I got a master/authentication/manager server - any interest?
by Thomas \"Man of Ice\" Lund · in General Discussion · 09/26/2003 (1:57 am) · 70 replies
Executive summary:
I got the code for a master server that also includes authtication, registration of users as well as management of avatar/buddylists - and could easily be expanded to include clan management, persistence of inventory etc.etc. centralized.
The code is 100% free of Torque code, but uses the Torque master server protocol + my own additions for the stuff not in Torque. Runs on Linux + Windows from the same code base (C++).
I just dont know what to do with it. Thats what I'm asking you now.
Little background info:
A year ago I started coding this server for a game called c3command with 10-15 other ppl. Unfortunally our team leader has totally disappeared without a trace (yes we tried to track him down, but no luck. We fear the worst). He had the intellectual rights to the game, so we didnt want to continue down that track with possible legal problems looming. Most of the team continues on a new Torque game.
When the c3command project halted early this year I mothballed the code and worked on different projects. Around summer Fredrik Svensson (a Torque owner) contacted me and made me pull it out of cvs and look at it again. He contributed some encryption code, and we started cleaning the code.
Current status and what to do now:
We started talking about contributing the code to GG (the company), but they dont want this inhouse, but rather as a resource.
We are now in the state of either releasing this as a free/general resource as is - or to work some more on this and create some commercial thing around this. We got lots of ideas to great additions, but without some commercial support surround it, we cant work on this the way we would like too.
Add to the mix, that there is already a GPL'ed master server out there for Torque. I've tried contacting Ben to see if he is interested in joining forces on this. It seems all development on that GPL'ed version has halted, so I dont know if he has moved on to other stuff.
So the big question is what you guys see viable.
Would you e.g. be willing to pay maybe $50-$100 (whatever the right price for this is) for a working server that can handle browse lists, authentication etc.etc.etc. with nice management clients and add on code to the Torque source (as well as other engines)?
Or rather have some half finished code free available for use with only slow and minor improvements from me and Fredrik?
Or maybe not interested at all, as you use the GPL master server?
Please feel free to pitch in any ideas, questions and comments you have.
I got the code for a master server that also includes authtication, registration of users as well as management of avatar/buddylists - and could easily be expanded to include clan management, persistence of inventory etc.etc. centralized.
The code is 100% free of Torque code, but uses the Torque master server protocol + my own additions for the stuff not in Torque. Runs on Linux + Windows from the same code base (C++).
I just dont know what to do with it. Thats what I'm asking you now.
Little background info:
A year ago I started coding this server for a game called c3command with 10-15 other ppl. Unfortunally our team leader has totally disappeared without a trace (yes we tried to track him down, but no luck. We fear the worst). He had the intellectual rights to the game, so we didnt want to continue down that track with possible legal problems looming. Most of the team continues on a new Torque game.
When the c3command project halted early this year I mothballed the code and worked on different projects. Around summer Fredrik Svensson (a Torque owner) contacted me and made me pull it out of cvs and look at it again. He contributed some encryption code, and we started cleaning the code.
Current status and what to do now:
We started talking about contributing the code to GG (the company), but they dont want this inhouse, but rather as a resource.
We are now in the state of either releasing this as a free/general resource as is - or to work some more on this and create some commercial thing around this. We got lots of ideas to great additions, but without some commercial support surround it, we cant work on this the way we would like too.
Add to the mix, that there is already a GPL'ed master server out there for Torque. I've tried contacting Ben to see if he is interested in joining forces on this. It seems all development on that GPL'ed version has halted, so I dont know if he has moved on to other stuff.
So the big question is what you guys see viable.
Would you e.g. be willing to pay maybe $50-$100 (whatever the right price for this is) for a working server that can handle browse lists, authentication etc.etc.etc. with nice management clients and add on code to the Torque source (as well as other engines)?
Or rather have some half finished code free available for use with only slow and minor improvements from me and Fredrik?
Or maybe not interested at all, as you use the GPL master server?
Please feel free to pitch in any ideas, questions and comments you have.
#22
09/29/2003 (4:31 pm)
Sounds awesome. I'll be keeping an eye out for it.
#23
09/30/2003 (9:01 am)
Sounds great, I'm definetly a customer when it's done!
#24
U know, this would rule if integratable with some sort of MMO solution... *shrugs*
09/30/2003 (3:53 pm)
I'll keep an eye out on it too. As I do not need the source but would like to use the binary for multi-projects, what would be the price for that, if available?U know, this would rule if integratable with some sort of MMO solution... *shrugs*
#25
09/30/2003 (4:08 pm)
I'm thinking about doing my own master server with major protocol changes such as using TCP/IP Instead of UDP. :P
#26
10/03/2003 (2:01 am)
In this case we are using both. 
#27
What kind of load do you think it can handle? Can it scale along with a server?
10/03/2003 (9:50 am)
@Thomas: How does your solution work for an MMO project? This is probably the one sticking point I've had with TGE(I cringe when I think about redoing the network code to support more people), but if this can do what I need, I'll gladly fork over some cash to you. It's worth it in any event =)What kind of load do you think it can handle? Can it scale along with a server?
#28
The handling of connections is threaded, so basically you could dump larger hardware into it to make it scale. But I didnt put in any separation of master server + auth server + management part - everything is 1 program. But whats done inside the program is fairly simple and straight forward, so I would expect any problems scaling upwards within reasonable limits.
Once I'm close to completion (things are stopped for a week due to reasons I cannot discuss) I would be willing to write a small load test client and make it available for everyone interested in buying. I'm also planning to have a server running on my own network that is accessible from the outside so you can "try before you buy".
Hope that doesnt turn you away - but its too early to tell anything concrete about performance limits.
10/04/2003 (1:27 am)
Ted: To be honest I have no clue currently!The handling of connections is threaded, so basically you could dump larger hardware into it to make it scale. But I didnt put in any separation of master server + auth server + management part - everything is 1 program. But whats done inside the program is fairly simple and straight forward, so I would expect any problems scaling upwards within reasonable limits.
Once I'm close to completion (things are stopped for a week due to reasons I cannot discuss) I would be willing to write a small load test client and make it available for everyone interested in buying. I'm also planning to have a server running on my own network that is accessible from the outside so you can "try before you buy".
Hope that doesnt turn you away - but its too early to tell anything concrete about performance limits.
#29
12/13/2003 (4:02 am)
Something new on this?
#30
12/13/2003 (7:49 am)
Nope, not as far as I know. :)
#31
is there a web site yet?
jay
12/15/2003 (12:24 pm)
I would pay $50 for the end product and $100 for the source. Some screen shots would help me see more of what it will do...is there a web site yet?
jay
#32
12/15/2003 (1:06 pm)
I think that development on this particular project has stopped, unfortunately... :(
#33
Good news and bad news.
Bad news first. I have abandoned this code/project. Sorry for all who had faith and hopes in it. It is actually working and running, but not done. Why then stop? Read on.
Good news. I have teamed up with a few others to create a more ambitious project along similar lines as this master server. A much better project that will include the mentioned functionality and way more.
I cannot say much more, as we dont have much to show yet. You can count on us announcing this widely when we got something.
I hope your (possibly) initial sadness will be turned into happiness when I can say more about the upcomming stuff.
So summary: there will be a commercial available master server + more - just not this particular code that I coded. I know that starting off again has pushed the deadline for availability to you further into the future, and I am truly sorry about that. But faced with the new ideas and possibilities I didnt see a future in this one. Rather join forces than fight each other.
12/15/2003 (2:45 pm)
A small update. Sorry for the long wait everyone. Been quite busy lately. (Unfortunally with RL work rather than my hobby)Good news and bad news.
Bad news first. I have abandoned this code/project. Sorry for all who had faith and hopes in it. It is actually working and running, but not done. Why then stop? Read on.
Good news. I have teamed up with a few others to create a more ambitious project along similar lines as this master server. A much better project that will include the mentioned functionality and way more.
I cannot say much more, as we dont have much to show yet. You can count on us announcing this widely when we got something.
I hope your (possibly) initial sadness will be turned into happiness when I can say more about the upcomming stuff.
So summary: there will be a commercial available master server + more - just not this particular code that I coded. I know that starting off again has pushed the deadline for availability to you further into the future, and I am truly sorry about that. But faced with the new ideas and possibilities I didnt see a future in this one. Rather join forces than fight each other.
#34
www.pblabs.com/projects.php
Doesn't sound quite like this project, but its a master server nontheless.
12/15/2003 (3:07 pm)
Did anyone ever notice this?www.pblabs.com/projects.php
Doesn't sound quite like this project, but its a master server nontheless.
#35
It works, but as far as I know (Ben correct me) there hasnt been any modifications or new releases in over a year.
Possibly Ben moved to a bigger project ;-)
12/16/2003 (12:13 am)
Yes - its Ben Garneys GPL'ed master server.It works, but as far as I know (Ben correct me) there hasnt been any modifications or new releases in over a year.
Possibly Ben moved to a bigger project ;-)
#36
12/16/2003 (7:48 am)
Thomas is right - it works, but I am indeed working in greener pastures, so to say. :)
#37
12/19/2003 (2:45 am)
Ok the masterserver works so far, but it works only for about 5 minutes, after that he always becomes a resend package and so no servers get queried. Package 1 of 3 always gets in but pack 2& 3 of 3 always time out.
#38
12/19/2003 (3:36 am)
There are several general master servers out there which you could use. There is a project going on which isnt part of the comminity or GarageGames, actually its GameSpy which is offering authenfication, CD-key, Database-support, Challenge-system of some sort, and other features. The fee is really low. I know they are working with this system right now. Hold on :)
#39
12/19/2003 (5:00 am)
Sounds great! Do you have a link about this? Didnt find something on gamespy. Thanks in advance.
#40
Thomas, if you are scraping the code base in which this thread was started about in favor of creating a new master server solution would releasing your original code base be damaging to the commercial viability of your new project?
03/29/2004 (7:15 am)
I am interested in paying for the full version of Thomas' code or the new project when Thomas announces it.Thomas, if you are scraping the code base in which this thread was started about in favor of creating a new master server solution would releasing your original code base be damaging to the commercial viability of your new project?
Torque Owner Thomas \"Man of Ice\" Lund
CD-keys are implemented, but dummy at the moment (except it doesnt allow usage of the same key twice), also buddy lists are there. Not sure if instant messaging should be part of a master server though. There are already lots of nice clients out there.
But maybe someone should make a resource with jabber integrated into a game server?!?!?