Topic: Starfleet Command : Commmunity Edition HAS GONE GOLD!!!!

[FCM_SFHQ_XC]

There have been a lot of 'old' bug fixes, I personally don't have a list of all of them but while it certainly may not be every bug squashed given how many there were, a lot of fixes sure have been done beyond Windows 7/8 support.

That is good to hear. Is the code open to more fixes/enhancements or are you guys done?

were never done lol, we'll be here doing..stuff

[Corbomite]

were never done lol, we'll be here doing..stuff

Again, good to hear. It'd be nice to know that the things in this thread that I had compiled as issues (oh so long ago!) are getting some attention.

http://www.dynaverse.net/forum/index.php/topic,163380743.0.html

[MrMalkav]

Well done on releasing this I only spotted this site after I found and installed SFC:OP and enhanced package V5.0.  After the disaster of Legacy/Lagacy I really missed SFC, I like ST Online though its a shame it isn't more like SFC with regards tactical and the scary amount of money and restrictions for getting the ship you want  .  I was slightly disheartened by SFC3 in that there were fewer races plus I prefer the older style kirk era ships.  Not meaning to sound dense as I am new here and will read more into SFC:CE (promise) but:

1. Does this support higher/widescreen 16:9 resolutions? It is the most annoying thing at the moment with Orion Pirates as stuck with 4:3 resolutions. I want to fill my TV with SFC goodness 
2. In your opening post you state All individuals who have previously purchased a copy of Starfleet Command: Empires at War will receive their free copy of Starfleet Command : Community Edition. We will have details on how to redeem your copy when the gold image goes live on the store. The price for Community Edition is NOT being raised, and will continue to sell at Empire at Wars price point in the D.Net store. We'll replace the EAW image with the SFC: CE image. The original will still be available for download if you really really want it

How does this work, is this only if you purchased a copy from DNet Store? I bought the Collectors Edition (retail) ages back with SFC 1&2 enclosed with some Trek RTS (forget it's name) then bought Retail copy of SFC-OP & SFC 3 seperately. Would I also qualify for a copy of SFC:CE?

Many thanks to all who have made this happen can't wait to see what you have created.  It will be good to be back     

[KBF-WillWeasel]

Well then very happy to see this coming near it's final completion. I have no other real input otherwise.

[Arch]

So excited about finally being able to play easily on Windows 7, nice work!!
I do have a question: will any more resolutions be added? My monitor is 1680 x 1050, and so I can't run it at 1600 x 1200 and must use the very blurry 1280 x 1024.

I'm also really interested in fighting with other people, as I've only played with the computer over the several years that I've messed with the game, on and off.

Cheers,
David

[lui209]

Good job guys! This is going to be pretty amazing!

[Lono]

SO AWESOME!!!   Seems like I have come back to the forums just in time!

Thanks everyone involved - you are incredible!!!!

 

[BlazinBud]

Clearly a job "Well Done"  I m also wondering about the higher resolutions on widescreen monitors?

[KAT Chuut-Ritt]

Some comments from some old players on another forum which I will relay the questions and answers to.  I don't know the new product to give full answers:


Squiggy(the grape) So... same old game but now it crashes less?

Sockfoot: I seem to be missing a fundamental point here.  Will this be available for purchase/download etc?

Kor: I'm assuming free download as long as you have your EAW key.

Gook: Hate to be a party pooper, but is this going to be "cruisers at dawn" duelling or are we actually going to be able to run fleets, and fly what we want, the way we want (deep strikes etc) duellist obviously get their CCs, but what about the Kzin fo example can we use drones rather than castrated disruptor boats with a few drones added?
I'd love to have a go at a campaign, but a CW 3 type rather than the usual fare that has been foisted on us the last 8 years or so.

Squiggy:  Do I have to dust off the old Atari?

A sequence

Gook :
I think we have all missed the most important point from a practical point of view, and that is, will it be just a click to get in? I can't see anybody these days getting into their router and setting up a DMZ to play a 12 year old game. We did it because most who played were geeks and didn't mind, noobs will probably go DMZ??? and walk away. So I hope that is fixed or it doomed before it starts.

Kor (in reply to above)
http://www.dynaverse.net/forum/index.ph … 932.0.html

Gook: (in reply to Kor above)
Ouch, can't believe they haven't fixed this in all this time. No chance of a mass revival then, a few "diehards" but getting any numbers without this fixed will be very hard.

Was Kor's link accurate as far as the new Gold?  or was that a previous situation?

[FPF-DieHard]

I hate to agree with Gook, I really do because he's a tool, but he's right.   The router configuration silliness just plain sucks.

But there's really nothing that can be done about that is there?

[Strat]

http://www.dynaverse.net/forum/index.php/topic,163392868.0.html -Approach to dealing with networking.

http://www.dynaverse.net/forum/index.php/topic,163392850.0.html -Requires less ports

Mini Dev Blog:

This is the reseach and work I've done in this area.

Back in that era, most multiplayer games operated on a mesh network type. That is, while only one host was 'master', all were server's and client's sharing data to each other equally. This meant each participant in the multiplayer game was sending and requesting data from each other member. This was because at that era, there is not the same availability for full time servers to handle loads, and a client desktop could not be counted reliable (modems) or powerful (desktop crashes, slow) enough has server host for a 'star' type multiplayer environment. This is why DirectPlay required ports open for each multiplayer client, each member had to be accessible to each other participant. It provided fault tolerance, and load sharing. In DirectPlay 8, there was introduced the 'star' type API, but this was too far after SFC OP to ever be used.

Other games, like WOW, EVE, LoL, STO, SWTOR... the list goes on.... Operate on a 'star' network, with privately owned servers being the center of the star. Since they route data between each participant, clients need not be directly accessible to anyone. Their external ports are closed, and they merely request game data from the central server. Think of it as a network relay system, clients communicate through a central server, that may do nothing but relay data between participants.

... Part TWO Tomorrow, I will explain why we are not able to implement that for this game. And why I would like to explore EvolveHQ as a workaround.

Kors link is incomplete. I don't know what he was pointing out.

[Leermeister]

Not that big of a deal to open ports, it will just be alot easier for people to play by it being able to run on windows 7-- allot of games you still have to open ports to host games, and if you really cant open ports just plug your PC into the modem no router

[IndyShark]

Great job guys! This is very exciting.

[Strat]

http://www.dynaverse.net/forum/index.php/topic,163392868.0.html -Approach to dealing with networking.

http://www.dynaverse.net/forum/index.php/topic,163392850.0.html -Requires less ports

Mini Dev Blog:

This is the reseach and work I've done in this area.

Back in that era, most multiplayer games operated on a mesh network type. That is, while only one host was 'master', all were server's and client's sharing data to each other equally. This meant each participant in the multiplayer game was sending and requesting data from each other member. This was because at that era, there is not the same availability for full time servers to handle loads, and a client desktop could not be counted reliable (modems) or powerful (desktop crashes, slow) enough has server host for a 'star' type multiplayer environment. This is why DirectPlay required ports open for each multiplayer client, each member had to be accessible to each other participant. It provided fault tolerance, and load sharing. In DirectPlay 8, there was introduced the 'star' type API, but this was too far after SFC OP to ever be used.

Other games, like WOW, EVE, LoL, STO, SWTOR... the list goes on.... Operate on a 'star' network, with privately owned servers being the center of the star. Since they route data between each participant, clients need not be directly accessible to anyone. Their external ports are closed, and they merely request game data from the central server. Think of it as a network relay system, clients communicate through a central server, that may do nothing but relay data between participants.

... Part TWO Tomorrow, I will explain why we are not able to implement that for this game. And why I would like to explore EvolveHQ as a workaround.

Kors link is incomplete. I don't know what he was pointing out.

Quick Part 2:

Ok so...

The reason mesh worked then and not now: Back then PCs were connected directly to the internet via modem, there were no firewall's or home routers. It was easy to open a port. Now a days, its very HARD to open ports. So the old mesh style stuff becomes very inefficient.

Why we can not do 'star' type multiplayer networking:
1) Requires Redesign, from scratch, the entire networking portion of the game. Which by the way, is also tied into the UI. So it pretty much means at everything from new from scratch networking made to connect to the existing game interfaces, to touching various UI elements. It means changing allllllllllllllllllll kinds of stuff alllll over.
2) Requires developing a server module from scratch, to act as the relay
and
3) Infrastructure: Who's gonna host the relay? WOW and such have their own servers, and massive ISP they pay to support hosting millions of games and the data transmitted. Right now, dynaverse.net can barely handle a handful of people downloading the game and visiting the website at the same time. Sure, it could host a few simultaneous games, but his resources (server and ISP) would get maxed fast. We don't have the infrastructure to provide a relay for gamers.

Work around:

EvolveHQ. This app basically joins your PC to a private relay system, through their own infrastructure. (Hey they even provide voice chat) It does not require opening any ports, and captures automatically game traffic to share with other participants. It's a relay made just for older games. However, you have to get used to the app, and its not lightweight the way gamespy was. Pros and Cons...

[Tumulorum Fossor]

Late to the congrats party but have been monitoring comms for awhile, waiting for something like this.

My Win8 lappy awaits!

Thanks!

[Tuscarora]

Also another belated congrats! 

Glad to see this is coming to fruition.  Standing by.

Tuscarora

[Martothir]

Just discovered these forums yesterday and I'm super excited to hear about this project! I'm eagerly awaiting this rerelease of one of my favorite games of all time. The nostalgia factor from anticipation alone is killing me! 

[Komodo]

Yep- it's been a long time since I last posted LOL. Hi again, folks!

I know this has been in the works for a LONG time here, so this is GREAT NEWS!

I still have my old disks, haven't played in quite a while now, but still have very fond memories of when I did. Looks like I'm gonna have to peek in here more often, waiting for its release now. Is it a little late, or is there something I missed somewhere?

[Pojo92]

Great game! Great News!!! I was sort of in on the tail-end of OP's run of popularity on the D-Net, played moderately (As much as I could--young family constraints and all) former SFB-lover, and LOVED the game.  As good an adaptation of SFB to the PC as I could have imagined.  Soooo, when this is fully available: I'm in! 

[Magnum357]

Reporting in.