TODO list: the technical condition of the server and issues needing attention

[iL]

Well, let's collect in one place all the issues needing attention.

I'd offer a bugtracker, but not sure we need one more service to support.
So, let's start here:
I'll post what i remember.

let's group issues:

from il: Also my comments who and how can implement that and how much it can cost.
And money is not enough: If you want to help with some task, you have to research each task yourself, find a programmer (or do that yourself), according to some conditions to make it possible to integrate into existing infrastructure.

1. Warcraft II BNE and issues related to modern computers
- improve graphics (HD Remaster)
As for me, the only way to make that: to hire a team of programmers/designers to remake textures, deep reverse-engineering the war2 binary code. $50 000-$100 000.
And you have to find that team yourself.

2. Warcraft II BNE and it's network issues
- hosting games with closed ports, Hole punching
- lagging
- network conflicts
Very complicated set of questions. It's related to architecture of Blizzard War2 program and bnet-protocol so there's no way to "fix everything at once".
Something could be resolved by VPNs, $5-10 per month per 1 VPN. I can try to help with configuration.
Something by special utilities (you have to make it yourself or hire a programmer yourself). $1000-5000 to resolve some part of that network issues. And your active involvement into talk with programmers. I can just share my thoughts if required.

3. War2Combat and it's issues
- include ddraw to work right after installation
- include compatibility for win10
- include video/music/briefings
- uses 100% cpu, savior doesn't work properly (Yamon)
- multimage crash fix (Tupac)
- feedback after playing (Cel)
I'll try to make most things myself when i have time. $0.
Need your work to fix savior.
Appreciate any ideas

4. Our bnet-server (aka server.war2.ru) issues
- finish antihack and make it mandatory, Hardware ban
The way i see is to hire a programmer that will make client part, server part to keep control on clients and integrate that with the existing server. $1000-5000 and your job to find a programmer and talk to him. I can make the detailed specification for programmer.
My plan: my plan is to make antihack mandatory and after that we can enforce the ban by hardware id. $0. When i have time.

5. Sites (forum.war2.ru, en.war2.ru, ladder.war2.ru, ss.war2.ru, tv.war2.ru) issues
- get warcraft occult forum database from Axolotl.
Is here anybody who know Axolotl and can contact him? I hope he have a backup of warcraft occult database. I'd be happy to get it. Then we could start a fully-fucntional read-only mirror for war2.warcraft.org and restore tons of useful information about war2

6. War2-related utilities (viewers, editors, others, not included into combat)
- warvideo blinking with new ddraw
- 4v4s with watchers (as live stream for everybody) (OMOgremage)
Not my priority at all

7. New features required

8. Other/common/ungrouped issues

[Yamon]

since war2 connects people to other's modems, the problem with delay and confliction, I think the problem is rooted in the fact that we connect to people across the globe. So the packets have to travel too far. Every time I play with someone from europe, or south america I get huge delay and I can barely play.

Also warcraft 2 uses 100% cpu, I don't know if there's any solution for that, but the CPU savior doesn't work properly.

[OMOgremage]

Honestly the only real issue is the hosting issues. Sure theres lots of cool things that could be done to the game... but come on... lets be realistic... Ive always thought an ingame timer would be cool, as to help track scouts and timings. Allowing more people into a lobby would be cool so that you could have 4v4s with watchers (I doubt this is possible, and am not going to quit if it doesnt happen). Im aware that the people that develope this game are working professionals and have other priorities (as should you all). So I still cant thank those enough who have done anything to allow the game to work as it does for me.

[iL]

since war2 connects people to other's modems, the problem with delay and confliction, I think the problem is rooted in the fact that we connect to people across the globe. So the packets have to travel too far. Every time I play with someone from europe, or south america I get huge delay and I can barely play.

Honestly the only real issue is the hosting issues.

Well, added to TODO list. What to do with that is another question, but let's group our issues firstly...

Also warcraft 2 uses 100% cpu, I don't know if there's any solution for that, but the CPU savior doesn't work properly.

Thx, added

Sure theres lots of cool things that could be done to the game... but come on... lets be realistic...

Well, if we have an option to hire a programmer or find some kind of programmer between us, many cool things could be implemented i think.

Ive always thought an ingame timer would be cool, as to help track scouts and timings.

The big question if it could look like a hack for me. Could be discussed, but that's definitely possible to do.

Allowing more people into a lobby would be cool so that you could have 4v4s with watchers (I doubt this is possible, and am not going to quit if it doesnt happen).

I also doubt it's possible, but i'd look into live streaming way. Ok, let me take it into my list.

[Certified MENSA Genius Brain (smart)]

Not mentioned here is hardware ban

Wish list is something like
-Ddraw bundling for Win10.  This is big for the future compatibility of the software with new computers
-"Hole punching" to eliminate lag/conflicts/hosting issues.  This is big for ease of use and to address the most common complaints.
-Hardware ban (possibly automated with finished anti-hack).  This is big to get rid of dellam, martin18, the one or two people that cause 90% of the hacking issues.

Nothing else compares with these three imo

[iL]

Not mentioned here is hardware ban

Thx, added.
Hardware ban will be a part of antihack,
Hole punching will just partially eliminate hosting issues with closed ports, as i understand nothing more, but better than nothing.
Is ddraw have problems with win10? I never tried win10, also not sure about any troubles with ddraw there.

[Yamon]

appreciate it iL.

Wow, Ethan! Great moves, keep it up, proud of you! [GONE SEXUAL] - YouTube

[Delete mine too]

I think the best solution is a support tool inside the combat folder.

I wrote a handy batch file. So far it is capable of enabling and disabling DEP. You will need to restart machine after enabling or disabling DEP.
To get it working on windows 10 you need to edit the registry to add it as an exception. The tool will also prompt you for a color fix. You would see...

1. Win10
2. Win7
3. Default

Make a selection and it will move the ddraw.dll to the default combat dir.

I could easily add win10 fix 1, fix 2, fix 3...

[iL]

I think the best solution is a support tool inside the combat folder.

I wrote a handy batch file. So far it is capable of enabling and disabling DEP. You will need to restart machine after enabling or disabling DEP.
To get it working on windows 10 you need to edit the registry to add it as an exception. The tool will also prompt you for a color fix. You would see...

Well, i also looked through the solutions, the general way for win10 is to totally disable DEP.
Not so pleasant way as for me: DEP is kinda type of protection against attacks and vulnerabilities, so i don't want to reduce protection for the whole system for war2. Adding 1 exclusion with keeping DEP state untouched would be much better as it works for 7-8. But as a last way that could be ok...

1. Win10
2. Win7
3. Default

Make a selection and it will move the ddraw.dll to the default combat dir.

I could easily add win10 fix 1, fix 2, fix 3...

Well, OS type can be easily autodetected.
And how you can check the computer hardware is compatible with each fix? You can have win10 or win7 or w/e with weak videocard that doesn't support shaders (have to use ddraw2) or the same OS with good hardware that supports everything (use ddraw4).
I don't want people to install combat by default and get some strange error on start...
That is the question.

[Certified MENSA Genius Brain (smart)]

I think when the person installs it should give them a message like

"Notice: If you're using Windows 10 and the display in game is not optimal, run the DISPLAYWAR2 shortcut to try other available display settings"

and then they can run some little application that lets them choose all the different ddraws one at a time.  Like it would have a radio button where they could select a different ddraw at will to try everything out.

[iL]

and then they can run some little application that lets them choose all the different ddraws one at a time.  Like it would have a radio button where they could select a different ddraw at will to try everything out.

I think to make ddraw version selectable on installing. But my experience is people never read messages, they just click next-next-next. And when crash happens they just leave.
That's why we need optimal ddraw version selected by default.

[Certified MENSA Genius Brain (smart)]

Yes, it also should go in during install also, but if the player finds it doesn't look right, they need to know there's other options and have an easy way to change the ddraw option that they've selected.  (As I recall, user aqrit developed like 3-4 different "test" versions that had varying success with different users.

[iL]

Yes, it also should go in during install also, but if the player finds it doesn't look right, they need to know there's other options and have an easy way to change the ddraw option that they've selected.

Yes, exactly.
That should be the best version automatically selected (90% of players), but user can change defaults if needed.

(As I recall, user aqrit developed like 3-4 different "test" versions that had varying success with different users.

Yes, and it's very sad to see such situation. 1 version working everywhere would be much better.

Well, i hoped to redirect my things to somebody else, but i lost my evening from other jobs and just released d3d checker myself (how usually happen when i try to redirect any task to anybody).
Here's it: a console application that shows "ok" if your videocard supports d3d (ddraw test3 and 4) and "fail" otherwise (ddraw test 2).
I tried on a vitrual machine with installed and deleted videodrivers.

If anybody have a hardware with no ddraw3 or 4 working, please test my program.

I also have mo idea how and where to find the system with ddraw 3 and not ddraw 4 support.

Appreciate your feedback. I'll include this program into combat installer is everything works properly.

[iL]

Rebuilt War2Observe with SetProcessAffinity.
Sets both war2 and observe to CPU0, same as war2insight. To prevent crash.
Version 2.0.2 (last was 2.0.1 as i remember)

[~ToRa~]

Thanks for the new updates IL, I and the rest of the community really appreciate it.

If and when the time comes to hire a programmer I'll help with the financial costs.