Author Topic: Keeping new and old players informed as to the current state of multiplayer functionality  (Read 1005 times)

Legacy_MrZork

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1643
  • Karma: +0/-0


               I agree that BW/EA isn't responsible for what GameSpy has done and that the EULA leaves little doubt that they have no obligation to maintain that functionality. I also understand that there may be contractual restrictions on what software or even documentation GOG or others may ship with the game.

However, I also think Bioware could title a thread "Empty GameSpy Server Listing" and sticky it. The thread need only nave a very brief note from Bioware/EA. E.g.

GameSpy has discontinued listing multiplayer servers for many games, including NWN. Therefore, the list of servers available in-game will be empty for default installations of NWN. However, multiplayer games and persistent world (PW) play both still work fine via direct connect. Most PWs will have a web page or forum that lists the PW's current IP address.

There may be other options for people who are looking for a listing of PW servers. Those options currently include XFire [link] and community-developed server listing software. Members developing these other ways of listing PW servers are invited to add links to other threads discussing their efforts to this thread, though this thread is not the appropriate place for extended discussion of those efforts.


Nothing prevents GOG (and other retailers/etailers) from having a similar thread in their forums. And, while GOG may not be able to include new/modified software in the NWN distribution that they sell, I very much doubt that the download page is restricted from mentioning the issue and linking to alternative approaches, when they are available, much as they link to a note on how to obtain CD keys for MP.
               
               

               


                     Modifié par MrZork, 14 décembre 2012 - 11:06 .
                     
                  


            

Legacy_Lazarus Magni

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1837
  • Karma: +0/-0


               I second this, or third it, or maybe you just did Mr. Zork, regardless it should get done. I just hope Bioware isn't stuburnly not doing this just because I was involved in advocating for it.

It's the least Bioware can do, it's the right thing to do, and hopefully they will do it.

Or maybe they are just trying to prove me right when I asked if there was a delibrate attempt to kill NWN 1 off. Come on BIoware, prove me wrong... Step up to the plate, and give one of the coolest games you have ever made some love. A game which over 10 years later is still unprecidented. Be proud of it, and foster it's continued existence. Keeping new and old players alike informed is not only good customer service, but also protects the continuing legacy of this game which YOU made, and which allows so many of us to be able to express and share our creative energies.
               
               

               


                     Modifié par Lazarus Magni, 15 décembre 2012 - 04:53 .
                     
                  


            

Legacy_SHOVA

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 893
  • Karma: +0/-0


               

Lazarus Magni wrote...

I second this, or third it, or maybe you just did Mr. Zork, regardless it should get done. I just hope Bioware isn't stuburnly not doing this just because I was involved in advocating for it.

It's the least Bioware can do, it's the right thing to do, and hopefully they will do it.

Or maybe they are just trying to prove me right when I asked if there was a delibrate attempt to kill NWN 1 off. Come on BIoware, prove me wrong... Step up to the plate, and give one of the coolest games you have ever made some love. A game which over 10 years later is still unprecidented. Be proud of it, and foster it's continued existence. Keeping new and old players alike informed is not only good customer service, but also protects the continuing legacy of this game which YOU made, and which allows so many of us to be able to express and share our creative energies.


Once again, since you keep missing reality, Bioware does not have to do anything, Nor are they stubbornly griefing you. They have already given everything your going to get from them, hence the final patch. Final..it means there won't be another, that they are done, Finished, stopped working on it, for it, or fixing it.. Bio has moved on, Been bought out, all the great tallented folks, who made NWN work on other projects, or, have left for other companies. Your continued insistance that BIO do something, to support a decade old game,  is akin to walking around with a sandwich board sign on a corner, it looks stupid, It does nothing for you, us, or them.

Why Bio isn't going to do anything, is simple, the licence is in the hands of people who don't want 3rd ed. NWN to continue. They want to sell the licence to game makers who will make new 4th edition games. Wizards of the Coast, the folks who own D&D do not want a 3rd ed game taking players from their new rule system. They never intended for NWN to be as multi-player friendly as it was, as customizable as it turned out to be. We got extremely lucky, and there will probably never be another title as good, nor as easy to create with again. That does not translate to the sky is falling, or the end is near. It translates to the same thing that has always come to, the community will keep this title going. 

Bioware makes great games. They support them longer than most other companies do. Laz, seriously give it a rest. Stop bleating about how Bio should do things, or what Bio should do to please you. It won't happen, no mater how many times you post it, how many doom topics you start, or how many ways you demand it, nor how many times you change the titles of your posts. The reality is, Bio has moved on. Its on the community to do everything.

The current issue will get fixed. New buyers and old will get the message of how to fix it. Everything will be fine, players will still play, builders will still build. the sky will stay up where it should be, and in the meanwhile, all PWs are still up and running, can be connected too, and now, will probably be even more vocal here. Thats a good thing. 
 
               
               

               
            

Legacy_Lazarus Magni

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1837
  • Karma: +0/-0


               WTF are you talking about Shova? Am I asking for another patch? Do you even have a clue about what I have been saying?
 
Did Bioware not make this game? Are they not stil responsible for it? Yeah it's 10 years old, ok so they no longer want to support it? Ok, give me the rights. LOL. Seriously what the hell are you saying? I am not asking for a patch, in fact what I am asking prolly would not cost them more that 1 hour of one of their paid employees time. Umm... wow.... forgive me if I think that is not too much to ask for a community of 1000-10000 players.
 
In reply to your second paragraph... I could not agree more. NWN 1 is still unprecedented in terms of customizability, and being able to share that in an online format.
 
I never said the sky is falling, what I have said is we need to fight to prevent that. What people such as you seem to be saying is, "everything is hunkerdory, shut the hell up, and lets let this incredible creative outlet die off.
 
Bleating??? I guess I am a sheep? Following the status quoe? Who else is raising these concerns that I supposedly am following like a sheep? If nobody speaks up, then certainly nothing will get done.
 
What I am asking for here takes a mere fraction of a give a damn. Mr. Zork pretty much summed it up. If this is too much for bioware, wow... they are truly azzholes, and totally on board with wanting to see this game die. (BTW I don't believe this... Bioware I still have faith in you, I think you are in a difficult place, having selt off your baby, and yet still proud, and wanting to see it survive (which your overseers might not want.)
 
It's on the community to do everything? What do you think this is? Like it or not I am part of said community. And like it or not I have legitimate, and valid concerns.
 
The current issue will get fixed? Glad to hear it... let me know when it is implemented on a global basis, flawlessly, with no extra effort from players or PWs... I would love to see that.

So... Who the hell here is missing reality?
               
               

               


                     Modifié par Lazarus Magni, 15 décembre 2012 - 06:30 .
                     
                  


            

Legacy_Aelis Eine

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 212
  • Karma: +0/-0


               

OldTimeRadio wrote...

@Aelis - I actually have HLSW and that 343 number is...well, I see that too but I'm not sure that's what you think it is.  HLSW seems to have keeled over a while back.  It's not dead but it's not alive, either.  I was aware of this at the time, about a year, year and a half ago.  The program itself works, but the whole thing is kind of dormant. I'm showing (1/343) for NWN but I'm seeing no way to actually "see" that 343.  A long time ago, HLSW used to actually have a web page which listed servers but they took it down.  I see per another one of your posts that the/a page still exists.  There used to be a list of all servers for a game- do you know the url at that site for that list?


I couldn't find a list, myself. I just put Aventia's IP directly into the URL

Here is a text export I did of the last list I grabbed from HLSW, a year+ ago.  If you imiport that using the text import function in HLSW, you'll see some servers.

That 343 number, though...I know I was puzzled what that number meant (it wasn't always 343, obviously), but I'm not sure if I ever figured it out.


Guess it's 343 over HLSW's lifespan, including dead servers. That's a shame though. I guess Xfire is the best server browser until the community master server becomes mainstream, even if it captures quite a bit less than 100% of Gamespy's original list.
               
               

               
            

Legacy_Highv Priest

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 170
  • Karma: +0/-0


               

Baaleos 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."


I dont mean to sound insensitive here - but 200 dollars wouldnt cover their team coming into the office for a single day, let alone turning the lights on,  or them postponing regular work, to setup the server on a temporary basis.

Commercial servers like what Gamespy hosted were likely hosted in a datacenter somewhere, and had software set to monitor it etc - and technicians on hand to handle any issues.

They have likely disconnected the actual physical box from the power, internet and rackspace.

Setup would involve

1. Individuals time  (hourly rate x hours x people involved)
2. RackSpace (amount of space required for the server to be hosted)
3. Maintenance costs -  electric, bandwidth, basic maintenance/time involved for technicians to restart it etc
4. Setup Time/Cost - both of setting up the server, but also tearing it down.


If it is just a list of servers you are after -  then the cached master list is still out there in google archives.
Its a month or two out of date, but its still got about 200-300 good servers on it.


I don't give a damn about the master server(which is the only piece of equipment BIOWARE was using in regards to online). GameSpy is the one who runs the matchmaking server(which is not in anyway connected physically to BioWare). GameSpy's rates are explained here http://www.poweredby...py.com/pricing/ . I CAN AFFORD THIS EASILY, but GameSpy won't let me pay it because apparently I don't have the right to pay them according to there pricing standards to host an online game. The only MANPOWER that will be used is 15-45 minutes of ONE BioWare employee contacting GameSpy to reinstate it for 1 month.(I don't know what he charges hourly.)
               
               

               
            

Legacy_SHOVA

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 893
  • Karma: +0/-0


               laz, nevermind, its not worth it. dream on, stamp your foot, scream, post whatever. Should Bio actually do something, great. if the Avengers show up too, that would be nice. Maybe Superman will fly in and save the day too. I give the same odds on them showing up as Bio doing anything,
               
               

               
            

Legacy_Jpnole

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 18
  • Karma: +0/-0


               

Baaleos wrote...

ShaDoOoW wrote...

who reads manuals? ':police:'

When I was younger, and I got Diablo 1 for my birthday (18+ Game for an 11 year old - I know.... )
I was so excited to play it - but my Mum and Dad wouldnt let me play it until it was actually my birthday.

But in the days leading up to it, they did let me open the box, and read the manual.
Just cause I love manuals that have lore sections etc.

Also - the Diablo 1 Manual had lovely printed pages, that smelt - I dunno how to describe it - just like a really expensive tome.
Every page was watermarked with a cloud/hazy texture/backdrop - and the Art Work was great.

So - who reads manuals?
I do.



I can clearly remember taking my various NES rpg game manuals into school with me to read when I was in 7th & 8th grade in 1987-1988!
               
               

               
            

Legacy_Lazarus Magni

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1837
  • Karma: +0/-0


               Bump