GameSpy's Master Servers Closing Down: PR Affected?

[Mineral]

When we have something it will be explained if needed. Please don't worry guys. AM got this

[Raklodder]

Say what? This is madness! Why would Electronic Arts (EA) make themselves reliant on Gamespy's services in the first place? Why didn't Electronic Arts (EA) host the service(s) themselves?

[Mineral]

Back in the day that wasn't an option. It was cheaper to let gamespy do it. They were also good at it Now they have their own datahosts.

[temexter]

If you gimme a big cookie, i will inject a new host name to client binary (can be done in launcher too or added to hosts file) and set up a GameSpy emulator server (credits go to our Russian and Italian haxor friends ...


P.S. Let me google that for you

[TheWurst]

I wouldn't worry too much about this yet. Considering that many of the games affected by a complete GameSpy shutdown are still being sold, chances are that the companies involved will find a solution.

If not, there's a bunch of hacks which already seem to replace the GameSpy login part, thus allowing us to connect to game servers as long as their IP addresses/ports are known. Replacing the browser functionality as well shouldn't be a big issue either.

But let's wait for an official statement from EA before reinventing the wheel (and waking up their lawyers).

[pdxmark]

If you gimme a big cookie, i will inject a new host name to client binary (can be done in launcher too or added to hosts file) and set up a GameSpy emulator server (credits go to our Russian and Italian haxor friends ...


P.S. Let me google that for you

+1 info

Just found out about this GS issue today and have been looking at workarounds by other communities. This is the best one so far... From a game hack/cheat site no less, bet that gets some peoples shorts in a knot!

[choppergirl]

If PR modders are kicking about some patch or alternative gamespy workaround, I'm in with my own haxor coding muscle.

Rather than everybody try and do everything on their own, or do the default, which is nothing, and bail on this game... I'm showing up here on enemy turf So on behalf of the massive AIRWAR mod I spent 7 years on that is the #1 most played BF 2142 mod... like, yo!

If I were going about this, my own patch attack effort would be to search the bf2.exe, bf2142.exe, bf1942.exe, bf2bfc.exe, and bfvietnam.exe game client strings for "gamespy.com", and change it to the domain of where we setup a new server list server, that emulates the responses of the gamespy server and handles registration into the list of servers going up or down, etc.

Then release little patch install .exes to players, that mod the clients in this way with a disk write into the client exe at the right offset address to change gamespy.com to whatever.com. Release these tiny patch files, rather than redistribute modified .exes, which would violate some copyright laws on the games themselves. Plus, be a lot smaller downloads. Don't restrict the effort to one game, cover all the BF games that are going to bite the bullet.... (and maybe even possibly, later, some of the other major titles outside of BF even)... as the method to patch each should generally be pretty much the same method for them all I have copies of all the games but Bad Company.

Also, patches could be made for the BF2 demo and BF2142 demo as well. Which would mean, the sunsetting BF2142 demo could be brought back from its already dead state, and if this was never going to happen.... BF2 demo would of sure been next on their hatchet list anyway....

If other patches already exist (I have a Russian one) to redirect the Gamespy port, they need to be cleaned up and presented to players as a unified polished final solution (even if still beta). Otherwise it could be a mess. I think the biggest problem, is most players aren't even going to know they need a patch (considering a lot of them don't speak English, and its not like we have a system wide intercom "horn" to warn them all). Player subscribership, any way you look about it, is going to plummet. Even if you could still get into a server, most likely it would be empty and dead inside.

Gamespy Shutting Down May 31St - Bye Bye Bf2, 2142, 1942, Vietnam - Discussion Main - Official BF Editor Forums



CHOPPERGIRL @ AIRWAR.ORG

Better start brainstorming out loud... so everybody can hear you... and fast....

If you want to be a hero, well just follow me..... -- "Working Class Heros", John Lennon

[Agemman]

Make temporary fix for PR:BF2. Focus on developing PR2. Introduce hats to PR2. F2P + hats = players. We learned that from TF2. Announce on April 1st 2015.

[Spush]

You do realize that PR2 and PR:BF2 aren't even the same team right? Totally separate team said this a hundred times. They work on their game, the PR:BF2 mod team works on their game.

[pdxmark]

I think the biggest problem, is most players aren't even going to know they need a patch (considering a lot of them don't speak English, and its not like we have a system wide intercom "horn" to warn them all).

Yes, there is a bullhorn, the current log in screen!

The Devs would just need to make a small change to the informative text link at the bottom of the PR game loader to give people a link of where they can stay informed on the GS server emulation issue.

[Spec]

You do realize that PR2 and PR:BF2 aren't even the same team right? Totally separate team said this a hundred times. They work on their game, the PR:BF2 mod team works on their game.

I have a feeling that he was kidding.

[RazoR41]

Good to see that the PR:BF2 devs are working on a solution, but it makes you worry...

What will happen to those thousands who still play other BF2, BF1942, Vietnam, 2142 and the mods associated with the games?

[WeeD-KilleR]

I don't know why you guys trying to create such a unreasonable fear. AM (and other DEVs) stated that everything will be okay. Gamespy emulators have been around for a while now. All what has to be done is from the dev side set up a server that acts as the login system from gamespy using one of the emualtors. (Said server would requiere additonal money, so gib monie plz)

The next thing would be to release a patch which changes the domains for the login servers to point at the new ones. And maybe new accounts needs to be generated, since I doubt you can get the account database for BF2 somehow. That's about it.

[Spook]

New unique nicks, which were always taken, for everyone yay.

[UTurista]

I don't know why you guys trying to create such a unreasonable fear. AM (and other DEVs) stated that everything will be okay.

NO! We need to PANIC!!

...it means you won't be able to play PR...

I don't care what AM said after those words but that line its enough to panic! PANICC I TELL YOU.

PANIC I TELL YOU PANIC!!!DEFCON 1!!1!!eleven!!!

[commander_sinbad]

WERE DOOMED!!!!!!!!!!!

[SIDEKILL3R]

if only spiderman was here he will end all this fear

[AncientMan]

Yeah, everyone is just over-reacting, I'm locking this. Everyone needs to just chill out and have a little faith that we can figure all this out.

PR:BF2 has an automatic updater that will provide an update when it's ready. We have a substantial amount of code already written that is related to this. We have the knowledge and the understanding of what needs to be done and how it needs to be done. We have almost 2 months to come up with something, which should be more than enough time to do something that, for the most part, isn't complicated at all.

Provided we come up with something that works, to the average player, you're not going to notice anything different at all. Likely, the most you'll have to do is create a new online account. Not a big deal.

As a side note, there's a lot of smart people from other BF2 mod teams, and from the gaming community overall (remember, there's a rather large amount of games affected by this). I'm sure between the lot of us we can figure something out, and come up with something that everyone can use and benefit from. We're not those kind of people that don't like to share .

But anyway, yes, PR:BF2 is affected, but no, PR:BF2 will not die. Absolutely not, no way, put too much time and effort into this game for it to go out like that. And that's really all you need to know

[Jafar Ironclad]

Also, for the record:

EA Transitioning Battlefield Games from GameSpy Servers - IGN