Classic server
 

If anyone has managed to get a totally classic server up and running could you post on here or PM me. I have succeeded quite well with the up to date server but was throwing around the idea of a classic server using the old UI and everything.

Classic Server
 

Would it be possible to create an emulator around a CD you have of a really old client? If that is possible, what loginserver would you end up using? If its not possible what are some of the reasons its not (if thats not to much trouble)?

Getting an older client build working would be too much work. However, what you could do is use a current server and create a classic skin for the UI. I'm sure one is already out there somewhere. There is also a trick to change the loading graphic to anything you want so you could change it to be the classic graphic. I would use an old version of the spell files, and then the rest would be database work mainly. Classic is fully populated on any modern db so it would be pretty easy.

Check this out for your old Style UI

http://www.eqinterface.com/downloads...php?s=&id=2342

or this one

http://www.eqinterface.com/downloads...bs.php?id=2990

and this for a classic login screen

http://www.eqinterface.com/downloads...fo.php?id=3359

Building Around an Old Client
 

Ok, you say that it would be "too much work" to build a server around an old client. I'm willing to put that kind of effort into it. I'm just glad to hear its possible =P. Thank you for your help, it truly is invaluable to me.

PS: I have tried to use replicated UI skins, and its just not the same for me, but thank you for the links, in my humble opnion I think there is just no way to get the classic feel without the classic client. they do look pretty nice though =).

Cant the Original client still be found all over at software shops ? I still have all my original cd's and I know for a fact when you first install the game it has all the original gui and whatnot... The trick is to get a copy like that and never patch it to live. This would mean installing and never allowing it access to the internet. then working the code around that client so it would work.

Like Cavedude said, it would deffinely be way too much work. I say it's not worth it myself simply because there arent many people that have access to the original client unpatched and I think the time would be better spent making a version that worked with say... EQ Platinum, A version that is still readily available in stores. If a version could be made that would allow a new EQEmu player to go to the store but EQ Platinum, come home and install Platinum and the emulator right out of the box, alot of the "Dont patch" problems could be avoided since alot of people just swing by here and want to play eq for free on their own system...

It would also save alot of people that dont need the newer zones alot of time and hard drive space if they could reformat their hard drives and not need to worry about backing up Everquest.

Well..Im a total noob at this so I may be talking crap but so far in the few months Ive known about emu I have heard many questions concerning this.
Yes I would be interested in playing Old style as I only started playing EQ this year. I bet its much better than now.
But I think I read somewhere that even the original was patched from the start so maybe what you think of as classic may not be so classic..In fact it be buggy.
But heres a suggestion..I also read that to find info on the old style will be hard as alakazaam has updated all info..But maybe the site hase been recorded like on google. Or somewhere else..
At any rate I hope its possible and I hope somone could do it. Its gonna have to be the guys that played way back then doing it..They are the only ones who really know what it was like..

Creating an Emulator
 

Where does one start when making an Emulator that is based off of an old client? any tips would be helpful as to where I should start out. Thank you for your continued support, I'm very greatful =).

OH..I forgot to mention..I dont know much about games that comunicate over the internet but I think it works this way from what I have gathered so far. The client communicates with the server through a series of packets.
These packets are filled with opcodes. A packet sniffer must be able to record these opcodes and maybe some other pertinent information so that a DEV knows what the opcodes mean.
Now I read that there was no packet sniffer back then so there are no records for the opcodes. So I think those will have to be figured out by hand or some other way. Im thinking maybe alot of them are still the same but no experience whatsoever on that.(These statements may not even be true.)

As for the login server. I think there are what is called offsets. And I think every time there is an update that breaks the EMU these offsets are changed. Maybe if nothing is created in a few years from now I might have enough knowledge to try it myself. Cough!
But I know so very little it stinks right now. I dont know any C++ programming but I do know a little bit of Delphi. Not enough to be able to use
it for more than modifying someone elses programs so far.

Classic
 

Greetings,

BTW, the link above for the original EQ loading screen , isn't the real one :D. You can find the real original / kunark / velious ones actually on verants website.. They're missized but you can easily resize them to crystal clarity and use them for your loadscreen / menu screen! IT's very sweet :D.

Thanks for that awesome (if not speculative) info on the jist of how the emulator works. Someone above posted that, you use old spell files to retain the old spell graphics. Fanman, tried this and said he crashed after fiddling with it a bit. Has anyone successfully replaced all of the modern spell graphics with the old ones? Also.. does anyone know if the expansions enabled were set back to classic or even kunark, would the spells still work from the newer eras? or would one have to go into spells_us.txt and delete the entries for the newer spells, or just not spawn them in game ?

Kindest Regards,

Well..If you are talking about me I dont think I gave much of an explanation!
One is going to need at least a thousand fold more info to even get started!
Anyway..If I were to try it I would probably find it easier to just scrap the original .exe and just use the files. Maybe in a few to 5 or 10 years I may know a little something. LOL..

I placed a link on here before for a classic theme pack that I put together but I think the files got deleted on the host server. Here it is again. I had to seperate them because of the limit of the upload. Just DL both for full pack. The readme file is in the rar file.

EDIT: Added link for classic UI also

http://saturn.walagata.com/w/solid11/ClassicEQ.rar

http://saturn.walagata.com/w/solid11/eqtheme.mp3

http://saturn.walagata.com/w/solid111/Classic_UI.rar