[£££] Vengeance Server

[Ellie]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v108/ ... header.png[/img]

=====================================================
This is something I request a lot, I know, and I never get a response. I
have tried this time to make it as detailed and full as possible. This is a
PAID REQUEST, and possibly a percentage of earnings too (i.e. x% of
profits).
=====================================================

The basics

I am making a game called Vengeance. This is a commercial online role playing game, made with RMXP and a system called Netplay+.

I am using Netplay+ 1.6.3. Why?
- this is the version I am most familiar with
- it is already setup and running fine in my game
- in my experience it is the most stable version

I sort of... lost interest in Netplay+ a lot, in the extremely long wait for 2.0. But I did have a lot of time to play around with 1.6.3 and get to know it.

There is one thing wrong with my game, the server.

What is a server?

By server, I am referring to the program that the users connect to, not the computer itself.

The current server is not open source so it cannot be editted. It does not have MySQL access, and is somewhat buggy with crashes almost every week. As you can probably tell, this is certainly not ideal for a commercial game, where the standards are much higher than a normal game.

The server also has some key security flaws, one of them being that if you look at the screen you can see everyone's passwords, unencrypted. This means a print screen trojan (they do exist, one up from keyloggers), would be able to easily get everyone's passwords.

Why can't you do this?

While I am good at RGSS in general, and Netplay+ work, I am not so good when it comes to actual programming, such as networking, server creation, etc. It's not something I am familiar with, and while I have tried to learn, I have always failed.

What are you... paying?

I am paying for this, but an amount will have to be settled later. I have a large amount saved up, but obviously we need to agree on a fair price for the time and effort that would need to be put into this. It could be x percent of profits even, for example.

I will also give a free copy of the most expensive version of the game. This will most likely be the collectors' edition, on hard CD format with case, manuals, walkthrough guides, extras like badges, etc. It's only fair.

You will also be put in the official game team in all the credits, including in the manuals, etc, since you will have been a huge part of Vengeance.

Ok then, now onto the biggie, what is needed...

======================================================

WHAT I NEED FROM YOU

I need the server rebuilt, preferably in Ruby, but any format is fine so long as it is Linux compatable.

I also need a GUI for the server, though this can be made a little easier (I'll explain in a bit).

Resources available

This would be so much easier if it was legal to hack the origional C++ server, but unfortunately it's illegal, and the maker was a bit tight about open source and all that jazz.

So, the following is available to work from:

- Netplay+ 1.6.3
Possibly able to backwards engineer it (is that the term) to work out how?

- Netplay+ 2.0 server
This is a Ruby server for Netplay+ 2.0

The main catch here is that my game is in Netplay+ 1.6.3, not 2.0. This means that the server will have to use the exact same syntaxes as the origional Netplay+ 1.6.3 server, so as to avoid compatability issues. UNLESS it is possible to change the scripts.

The server

The server basically needs to function the same as the 1.6.3 server.

MySQL

This is the main addition. The server needs to be able to connect to a MySQL database and store player data and usernames, passwords, etc.

There will be two databases. One for player game saves, and the other for usernames and passwords. This is so that if one is compromised, the other should be safe.

GUI

For the GUI, I worked out a way to cheat a bit.

RMXP games can be played on Linux, right? (...right?... I hope). If so, this means the GUI can be made in the RPG Maker. I can do this myself, so long as a script is made with the needed functions.

The functions script will need:

-ability to view the chat log
-create account (username, password, member group, activation code)
-view online players list
-view registered players list
-ban player (timed)
-ban player (until unbanned)
-unban player
-kick online player
-kick all online players
-maintenence mode (only certain groups can log in)
-view and edit game news
-view and edit the player data database (for items, etc)
-view trade logs (for named players)
-chat (with chosen name)
-login! (to the server client, using admin username and password) for security
-log of what was done in that session (for security)

May be more, I'm not sure at the moment though.

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Additional notes

Please, if there is anything missing from here let me know.

I will be willing to provide you with the scripts from my game so that you can do this. But you have to agree not to release them or use them at all, punishable by death, by chainsaw / mallet / pie.

Whoever makes this for me will be a lifesaver for Vengeance. This is one of the key things that is stopping Vengeance from progressing.




For more information about the Vengeance project, you may with to visit:

http://www.rmxp.org/forums/index.php?topic=19951.0
http://www.vengeance-rpg.com
http://forums.vengeance-rpg.com
http://www.vengeance-rpg.com/wiki

 

[Ellie]

Though I don't see much chance in this getting done,

BRIAN
UNDERSTANDS
MATHEMATICAL
POISSON

I'd have thought the prospect of money would at least get people looking, but meh.

 

[Ellie]

BUMP.

(Can't be arsed to come up with a smart acronym.)

 

[Ellie]

Pmub!

 

[Ellie]

Gimme B: Bumpalicious
Gimme U: U know it's true
Gimme M: My request no good?
Gimme P: Pie's delicious
Gimme Ooooooo

 

[bluehazed]

just some advice, you might want to llook outside rmxp for this kind of work. you might not find alot of people with enough time on there hands here to do this. just throughing that out there.

looking forward to buying this,
bluehazed

 

[e]

I may not have my degree yet, or even have programmed a server software before, but I've done enough network programming before and I can tell you, it's a huge job you're asking here. If you ever want to see this completed, you'll probably have to shell out quite a bit of money...and then wait. It takes a good while if you want a robust, secure, scalable multi-threaded server software.

If you don't have the time nor the money right away, I'd advise you in settling for a basic, working version of the server, and then keep on paying as more upgrades are completed. That will not only ensure that you can start off with the game creation right away, but also flexibility and modularity...theoretically.

As for RMXP being able to run on Linux, I think WINE can run it fine most of the time. I wouldn't count on it on being very stable though; you might want to consider a Python or Perl application (they produce good GUIs and are pretty much common on every Linux box).

Depending on the pay, I'd be willing to take a stab at this. And I say, depending on the pay, because it would probably involve a massive amount of hours which would instead be devoted to work.

 

[S S Muu]

I think I can make it for you if I have time...
I'm already making a server for another RMXP game and this one will be even easier since it will only need the N+ 1.6.3 possibilities. so PM me and we can talk about it...
and you want it in Ruby... well that's great! I love Ruby, and yes I have made other servers before in Ruby(and Java) so I'm not a noob on either Ruby or Server making...

PS. please do not take me for a Noob just because I haven't posted much scripts.

 

[Ellie]

Do you have any idea the sort of price you'd ask for this? (So I can see if I have enough / what I need to save?)

 

[S S Muu]

It depends on what you are willing to pay.

Edit:
Some more stuffs that I can add to it:
MySQL as you said.
A GUI for it made in Ruby, Java, RMXP, Flash or C++.
An auto-updater embedded inside the RMXP game.
A system to stop the server from crashing even if it gets a lot of errors.
And some more stuffs...

 

[Ellie]

That would be great. I have quite a bit of cash saved up at the moment, I have no idea what something such as that would cost, but so long as it's... not too much then I'd be more than willing to pay for a system with all that.

The GUI, er... it can be made in whichever is easiest for you, so long as it can be ran in Linux (Xubuntu).

There's one more thing I missed off: World Variables. (Global Variables is the technical term, but since that term is already commonly used in RGSS, I figure calling them World Variables would seperate them).

Basically, somewhere I can add new variables, that can be editted from the game, but are stored in the server.

For example, lets say I had a minigame, that I wanted to keep a total wins for all players. Something like:

Player1 logs in, and finds out World_Variable[1] == 1027.

Player1 completes a minigame, and wins a reward as well as raising the total wins:

World_Variable[1] += 1

Player 2 logs in, and World_Variable[1] now == 1028.

I don't know if this system is possible, but it would be an extremely useful addition for minigames and special events, etc.

 

[S S Muu]

World_Variable... if you mean like a copy of the Game_Variables but just make it global, then it's very easy so sure, I'll make that.
GUI... I'll make it in ruby then.


I just finished the basics of the server, now I need to first find out all commands(and figure out what they do) from the old server, and then add them to my server.
then just add the stuffs you wanted(MySQL, GUI, World_Variables, ...).

PS. have you chanced anything on the old server so I can chance it here to?

Edit:

Some more stuffs that I can add to it:
MySQL as you said.
A GUI for it made in Ruby, Java, RMXP, Flash or C++.
An auto-updater embedded inside the RMXP game.
A system to stop the server from crashing even if it gets a lot of errors.
And some more stuffs...

forgot to add that I can make the passwords Encrypted (= harder to hack)

 

[Ellie]

Encrypted passwords would definately be good. At the moment in the Netplay+ 1 server, you can actually read the passwords from the server . Not good if you have a keylogger that also print screens.

 

[S S Muu]

At the moment in the Netplay+ 1 server, you can actually read the passwords from the server .

I know, that's just weird...

Edit:
This doesn't have anything to do with the server or anything but, could you make me an avatar like yours(with 'S' instead of 'V') I tried making one some time ago, but it sucked..

 

[Ellie]

Sure. Anything you want on it? I.e. colour, style, etc?

 

[S S Muu]

doesn't really matter, as long as it looks good.
just improvise.

and so far the server is going great.

 

[Ellie]

Hmm, I've tried, dunno how well I've done it though.

Spoiler

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v108/dudemaster/s.png[/img]

 

[S S Muu]

Change the style of the 'S' otherwise I like it. Never mind I tried making one again and I like it, thanks anyway.

and about the server, so far you can login(with MySQL) and see other players walk around.


About the payment, I usually take about 5000 SEK (= 407.999 GBP = 400 GBP) for my servers.

 

[Ellie]

400 GBP... I'm really sorry but I can't see myself every being able to get that kind of money  :shock: That's what I earn in about a year from my EMA...

 

[S S Muu]

that's why I said :

It depends on what you are willing to pay.

well then what do you want to pay?
say the price you want (not to low).


PS.

400 GBP... I'm really sorry but I can't see myself every being able to get that kind of money  :shock: That's what I earn in about a year from my EMA...

My Brother is 16 and he gets 21 000 SEK(=1,745.11 GBP) every month.