Author Topic: OK, what now? I need a private server or the ability to run my own.  (Read 333289 times)

McCreed

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Re: OK, what now? I need a private server or the ability to run my own.
« Reply #260 on: January 31, 2013, 04:44:39 AM »
I'm sorry if I missed the answer to this question in the dozen or so pages that precede this one, but is it likely that someone's going to go to the bother of creating a mass PM contact list as opposed to just starting a new thread in these forums and saying "Here it is"?

Thunder Glove

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Re: OK, what now? I need a private server or the ability to run my own.
« Reply #261 on: January 31, 2013, 12:23:28 PM »
Depends on how public they want to make the announcement.  A big "Here it is!" announcement is more likely to be noticed by NCSoft and shut down.

(P.S., WEN DUN PM ME 2 PLX)

Ironwolf

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Re: OK, what now? I need a private server or the ability to run my own.
« Reply #262 on: January 31, 2013, 03:02:46 PM »
It depends.

If this ever does occur I  will be contacting server farms in Paraguay - as the USA sees them as a festering pit of pirates and that seems like just the sort of folks needed to counter a festering bunch of brainless executives.

Lightslinger

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Re: OK, what now? I need a private server or the ability to run my own.
« Reply #263 on: January 31, 2013, 03:07:34 PM »
When it comes time to help fund setting up servers or whatever else this project needs I'll be there to help however I can.

I think so long as the code is safe and in good hands we should start out quietly with servers in NA, if those get shut down THEN we move to Somalia or wherever.

Nightwatch

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Re: OK, what now? I need a private server or the ability to run my own.
« Reply #264 on: January 31, 2013, 03:59:49 PM »
Don't forget your UK allies!  I would kill to play anything like CoH again!  Wife will kill me if I spend anymore time moping around the house sighing!!

Ironwolf

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Re: OK, what now? I need a private server or the ability to run my own.
« Reply #265 on: January 31, 2013, 09:20:27 PM »
I mean this with the utmost seriousness - if we can manage to get a server running - I will personally pay to start having a stand-alone version developed.

I know there are people out there who will do it - I think a small fee of $10 - 20k should do it and then I would post the code out in the wild in a heartbeat.

Noyjitat

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Re: OK, what now? I need a private server or the ability to run my own.
« Reply #266 on: January 31, 2013, 10:20:22 PM »
I guess by now at this point I really did expect to see a private server show up or some form of update as to when you might expect to see one. I half expected to see more over at the segs forum helping with that project the day after the shutdown announcement. But from what I can tell either nobody is helping nemerle with that or its just being kept completely out of public eye not to attract attention so it looks as if little progress is being made.

It really does suck. SWG, WoW, EQ and many others have tons of private servers but so far we don't know of even 1 for any of ncsofts shutdown titles. Atleast you can still play EQ and WoW on official servers.

I'm really missing incarnate trials and msrs right now. I have had fun in champions making tons of alts but its beginning to get stale now like CoX was before they started adding new zones, trials and end game level tfs. You just can't keep doing the same content over and over without anything new to do or anything meaningful to do with characters at max level.

houtex

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Re: OK, what now? I need a private server or the ability to run my own.
« Reply #267 on: February 01, 2013, 03:58:51 AM »
I hate to say it, but.. be patient.  It's only been 2 months.  CoH took 10 years to get where it was.  Server code like that is gonna be quite a while.

Just think of the costumes.  That alone... All that amount of data just to get one character clothed... yeesh.  And then the dynamics of the slots and powers and defenses and this and that... and the AI... and instances...

Yeah.  It is gonna be quite a while for a ground start to emulation of semi-decentness for beta testing.  If it ever comes about. 

/I hope it does.  Truly.  Options are good.  Even if some companies wouldn't like it... :)

Harpospoke

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Re: OK, what now? I need a private server or the ability to run my own.
« Reply #268 on: February 01, 2013, 05:45:46 AM »
Man...never thought I could miss a game so bad.    Just simple stuff like running through Steel Canyon and hearing that music playing.  Bleh....

I would be more than happy if there ever is a version to play by myself on my own PC.    :(     More than that would be gravy...

Noyjitat

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Re: OK, what now? I need a private server or the ability to run my own.
« Reply #269 on: February 01, 2013, 09:53:22 PM »
I hate to say it, but.. be patient.  It's only been 2 months.  CoH took 10 years to get where it was.  Server code like that is gonna be quite a while.

Just think of the costumes.  That alone... All that amount of data just to get one character clothed... yeesh.  And then the dynamics of the slots and powers and defenses and this and that... and the AI... and instances...

Yeah.  It is gonna be quite a while for a ground start to emulation of semi-decentness for beta testing.  If it ever comes about. 

/I hope it does.  Truly.  Options are good.  Even if some companies wouldn't like it... :)

Patient I am but it looks even less like its going to happen at this point. When everything began I half expected people to rush to the emulation project but now in addition to emulation we have 2 games being worked on. I know this is going to piss someone off but logic would tell me to work on emulation since it isn't going to take as long as developing an entire game. Because going a year or 2 years without cox just seems maddening and then the 3-5 years that it's going to take to even have an alpha ready game to test is like an eternity.

I sit here now and just ask myself why someone hasn't bought the game yet or why a game company wouldn't sell a project they deemed as a failure.

I guess I just need a morale booster...

Sigh.. I just wish I knew a way to help get this show on the move.

Ironwolf

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Re: OK, what now? I need a private server or the ability to run my own.
« Reply #270 on: February 01, 2013, 10:34:14 PM »
Heroes vs Vigilantes,

More want to work within the law than want tofind a law that works for them.

An emulator is at best chaotic good and many don't see themselves that way.

Kistulot

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Re: OK, what now? I need a private server or the ability to run my own.
« Reply #271 on: February 01, 2013, 10:37:03 PM »
It could be Neutral good.

"It makes people happy. Doesn't stick it to the man because we aren't rallying to hurt anyone, and it doesn't abide 100% by regulations. I feel NEUTRAL GOOD about this."

:3

I am really tempted to make a set of image macros for all 9 alignments now. Sigh.
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The Fifth Horseman

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Re: OK, what now? I need a private server or the ability to run my own.
« Reply #272 on: February 01, 2013, 11:32:47 PM »
Heroes are Chaotic Good. Otherwise they wouldn't be heroes but Powers Division. :p
We were heroes. We were villains. At the end of the world we all fought as one. It's what we did that defines us.
The end occurred pretty much as we predicted: all servers redlining until midnight... and then no servers to go around.

Somewhere beyond time and space, if you look hard you might find a flash of silver trailing crimson: a lone lost Spartan on his way home.

houtex

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Re: OK, what now? I need a private server or the ability to run my own.
« Reply #273 on: February 02, 2013, 02:48:05 AM »
Patient I am but it looks even less like its going to happen at this point. When everything began I half expected people to rush to the emulation project but now in addition to emulation we have 2 games being worked on. I know this is going to piss someone off but logic would tell me to work on emulation since it isn't going to take as long as developing an entire game. Because going a year or 2 years without cox just seems maddening and then the 3-5 years that it's going to take to even have an alpha ready game to test is like an eternity.

I sit here now and just ask myself why someone hasn't bought the game yet or why a game company wouldn't sell a project they deemed as a failure.

I guess I just need a morale booster...

Sigh.. I just wish I knew a way to help get this show on the move.

If you want it quick... someone needs to get someone the server codes so they can quickly form the local variant server. 

Otherwise, the things will simply take a little longer than  'yesterday'.

I feel ya.  I still don't understand NCSoft's being hoarders like that, except for the 'maybe we reuse/sell bits of IP for movies or books/restart/sequel' possibles... Even then. 

But I have a motorcycle and family, thankfully, and they're keepin' me occupied while I miss CoH.  Isn't quite the same, but it is something.

Tahquitz

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Re: OK, what now? I need a private server or the ability to run my own.
« Reply #274 on: February 02, 2013, 03:54:00 AM »
The thought of getting enthusiastic about posting what's essentially a wink and a nudge on a forum to get a "golden ticket" invite into a PM list that may or may not be formed to get onto a shortlist of candidates that might be interviewed or otherwise tested to try out possible test copies of programs that could eventually result in hamstringing a number of similar functions together to successfully trick the CoH Client into running again is just too many levels of abstraction away from the end result to make much sense for me to get excited about at this point of time.

I get the frustration at my deduction: well, how else can I get involved in it?  It seems like nothing is happening at all.

The problem is the same as it was in September: the NCSoft folks (most likely) are already aware of ex-players and their interest in running private servers of City of Heroes (as they've dealt with from prior closings, which would be foolish to ignore from a business perspective), so discussing milestones towards development of the Client against their Terms and Conditions in such public areas where it's easy for us to read of it isn't going to be fruitful for those who can do something proactively towards this end.  We're all effectively out of the loop, which isn't totally a bad thing at this time.

But all the same, money would make such efforts faster, and Titan Network does have a donation button on their front page.  But that connection is being drawn by me, and it's a false one: any kind of connection from Titan staff (expressed or implied) towards those donations going towards emulating a City of Heroes server on this site will most likely result in Titan Network getting shut down (ISP gets C&D'd, or those who operate the site are sued out of existence), let alone any other group doing that work for that matter.  The same goes for allowing discussion to occur towards such efforts, announcing results from it, or hosting files concerning this.  All fatal ideas for Titan Network.  Then NCSoft's victory in shutting our world down isn't just complete, it's absolute.  Sure, this is a little "umbrella road", but the thought of reorganizing somewhere else once more after Titan Network is shut down ...to have to go through all of that again, it wearies me.  (And I'm sure the Plan Z folks don't want to find their forums and file repos disappearing overnight either.)

So, we can't offer up any effort or cash.  What's left to do?

If you want to pour your effort into anything at all in these next few months (or years, depending on your energy and aptitude) into Post-City-of-Heroes efforts, either Task Force Hail Mary or a Plan Z project (or both) is all you got.  Nothing else is possible to organize on her-- Sorry, we're supposed to be positive about this: "If you can think of something else, let us know!"  Really.  We're running on fumes at this point, tactically.  I hate to use this phrase, but as far as ideas, Titan Network's staff were the smartest guys in the room at the time of the closure...  If there was something we could have done that was effective in saving the game or resurrecting it without crossing legal or ethical lines, (particularly in that finite timeline and the knowledge we had at that point, which is still what we know now for the most part) they've pretty much exhausted it as an actionable outcome already.

But I'm hoping against hope too that some sunshine comes our way finally, which is why I bother to check in at all.  The love is still definetly there.  And I like the thought of playing one of the Plan Z games again sometime in the future with you guys at the very least.

Disclosure: I am nobody.  I have no stake, position, or role in any of the projects (Either of the Project Z's, TFHM, or Emulation... became a full time employee last month at my work and I'm taking 8 semester units in college which starts up again next week: I do care, I just don't have the time), I'm just a reader making presumptions... many of which might actually be false.
« Last Edit: February 02, 2013, 04:35:12 AM by Tahquitz »
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Kistulot

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Re: OK, what now? I need a private server or the ability to run my own.
« Reply #275 on: February 02, 2013, 05:18:01 AM »
Heroes are Chaotic Good. Otherwise they wouldn't be heroes but Powers Division. :p

Totally ignoring the best Good alignment! Just sayin! :p
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emu265

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Re: OK, what now? I need a private server or the ability to run my own.
« Reply #276 on: February 02, 2013, 09:17:51 AM »
[lots of text]
You are absolutely correct.  Titan will never endorse or support, in any way, the development of an illegal emulator.  Tony himself has said as much.  However, what we say and do are largely out of their control.  Talking as we are likely won't cause any damage.  If there are efforts to establish emulation, we're all out of the loop (as you said).  But hey, we all like to keep hope.

The Fifth Horseman

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Re: OK, what now? I need a private server or the ability to run my own.
« Reply #277 on: February 02, 2013, 11:18:58 AM »
Totally ignoring the best Good alignment! Just sayin! :p
Okay, they would be either Powers Division or super-powered PPD cops. :p
Part of being a hero is Doing The Right Thing. Not neccessarily the same as Doing The Legal Thing.
We were heroes. We were villains. At the end of the world we all fought as one. It's what we did that defines us.
The end occurred pretty much as we predicted: all servers redlining until midnight... and then no servers to go around.

Somewhere beyond time and space, if you look hard you might find a flash of silver trailing crimson: a lone lost Spartan on his way home.

Lucretia MacEvil

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Re: OK, what now? I need a private server or the ability to run my own.
« Reply #278 on: February 02, 2013, 04:27:17 PM »
Okay, they would be either Powers Division or super-powered PPD cops. :p
Part of being a hero is Doing The Right Thing. Not neccessarily the same as Doing The Legal Thing.

I'm sure that people created Heroes of both types (and all types in between).  That's one of the best things about our game; you could be YOUR kind of hero.

*sigh*

/missingCoX

Sajaana

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Re: OK, what now? I need a private server or the ability to run my own.
« Reply #279 on: February 02, 2013, 08:33:05 PM »
Don't take this as official legal advice...

You have to wonder why, given the number of fan servers out there for a myriad of games, there have been relatively few actions brought against fan servers.  It's one thing to send a cease and desist request.  It's another thing to actually bring suit.

Because bringing suit in a court of law opens up a can of worms that, frankly, publishers want to avoid.  The last thing they want is to get a bunch of disgruntled consumers into a courtroom, where a judge or a jury could hear what they had to endure.  This is especially true for CoH fans.  In order to get a private server group to answer for their actions, NCSoft will have to open itself up to a lot of questions it doesn't want to have to answer.  Like what recourse, exactly, will a purchaser of their DVDs have, now that NCSoft has abandoned them?

No, publishers want to keep angry customers out of a courtroom, not seek ways to get them into courtrooms.  And then there is the problem of constructing a case.  Keep in mind that simple ownership is typically not sufficient to bring a civil action against another.  An owner typically has to show harm.  Assuming NCSoft could show ownership of a fan-made CoH service, they would also have to show--specifically--that it has harmed them.

But probably the most difficult thing for them to do is to establish (and they'll have to establish) that we, as consumers, have no property rights of our own that we may protect.  Because it's one thing for them to enter a disclaimer in the record.  It's another thing to say that this disclaimer gives them the power to forever inhibit the purchaser from ever making use of the things that he or she purchases, stores, maintains at the purchaser's own expense.  Remember, they abandoned the consumers, not the other way around.