Author Topic: GameSpy support for NWN likely discontinued indefinitely.  (Read 2902 times)

Legacy_OldTimeRadio

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GameSpy support for NWN likely discontinued indefinitely.
« Reply #75 on: December 14, 2012, 07:07:52 pm »


               

HipMaestro wrote...
Apologies if my question is noobish, but EXACTLY what is it that GameSpy provides that a simple list wouldn't cover?

To put it bluntly, nothing.  It's the convenience of having an in-game server browser that is the big deal for us in the NWN community.  There's no reason you couldn't copy the IP/port of a server, launch NWN and just use Direct connect to get in the game.

SHOVA wrote...
why not add such a list to the player ini file, under favorites? favorites and history still show up in gamespy. adding to the ini file is as easy as adding lines to notepad.

Certainly possible.  There are some limitations, however.  History appears to be limited to 19 servers and I believe Favorites is somewhere around 32 servers.

Just as my own personal preference, though, I prefer using a server browser of some sort.  I like to visit many different servers and don't generally play much in just one place.
               
               

               


                     Modifié par OldTimeRadio, 14 décembre 2012 - 07:10 .
                     
                  


            

Legacy_AlgernonsGhost

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GameSpy support for NWN likely discontinued indefinitely.
« Reply #76 on: December 14, 2012, 07:56:41 pm »


               

OldTimeRadio wrote...

SHOVA wrote...
why not add such a list to the player ini file, under favorites? favorites and history still show up in gamespy. adding to the ini file is as easy as adding lines to notepad.

Certainly possible.  There are some limitations, however.  History appears to be limited to 19 servers and I believe Favorites is somewhere around 32 servers.

Just as my own personal preference, though, I prefer using a server browser of some sort.  I like to visit many different servers and don't generally play much in just one place.

There is also the issue that when a server's IP address changes, that history/favorites entry will permanently show as offline. That's when a browser or knowing the current address for direct connect is handy.
               
               

               
            

Legacy_SHOVA

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GameSpy support for NWN likely discontinued indefinitely.
« Reply #77 on: December 14, 2012, 08:04:30 pm »


               

AlgernonsGhost wrote...
There is also the issue that when a server's IP address changes, that history/favorites entry will permanently show as offline. That's when a browser or knowing the current address for direct connect is handy.


A simple list here, updated regulary would address IP changes. As a Server admin, I feel it is up to me now, to make sure my server is advertised. A list of Server IPs, the Server name, and even the server type, could help not only the folks trying to make a work around, but help advertise too.
               
               

               
            

Legacy_OldTimeRadio

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GameSpy support for NWN likely discontinued indefinitely.
« Reply #78 on: December 14, 2012, 08:06:34 pm »


               Yeah.  From an informal survey it looks like the IP address switching is probably one of the biggest problems right now.  I think a good way around this is for people to use dynamic dns hosting or similar, so people can just connect to a domain name instead of an IP.

I...think...you can punch in a name into direct connect instead of an IP.
               
               

               
            

Legacy_AlgernonsGhost

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GameSpy support for NWN likely discontinued indefinitely.
« Reply #79 on: December 14, 2012, 08:34:53 pm »


               

OldTimeRadio wrote...

Yeah.  From an informal survey it looks like the IP address switching is probably one of the biggest problems right now.  I think a good way around this is for people to use dynamic dns hosting or similar, so people can just connect to a domain name instead of an IP.

I...think...you can punch in a name into direct connect instead of an IP.

Yes, this is what I did with The Vast's Direct Connect: play.nwnthevast.net

Simply enter that in the direct connect box and it forwards you to tha actual IP using an A record DNS listing on the web host. I can update any IP changes behind the scenes and players never need to remember a number.
               
               

               
            

Legacy_AlgernonsGhost

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GameSpy support for NWN likely discontinued indefinitely.
« Reply #80 on: December 14, 2012, 08:35:28 pm »


               Not sure how I double posted. If there are any mods here, please delete this post. Sorry.
               
               

               


                     Modifié par AlgernonsGhost, 14 décembre 2012 - 08:37 .
                     
                  


            

Legacy_AlgernonsGhost

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GameSpy support for NWN likely discontinued indefinitely.
« Reply #81 on: December 14, 2012, 09:10:19 pm »


               Melkior_King also started this listing site:

http://nwnserverlists.boards.net
               
               

               
            

Legacy_HipMaestro

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GameSpy support for NWN likely discontinued indefinitely.
« Reply #82 on: December 15, 2012, 12:22:00 am »


               

AlgernonsGhost wrote...
Melkior_King also started this listing site:

http://nwnserverlists.boards.net

Yup.  This is what I was referring to in my previous inquiry.  Now, if all admins would make a concerted effort  to populate a comprehensive list , we'd have an effective replacement in hand with the framework already created by Melkior_King.

I completely agree with OTR's concern about the issue of changing addresses.  That alternate "server name" connection method seems like an easy work-around of the changing addresses.  Never knew that could even be done as is probably the case with many/most other regular players (everyone I ever played with only ever used the IP to direct connect).

I can't give any speciifc examples, but I know for sure that some server websites would display the current IP address of their server for direst connections on their homepage, so all that was needed was a brief visit to grab the link.  But not every server built a website (though IMO, it is almost essential so that players could discuss issues without logging).  I assume the website usually comes after the server is up and running. Just a guess, though.  Also, having a hundred server website addies on a browser can become overwhelming and difficult to manage.

So how did these guys assure that the IP address displayed on their site was real-time information?  I never had a problem direct connecting to the addy specified on any of those websites so either they were grabbing it from a GameSpy database (which I doubt) or somehow indexing the server name directly with the IP as the change occurred.

Most important, though, is that it (the master list) be centralized and then advertised throughout the community as such.
               
               

               
            

Legacy_Highv Priest

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GameSpy support for NWN likely discontinued indefinitely.
« Reply #83 on: December 15, 2012, 09:03:05 am »


               

OldTimeRadio wrote...

Highv Priest wrote...

Actually I tried to contact BioWare(via a direct email) about having them temporarily paying GameSpy for one month out of my own pocket(about 20 to 200 dollars depending on player access and API requests, but they NEVER responded back with me. My goal was to pop up the server list, grab an IP address from -every- server as well as a name associated and compile a list of them and post them somewhere on nwnwiki or otherwise. Not all modules are still being actively run, but they are still good adventures(I do module hop a lot). However it would seem BioWare even having no loss of money would not want anything to do with this game and GameSpy REFUSES to let me pay for it. Stating to me "The company discontinued support for this game and you must speak with them in regards for reinstating it."

Good on ya for the attempt, at least!  Here is a Google cache of the powered by GameSpy page for NWN servers from December 5, just a day or two before GLU took it down.  This is probably as close to getting what you're looking for as is going to happen, I think.


Better then nothing! It is problematic that the IPs can change....
               
               

               
            

Legacy_Lazarus Magni

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GameSpy support for NWN likely discontinued indefinitely.
« Reply #84 on: February 12, 2013, 06:03:13 am »


               Bump