What does it take to code this monster?

[TeeTees]

I'd love to help, but I'm not a coder.

I am very curious what goes into fixing WAR (how it's done).
What language do you need to know?
What does a problem look like? Example, if you wanted to make the map light up and reveal when you enter a new area.... how would you go about doing that? Everything is ordered? Or it's a big mess and you have to go searching?

Lots of respect for the devs.... obviously I know nothing about the work you do.

One other question: Is the server portion of the code being remade from scratch? Or was there a dump of that made (I'm guessing yes, and that's the reason for the version of the current game)?

Thanks for enlightening me!

[MaxHayman]

The server is written in C#, with a lot of the tools we write written in Java. Knowing a programming language isn't the most crucial thing you need to know, as knowledge of any object orientated language should be fine. Most of the time I spend working on reverse engineering the packet structures.

During the last days of the original game people made loads of packet logs from the original servers.

Which look like this.


A lot of the packets structures have been identified - but there are usually some unknown values still. There are still a lot of structures to still be identified, some which have no apparent effect to the running of the game.

The server was originally written from scratch. However - data can be extracted from the packet logs, which can be reprocessed and used again (like items, quests and NPCs) once the structure of that packet is discovered.

I hope this clears things up for you.

[TeeTees]

So, you take a server packet line and see what the client does with it once it reads it? Trial and error?
Now I'm really confused...... LOL

I know the client side has most of the game (the art, animations, etc)..... was the server side another "instance" of the client that just kept track of everything (meaning you have all the software)? Or the server was something totally different..... in which case, how was that recreated here?

This is really neat.

[Londo]

Its not complete trial and error. Layout of packets is logical, and you expect certain things at different places. I also find it helpful to disassemble the war.exe and look at parameters for the packet handler in question.

(IDA Disassembler)

[Aceboltz]

Is there a Londo fangroup?

[Bozzax]

Yep sign up @ http://www.returnofreckoning.com

[Luth]

Spoiler:

Rumor has it, that if you are not a coder and stare too long at those pictures,
- you begin to shrink
- your skin turns green
- your face takes the form of a rotten potato
- you start to stink terribly

So better be careful

[TeeTees]

Its not complete trial and error. Layout of packets is logical, and you expect certain things at different places. I also find it helpful to disassemble the war.exe and look at parameters for the packet handler in question.

(IDA Disassembler)

Yup, that's complete Ork-Speak to me..... no clue what any of that means.

But it was really nice to see what you guys do...... I was hoping I'd see something and be able to say "hey, I can do that!!! Lemme help".

[Barbadian]

Very cool. This project has inspired me to learn Programming myself. Hoping to help out around here at some point in the future - thats if it aint all done by then! Haha.

[timberwoff]

How does this relate to, for example, Public Quests not working? What would you have to do to get those to work? Just trying to understand the (most likely colossal) amount of work you guys are throwing yourselves at.