Open Source Halo Dedicated Server

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Originally Posted by Craig

All of the features outlined are handled by the server, not the client. (basically the client doesnt know what its doing, just accepts them as normal)

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Most of the features you posted do not require a brand new executable to be written. As Con said, something like this is better accomplished through an extension of the current executable, rather than wasting time on a new one that probably will not even work correct.

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Originally Posted by Craig

This project and the halo remake go hand in hand (been postponed due to scale), this will most likely be a stepping stone.

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We'll see.

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Originally Posted by Craig

You seem to think that we are working against the client, which is untrue. We are only including features that we know are possible for the client to accept it.

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Technically, yes you are. You are limited in what features you can add. You made it sound as if there are an unlimited amount of features you can add through this project, which is entirely incorrect.

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Originally Posted by Craig

Give me an example of one feature that wont work, and I will gladly correct you.

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A little overly confident I see. I would like some clarification on "Change player variables (speed, weapon, vehicle, health, etc.)". I think you mean, for instance on the weapons, change the current weapon that a player has. I would love for you to explain how you will do that so that the unmodified client accepts the fact it should now have a different gun.

Another thing that you didn't mention, but it should be a simple task for you to do, seeing as how you know so much. A feature to change the gravity in the server. How would you make an unmodified client accept this change? Just changing the address on the server will not make it update on the clients.

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Originally Posted by Craig

We have looked at that option, and we are still debating, right now we are in a phase of analysing the problem, and finding the best solution.

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There is a big difference between writing a dedicated server from scratch, and extending upon the current executable. This is something you should have figured out before you posted an announcement.

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Originally Posted by Craig

And tbh, would you rather work on a half arsed attempt and complete it with hardly any difficulty at all, or if we create a server from the ground up and will be working on something challenging.

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You forgot the third option, working on something that might not even work properly in the end, which was then a massive waste of time.

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Originally Posted by Craig

I never said we were not constrained by the client, I stated that we will have to work with the existing features of the client, but expand the server. (read my post properly)

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And I never said that you did say that, I added "extremely" to show just how limited you are with what you can do. You are the one who needs to read posts properly.

I will not degrade this topic into a game of tennis between me and you.

Better yet, shall we call the whole thing off because it doesnt appeal to you, or there are certain problems that can be worked around but are too stubborn to think of ways to work around the problem, and instead offload it to me to explain.

The server controls the data of a player based on input and outputs it to the other players, down to how much ammo they have, what position they are in, their health, etc. (the server processes the input, and outputs new data to the client.)

Unlimited amount of features is impossible, im stating that we can add a lot of new features to the server.

Can you explain what a dedicated server does in your own opinion, so I can fathom where your coming from.

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Originally Posted by skyline

I would rather have a working server created by the game's makers with a simple modification to enable certain elements that would make it easier to use than to have a server created by someone asking for help on how Halo works.

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We would have loved to see the same, but after 6 years I think we can conclude that "the game's makers" are not going to do this.

We came up with an idea, but knew we need all the resources we can get. So we decided to make this open source let you guys in on it. Hoping that everyone that knows something on this topic would jump in with suggestions and share their knowledge. ( Which we have seen so far, keep them coming :neckbeard:)

On the other hand there are the critics which I expected to show up.
I just want to point out that I'm glad your here, but try and give progressive criticism. This is a game that (I think) you love as well, but with every type of project: "No matter how big the noob, don't try and kill the enthusiasm." Keep that in mind :eng101:

I believe you guys, like the Halo PC project, are way out of your head.

To me, you guys have little knowledge how the Halo server + client works.

The fact 13 out of your ideas already exists baffles me into why you think creating a brand new server application is worth it, do you guys even have experience with server networking? And specifically in C#?

I have no idea why you picked C#, you claim you want " Reduced resources (CPU, memory)", Yet I doubt, you guys with little server experience, programming in C# for a very tight net game already.

Also, please dont act up when you have critiques scrutinizing your idea, if like your last project actually listened to us in the first place, you would have realised we were correct in the fact you were aiming way too high.

If anything there is a servertoool for halo ce/pc that not much use but it has some new features, like setting the server to change gametypes at certain days for like "gamedays"

Uh has a messaging system that sends messages to the server through the chat system every 5 minutes or so.

Vicky created it but one problem is that it's a bitch to set up (lol but it's worth checking out)

To me that one is the best.

I recommend you guys talk to Vicky.

I'm with ShadowSpartan on this one. The fact that you have not considered an extension over rewriting everything makes me doubt that you have much clue.

You do realize that you are not only rewriting a dedicated server but basically the whole Blam engine except for the DirectX rasterizer? It just doesn't "control the data of a player based on input and outputs it to the other players"...you have to make calculations and for that you will need the map and for that you will need to be able to load the map cache files. You have to rewrite the whole physics engine to match the one in the client etc.etc...

C# runs on the .NET Framework by the way so no true "multi OS support" like if you would have, if you would write it in C++.

If you guys figure out how to load and save map cache files, you might as well redo the graphics engine and do prometheus. That would help the community more than a dedicated server ever would.

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Originally Posted by CrAsHOvErRide

C# runs on the .NET Framework by the way so no true "multi OS support" like if you would have, if you would write it in C++.

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Mono (so it would be better in terms of porting than C++, but not if you're wanting strict control over performance; cpu or memory wise).

pretty much everything has been said that I would have said

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Originally Posted by ShadowSpartan

A little overly confident I see. I would like some clarification on "Change player variables (speed, weapon, vehicle, health, etc.)". I think you mean, for instance on the weapons, change the current weapon that a player has. I would love for you to explain how you will do that so that the unmodified client accepts the fact it should now have a different gun.

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:downs:.

So 3 people want to make a dedicated server from scratch? Something that took a complete team of (experienced) programmers and here you're going to do it on your own. But it's even worse since you first have to reverse engineering everything. That's close to the definition of insanity. Good luck though.