Standardized EQ version?
 

Well, you sure have to love the patches that require an overhaul. Anyways, I have kept a backup of the patch from right before the new UI was released, and didn't have any problems with it. However, trying it with the 3.5 version of the emu gives me a 1017 error while trying to connect to the server. If I go to my patched version, it will connect to the character select screen, but when I try to log in, it will kick me back to the server select. The only way I can get on is if I patch from Test, download the eqhost.txt, and connect through testeqgame.exe, but only on the beta server. So, anyways, because there are many patches, is it possible to pick one that will always be compatible, or is that not possible to do currently?

That isn't possible/pratical If you try to emulate a version other than what verant is running, you can't get packet logs to compare real server vs emulated server. Plus you would then have to distribute verant/sony files so new people could play.

Either one of the above would be reason enough not to try freezing the version emulated.

You would need a translator to standardize. Point the client to the translator and point the translator to the server. Update the translator's profile as new clients come out. I think it would be pretty easy, actually. Over time the profile would grow, in fact it would grow every time there was a patch. But, if it's client side, all someone has to do is back their EQ folder up ONCE and they're set. For emu development, there can always be a "native mode" where there is no translation. In fact, the translator can even be server-side, where the client simply has a VERY thin translator layer that simply passes patch date along with packets. That way all of the encryption logic stays at the server end. It's a lot safer that way.