I think the ironic part is the 2nd post... by me... telling link2009 to stfu, wrong emulator site. :) Now, I am so into the EQ2Emu idea, I could almost pee myself with excitement.

Tee hee, very funny indeed :P

Hehe, just noticed that. Not even a mod at the time and you'll already tearing people down. See, you were born with that moderater gene after all.


Back onto the task at hand. If we could just get the LS from LE we could probably get this off the ground in no time. But with a LS, what are a bunch of helpless souls to do.

Being a mod, I am actually far nicer than normal... ;)

You can thank Mattmeck for neutering me...

Oh god, too much information there.

Agreed...

LOL

Been away for a few weeks taking care of stuff, but I'm back now. Now that we can packet collect from live once again, the question becomes whether we want to wait until the next expansion comes out and do the same thing that eqemu did with Titanium. This is scheduled to be on November 13th. I could start working on updating the server, but because of the number of patches between now and then it will most likely be a closed beta. I might allow a few people to help test if they want to. This will allow me to concentrate on getting the server running.

I wouldn't expect vast changes if any at all to the login server or world server. Should just get a packet collector out that works now and start collecting packets so you have a good head start. Once the expansion comes around then you will only have minor changes to make, not to mention I believe the Rise of Kunark expansion does not come out till late November.

Yah, that is what I am thinking, but if I make it an open beta then I will get hounded with people saying: "Which version do I need to have?", "Why can't I login?", "How do I know which version I have?", etc. Making it a closed beta until the expansion is released will allow me to focus more time on coding and less time answering questions. Once the expansion is released we freeze the client and do like eqemu did with Titanium. The problem with releasing the packet logger right now is that if SOE finds out the method it is using to grab the key, they might shut it down for good. We might release it to the public around October, but any sooner will risk breaking the project again.

I think wait is the better idea. Wait 2 or 3 months is better than no one emulator never.

I agree with you there LE. Have to answer questions like the stupid one I sent you in PM is just pointless if there coming in all the time, but thats why you got guys like John Adams or myself. We can swim around the forums and take care of most of the questions that may come up, like what version works and such. But anyhow, closed beta sounds best for those that can spare the time and have a available client to work. I myself think I have one, but not sure.

I think I recommend a few post back about freezing at a certain point and then catching up to that point in terms of content and performance. Granted we may have to move away down the line, but chasing live and adding the past two years of content in there is just way to much to ask.

The biggest thing though is where the project is located. Being a post in the Off-topic section of Everquest Emulator is the greatest thing as far as viewability goes. For example, anyone interested in a Everquest 2 Private Server will google it and the first result is a post in this off topic board that is 3 years old.

I dunno, I fell like maybe I should shut my mouth as I havent done anything for the project so I shouldnt be makeing any recommendations. Ignore me if you want to, but count me in when this gets going.

I would also agree on closed beta, until you get something that is viable, playable, and that the average novice can setup at least as easily as EQEmu. We've waited a while, I'm sure we can wait a few more mos. I think the general panic is, there is one poor soul working on this. Should he get fed up or quit, the project dies (or at least stalls, since someone else would have to learn the code to pick up).

Not saying it'll go this way, and I am not saying there really IS one guy doing all the work (LE ;)) but that's what it appears, and I think that's the general sense around the forum. More people should help you with it... and not just the "me toos", but people who can communicate intelligently, know the language, and can dedicate the time.

I also feel EQ2Emu deserves it's own community. This thread is swell, but it's a lot to scan through to find specific info and will only get worse.

Well I certainly do not suggest an open beta. Keep the project closed, . . . at least in the *vulnerable* first stages.

This project is alive again, I swear it. . .

I believe LE is correct. A closed beta is best for now. Once RoK comes out then we can freeze the project there until we get it up and running. With 1 year between expansions now, it shouldn't be that difficult to keep up, should it? :rolleyes:

RoK is in fact being released on Nov 13th. The only major changes with that expansion (not counting content of course) is the addition of the Sarnak and the raising of the level cap to 80. Neithe rof those seem all that world-shattering, but then again... what do I know... :D

On the surface it doesnt sound like much, but SOE has a habit of using expanions as an excuse to totally rewrite certain aspects of the game. I guess because maybe people are more forgiving if they get a beneficial feature after all the chaos dies down.

Aye, I might get a dedicated server again for this project that I could pay for using ad revenue (if the project ever becomes popular enough). Has anyone heard of AIT for dedicated hosting? Their prices blow everything else out of the water:

http://www.ait.com/dedicated-hosting.php

Just cant help but think there is a catch...

Saw this, and i'm DEFINATELY interested as a 3 year (almost!) eq2 vet in a raiding guild.

I'm hoping you guys can get it together and maybe I can start helping.

Sounds very complicated to get started up, seeing as i've only worked with the foundation that EQ1 Emulator has.

*edit*

About keeping it closed beta until Rise of Kunark... good idea. Freezing on an expansion allows you to work on it and get the foundation down, while keeping those questions out of the community that the devs + moderators have to answer all the time. I remember back in 2004, I visited the forums and saw tons of questions about "What patch works? When will it work with x patch, and when will it work with y update?"

That took time out of development i'm sure, and is a good reason to keep it closed.

Not only that, but it's better to work on features one patch at a time.

$70/mo for web hosting?!? Holy god. I used "3Essentials" (I an sure they are not 'dedicated' tho) until I started my own hosting service with a friend, and it looked like the same stats, for $5/mo... billed monthly. Or is that a place to host a game server too? If the latter, 2GB/mo does not sound like a lot of bandwidth. I think I use that much browsing this forum every week.

http://www.3essentials.com/personal-web-hosting.asp

Nah, it is a dedicated server meaning you have root access and full control over the server. This is necessary to easily set up a login server on it. Also the bandwidth is 2,000GB (or 2 TB/month). Most places give you between 750GB-1TB for that price.

Quick google search for reviews on them:

http://www.webhostingjury.com/reviews/AIT_

Seems like people have problems with them.

Yah I found that shortly after my last post. Guess I will continue looking :P

LE, dont forget to get a donation system up and going. You'll get a great deal of revenue from all of us poking in on this thread beacause it would be well deserved.

Get us our own home, a base, then you could have more developers come in and possible take interest in this project and that will take a great load of work off of you. The name of the game is advertising and getting the word out that theres a new hotness in the world of MMORPG Emulators. I have a feeling that once its there, it will take off with lightning speed. Maybe not as good as this project did in its hay-day, but still enough to make us all go wtf?

Geeze all these LE sightings and the post has got me all tore up. I'm going to go launch off some fireworks and wake up the neighbors now.

Them - "What the hell's going on out here"
Me - "IT"S EQ2 EMU BABY WOOT WOOT!!"

I dont like donation systems for a variety of reasons. Either people donate too much or too little for the hosting but no matter how much they donated some people feel that you owe them something. I would much rather work on a project that I enjoy and put in enough money to cover the server cost myself (if google ads arent enough) than to have some teenage kids telling me that I NEED to fix something for them because "they donated $5". If you dont enjoy your hobbies, you might as well get a second job because thats what it turns into. :P

Hehe, I'm really not that cynical, just trying to explain why I dont like donations :)

Exactly. Some people don't know the difference between donations and subscriptions.

Less stress = more work done, and more motivation. I'd rather have a developer working on something that he enjoys; especially if he's not getting paid for it.

Our networking instructor told us, "If you don't like your job, get out while it's early enough to do so, otherwise you'd be doing something you don't like the rest of your life. If that's not the field you like, change it before it's too late."

So yeah, gonna have to agree with Lethal here and hope that google ads pay for it.

oh my, i am so retarded. 2,000GB <-- didn't see that. Then yes, that does sound like a smokin deal. Maybe you get blessed with 1,400 popup ads on your site for that low low price :)

And...
I couldn't agree more. Somewhere around this forum is my mostly offensive post that if you cannot afford to host your own server, you shouldn't be hosting one. I despise donations for private servers.Communities are a different story, and I think that might be what Techguy was getting at.

I could quote, but thats alot of post.

As far as what people may say, make it upfront and visable that things are done when there done and no one is owed anything just becaue they contibuted some legal tender. I personaly will donate for just what you have accomplished to date. If someone donated me some money because of my guide, I would be grateful, but at the same time, said person would not get specail rights that could be abused like "I gave you ONE FREAKIN DOLLAR, WHERES MY PVP." Even if Joe there gave you $100 its still no grounds for control over what you work on.

Donations are simply what the word implies, a dontation. I could pull a dictionary defintion here, but you guys know what it means. If I donate to the American Cancer Society, I dont go knocking on their door asking for reason why I have lost a family member to cancer. You donate to help cost of what has happend, and what can happen.

I can go on and on about kids that abuse what they do not understand but I'll stop here becuase you LE sumed it up in your post.

Still though. You deserve some financial compensation for your efforts and if Google doesnt pay your bills, give me a paypal link and I will help you out also, as will several several several others here, without all the hassle you speak of. Heck, do the souceforge thing as it dont stick out like a big "DONATE" button on the front page. We'll know where to go.

Client Side DB
 

I found this while checking out EQ2's data structure:

Now upon further inspection, I found that each one of these configuration files contain some form of client side database structure, complete with field list, default field values, data input type and a discription of the data it contains.

Examples of the data contained within these files can be found here:

- [CharacterCreationZone]
- [Mounts]

Im not exactly the expert, but this seems to resemble a database that (atleast some part of it) should be in sync with the server.

Could be useless, but I thought its worth a post.

Interesting. The structs dont seem to be complete, but they may prove useful in the future. How exactly are you getting these files?

Checkout the repository on my other thread, it has a tool to extract these files. . . Hope you have vs2005 though.

Otherwise I could just send you the executables, but im too tired now :P

Good night.

I quickly made a DB, that looks alot like the structure found in the EQ2 config files.

-MYsql queries.

That looks pretty interesting. Thanks for the work on that! :)


BTW the new dedicated server is setup and running:

http://eq2emulator.net/forums/index.php


Please post over there now so we can stop leaching DM's bandwidth :)

Great work, lets hope it doesnt bankrupt you over time :P

Nice to see you're back on track LE. I've been vacationing for the past few months ;).

I am normally not one to necro a year old thread... but re-reading this post brought back a lot of great memories of the revitalization of the Everquest 2 Emulator project. Since the eqemulator.net community forums get so many hits a day, I just wanted to remind anyone interested here that there is an eq2emulator.net community as well, since the games are fairly related in concept at least.

The EQ2Emu server core has made amazing progress in very little time. Lethalencounter has turned out to be everything everyone said he was. Excellent dev, patient guy, and has nearly single-handedly built us a working emulator that works with current live EQ2 clients. I got involved in the data side of things back in Nov '07, and at that time v0.1 you could create a character and log in. That's it.

I am proud to say that in less than 6 mos, nearly all the chat, combat, xp, skills/abilities, spawns and object interaction systems are in place. There is still lots to do, but the amazing speed at which things have been developed - by one guy - is impressive. Next up, the quest system!

I hope no one thinks this is out of line, posting here. I'd love to sticky this particular post in your Off-Topic for those who come here asking about an EQ2Emulator, but I would not dare be so presumptuous :) We (the eq2emu community) have not really advertised our existence outside of this thread, so maybe it is about time.

http://eq2emulator.net

John Adams
Database Designer - EQ2Emu Project

bump in 2013
 

i've been over to the eq2emulator site. im new to all of this. im looking to make my own private classic eq2 server. before any expansions or AA were invented. any word on an original classic server in development or the files already made for the entire thing and are able to download? many thanks to anyone who replies with some useful info.