Freelancer Initiative
-
As for deciding which software and addons etc fixes to package, thats something I guess we can decide given that we all know what works and what doesn’t in terms of the people here who mod the game regulary.
Its going to come to a point where this line we’re bordering on crossing needs to be crossed, they cut all support for the game, theres no server anymore, its not even sold on microsofts website, although I know that doesn’t effect the copyrights, trademark or intellectual properties or anything, but still
I’d rather the game continue on …
Maybe something could be packaged together and microsoft update their page to link to it, so that multiplayer can be enabled again for people that visit that site …
-
Is the “Unofficial 1.4 patch” something that should go in, or would you rather include the Quickfix? What about JFLP? Hardware update?
I feel that this little bit right here needs to be specifically highlighted, considering that not all of the so-called unofficial patches are universally supported or approved of. What works on server X won’t always work on server Y, and may end up getting you banned outright from server Z.
Give people Crazy’s list server, the GLS workaround (as a failsafe), FLMM, and the resources needed to go from there.
Perhaps a link to a simple server index site of some sort that contains barebones information regarding registered servers - ie the mod they use (if any), requirements for the mod (like the SDK, if any), website URL, and other such information would be better than trying to throw everything and the kitchen sink into one single package - easier to manage, and it’d keep the filesize from becoming astronomical.
-
Just out of curiosity, which is the best and most current patch? Is it Jasons or Quickfix 1.0c?
Tai, there IS something you can help me with, basically an online version of FLDev, FriendlyFire’s little tool, will require some PHP work, I can do the HTML/CSS front end …
-
PHP cannot do what FLDev does.
And JFLP and Quickfix aren’t the same thing. There isn’t a most “recent” one, it’s more of a Ford VS Toyota thing than a 2007 VS 2009.
-
Ok, so FLDev doesn’t allow templates to be filled in with data entered in by some format, i.e; currently CSV, rather than my version which would be a web based form, and then output a file such as script.xml based on that entry, accomplishing the same feat. FLDev also has math tools which could also be reproduced in PHP.
I know what PHP is my friend, I use it in Wordpress lol.
-
Yet the #1 feature in FLDev, the DLL editor, can’t be reproduced in PHP. I’d argue 90% of the users of FLDev don’t touch anything but this.
The Template feature is also greatly improved by its DLL support.
The CRC tool would also be unfeasible in PHP.
-
I am all for anything that promotes Freelancer in a positive light. Have to use care with the words “Torrent” and “Patch” in vicinity of commercial products or a real bad opinion forms.
They have not actually stopped selling the game in retail stores. I find three major store chains with a quick search…
Target Sells Freelancer
Radio Shack Sells Freelancer
Walmart Sells Freelancer
I doubt the story is different on the European side of the pond, someone is still selling it. They don’t do that for very long if no one is buying a product. I still see new players myself, the activity just goes up and down.
Last thing Azureus, there is other servers and MOD’s with less rules.
-
-
Yes, but clearly not in this way. They still retain copyrights and still get money off every purchase, hence why they wouldn’t like to see some random person start distributing their game for free.
As for the infocards, what’s the point? XML != DLL. Whatever you do, you’d still need another tool to sit between that XML data in the DLL data. At that point, why bother? There are already tools that allow direct modification of DLL files which are way more convenient than a web page (and safer, too).
-
-
If you want, I guess. Personally I just write the DLL infocards directly in FLDev, no need for the CSV parser. If I need to write dozens of guns including INI code, Excel or Google Spreadsheets beat web forms any day.
-
I’ll refrain from discussing the original idea in this topic from now on in public forums, my inbox is always open for those who are interested in helping out in that endeavour, I’d call it more an end-game solution, for now I guess there are other ways of propogating Freelancer in the minds of new gamers.
-
I often wonder how the FreeAllegiance group convinced Microsoft to allow them access to the Allegiance source code myself.
They are distributing a fully functional and fixed version with no fear of Microsoft legal actions.
That is the direction I wish Freelancer could go…
-
I will offer my opinion here, for what it is worth.
I am hugely against the idea of using Torrent site etc for Freelancer. Alot of hard work has gone into promoting Freelancer in the last 24 months by many people here and on sites like SWAT, FLC etc.
Now although Microsoft have removed support for the game, they wont appreciate any torrenting going on, or any individual sites that support it. (Yes I know Torrents already exist).
I would also recommend any sites represented here stay well away from getting involved in this also.
Personal opinion. Shoot me down if you will.
-
Why would you be shot down for expressing an opinion, under normal circumstances I’d agree, as I did buy the game.
I’d just hate to see the game die out, considering there is still much potential. As far as I can see theres never many players on at any time on any of the servers I have seen on the player list, correct me if I’m wrong in that regard.
I can see you’ve done a bit of work about this, maybe its early to be seeing returns on your efforts (and others efforts).
My intent is not to tarnish anyones reputation, I never said I wanted it to be a Starport project or that I required anyones endorsement or approval for it, it was merely an idea.
I’m entitled to express them just as you are, and you have, just wanted to do my part, I just feel that continuing with the way things are this game is going to die (albeit slowly) an unrecoverable death, unless we can get ourselves a few hundred players or so to keep us going while we attract more.
Has anyone thought of Digg? Thats populated by at least 100,000+ people daily.
-
I think you may have misinterpreted my post. Please don’t think I was putting your idea down. Under different circumstances, I would probably be in full support of such an idea.
In the regards to the things I have done. The article I wrote recieved over 7000 views on 3 different sites, and to date I have recieved near 200 emails regarding it. The Twitter account is growing steadily with no maintenance by me what-so-ever. The Feeds are manually added, but after that I leave it. We are now sitting at 103 followers and near around 500 clicks to the sites currently being ‘tweeted’.
But I consider these still only minor achievements in the grand scheme of things. And still want to push things further. And I have the oppurtunity to do so having the contacts now that I didn’t have 2 months previous. But this will wait until after Christmas.
There are plenty of sites similar to Digg. There is GameKicker, which works on the same principal and a few others.
-
@Azureus: I thought about another thing that could be problematic in relation to torrents. I know this may sound like stereotyping, but very often, the people who torrent a game will not really be interested in participating with the community. You’d mostly end up with people going through the SP once or worse, cheaters and hackers.
I’m doubtful we’d gain much ground with this method, on top of the whole thing being effectively “unadvertizable”.
