News: Luigi Auriemma kindly and quickly wrote also an encoder for his tool connected with VC (http://aluigi.alt...e2_decoder). Unfortunately, I'm still not able to get my list to the game. I'm attaching a zip file with my measurements done with Wireshark. If anyone can look into that and see some other results, please reply.
I'm successful only in this: sending the client my own first line "\\basic\\\\secure\\" (thus with empty authorization token), to which the game responds with itws own two lines (with some validated string, which I ignore). And in the end I can resend to the the game the encrypted content which I've got saved from before (captured from communication with official master.gamespy.com; saved in reply.c). I'm sending it in one flow (captured by Wireshark as peer1_1 in gs2_my.c; instead of two parts flow: peer1_1, peer1_2 in gs2.c) and the game understands this. (Shows servers, the only case it does when communicating with my master server.) So this proves TCP communication works ok, and also uselessness of the auth. token and validated string.
I tried recreating the content as delivered by GameSpy (from gs2.dec) (that's gs2_msg.c), then encrypting it and sending to the game. Unfortunately, the game doesn't understand this. Although from decoded messages it can be seen that they have the same content (gs2.dec - my7.dec), they actually differ totally in communication (before decrypting them: gs2.c - my7_gs2.c).
Whereas Luigi's decoder understands both formats, the VC client understands just one of them. Maybe the game checks some CRC on the encrypted message before decrypting, I don't know, it's a total mystery for me.
Brchi, in what means were you able to get that list to the game? Do you understand this encoding or did you injected it somehow to the running process of the game?
OndraG, I don't know what's wrong with your approach, but it is not necessary.
I hooked into the gamespy api (found here goaceng.h) in the process and let it return my own serverlist (ServerListUpdate function).
Thanks for reply, Brchi. Well, actually I find creating an alternative master server (with a web interface on top of it) as the most direct and easy solution. You know, web-based applications are more 21st century, whereas fat clients are just fat... and maybe they can be detected as a virus if hooking some other processes?
I'm not sure if our approaches have some conjuction right now, but anyway, don't you want to go GitHub (public/private?) and make some merge?
I would prefer an application because it could have many advantages, if coupled with a new VCGuard-like server:
Account system to make a cheaters life hard (option for servers to forbid joining of newly created accounts/players, extra cheater servers for players tagged as cheater).
VCStarter-like functions, plus 1st person spectating & replays.
And a few more things.
I really hope I can do this in a few weeks. Gamespy shutting down forever is a big kick in my arse at least.
Whatever "the option" used, I really encourage you both to develop your project...
I would say: "the more the better"; even more because you take a different approach to resolve this huge problem! If one day something is going wrong with one program (not necessarily!), we will still have the other one.
Personally, and I think we are a lot to think the same, the priority should be to still be able to use the "in game" browser, if it's possible of course!
Brchi wrote:
I really hope I can do this in a few weeks. Gamespy shutting down forever is a big kick in my arse at least.
I've a really stupid idea: What if we asked the mandarins at Gamespy to put off Armageddon for another month, give us more time to build our ark?
I think that the suposed program will be the ark, the vietcong comunity will be the species, the person who creates the program will be noel, and the vietcong 2 comunity will be the dinosaurs
Nosek wrote:
I'm working on a very small info-map to inform more people about the GameSpy shutdown at 31st May.
The map has 3 boards where some basic information are presented in English, Czech and German.
I want to put it on my server.
EDIT: Thanks to Brchi and LDC-78 for their translations to German . (I'm not sure which one I'll use).
What do you think? Is it pointless or is it a good idea?
Dont forget the latin comunity, i can translate it to spanish .
Maybe we could find and personally contact VC programmers (their names are in "Titulky" on facebook, email, twitter.... to create a patch (like there was 1.60, 1.40..) easy for everyone to install. Most of them now work in 2K studio. One of them is here: twitter.com/tomasjelinek
Nosek: from my experience many players are from Poland and Russia and dont understand English. Put messages in google translate and it should be enough.
siafu wrote:
Maybe we could find and personally contact VC programmers (their names are in "Titulky" on facebook, email, twitter.... to create a patch (like there was 1.60, 1.40..) easy for everyone to install. Most of them now work in 2K studio. One of them is here: twitter.com/tomasjelinek
Don't be naive. ExPterodons are either gone or in Novato. They are working on games and don't have time to recreate something for old game for free, in their spare time. Furthermore VC1 has nothing to do with 2K Games.
It's community or nobody.
you can host hundred of Games with this tool, and they will be listened in Gameranger, and it´s for free.
Many closed and very old Games are running there.
http://www.gameranger.com/games/
see screenshot. I use it since years.
This Program config 90% of all routers automatically and everyone can host a game. Amazing.
sniperspider wrote:
you can host hundred of Games with this tool, and they will be listened in Gameranger, and it´s for free.
Many closed and very old Games are running there.
http://www.gameranger.com/games/
see screenshot. I use it since years.
This Program config 90% of all routers automatically and everyone can host a game. Amazing.
While this can look as solution, it will cause a mess. Brchi's software is the way to go. It will be designed especially for VC with many options and so on.
I really like the idea of account system for it, which adds new layer of protection and cheaters can be banned not only from game, but also website.
and maybe they can be detected as a virus if hooking some other processes?
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