17 replies to this topic

[dingus221]

i noticed that your great bfme1 server uses very similar protocols and subservers as civilization 4 does

is it possible to make your server support civ4?

[ICT]

If that is true then probably yes. However, it is highly unlikely that the same team does it.

[dingus221]

Please do

[dingus221]

Btw, is the code of ur servers available for download somewhere? I mean I see there is no motivation for anyone to look into it. I have motivation, maybe i can look and say if it is really that easy?

[Mathijs]

Moving to C&C:Online Discussion.

 

The code is not currently publically available and we do not currently have the time or manpower to develop, maintain, or support more games than we already do.

[dingus221]

oh that's sad

[dingus221]

Maybe i can be ur manpower cannon fodder?

[Pasidon]

And what would you be doing?

[dingus221]

yo Pasidon, its you again, hi. Great thanks for admining the community here. Well i can code with google and i can do testing.

[Pasidon]

That's why they pay me the big bucks.  But look... if you're super serious about this, then we need a VERY detailed plan.  This isn't a small thing you're proposing.  If you can somehow create a plan that actually works, with details about the necessary coding and components we will need, and how to achieve these things, then we can discuss this.  You're the one proposing this.  We need to know every detail about setting up and maintaining Civ 4 servers, if there are any costs, any licensing needed (actually being certain of this), and most importantly... if this will actually benefit us.  I luve me sum Civ, and Civ 4 is probably the best of the series, but there are things we need to know and there is research to be done.  Who better to do it than the guy who proposed the plan, right?  Right.  

[dingus221]

Oh licensing, do we need licensing? Can't we just make it not official support but if a civ4 client somehow communicated (with all responsibility of breaking the laws lying on the client) with the server it would log in? And the players, they all bought the game years ago, its just there is no normal multiplayer server now.

I mean officially after gs shutdown, civ moved to steam with introduction of new patch.

But that patch is made by developers only to kill the old game. All it adds is 3 things:

1. Removes chat lobby.

2. Sets limit of players per game to 4. And it was 18 before the patch. With average  number of player 6-8 per game, but often big maps are played with more.

3. Steam SOMEHOW adds very annoying long(10 seconds) random freezes and lags during multiplayer. And its not just for me, many people say so, and there are many discussions on steam about them.

About second thing, I thought initially it was just a bug, but with time it seems now more like intended feature, because i was corresponding about it with 2k support for 2 months, at first they promised to solve it, but in the end just admitted that they wont. They didn't admit it was intended feature though, but they don't care about the game anyway.

 

These servers will only support preSteam patched game, because patch changed the protocols.

 

As to coding, i think everything might work exactly the same as in bfme, its just needed so that when server accept the requests, there are parts of the requests where it says gamename=bfme. But in civ4 it says =civ4, those should be accepted too and answered just properly with substitution.

Game uses same servers on ports 27900, 29900, 6667, 29810, 29901. Bfme just uses 1 more additionally 29820. I checked data with wireshark and the protocols seem the same.

 

As to your benefits, well there are none it seems. I just thought it is not that very resource consuming and you are running these servers anyway, they will just add some traffic. U can probably get some more people watching ads on the site, not sure how many tho, maybe 100 different people a month if u do so that u need to register game account anew every month.

Edited by dingus221, 25 October 2014 - 09:57 AM.

[Mathijs]

Moving to C&C:Online Discussion.

 

The code is not currently publically available and we do not currently have the time or manpower to develop, maintain, or support more games than we already do.

 

Listen. We cannot support this endeavour now or in the foreseeable future. Sorry. 

[dingus221]

Plan is.

1. Someone who has access to the servers code (or related parts) makes it so that civ4, civ4bts and civ4btsjp games also accepted. I can find and document with wireshark precisely all times when the game name is used exactly, if needed (though from code perspective its might be evident even without this).

2. Ill post thread on civfanatics how to change hosts file to reach the server.

3. To enter the game people need to register on ur website, because u don't implement the feature that they can register from the game menu.

4. Greatness achieved.

[dingus221]

 

 

Moving to C&C:Online Discussion.

 

The code is not currently publically available and we do not currently have the time or manpower to develop, maintain, or support more games than we already do.

 

Listen. We cannot support this endeavour now or in the foreseeable future. Sorry. 

 

 

Ok, sorry for not listening. Well i see then ur servers are more official kind of thing than i thought. I mistook it at first it seemed u were more like 'players for players, we do it cause we can' kind of servers. Anyway keep up the good work with bfme then, im playing it from time to time.

I will have to figure out and set the servers for civ4 myself then. The more greatness for one man the bettor.

Edited by dingus221, 25 October 2014 - 10:28 AM.

[Mathijs]

 

 

 

Moving to C&C:Online Discussion.

 

The code is not currently publically available and we do not currently have the time or manpower to develop, maintain, or support more games than we already do.

 

Listen. We cannot support this endeavour now or in the foreseeable future. Sorry. 

 

 

Ok, sorry for not listening. Well i see then ur servers are more official kind of thing than i thought. I mistook it at first it seemed u were more like 'players for players, we do it cause we can' kind of servers. Anyway keep up the good work with bfme then, im playing it from time to time.

I will have to figure out and set the servers for civ4 myself then. The more greatness for one man the bettor.

 

Yes, that is exactly what they are. But that doesn't mean we have unlimited time and resources to accomodate everything.

 

Adding another game to the list requires a lot more development than you imply, and we simply don't have the time or resources. 

[dingus221]

Why do they call you postmodern shaman, you are very modernistic in your views.

[Mathijs]

Because I ripped off all my views from some obscure Greek philosopher and made them funny.

[ICT]

IF by any chance in the future you should get the opportunity to create the civ4 support then nobody says that it is impossible. Just don't get your hopes up yet as it might take months or years.