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.
#42
08/11/2004 (4:44 pm)
Any news on this?
#43
08/11/2004 (4:58 pm)
Not much, I fear. Code is still available but I don't think anyone has done any serious coding in this space recently.
#44
01/19/2005 (9:27 am)
Is it compatible with torque? I might be very interested..
#45
03/14/2005 (3:02 pm)
What's the current status of this project?
#46
BUT - I have a student working for me, who is currently writing a project for his University writing a community system similar to the above as a webservice based backend server system. Containing master server, auth server, message sending between members, multigame buddy lists (see you buddy playing another game), game/demo installer, personal website for members and such.
How much of that project will become commercial and how far he gets is unknown. Project end this summer.
03/15/2005 (3:55 am)
Current status is somewhat the same as before. Project stopped and put into moth ball closet.BUT - I have a student working for me, who is currently writing a project for his University writing a community system similar to the above as a webservice based backend server system. Containing master server, auth server, message sending between members, multigame buddy lists (see you buddy playing another game), game/demo installer, personal website for members and such.
How much of that project will become commercial and how far he gets is unknown. Project end this summer.
#47
04/02/2005 (4:08 am)
Moth balls smell funny...if you're not otherwise using it, you should let us air out that code for you or it'll get musty. ;-)
#48
04/06/2005 (2:51 am)
Amen! 
#49
06/30/2005 (10:46 am)
Ya give the code free ^^
#50
You really should work it up for sale. As a resource it will just burn you out due to a ton of effort with no monetary gain.
I'd pay $100 for it. More if it had the easy to use GUI and was even installable so it hooked right in to a base load of TGE and especially TSE.
06/30/2005 (11:07 am)
Thomas - I'd buy it in a heart beat. I've been wishing someone would put out a professional quality version of this. Lord knows I can't make one and need one.You really should work it up for sale. As a resource it will just burn you out due to a ton of effort with no monetary gain.
I'd pay $100 for it. More if it had the easy to use GUI and was even installable so it hooked right in to a base load of TGE and especially TSE.
#51
My project needs to handle hundreds of people at the same time. And maybe a hundred games running at the same time. Maybe I will have to have multiple servers and then it would be nice to jump from one master server to another to find the right game. So how hard would it be for each master server to have a list of master servers ?
Also, I need it to handle non-Torque games. Not sure that is possible even in theory. We intend to host mutltiple Torque games and also commercial games such as Halo.
mySQL sounds good but I have no expereince using it with 500 members using it at once.
I suspect I'll have to divide all the games up into groups and the client for children games will not see or be aware of the fps games with a lot of blood flowing around. That would take a load off the master server. But it would nice if your software could handle a lot of information if needed.
Thank you for starting the project. I just hope you find the resources to finish it. If not, then sell the existing source for $50 and let us try to improve it on our own. Seems like a waste to let it sit on the shelf if no one has time to work on it.
John
06/30/2005 (1:48 pm)
Thomas, I hope this project will mature. I will definitely pay $100 for a finished version. My project needs to handle hundreds of people at the same time. And maybe a hundred games running at the same time. Maybe I will have to have multiple servers and then it would be nice to jump from one master server to another to find the right game. So how hard would it be for each master server to have a list of master servers ?
Also, I need it to handle non-Torque games. Not sure that is possible even in theory. We intend to host mutltiple Torque games and also commercial games such as Halo.
mySQL sounds good but I have no expereince using it with 500 members using it at once.
I suspect I'll have to divide all the games up into groups and the client for children games will not see or be aware of the fps games with a lot of blood flowing around. That would take a load off the master server. But it would nice if your software could handle a lot of information if needed.
Thank you for starting the project. I just hope you find the resources to finish it. If not, then sell the existing source for $50 and let us try to improve it on our own. Seems like a waste to let it sit on the shelf if no one has time to work on it.
John
#52
11/16/2005 (7:31 pm)
What I'd like to see in a product like this is authentication to a directory via LDAP.
#53
11/16/2005 (8:32 pm)
Sharing is good ;-) 
#54
11/16/2005 (8:37 pm)
I would love to have something like this...
#55
Since 2003 I recoded a lot of it into a J2EE backend system with master browsing, authentication, storing persistent info, bla bla bla - and also a online updater system that ties into it. It has a SOAP xml interface, so you can query the info from any type of application (TGE game, web system, general application, ...) and the backend system can authenticate out of the box against any type of SQL database (Oracle, MS SQL, MySQL, etc.) or LDAP or flatfiles.
I've pitched this (again again) to GG for viability as a pack, but havent heard anything (again again) from them.
My main problem is time - I'm working on a game, and even if I got most of this code already done and sitting on my drive - finishing it up as a product with code comments and releasing with docs is a large task in itself.
11/16/2005 (11:16 pm)
Lemme think about it for a few days, and I might pull something different out my hat.Since 2003 I recoded a lot of it into a J2EE backend system with master browsing, authentication, storing persistent info, bla bla bla - and also a online updater system that ties into it. It has a SOAP xml interface, so you can query the info from any type of application (TGE game, web system, general application, ...) and the backend system can authenticate out of the box against any type of SQL database (Oracle, MS SQL, MySQL, etc.) or LDAP or flatfiles.
I've pitched this (again again) to GG for viability as a pack, but havent heard anything (again again) from them.
My main problem is time - I'm working on a game, and even if I got most of this code already done and sitting on my drive - finishing it up as a product with code comments and releasing with docs is a large task in itself.
#56
11/16/2005 (11:28 pm)
Thomas, If it doesn't use any GG Core code. Why not put it on SourceForge, and let the community support/advance/clean/document it? I'm sure alot would wanna help, i know i'd help out a bit.
#57
11/17/2005 (2:02 am)
Its the usual issue about having spend lots of hours on something, and then wanting to explore the possibility of releasing it commercially. Even at a low price as GG packs are, it could still amount to a few nights in town with drink paid :-) 
#59
11/17/2005 (6:25 am)
@Thomas Where do I need to send the beer?
#60
11/17/2005 (9:38 pm)
Yea, i agree. You should make a nice penny, its just if your worried about support. (Which i thought you were.) Then yea. If it was a pack, i'd sure buy it!
Torque Owner John Burch