Topic: SFC Launcher (a dynaverse and gamespy's online services replacement)

[TarMinyatur]

Ok. I used 127.0.0.12 for the directory service, 127.0.0.11 for the dyna server, and allowed ServerPlatform.exe through the firewall. Fired up the SFC Launcher with the 4 services enabled, started the OP server, and then launched StarfleetOP.exe all on the same computer. It works.

Did a scan mission. Blew up a freighter. Got 320 points. Repaired my ship. If only there were 60 human players instead of AI, it might be fun.   

[Tiberius]

yea does the same thing for me crashes everytime..

[FPF-Tobin Dax]

Ok. I used 127.0.0.12 for the directory service, 127.0.0.11 for the dyna server, and allowed ServerPlatform.exe through the firewall. Fired up the SFC Launcher with the 4 services enabled, started the OP server, and then launched StarfleetOP.exe all on the same computer. It works.

Did a scan mission. Blew up a freighter. Got 320 points. Repaired my ship. If only there were 60 human players instead of AI, it might be fun.

When this gets made into an all-in-one installer for the public, you might get your wish for players. The number of "guests" who drop by but don't log in is still encouraging. They are possibly just waiting for the end version.

[d4v1ks]

yea does the same thing for me crashes everytime..

Probably the way it needs to be configured at the moment, it's not very intuitive for the end-user. But it can get better! 
I've been playing here at home with OP and its serverkit build 37. And it runs without any issue or error. It is a good sign!

[d4v1ks]

Ok. I used 127.0.0.12 for the directory service, 127.0.0.11 for the dyna server

It worked with those IPs?

127.0.0.1 is a loop-back address (IPv4). It is like the "local" IP of our computer. We can use it in the place of the "real" IP of the computer.

The IPs i used on the readme files are hypothetical. They only would make sense, if you had a real network configured in that particular way.

The real IP of our machines can be known, for example, by running IPCONFIG in a command line.

[TarMinyatur]

I guess any IP with 127.0.0.* is a local address. It didn't hurt to assign the various SFC elements to different IP's. Maybe it is irrelevant to use 127.0.0.11 and 127.0.0.12. They may be treated exactly as 127.0.0.1 if all three applications are on the same computer.

[d4v1ks]

Hey Tar, i've started working on an update for SFC OP 2563.

Will update the serverkit, that uses the build 36 as base, to the latest build 37 (compiled for perfomance + some fixes).

I also coded a little parser for the *.gf files, and found in the process, that there are some little errors on the syntax, on a few of them. Probably not very important. But i fixed those.
The *.gf files have now a standard format, and can be open on excel, for example, using TAB as delimeter, to be more readable.

On the client, i replaced "lowres" on sfc.ini, by the 2 new variables "width" and "height", like happens in sfc EAW 2037.
I replaced the function there for something like:

Code: [Select]

if sfcini.contains("width") && sfcini.contains("height") {
   screenWidth =  sfcini.width
   screenheight = sfcini.Height
} else {
   screenWidth =  800
   screenHeight = 600
}

if (screenWidth < 640) screenWidth = 640
if (screenHeight < 480) screenHeight = 480

Probably i can get rid of the hardcoded gamespy links on the executables too, and put them in the sfc.ini. Will take a look on that.

In the next release of SFC Launcher, i will automatate a little more the server configuration, and use it to launch the clients. This will give the option to launch the game in the correct "resolution", and adjust the sprites.q3 layouts accordingly.
So, in windows mode, the client will have the option to run in "maximized" mode, or then in one of the "standart" resolutions. Is what offers less problems and better perfomance on Windows 10.

Lets see how it goes, as i need to merge some code of the other projects on this new features, and get time for it.

[TarMinyatur]

Carlos, I was thinking of that yesterday -- putting the directory service IP in sfc.ini. More people could have identical CRCs if that were the case. Sfc.ini would be the Hi-Def and Dyna client customizer as a simple text file. I've forgotten how I added Width and Height to EAW's sfc.ini. But I remember that it wasn't very difficult.

[Tiberius]

ok got it working server works .but what i did notice is when moving from a normal hex to another normal hex movement was fine not lagging like it used to but.. when moving from a normal hex to a hex with a planet or shipyard the display on left were it shows your mission or shipyard or supplies the shipyard and other buttons takes about 3-5 secs to go from greyed out to clickable didnt time it but  seems like 3-5 secs would be about right..

[Tiberius]

i have to say why the hell dont they (Dynaverse.net keeper of the code) give you the code to work on.. its just dumb to not let you work on it ...

thanks for all you do

[Tiberius]

i realize they dont have the op code but the multiplayer code for eaw is in there mabe there would be something you could come up with for op having looked at the eaw code..just thinking out loud

[d4v1ks]

i have to say why the hell dont they (Dynaverse.net keeper of the code) give you the code to work on..

The source code is an asset of an enterprise.
Why would they share it with anyone?
Who wins, and what?

[Javora]

The source code is an asset of an enterprise.
Why would they share it with anyone?
Who wins, and what?

While I don't want to stray off topic too much, I think Dyna team should allow you to work on the CE source code if you want to.  At this point no one is working on that hot mess and with you and Tar I think some real progress can be made.  Who knows, you might even be able to recreate some of the X Weapons from OP into the CE code and have both games under one roof.  That is my 2 cents, I'll go back into lurker mode now.

[Tiberius]

You mean an asset that is just sitting there collecting dust..after all this time its obvious they dont plan on doing anything with it..whats the point? is it just to say we have the code and nobody else does?..They should just give it back to whom they got it from.. You d4v1ks and Tar are the assets this community needs to come up with something to get this game moving again D.net doesnt have the skill or time needed to work on the code.. Time to hand it off to the people who do... 

[Nemesis]

All this work has been a thankless and expensive job.  I am grateful to Frey for having what it takes to do it.  Without all the effort and yes money Frey has put into the SFC community we wouldn't be here, there would be no SFC:CE.  There would be nowhere to post the recent developments where fans of SFC would see it.  In fact there would only be a very few isolated players still wishing for the glory days but with no one to share those wishes with. 

So thank you Frey.  Wish I could do more to help. 

And yes thanks to those who have used Freys dedication as a springboard to the recent developments in hacking the game.  Well done to you guys too, wish I knew how to help even though I don't currently have a machine suitable for game play and my disks were destroyed.  Well done to you but remember you are standing on Freys broad shoulders.  Without those shoulders to stand on you would have no place and no one to share your efforts and to praise your efforts. 

[Tiberius]

MY MY MY.... d.net was givin the code by a guy who was patching the game early on.. taldren gave d.net the tools to create keys  for the game..so in my opinion frey is not the saviour of sfc only a guy who was givin a few things..

yes he owns the forums but anyone who mods this game can create a free forum to discuss and mod further..all im saying is give the dam code to those in this community that have the ability to do something with it they can sign an NDA ffs..

 unless the true goal here is to sit on the code and do nothing and just keep a dead games forum going..again whats the point in having the code if you caint do anything with it its pointless...

 PS d4v1ks touching story.. but doesn't have anything to do with this discussion..i'll shut now cuz its obvious members here do nothing but pat one guy on the back who truly is holding up any future this game could have...so sad

[TAnimaL]

Not trying to muddy the waters  with comparisons but in support of Frey et. al. - the source code you want to see released is still covered under a great deal of legalese and NDAs, whether Taldren etc still exist or not, and the basic intellectual property of this game is owned by CBS & Paramount.

Whatever your personal opinion of the "Axanar" debacle is irrelevant; it merely shows the the holders of the IP are aware of what fans do. Let's not incur a world of pain on us.

D.net is not a signatory to the NDAs that cover the IP. The IP has many more lawyers and $$ to bury this game and site forever. Your insistence Tiberius makes your motives seem questionable, coming from someone who has 35 posts and is relatively new here.

[Nemesis]

Well Tiberius go ahead and create your own SFC forum and promote it as the "New home of SFC" and see how far you get.  Try and get together a group of free programmers and create an up to date clone of SFC. 

You also need to ask yourself WHY was Frey "given" this stuff and under what conditions.  The fact that after all these years the Dynaverse is still here shows that he was and is a good choice.  The existence of SFC:CE shows that the choice worked. 

You don't like how Frey has done things?  Make constructive and practical suggestions.  So far you are just going WAAH! Frey hasn't fullilled all my fantasies without any regard to what he has done or is allowed to do. 

[TarMinyatur]

From a practical standpoint, the SFC2CE source code is not useful and not relevant. D4v1ks, Adam, TAnimaL, and I are not C++ programmers. Frankly, nobody wants to play with or work on that neglected application, and I say this as CE's most dedicated promoter and 1000-hour contributor. Even if Frey or Strat or Exeter made the C++ sources secretly available, nobody is going to bother with it. I don't have the time to deal with spaghetti code and inheritances and virtual classes.

The game that interests people is SFC OP 2.563. Nobody on Earth has the source code for this game. We can use a disassembler to hack OP. It is impressive what we have done without one line of C++ code from StarfleetOP.exe.

And I will now fire up IDA to find more ways to improve a game that people actually play and care about. 

[d4v1ks]

This is a very complex topic to talk about.
There is a lot of positive and negative sides.
I believe all did their best.
But it really doesnt matter...
Who will have the time or skills to work on it?
It was made by a team of people, in a fulltime job, during months and months of their lives. And they were getting paid!
From my perspective i dont even know what i could do for it. Have no idea of its complexity.
One thing i know:

This afteernoon, i  got some free time to work on the next update for SFCOP 2564.
Today, i was finally able to open the SFC Launcher, select the sfc op client on a list, hit a button, and it automatically resized itself to the primary desktop resolution, and it started working as i advertised earlier.
No more painfull setting files, or hexediting to play in HD.
It is all that matters.