Modified clients

[mihaim]

Due to the large number of problems we have with modified clients that have modified maps and such ,

during the testing period after the update you are NOT authorised to use any other clients than official released ones.

If you are caught using modified clients your character will be locked/wiped/banned.

Unmodified CVS clients are allowed to server.

That means NO on so called cvs + patches compiled clients (eq big zoom), no minimap modifications, no custom modifications to maps.

 

If you are using such clients , redownload the game and install the official version. Faster you report bugs the faster game reaches the stable form. But do understand that we CAN'T fix a map if you modify it and get stucked. And instead of helping you are slowing down the debugging and testing.

 

When the test period is over ANY custom clients that wishes to connect to the main server HAVE to get prior permision to do so from Entropy or developers. Tests can be carried out on the test server and not on the main server.

 

If for a reason you can't connect to the game with the official client please contact developers (Entropy , Learner , Wytter , Grum or Mihaim) as soon as possible to explain why. Permissions may be given in special cases.

 

Regards,

Development team

[Entropy]

What he said.

[Zep]

Cya all when its over other BSD users. and best of luck to the Mac users amoungst us too. (there is no offical client for either platform.)

 

As nearly ALL bots are "modified" clients, better shut down your bots too.

Edited September 17, 2005 by Zep

[Wytter]

What I think Mihai meant was that modified CVS clients are not allowed on the main server, whereas unmodified clients are fully allowed and we will encourage you to use them, as they are the ones we will use in the next release.

 

By using an unmodified CVS client we will be able to get more usable data in bug reports and hereby making the CVS more stable - This will help us make sure that the same problems will not occur in the upcoming bugfix release. Frankly we can hardly use bug reports from the official client any more due to the amount of bugs and potential bugs that we have fixed.

 

And of course official developers automatically have permission to use modified CVS clients if they are working on improving the client/fixing bugs.

 

/Wytter

[Entropy]

When the test period is over ANY custom clients that wishes to connect to the main server HAVE to get prior permision to do so from Entropy or developers. Tests can be carried out on the test server and not on the main server.

 

If for a reason you can't connect to the game with the official client please contact developers (Entropy , Learner , Wytter , Grum or Mihaim) as soon as possible to explain why. Permissions may be given in special cases.

 

Regards,

Development team

197580[/snapback]

 

Cya all when its over other BSD users. and best of luck to the Mac users amoungst us too. (there is no offical client for either platform.)

 

As nearly ALL bots are "modified" clients, better shut down your bots too.

197632[/snapback]

 

Someone suffers from the "selective reading" syndrome....

[Zep]

As for selective reading, lets break this down then Ent.

 

Due to the large number of problems we have with modified clients that have modified maps and such ,

during the testing period after the update you are NOT authorised to use any other clients than official released ones.

If you are caught using modified clients your character will be locked/banned.

That means NO "cvs" compiled clients, no minimap modifications, no custom modifications to maps.

There are problems with clients that are modified and/or use modified maps and data.

As a result, we cannot use clients that arnt the "offical" released clients, Only the packs you have made.

If you are caught, you will be locked/baned

The way this is worded, It implys "cvs compiled clients and no minimap modifications and no custom modifications to maps.

 

If you are using such clients , redownload the game and install the official version. Faster you report bugs the faster game reaches the stable form. But do understand that we CAN'T fix a map if you modify it and get stucked. And instead of helping you are slowing down the debugging and testing.

If we are using those clients, we cannot be any help to the testing proccess, As we will be reporting old bugs etc etc.

 

When the test period is over ANY custom clients that wishes to connect to the main server HAVE to get prior permision to do so from Entropy or developers. Tests can be carried out on the test server and not on the main server.

We need permission to use these clients once the testing is complete, As such i applyed via learner for permission, And it was granted.

 

 

 

I also asked for clarification on the above post, And recived permission to use the cvs client on the main server.

Wytter also clarified it with a formal reply regarding cvs compiled clients.

 

If for a reason you can't connect to the game with the official client please contact developers (Entropy , Learner , Wytter , Grum or Mihaim) as soon as possible to explain why. Permissions may be given in special cases.

 

thanks for seeing me as a special case lol. lol

Edited September 17, 2005 by Zep

[Entropy]

Oh, but you conveniently left out the last paragraph, which addresses the exact issue you mentioned.

And BTW, modified clients were never allowed without permission. It's a violation of the license.

[ttlanhil]

That means NO "cvs" compiled clients

Regards,

Development team

197580[/snapback]

oh good, I don't have to do bugfixing anymore, that was such a pain

 

 

 

yeah yeah, I know, I'm being silly. recognised developers are allowed to work on bugfixes and all, which requies latest CVS, etc... I'll just go under the assumption that if it's my fault, I don't report it, and if it's a problem in clean CVS, I do (actually, I don't even have ent's build anymore, just clean-cvs and testing-cvs builds)

Edited September 17, 2005 by ttlanhil

[Zep]

Oh, but you conveniently left out the last paragraph, which addresses the exact issue you mentioned.

And BTW, modified clients were never allowed without permission. It's a violation of the license.

197655[/snapback]

 

Yes, And we apply via a site linked off this forum to run bots, Typically using modified clients, To do trades, even if all thats used is the client_serv.h, its still a licence breach.

 

Infact its typically not just a single breach, on the connection licence, Its normally multi-fold with the client licence, And the connection licence.

 

Infact i just releasied that a site ive posted in the dev area, run by me is currently in breach of a restiction #2 in the client licence. And and now going to remove that data file.

[Entropy]

The bots fall in a totally different category, and you know that very well. You just like to split hairs and act like we are making such an unresonable request, when in fact you know very well that what we are trying to do is fix those bugs and find the root of the problems.

[ttlanhil]

Cya all when its over other BSD users. and best of luck to the Mac users amoungst us too. (there is no offical client for either platform.)

hey, get back to work, slacker!

considering how much work you've done on ELC, and especially in the realm of *BSD porting, I would be rather suprised if you weren't allowed to continue your work

 

pretty sure that using anything besides ent's client is only for non-recognised developers (am I right here, admin?)

As nearly ALL bots are "modified" clients, better shut down your bots too.

197632[/snapback]

no, bots are not modified clients, they're bots. and under bot rules, not client rules (except the ones that apply, like language, and the character, if used both as bot and player)

[Zep]

The bots fall in a totally different category, and you know that very well. You just like to split hairs and act like we are making such an unresonable request, when in fact you know very well that what we are trying to do is fix those bugs and find the root of the problems.

197664[/snapback]

 

Agreed, Bots are a seperate issue.

The request isnt unreasonable(once clarifed), just worded so that it reads that way.

And yes, im aware that you want to fix all the bugs, heck ive been participating in that scheme for some time, rarely getting a chance to participate on the production server.

 

At times an annoucement like this makes intent very hard to understand. However, If we followed the inital post to-the-law It would mean exactly what i posted straight after it.

Personally, i dont want to risk my charictor by being baned/locked/deleted.

If you were in my shoes, You would have probably handled it differently. Forsight is a wonderfull thing.

[Zep]

hey, get back to work, slacker!

 

done =)

[Entropy]

While the initial post could have been better worded, I am surprised so many people got it wrong. Afterall, I don't think we ever made an unresonable request from our users or developers.

[Wytter]

Then how the ... would we do stability testing with the client that's going to be in the upcoming update if the users are not allowed to use it? Do we have to handle 100 requests of people who wish to use the CVS? You're not encouraging people to test it at all, and most people would simply not bother asking for permission to use CVS as they fear getting banned from it.

 

It makes absolutely no sense that players have to ask for permission to use an _un-modified_ CVS client. We cannot get debugging information from the release client, as it was not compiled with -ggdb so we will only be able to get duplicate bugs reported and get crashing bugs reported that we can only hope have been fixed in the CVS - we will not know for sure.

 

My point is - The CVS version is a lot more stable, and it is very important that we can get people to test it. Forcing that people only test with an old version with known and fixed buffer overflows makes absolutely no sense.

 

Our goal is that the bugfix release will fix the bugs with crashing - however we can only make sure if we distribute a newer testing client or allow people to use CVS.

[Placid]

What about those of us who can't use the official Linux client due to architecture?

Im running AMD64 and have to use CVS because the official client doesn't run.

[duran]

as long as its clean there should be no problem, in fact it may well be a help to the devs as they can get the bugs that may only show up on said arc before they make an official release on it

[Placid]

as long as its clean there should be no problem, in fact it may well be a help to the devs as they can get the bugs that may only show up on said arc before they make an official release on it

197814[/snapback]

Neither Entropy or Mihaim have said just that, the above text suggests that ANYTHING not official is illegal for the moment.

 

This is quite obsurd, so can Miahim or Ent. please confirm?

[ttlanhil]

Neither Entropy or Mihaim have said just that, the above text suggests that ANYTHING not official is illegal for the moment.

 

This is quite obsurd, so can Miahim or Ent. please confirm?

197819[/snapback]

wytter said otherwise, and said what i'd have expected the official position to be anyway. the replies from ent seem to lean towards this too. that's what I'm going on

[Aislinn]

Ok what none of you here are paying attention to is the fact that we have had dozens and dozens of people replacing their old maps of every sort, and using their old cvs clients and really screwing up bug searching and finding. You can't count how many of the so-called bugs were just the old stuff not working. Not to mention people weren't always giving us straight answers about what they were using either. We wasted a LOT of time on this stuff, let alone convincing these people to not use it anymore.

 

I am sure this is what prompted mihaim's post, and I would imagine he would have thought the real dev's and helpers understood this and would have continued on their work. You have to remember, this was a general announcement for all of the regular players, NOT an announcement for the client devs.

[mihaim]

That means NO "cvs" compiled clients, no minimap modifications, no custom modifications to maps.

 

This created a lot of confusion. I was refering to cvs clients with patches. unmodified CVS clients are allowed to server... "cvs" compiled = so called cvs ...

 

If you have an unusual platform that have no offcial client released and you can compile a client for that platform please contact developers so an official binary client for that can be added for that platform.

[JaneMuffin]

Ohhh!! Dammit now I am confused!! (natural state of muffin)

 

So are we allowed to use our old maps, like the ones from fred penners page? (Just the BMPs)

 

And are we allowed to make our own maps of the new continent (unsing the map editor)?

 

JaneMuffin

[Aislinn]

NO!

And for those of you who do anyway, don't bother reporting in your "bugs". Because if we find out you did this anyway, and the bug is because of your map replacing, your account will get locked/banned/whichever. It is just wasting our time when there are so many real problems to find and fix.

[Grossbouff]

Hi,

 

First of all, thank you very much for your efforts, the new version is much better!

Now my question:

May I replace 3 maps by maps which were already tested and proved to work perfectly and NOT report bugs? Actually, if the game bugs after replacing the original maps, I'd just install the original maps again and test if it bugs again, and only report in this case.

Is it OK like this?

 

Grossbouff

[Aislinn]

Hi,

 

First of all, thank you very much for your efforts, the new version is much better!

Now my question:

May I replace 3 maps by maps which were already tested and proved to work perfectly and NOT report bugs? Actually, if the game bugs after replacing the original maps, I'd just install the original maps again and test if it bugs again, and only report in this case.

Is it OK like this?

 

Grossbouff

197935[/snapback]

I'm sorry but the answer is still NO.

 

If we start making exceptions for every other person who thinks they know more than most about replacing maps and their testing prowess, then we are right back where we started from.