GWLP Needs you!

GWLP needs your help! No not the guy behind you, you! Yes you!

You can find information on the GWLP here:
http://www.guildwarsguru.com/forum/s...php?t=10205152

So, if you're interested.. how do you help? Well you can help us by gathering map info. You see the server is only able to load into maps that we have info for, and to gather info for a map, we first have to visit it. Now this is a pretty large job for our small team, that's where you come in!

If you would like to help us gather map information, the following information is for you:


So you now know how to help

But you don't know what maps we're yet to gather information for!
Don't despair, a list is available here:
http://gwlp.mgcorp.org/zoneid/index.php


GWLP Staff looks forwards to working with the community and thanks you in advance for any help if you decide to offer it.

Those of you that go to particular lengths to aid us may find alpha test invites winging their way to your inbox some time soon when we send out the next batch.

Regards
Ajaala



As always, any concerns, questions or queries. Let me know.




Edit, Gaile Grays comments on the project below may help to expunge any doubts you have about helping out.

packet sniffing lackeys *cough*

Oh if you're able to offer help with the coding of the server itself, you could go ahead and contact us too. See if we need any help

Heh I'm just waiting for the complaints "I got banned for using your 3rd party software while playing." Seems to me that you want everyone else to take all the risks. Or is it your accounts have already been banned, so you can't do it yourselves?

Quoting what I wrote on the other thread:

NC Soft owns GuildWars ^^
You should know every law around the legality for this project, before even thinking about going on with it.

Something about legal rights.

You get the map zone info on client side, this info is gained from a transmission between client/server.

Rules of conduct #18 states:
You will not attempt to interfere with, hack into, or decipher any transmissions to or from the servers running Guild Wars.

So this means, everyone using the GWLP tool upon playing on retail GW is breaking that rule.

And the same goes for rule #21
# You will not create, use, or provide any server emulator or other site where Guild Wars may be played, and you will not post or distribute any utilities, emulators or other software tools related to Guild Wars without the express written permission of NC Interactive, NCsoft Europe, or NCsoft Corporation.

Since you are part of the GWLP developer team, by using a tool and providing info to them for making a server emulator, your breaking the rule.
The guys who released the tool are not.

And lets face one thing, this is a server emulator, since it will serve as a real server to which the original GW client can connect to.

I'm sure of that Ajaala got his back clean, but I know as well, that people using his tool to gather info won't.
So players will have a risk on getting their accounts permanently banned and in worst case getting a law suit from NC Soft.

What bothers me, is that the OP doesn't notify the players of it from start.

It's nothing to do with risk, there is no risk. There is just a certain paranoia regarding bans due to past occurrences. It's a case of work load, there's an awful lot of it, and awful few of us. We've already gathered information for a large number of maps, we just hoped the community would be interested enough to help us with the task. Many GW tools do not interfere with the data being sent to the server and thus are entirely undetectable. Whilst a bot may have tell tale signs, such as repeated movement, or extended periods of non stop play time - bots and macros can not simply be "detected". This is a similar case.

As for the legality of the issue, Anet know about it, there has been discussion between Anet and the developers, and Anet is yet to even ask us to stop in a friendly way, let alone send a cease and desist, Anet are also aware that we take piracy very seriously and do not intend to allow players to play Guild Wars for free without purchasing an account. We'd love to hear Anet's official stance on this issue, and we're sure that they'd only ask us to stop if it was absolutely necessary. They know we do what we do in good faith and we hope they take that into account.

If Gaile or another member of Anet would like to PM me personally and relay their feelings that would also be appreciated.

Ajaala

Its a nice project and will help, but I just ran the .exe file on www.virustotal.com

out of 32 scans one of them found "Heuristic: Suspicious Self Modifying File"

again, I'm not sure how accurate it is, since others failed to recognize it. Not blaming/flaming Ajaala. just wondering.

Stop the denial please.
Does Lineage2 projects ring a bell?
Just a little example, l2j is got the legal rights on their side, while the players using packet sniffers and providing info from retail don't.
Same goes for GW, or did you find a special law hole that can cover the players up?
If so, I want you to post it right here.
Thank you.

So you guys think that while Anet hasn't torn them a new one, and instead talks to them, you guys somehow need to flame the crap out of them? No thanks.

Mineria, if you have no idea what is going on and haven't heard of this before, do some research and come back before acting like you know what the story is.

No risk? You admitted the risk in your post (notice the bold). If they banned before, then yes they most certainly will ban again for it. You get me a letter signed by the head of ANet stating that it is OK for us to download and use your software. I have no issue with people wanting to help or even with your project. What I have an issue with is your promoting using 3rd party software to break EULA, without any warning that it may result in a ban. In fact you go so far as to say that the bans won't happen, without providing any proof they won't. Once again show me that letter with the signature and I'll shut up.

Lineage2 servers were actually run using the original Lineage2 server program, it was stolen. This is a very different matter to what we're doing here. Our server is built from scratch.

You misunderstand me, I mean that this won't get you banned and has not in the past, players are often paranoid anything they do will have them banned simply because there have been lots of reported cases, whether true or not, of unwarranted bans, or bans for using texmod and similar.

Examples of which can be found here:
http://guildwars.incgamers.com/forum...d.php?t=466318

Where players believe creating a simple macro to input some text for a disabled player may cause them to be banned, macros simply emulate key inputs. It's not detectable and I very much doubt Anet would consider it ban worthy.

By all means if you're not happy with using the software don't do so. That's entirely your choice.

No flames intended here, we've asked questions and yes, i may have flamed Tyuri a touch, but:

A) they are knowingly breaking the games EULA

B) Guru is openly and happily allowing them to advertise it too

How can it be built from scratch when your using existing code?

We are not using existing code of any kind.

From what I've seen of this project it is in the grey area. There are no outlandishly illegal programs being used or created.

I'm willing/planning to help with this, both as an alpha tester and grabbing map data for them. There may be a degree of risk, but from talking in their IRC channel I believe that they're not planning to do anything that'll cost ANet money or copyrighted material. The fact that ownership of a current GW account is necessary to play on these servers proves to me (at least) that their intentions are good.

@Lonesamurai: No existing code is being used. They're not breaking copyright.

so character/NPC models and skins and all the maps are all brand new and you've made the control sstem from scratch and its all new?

So its not Guild Wars at all then?

Then please explain why you need people to download info from GW for you? If you aren't going to use it then why do you need it?

They are parts of the Guild Wars client, which you are entitled to download from Guildwars.com, they're not code, we're not stealing them, they exist on your computer as part of the downloaded client that goes unmodified. We don't even modify the client to allow you to connect to our servers.

The information gathered is just that, information. It is not code. Of course we need information in order to develop a working server.

Whilst I'm not involved in the coding of the server at all (Ajaala can answer those questions much better than I can) I refer to the server.

By building the server from scratch they avoid the legal liabilitys that cropped up when other private servers were released.

EDIT: See, he answered them.

Game publishers have no problem with non-functioning servers. Too much legal hassle over nothing.

They may however step in once a game reaches adequate functionality. Often, just to see how things look. Quite a few emulator community developers have then transitioned into actual development, based on the work they've done.

Other than that, outside of stolen Lineage code, nothing notable ever came from emulator communities, since the approach to server development has always been minimal emulation, rather than actual MMO server development, and as such carries little value.

And the difference is?

Its still Unofficial and as such (from my obviously limited ability to read the EULA) a breach of the agreed rules to owning an account