Making a server tool

[Xtreme]

hello

i run a public server on halo 2, but i want to have more options in it, like automessaging and stuff. so i want to make a server tool my own.
now my question is:
i know a little C# (if thats useful) but i dont know how to work with halo 2 scripting or how do i make a link between a program and the original server tool?

if anyone could help me thnx

Xtreme

[supersniper]

Contact Johnny

[Xtreme]

well whoever Johnny is, tell him to reply here lol

[Shock120]

well whoever Johnny is, tell him to reply here lolhe has family issues, don't bother him. he got mad at me :(

[supersniper]

Alright well the next best person is Vicky.
:/
he made the first halo 2 vista server tool.

[Xtreme]

ok Vicky post if u read :downs:

[Cortexian]

You need to make an effort to go and get help... They aren't going to come here and spoon feed you.

:downs:

[Xtreme]

I don't know anyone here, so if you do plz send them here :-3

[Vicky]

Why not use an existing one which has auto-messaging and more stuff? Creating one yourself if you hardly know how to program willl take you quite some time.

[Xtreme]

idk, i feel like i want to know the real stuff whats inside the program and how it really works instead of just using one someone else made, and i got time to spend ^^

[Vicky]

Well, like freelancer said we're not gonna spoonfeed you... or at least i won't. Search on the net etc.etc. that's all you get from me.

[Xtreme]

maybe a link? just something from where i can start from?...are there no tutorials out there? somewhere?
the problem is i dont know where to search... and i thought then ill post it on the forum... cos i think its made to help ppl :p

[Vicky]

http://cplus.about.com/od/introductiontoprogramming/a/cshbeginners.htm


:P

[Xtreme]

lol not about C#, i mean about making a link between the programming and halo 2 itself, cos there i got no clue. Xd ...thnx to help anyway ...

[Kornman00]

You're narrowing your focus too much on the problem. Abstract what exactly you're trying to do to figure what you need to search for in order to engineer a solution. Obviously the server tool is a command line application so you'll probably want to search on how to interact with such applications using C#/.NET. You'll also need to figure out what exactly you can do with the server tool as-is, and create features from there. More advance features will require interfacing with the application's memory which you'll have to reverse engineer yourself.

[Xtreme]

Ok, the things i do know are those:
- the very basics of C#
- the server tool "as-is" standard, the things like banning tags, put up Vip and stuff

And what i want to achieve is this:
- making my own tool with extra functions, like the most important one for me would be automessaging

And yeah the "interaction" with C# and cmd is the main thing i want to understand.

but like i said before i got no clue where to start, or where to search for it or who could help me explaining things.

[Vicky]

Why not start at the main thing you want to understand? I think it's a good start and you should be able to find info on the net about consoles (not game consoles :P).

[supersniper]

Why not start at the main thing you want to understand? I think it's a good start and you should be able to find info on the net about consoles (not game consoles :P).
yo vicky make your servertool work on vista ;)

But yeah a good spot to start is making the basic servertool, then after that is done and you learned the basics of it start adding the advanced features that you want.

[Xtreme]

okay but how do i do that, making the basic server tool? XD

[Kornman00]

L2G (http://blog.cherouvim.com/learn-to-use-google/).

[Vicky]

yo vicky make your servertool work on vista ;)

or you get W2K3 and be on ur way... :downs:

[Xtreme]

L2G (http://blog.cherouvim.com/learn-to-use-google/).

ahahaha...:ugh:

[Xtreme]

thought a forum was meant to give ppl information....

[ShadowSpartan]

thought a forum was meant to give ppl information....
We will help people, but as Vicky said, we won't spoon feed you, or hold your hand through every little step. This forum is meant for discussion and general help, not giving people step by step instructions on something as vague as a server tool with "extra features".

There are only a few people on this forum who have the experience and knowledge to create a server tool, and I know none of them would want to help you every step of the way, especially for a dead game. Just use an existing server tool. You don't have enough knowledge to do something as big as this, and it's not something you can just learn overnight.

On another note, don't double post. Learn to use the edit button.


ahahaha...:ugh:
I don't see how that was funny.

[Xtreme]

We will help people, but as Vicky said, we won't spoon feed you, or hold your hand through every little step. This forum is meant for discussion and general help, not giving people step by step instructions on something as vague as a server tool with "extra features".

There are only a few people on this forum who have the experience and knowledge to create a server tool, and I know none of them would want to help you every step of the way, especially for a dead game. Just use an existing server tool. You don't have enough knowledge to do something as big as this, and it's not something you can just learn overnight.

On another note, don't double post. Learn to use the edit button.


I don't see how that was funny.

1. "General Help" is, as i think, not "search it on google" ...
2. U r now the 3rd one that says we wont spoonfeed u ... i got it now thnx
3. I told before i got time to learn, and i know its not nothing...
4. As i see i wont get to know it, can u tell me where i could find those existing server tools (win vista)?

[Skyline]

Searching google is a great way to find information you're looking for. Google can link you to another forum where someone most likely has already asked and answered the same question you are pondering. You just need to know the right question to ask.

Please if you have THAT much time on your hands, use a fraction of a fraction of a fraction of a fraction of that time to use proper, fully developed words and not abbreviations, good. (Use I not i / you not u)

Use google to figure out what kind of tools you'll need, what methods you can use. There are a couple of ways of creating a server tool and I believe rec0's was programed in C# using a Console which ran beside the Halo CE server. That's just one way you can do it.
I still <3 you shadow

[supersniper]

He has a point :/
Kiwi's was only early beta stage, never released publically
Vicky's doesn't even work on vista lol :D (but it works great anyways)
and Johnny's is way to advanced and will not be given out.

[Limited]

Lol wow, great thread.

Step one would be to look into hooking programs. You will want a way to execute commands to the server via your C# app. Hooking it will be required to do so, so I suggest you look into that aspect first.

Also think about how you want the auto messaging to work, every minute? Every time some one joins? Random times (that are above a certain limit), every time map changes? Etc, you need to plan these things out. I have no idea about the H2V server, is there like a say command that he could hook into?

[Shock120]

thought a forum was meant to give ppl information....oh, this is useless then. (http://lmgtfy.com/?q=Halo+2+Vista+server+tool)
but I bet you can find another person asking for a server tool. :eng101:
3rd link. :beast:

[Cortexian]

oh, this is useless then. (http://lmgtfy.com/?q=Halo+2+Vista+server+tool)
but I bet you can find another person asking for a server tool. :eng101:
3rd link. :beast:
The third search result listed is this thread.

:nsmug:

[Xtreme]

Searching google is a great way to find information you're looking for. Google can link you to another forum where someone most likely has already asked and answered the same question you are pondering. You just need to know the right question to ask.

Please if you have THAT much time on your hands, use a fraction of a fraction of a fraction of a fraction of that time to use proper, fully developed words and not abbreviations, good. (Use I not i / you not u)

Use google to figure out what kind of tools you'll need, what methods you can use. There are a couple of ways of creating a server tool and I believe rec0's was programed in C# using a Console which ran beside the Halo CE server. That's just one way you can do it.
I still <3 you shadow
I am sorry to use i instead of I and u instead of you....
cmon... u understood me so wth...that isnt really the point of this thread.

but yeh u all say use an existing one... there doesnt seem to b an existing one.......

[Cortexian]

I am sorry to use i instead of I and u instead of you....
cmon... u understood me so wth...that isnt really the point of this thread.

but yeh u all say use an existing one... there doesnt seem to b an existing one.......

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[Vicky]

Lol wow, great thread.

Step one would be to look into hooking programs. You will want a way to execute commands to the server via your C# app. Hooking it will be required to do so, so I suggest you look into that aspect first.

Also think about how you want the auto messaging to work, every minute? Every time some one joins? Random times (that are above a certain limit), every time map changes? Etc, you need to plan these things out. I have no idea about the H2V server, is there like a say command that he could hook into?

For making a tool that sends messages automaticly to the h2v server you don't need hooks. If you would do this manually you can just type Sendmsg "My server rocks" in the console window. That's where you may want to start Xtreme.

[Xtreme]

yeh the sendmsg thing i know, but how can i make it auto-going?

[Vicky]

Buy two robot hands, a microcontroller, write the software and make them auto-type for you... or, use google, you know what you want it to do, you should know by now what to look for..

[Shock120]

I am sorry to use i instead of I and u instead of you....
cmon... u understood me so wth...that isnt really the point of this thread.

but yeh u all say use an existing one... there doesnt seem to b an existing one.......existing one on halomaps.org (http://h2v.halomaps.org/index.cfm?pg=3&fid=2255)

[Vicky]

That don't work on Vista and neither does the updated (http://www.thatforumplace.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=24&t=14473&sid=47fc04c62d6d09c9c97a9f7b341cd97b) one (anymore).

[Xtreme]

existing one on halomaps.org (http://h2v.halomaps.org/index.cfm?pg=3&fid=2255)

thanks, i tried it but it didn't work.. you sure it works for vista servers?

edit: lol sorry didnt see your post :p

2nd edit: can you make it to work for vista or is that impossible?

[Vicky]

It did work on vista and server 2008, but it's just extra work so i discontinued that. I think if you want to host games and all you'd be better off with a server operating system anyway. Server 2008 wasn't out yet when i started it so it's for W2K3 only.

Maybe you can pretty please (PM) Johnnyblaze to use his, i think that runs on any windows OS.

[supersniper]

lol impossible
Johnnyblaz has spent WAY to much time on that servertool (especially for autodetecting halo2boomers and banning them on sight before they can crash the server)
to just give it out to a new coder...

Fat chance at that.
There's always Kiwi's old beta one.
I can link you if your interested.
You can use that as a basis and see where to start.

[Limited]

For making a tool that sends messages automaticly to the h2v server you don't need hooks. If you would do this manually you can just type Sendmsg "My server rocks" in the console window. That's where you may want to start Xtreme.
You dont need hooks, however doing it your way will require the server console to be active, which may not always be possible. Once you have the hook in place, you can expand upon things easier (i.e. memory hacking)

[Xtreme]

lol impossible
Johnnyblaz has spent WAY to much time on that servertool (especially for autodetecting halo2boomers and banning them on sight before they can crash the server)
to just give it out to a new coder...

Fat chance at that.
There's always Kiwi's old beta one.
I can link you if your interested.
You can use that as a basis and see where to start.

if you could do that :downs:

[Vicky]

You dont need hooks, however doing it your way will require the server console to be active, which may not always be possible. Once you have the hook in place, you can expand upon things easier (i.e. memory hacking)

You don't need hooks for mem-hacking either...

[Limited]

You don't need hooks for mem-hacking either...
Uh, yeah you do. You need to hook onto the process, allowing you do call API's on it. You need to know what your targeting, which hooking does.

[Vicky]

I wouldn't call opening hooking.

[Kornman00]

Lets just agree that there are multiple ways to perform server extensions, one of them tapping into the game process itself and the other via monitoring (like how rec0 did in HaloCE with the chat logs)

[Limited]

I wouldn't call opening hooking.
???
That doesnt even make sense.

[Vicky]

Opening a process to do some stuff to it isn't called hooking. It's not like a mouse or kb hook which makes your code to be called on a certain event. Maybe you're talking about code caves, that would be a hook but you don't need them.

Right korn, lets just say this stuff is possible...

[supersniper]

if you could do that :downs:
KiwiDoggie's Tool (early beta never finished all work gone towards Johnnyblaz's tool): http://allenthinks.com/whisper/Builds/March/%5bFRI13%5dh2v_whisper.sketchy.rar

Liscense file (needed in same directory as actual server app in order to use the app): http://allenthinks.com/whisper/License/beta.license

good luck.

[Xtreme]

None of the functions seems to work, but I can see the gamerlist with the players and the stats.
Anyway thnx for the help

[johnnyblaz20]

Ill hint you on one safe way to send commands. If you are manually typing a command you use the h2admin or h2server right? H2admin for a service based dedicated server and the easiest to work with. Start the h2admin in your application with and Argument of the instance needed. Than write your command. It can be done all behind the scenes and no memory writing is needed. I will not explain how because its part of the learning experience i just thought i'd point you in the right direction. Memory editing is NOT the solution for commands. I honestly think your better off using an existing servertool though because it is alot of work.


Also i want to make this clear. My current servertool is about all my coding. Squirrely helped with a few functions also. I'm sick of these rumors that kiwi coded my servertool. He did help me get started in coding but this is all me.
And only 2 people have it. Diesel and Mooseifer. This version wont work on any other pc also. My old version was stolen but it sucked.
Most dont care but i wanted to mention that.

[supersniper]

johnny it wasn't stolen, squirrely just forgot to make the ftp access private ;)

but yeah johnny speaks the truth.
yo johnny you should take a break and play halo 2 with me sometime.

[CodeBrain]

Contact Kiwidoggie, he can help you.

Here is his msn: forums@allenthinks.com

Don't ask me why his msn name is his forums, XD