Patching Alternatives

Shadow-Wolf · #1 02-22-2006, 12:51 PM

Stopping on titanium would be an excellent idea, for those who got patched and for new members.

Belfedia · #2 02-22-2006, 01:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shadow-Wolf

Stopping on titanium would be an excellent idea, for those who got patched and for new members.

Hum i think you don't understand something
If they work on the Titanium package, nobody have the correct patch, and all people must buy titanium package (old and new). I have 2 everquest bought, i don't want buy one more for a six month package release...

**fathernitwit** · #3 02-22-2006, 02:39 PM

well lets face it, theres not a ton of people around, most people are around because they found a back patch, and will do so again. At least would be a legal alternative that we could officially support.

As for the avaliability of titanium over time... theres still tons of copies of eq platinum selling on ebay frequently...

Lordlemur · #4 02-22-2006, 03:10 PM

First, I would like to personally thank FatherNitwit and everyone else who has been milling about with complex solutions to all of Sony's complex problems. While there can not be legal tech support for back patching on this site I would like to point out 2 major reasons why the switch to a pre-packaged sony product would create the same quagmire, even though it might grow the community.

First and formost, any prepackaged Sony product will infact use client side communications that are not concurrent with the latest version of EQEMU. I have been 3rd party to some discussions on how to fix various issues, and I can only imagine how FatherNitwit would manage to reinvent the client server communications and encryptions yet again. Aside from his metal well being this has a HUGE impact on the player base. It takes alot of time to dryroom the encryption. That means that even if there was a client in his hands right now, he wouldn't nessicarly be able to push a client to the community quickly. In that time no visable progress will occur. He does have a life after all, and it's not like we pay him.

Secondly, There is no guarentee that Sony didn't have the foresight to actully produce a client that militantly protects it's self. While I don't think that Sony has much foresight, it is not out of the relm of possibilities that they would be sneaky. After all, Sony really doesnt' care for us. I could envision 2 schemes that would make it hard to make a client hackable.

First, rootkits that work with a key and a checksum. If you don't know what a rootkit is it's probably a good thing. Let's just say they could, as other companies have, install code that sinks deep into windows (or worse bios) and changes rules slightly. Say for example that they alter it so your eq client isn't the same as the version number stored on their server then eqgame.exe will not proceed past patching without eqhost and loginserver.ini returning a valid checksum. If these checksums aren't correct it purges your eq directory and prompts you to re-install. It may be quasi-legal, but worse has been done.

Second simply hardcode the loginserver.ini and the eqhost.txt into eq.exe. If it can't be edited, it's really not the big an issue for a game in the end of it's lifecycle, but it makes our lives very poor.

Imho the changes to EQEMU since I started have been very welcome. I would rather have a fully functioning world then a buggy one with more people. EQEMU has real progress, and that's something Sony only lied about on boxes and press releases.

I am

Lemur
Sumlek <50-something Monk> PEQ ~ The Grand Creation 0.6.5

Cisyouc · #5 02-23-2006, 03:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lordlemur

Second simply hardcode the loginserver.ini and the eqhost.txt into eq.exe. If it can't be edited, it's really not the big an issue for a game in the end of it's lifecycle, but it makes our lives very poor.

I don't think this can be done. Why? I'm thinking the people who manage sony's domain names and servers are _completely_ different from the developers. If something goes down, they need to be able to change it and patch right away. Mayhaps not the best infrastructure, but.

Belfedia · #6 02-22-2006, 03:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fathernitwit

well lets face it, theres not a ton of people around, most people are around because they found a back patch, and will do so again. At least would be a legal alternative that we could officially support.

As for the avaliability of titanium over time... theres still tons of copies of eq platinum selling on ebay frequently...

Everquest Titanium isn't very present on warez site... to young for a too old game i think.

If it was just for say to new player, Yes you can play if you buy Titanium, np
make it, but don't hope stop backpatch/warez asking :(

That sure this is a legal issue, but I think about future debates : " kind I have already everquest why oblige me has itself to repurchase it... Have interests on the sales of Sony?" (It is excessive I know, I dramatize:p).
I prefer send 200$ to eqemu devs than 20$ to sony

But the true question is How is the titanium pack ?
I have a platinium pack and without patching is'nt very usefull (that just install of all extension but need patch for fix client).

**fathernitwit** · #7 02-22-2006, 05:10 PM

Keep this in mind: I would not have posted this thread if we did not feel it was a very real and viable option. Theres nothing different or special about what comes on the titanium CDs.

I wouldent expect to see eq CDs on normal warez sites, beings that sony will let you download the entire thing for free... why bother.

klamath · #8 02-22-2006, 10:55 PM

Won't you be able to make it up to the files that sony lets you download ? and when they let you download more of game simply update to that ?

RangerDown · #9 02-24-2006, 06:05 PM

I'd be for becoming titanium-compatible if it's possible. At least then, we have an actual box set we can point people to, hopefully for months to come, and say "go buy that and you'll be compatible." SOE wins on that too, since that hopefully means a few Titanium sales.

Mattmeck pointed out that sometimes they'll release a CD box set and quietly update the contents while calling it the same name -- ie, 2 months from now they might still sell "Titanium" but they now burn the CD's with that current patch instead of the patch that was on when they first started selling Titanium. If that's the case, then it might just be more problems for us (even moreso since somebody will have paid money for a product that won't work). If you are (reasonably) certain there won't be multiple Titanium versions, then I'm totally in favor of it.

Shox · #10 02-27-2006, 06:33 PM

Well, like you said, Sony freely distributes EQ, so why can't you?
What if you got a couple mirrors, and distributed the build that was needed for the emu?

I'm not sure that's entirely legal though, its just a suggestion.

Nessful · #11 06-02-2006, 03:52 PM

does this mean that eqemu works?
if i got titanium

gottasummer · #12 06-17-2006, 08:12 AM

I bought it because I was looking for three of the expansions included... I just thought it would be easier to just buy all of them, boxed, instead of looking online for the two or three expansions I wanted... plus, at the price, I got a lot more than what I hoped for.

I'm assuming Titanium has some other things in it, and is not just a collection of expansions, is it not? I'm asking as this isn't a catch up to live, but it is up to Titanium...