ability to run my own.
« Reply #1050 on: September 22, 2014, 08:59:26 PM »
The thing is, somebody like Tony V can make his own code to emulate the game, and it'd be somewhat semi-legal because it's still HIS code. In the same way that if I draw an Iron Man drawing, I don't own Iron Man, but I still own my DRAWING.

This, right here. This is the problem. Yes, you can draw whatever you like. My local comics store is literally wallpapered, walls and ceiling, with drawings from customers and kids of customers that have been given to him in the 30-odd years that his store has been open. That, I believe, falls under fair use." What he doesn't do, however, is compile them into bound volume that he distributes, either free or for a fee. The whole thing is very grey, legally, regardless of how adamant anyone here is, one way or the other. Until someone decides they are going to actually fight a C&D letter all the way through the courts, we may never have an answer.

The one thing I do know: if anything has a 100% chance of complicating any efforts to acquire the actual game and/or IP, it's something like this coming from the same community.
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