Legality Questions

[moneymoh]

Yo, i'm planning on making a private server for something, probably conquer, not sure yet, I do want to profit off of it,

wondering if its legal to make a private server, and what things i can do to make it legal,

could i even call it a different game, would i have to edit maps, and looks of items, or just names?

is it legal to profit off of it?

[go for it]

as far as i know using tq client isn't illegal (even if you used it to connect to a private server)
so using a custom source + edited tq client should be fine
but you ofc can't add your own copyright on tq client/pictures/graphics
but you are free to do whatever you want with your custom source
anyway that's not something you should care about AS
since people start creating private servers (even with illegal sources) tq never sued them or even take an action
private servers in total won't win a million yearly , tq wins billions yearly , why would they care ?

and no it's not "profitable" as others think (unless you are ready to risk something like 200 usd to keep the server alive so people make sure it's the **** and they start working there *** out on your server)
else let people max in couple of hrs and fight on donations ?

im really confused about it but it seems that public source + stolen website + 1-100k cp drop rate is kinda profitable

but before everything , do you think you got what it takes to "make" a private server ? if yes then go for it , else forget it

[moneymoh]

Originally Posted by go for it

yo yo what's poppin dude , yeah dog , YOLO make a private server SWAG , you will ballin out
i've a private server , bad one (bad in terms of coding and in terms of game play) and i got 1 player , he pays donations to me +1000 a week !
and you don't need that much to start , public impulse source is there , public stolen websites are there , people helping to setup server on arabic forums out there
what are you waiting for , go go go go
ale ale ale

im canadian, and if i was planning on making another ****** generic server i wouldnt be posting this

edit: i think u posted to my thread when i only had the first line, i had to take a phone call and i think i hit enter by accident before i left my computer, just a misunderstanding i guess, anyways i added the rest afterwards

[go for it]

Originally Posted by moneymoh

im canadian, and if i was planning on making another ****** generic server i wouldnt be posting this

edit: i think u posted to my thread when i only had the first line, i had to take a phone call and i think i hit enter by accident before i left my computer, just a misunderstanding i guess, anyways i added the rest afterwards

i've edited my post too , and yes before you edit your topic was troll tempting
anyway it sounds like that the "****** generic server" are the ones making profit and getting players :\

[moneymoh]

Originally Posted by go for it

but before everything , do you think you got what it takes to "make" a private server ? if yes then go for it , else forget it

explain that, assuming programming capabilities? im still learning, not sure exactly how hard it will be, but i'm dedicated, and when i get started i dont stop

also yeah im thinking the success of the private server relies a lot on the success of the original game... more people playing the original = more people looking for a private server, so i might not go with conquer...

basically if i was going to, i would have made DB purchases like the normal game, everything the same, except i'd always be updating and changing, but keeping the things that make the game what it is, rednames dropping items, no BP, revision of OP skills (herc, BT, Palm), and creating new tournaments, that will be on every day

also whats an example of an illegal source, what makes it illegal?

and why does every private server only take "donations" does this have something to do with staying out of trouble?

[go for it]

that is my server

how many players you think it worth to get in a 5 days ?
i got 2 players including me
how many donations you think it worth to get in 5 days ?
i've got -36 usd and duno how im going to pay the next month (yes that's - is negative sign , that's what i've paid)
so yeah conquer private servers isn't as good as it was before

also whats an example of an illegal source, what makes it illegal?
binaries , binary sources (i've heard this from people that it was stolen from tq , thus it's illegal) , duno about lotf but no one is using lotf anymore
costume source is a written sources from the starch (ex. hybrid source , trinity , albetros , and so on)

actually selling stuff for people isn't a good idea on internet , yes it may cause some troubles on the long term
but getting donations and giving prizes for donation is a better idea , where there is no refunds , there is no scams (no one can sue you , it's donation , got me ?)

and what it takes to create a private server from starch ??
being able to handle some RE
being able to code your sockets and handlers
being able to get actions/meshs/enums/structures of the game
being able to create atleast a reg. form with php (with some checks if ex. if strlen pass < 5 , if strlen acc < 5 , if pass!=retypepass , if account exist in db , and sure an antispam captcha)
being able to handle database connection, raise events , pla pla pla

it actually takes too much to create a decent server but it was never a "must" to start developing one
but lemme drop my 2cs
when im looking at my private server as a Investment project im INDEED losing
but when im looking at my private server as my first real c# project then im INDEED winning
forgive me for my bad english and wish that was completely right and what you need to know enjoy

[diedwarrior]

lotf is a custom source, VERY CRAPPY THOUGH!

[moneymoh]

Originally Posted by go for it

when im looking at my private server as a Investment project im INDEED losing
but when im looking at my private server as my first real c# project then im INDEED winning

good point, thanks for your help

[CptSky]

Originally Posted by moneymoh

[...]is it legal to profit off of it?

If you're offering something for donation, you don't really profit of it, and it would be legal. Less trouble too.

But ! Don't expect making money from a CO2 private server. I did the first french private server of CO2, and it has always been the best in term of features, professionalism, stability, quality, etc. I got few agreements with players, so during all the years a got the server, they paid for it. In fact, it was always one player which was paying (and was part of the team). Probably around 300-400$ for maintaining the server. In the last version, I had someone to pay, but, also personal donation (which were rewarded as 30 days of premium : auto-reload (arrow), right-click on DBs for CPs, right-click on meteor for scrolls, etc). Nothing big, but I barely got around 200$ in almost one year. Far from all the time I put in the project. But, I'm a good programmer now. I got a great job due to my skill... So well, if you want to make a private server, make it for the coding side, not for the profit side.

[_DreadNought_]

Coding a private server is not illegal, modifying there client is.

If you look up SpiritedFang he managed to get around the system and do what he wants with TQ's stuff all within the law, and TQ know it.

[moneymoh]

Originally Posted by _DreadNought_

Coding a private server is not illegal, modifying there client is.

If you look up SpiritedFang he managed to get around the system and do what he wants with TQ's stuff all within the law, and TQ know it.

sounds interesting, i will, thanks

found this,

[Super Aids]

Modifying the client is not illegal, modifying it and redistrubuting it is.

[Korvacs]

I feel I need to clarify basically everyone elses posts.

Writing your own server is not illegal.
Reverse engineering for educational purposes is not illegal.
Reverse engineering of the client, data packets or anything similar with the objective of making a profit from the reversed knowledge is illegal.
Redistributing a client (modified or otherwise) is illegal.
Using any of the many copywritten material associated with the client, or the company that runs the game without consent is illegal.

Essentially what you need to know is that any attempt to make and run a private server ends up being illegal, there are no legal servers out there.

Fang's 'legal' private server is legal because its reverse engineering for educational purposes. As soon as such a server was made available for the public it would breach that and would be illegal like any other.

[Super Aids]

Oh snap

[Spirited]

Regarding the legality of my server... It's complicated. My college wants to run the server for beta testing on their host (since that is an essential part of developing a game server). After I am done with the development (I cannot develop and learn from it being online), the server cannot legally run. As long as the college uses the server for demonstrations, however, I can legally run it. It's all in the name of education, and as Jack (Korvacs) says, running a server with the intent to make money is illegal. There's a thin line, and I've had to discuss it with NetDragon Websoft and my college. It's a lot of work, and it might just be unnecessary. NetDragon really only targets private servers that take in money (that's what I've observed, maybe I'm wrong).