A Merge.

[Cisyouc]

Originally Posted by sdabbs65

Hackers, crackers and spoofers will run amok with something like this Implemented.
they could not only gain access to MYSQL database and screw your shard
but maybe even your computer if they know how to look up passwords in SQL.

How? Its PHP, if this were to be so, the system for moving characters would have to be of a very, very poor design. Its not like its going to be

http://myserver.org/charmove.php?query=INSERT%20INTO%20characters...

now you might be able to use the Charmover.php file to export the char file.

char file?

but importing from a unknown link is very dangerous.

It wouldn't be unknown. The premise is that you would make a deal with a partner server to allow interaccess. Unknown servers wouldn't be allowed.

not to mention people will just make uber chars and then import them to any server that they want uberness on.

This, I agree, and I wouldn't look forward to that.

[sdabbs65]

Originally Posted by Cisyouc

How? Its PHP, if this were to be so, the system for moving characters would have to be of a very, very poor design. Its not like its going to be

http://myserver.org/charmove.php?query=INSERT%20INTO%20characters...

char file?
It wouldn't be unknown. The premise is that you would make a deal with a partner server to allow interaccess. Unknown servers wouldn't be allowed.

This, I agree, and I wouldn't look forward to that.

char file?,
I forgot to explain that ,sheesh.
it has not been made yet but im guessing it will go something
like the old hackersquest server connects go .
see below
maybe in the format of a XML file
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Connecting 017D8...
Received:
Login Version Request.
Sending:
Login Version:
6-6-2003 1200
Received:
Login as teste using -Q(ai`on{_Ik4Qt?. Info: none, Data: 00000001, 00000001
Sending:
LoginId: 0000000083, U1-4: 00000000 00000000 00 00000000
Received:
Login Message Request.
Sending:
Login Messages. 1 messages
Welcome to EthernalQuest login server
Received:
Server List Request. 0 servers is in list.
Sending:
Server List. 1 available servers:
EthernalQuest Server 192.168.0.5 Color: 0, Players: 1 0 0
Admin: 0 Expantions: 0 1 8 40
Chat Server: localhost:12523
Received:
Login Message Request.
Sending:
Login Messages. 1 messages
Welcome to EthernalQuest login server
Received:
Server List Request. 0 servers is in list.
Sending:
Server List. 1 available servers:
EthernalQuest Server 192.168.0.5 Color: 0, Players: 1 0 0
Admin: 0 Expantions: 0 1 8 40
Chat Server: localhost:12523
Received:
Active char request: server=192.168.0.5, code=unused.
Sending:
Account has no acive players.
Received:
ServerId Request: server=192.168.0.5
Sending:
World access key req. Account: 0000000083, flags: 7
Received:
World access key req. Account: 0000000083, flags: 7
Sending:
World access key. Account: 0000000083, access: QG22740258
Received:
World access key. Account: 0000000083, access: QG22740258
Sending:
ServerId: accessKey=QG22740258.
Received:
Logout.
Disconnecting 02A917D8...
Disconnecting 02A917D8...
Connecting 02A83030...
Sending player A917D 0021 to Server.
0000 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 38 33 00 51 47 32 32 37 0000000083.QG227
0010 34 30 32 35 38 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 40258...........
0020 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 ................
0030 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 ................

[maddkennykenny]

I have a few friends who are skilled in php formating, I can get them to help out if your actully going to start making a transfer service !!

[MysticDeath]

Haha, I'm just going to restate what I saw someone else type up.

If you combine servers, it will cause too much attention. Enough so that Sony will come and shut down that server.

If you allow Character transfers over any server then players will just go onto a server make a uber character and then transfers. (which is not going to happen, becuase you will key servers that allow it) but then people will make a legit server for 4 minutes, key themselves (unless key will not be part of emu, and you have to talk to current key'ed server admins) and transfer over. But to fix most of this, you would/could set up a system thats not part of eqemu out of a direct download, and is in the source code for one to enable in features.h and recompile. but that brings up point b it will allow anyone to make an uberriffic character and transfer it over to any server. But lets say it is an alternative download and you have to make your own ring of servers to allow character transfer inbetween, that would be cool. And to join a ring you have to talk to the server admin who started that ring. I believe that wont cause 'too' many problems. haha

[fathernitwit]

thats exactly what im talking about... this is not integrated with eqemu at all, each server makes their own descisions about trust.

such hostility.

[Ueguvil]

Although this sounds like a pretty cool idea, I personally feel like there are many other things the developers' valuable time could be spent on. Please don't take this as 'hostility'.

[johane]

Originally Posted by fathernitwit

on this note, I have dreamed of a "character transfer service" to allow rings of servers to permit players to move between servers. Using public key encryption to verify the authenticity of character "saves" from other servers, a server op would be able to "trust" another server, allowing people to transfer chars between them. This could also let people "back up" their characters.

anyways, theres a lot of work to be done to make it happen, but I am willing to provide design and guidance to make this happen if there are any willing and able PHP developers out there.

What you're proposing is actually very damn close to a distributed server. If you added some kind of mechanisms for server ops to set policies regarding item movement, no-droppedness and "returning home laden with riches", you could have a fairly transparent means for different servers to host different zones or groups of zones, allowing servers that arn't kick-ass machines to "co-operatively" cover the entire game world. What would be quite cool is the potenmtial for subtle differences caused by slightly different databases - you could find that the "super-worlds" so contructed would be much richer game worlds being less "cookie cutter".

I don't believe that a PHP implementation would do it justice though - I see it being server-to-server via a trusted intermediary as key/policy escrow (would that be loginserver?).