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[Visavant]

This is an announcement relative to the existence of a replacement service to GameSpy.

This thread will update for every modification and change that're made. If there is any information existing outside of this thread realtive to this project, please ensure links point here for the community to remain informed.

A new mastering service located at NWNCore is being turned up which will automatically announce the existence of participating game servers that communicate to it. Applications which patch nwserver and nwmain files in your installation are being distributed. It requires no registration, and automatically permits display of available online servers and interaction in a variety of ways (players can use an available tool that permits a one click connect option from the website until the game client patch is released).

Both NWN1 and NWN2 will be supported and properly communicated to clients.

** SERVER HOSTS **
To automatically announce your servers, please modify your operating system hosts file to reflect the following:

198.23.165.35 nwn.master.gamespy.com

** PLAYERS **
Click this link to view instructions for accessing the list.

Included extra features coming
XML requests : All available data NWCore acquires and uses will be available for anyone to make their own tool from. This includes web applications that want to display GS protocol supplied information on their website. The XML cache will be tossed to a CDN rather than hammering the main site. Javascript examples will be available in the upcoming documentation.

Extended API : Server hosts to assist in an upcoming out-of-game autodownloader, images, banners, other upcoming features.

Relay : All traffic information inbound can be sent to another mastering service, possible future use of clustering / mastering pools so this problem doesn't occur again.

What's the current status of (feature)?
Listening Server : COMPLETE
UDP Relaying : COMPLETE
XML Creation / Cache : Mostly complete, CDN setup is still underway.
Web Server List : Awaiting DNS updates, awaiting host provisioning.
Client Patchers : Windows released for NWN1. NWN2 testing still underway. Linux binaries coming in a few days.

I found a bug and need to report it...
No software can come out being pristine of course. Please send me a private message in this forum and I'll address it as soon as possible. All patched updates will appear on this thread.

Will the in game client work again?
Yes. At this time I'm working to ensure that at least a referencable location is visible to players from the server hosts on a central website. The in game browser will be patched to operate soon in tandem.

What does it take to sign up?
There is nothing to sign up for. Server hosts simply make a single adjustment and their server does the rest. (Hosts file, or the nwserver executible patch, availability for this will be posted on nwvault today). The players need only to replace nwmain.exe with the patched file. Patched file support for existing ones out there (the post process mod for example) will also be made.

Windows Files
Server / Client Matchmaking Service Patcher - Still up for submission, but will patch nwmain / nwserver processes to forward information to the matchmaking service. CLIENT IN GAME BROWSER SUPPORT WILL BE ADDRESSED SOON AUTOMATICALLY.

Microsoft .NET Framework 4 - Required to operate the patching application.

Linux Files
nwserver patcher still on it's way.

Changelog
12/8/12
* Added URL protocol handlers for the Windows patching client. Players will be able to connect straight to the game server from their web browsers.
* Added bioware auth fix since the service is also no longer available.

Modifié par Visavant, 09 décembre 2012 - 05:34 .

[Pearls]

is the only change made to the nwserver executable the gamespy address? we use a custom executable and i want to update it

[Visavant]

Yes.

[T0r0]

" The players need only to replace nwmain.exe with the patched file."

Question,,, Can't speak for alot of people (but I suspect alot) but I for one use the camera hack that has already modified the nwnmain.exe. Are you replacing it entirely or modifying the one we have ? Just throwing it out there so you can take it into consideration.

[Visavant]

The patch will work with any modified nwmain / nwserver. Tested Windows only so far, but a linux compatible one will come shortly.

[Visavant]

Just submitted the patcher to the vault. Awaiting the new webhosting services to turn up still. 

Modifié par Visavant, 08 décembre 2012 - 08:00 .

[Baaleos]

Can you share the source / memory locations you are modifying?

[Visavant]

Baaleos wrote...
Can you share the source / memory locations you are modifying?

Original : 6D61737465722E67616D657370792E636F6D
Replacement : 6D61737465722E6E776E636F72652E6E6574

I tried to maintain the same filesize in bytes when written vs the original.

I take it you're using PHP-GD to generate your signature? Not a bad idea.

Modifié par Visavant, 08 décembre 2012 - 08:34 .

[SkywingvL]

Hey, Visavant: I've similar been rolling out an infrastructure to serve this need. That infrastructure works today by replacing the bioware master server communication:

http://www.nwnx.org/...opic.php?t=2036

The server list is maintained through a now available update to the xp_bugfix NWNX4 plugin (NWNX2 plugin coming shortly courtesy Zebranky) which enables participating servers to check in with the replacement master server infrastructure.

Could you catch me on irc.nwn2source.net / #nwn2cr so that we can see about unifying our infrastructure here? It would be greatly advantageous to have a single place for PW admins and players to work with.

Modifié par SkywingvL, 09 décembre 2012 - 03:07 .

[AlgernonsGhost]

Will patching a server to use this affect it showing up or being available in other services (xfire client, php scripts to get server status and player count, etc.)?

[Melkior_King]

If you wish to try out the service before committing to changing your game and server files, enter this line into your local "hosts" file:
66.96.147.110 nwn.master.gamespy.com
Caution! This will force ALL games which use GameSpy into trying to use the new nwn service so DON'T do this except as a temporary measure to test the new service, unless you have NO other games installed which use GameSpy.

You WILL need to remove the line from your hosts file in order to use other games which connect to GameSpy.

If you have the technical expertiise to edit the game files yourself using something like XVI32 (A free hex editing program), you can update your own game files without the patcher.

nwmain.exe and nwserver.exe both need to be patched.

Search each file for the string master.gamespy.com and replace (overwrite, not insert) with the string master.nwncore.net

Each string should appear only once in each exe file.

Restart your server and it should then appear on the new site's listing.

Edit: The URL should have had nwn. at the start.

Modifié par Melkior_King, 09 décembre 2012 - 06:13 .

[Visavant]

AlgernonsGhost wrote...

Will patching a server to use this affect it showing up or being available in other services (xfire client, php scripts to get server status and player count, etc.)?

The patching will not interfere with any existing functionality.

Melkior_King wrote...

66.96.147.110 master.gamespy.com

Where does this point to?

SkywingvL wrote...

Could you catch me on irc.nwn2source.net / #nwn2cr so that we can see about unifying our infrastructure here? It would be greatly advantageous to have a single place for PW admins and players to work with.

Is this functionality primarily based on NWNx / Extended Client talking to the master server and back? I'll try to hop on IRC tomorrow evening (Sunday).

Modifié par Visavant, 09 décembre 2012 - 05:16 .

[Melkior_King]

Visavant wrote...

Melkior_King wrote...

66.96.147.110 master.gamespy.com

Where does this point to?

The string of hex codes posted above translates to the web address for the replacement server.  I simply PINGed master.nwncore.net to find the IP address then posted it here.  That IP address is the equivalent to master.nwncore.net which is the replacement for GameSpy for nwn.

Remember that the replacement site is still under development so don't expect immediate results if you start pointing to the new site right away.

And may I add congratulations and thank you very much to all involved in making this replacement server.  Your efforts are very much appreciated.

Modifié par Melkior_King, 09 décembre 2012 - 06:08 .

[Visavant]

Not a problem. While yes that does currently resolve to that IP, the string formed is %d.master.gamespy.com which %d is the gamename, in this case, nwn. The FQDN NWN is being patched to communicate to is nwn.master.nwncore.net which is accepting communication from it's test servers.

[Melkior_King]

Visavant wrote...

Not a problem. While yes that does currently resolve to that IP, the string formed is %d.master.gamespy.com which %d is the gamename, in this case, nwn. The FQDN NWN is being patched to communicate to is nwn.master.nwncore.net which is accepting communication from it's test servers.

Does the game automatically add the nwn prefix or does that have to be added manually when the exe file is edited?

[Visavant]

The game automatically adds it.

Testing a patch update which introduces support for registering the NWN1 / NWN2 game executibles as protocol handlers. That is to say, clicking a link will bring up NWN with the +connect parameter to connect to the server linked from the web.

Status on the service : 
I may be able to turn the services up sooner than anticipated, though I'm working pretty diligently to ensure that the updated patcher also reflects new changes and proper support for NWN1 and NWN2's updates. Given the time it takes to push updates to the IGN vault, I'll instead provide an internal autoupdater to the patcher just in case that uses an external mirror.

For those folks in my messages queue, don't worry, as new tiers of tests are completed, I'll be requesting more of you to run the preliminary patcher and we'll see what results are gained before turning this puppy loose for it's first release Sunday evening.

Modifié par Visavant, 09 décembre 2012 - 06:27 .

[Melkior_King]

Thank you. I guessed that would be the case.

You now have one server (mine) pointing to your site. It restarts automatically every 24 hours. You may use the requests it sends to test your site.

I also modified the copy of the game I usually use.

I hope that this is useful to you in testing your site.

[Visavant]

Almost, I need to send you the prelim patcher if you're using Windows.

Modifié par Visavant, 09 décembre 2012 - 06:53 .

[Melkior_King]

What does the prelim patcher do? Do other files also need to be updated to the new address? You have my email address if you want to send me the files.

[Visavant]

Updates just nwmain / nwserver for both NWN1 and 2, no other files needed. It modifies the infogrames/bioware DNS entries as well. From your hosts file edit, I'm seeing your server as well.

(Yes testers, I'm aware there's a bug offsetting the XML creation process, it's on my to-do list...). 

Modifié par Visavant, 09 décembre 2012 - 07:24 .

[Melkior_King]

I've had very little to do with XML. All I care about is if it works or not. :-)

But if you need help with scripting or even cobbling together a "mickey mouse" program, I can probably help there.

(For the uninitiated, a "Mickey Mouse" program usually is a run-one-time solution to a temporary problem. Like a comic book story which is usually read then forgotten)

Perhaps I should point out that I'm simply using XVI32 to edit the game files.  It's not as quick and easy as a patcher, but it's quick and easy enough for me. :-)

Edit:  I'll write a quick & simple patcher in Liberty Basic.  It won't be small since LB requires several DLL and SLL support files, but it will be easy to implement and distribute.

Modifié par Melkior_King, 09 décembre 2012 - 08:09 .

[Visavant]

The screen seen has only a visual debugging hook into the XML normalization process at this time. The XMLs generated is what is packaged onto a CDN hosted cache which stands as the basis of populating NWN1 and NWN2 server browser lists from standalone 3rd party, and web apps others can write. Later on I'll write a bit more informative app that shows end to end what the server is doing including the UDP relay. As more servers patch up, the lists will grow automatically. I saw someone authored a standalone matchmaking option based on historic server data, I think I'll throw in support of NWNCore requesting status information from the historic servers and building XMLs from that too.

Once base functionality is established today, I'll re tackle the clientside this week.

Modifié par Visavant, 09 décembre 2012 - 08:05 .

[Borrie BoBaka]

Once everything is in order we'll have to try and distribute this replacement as far and as wide as possible. If anyone knows of any other sites that have constant activity for Neverwinter users outside of the Vault, Nexus, and NWConnections, it'd be helpful to know of them so we can spread the news. If all else fails, I'll do some missionary work for each server that I can to try and directly inform their hosts of this fix.

It's more than just supplying Server hoppers with a convenient method of hopping servers, but the list was the most basic and critical part of advertising servers to players. Without it, we loose a big part of our public visibility. I'm glad we're able to restore it, but it means nothing if we can't spread the word.

Before completion however, we can still make sure we can get as many people as possible aware of this topic. We'll need to unite everyone so we can carry on as if nothing happened.

[Melkior_King]

I'm planning on telling gog.com about this fix as soon as it's working reliably. They can patch their copy of the files and repackage them into their installer. Current users can download the updated package and reinstall, or download a patcher which I expect gog.com will be willing to provide.

[Borrie BoBaka]

Melkior_King wrote...

I'm planning on telling gog.com about this fix as soon as it's working reliably. They can patch their copy of the files and repackage them into their installer. Current users can download the updated package and reinstall, or download a patcher which I expect gog.com will be willing to provide.

They likely can't or won't alter the existing exes for purity's sake, but I'll bet they'll be willing to direct customers to the patch as a third party solution to fixing the game. Either way they're still a valuable contact.