FFXI major overhaul

[nasomi]

Preserving the FFXI client should be on the back of our minds now. The idea was getting tossed around by CipherX when I just came onto DSP a few years back, but now we kinda need to bring it up again..

I whole heartedly agree. I had managed to make a fully functional stand alone installer that set up everything last fall. I ran into some issues with windows 8 though, there's a new dll reg system going on.

I think that our current method of updating the client may not be very future proof for clients, and we need to look at alternate methods. I have successfully done it on win7, and I bet with more tinkering I could get it with win8, and I guess we'll have to see about win10.

[Delaide]

All SE uses is a torrent system to update to the newer version. It would not be difficult to make an update client (provided that people would actually seed), that would do exactly what SE's client does. I think the only reason nobody has done it up to this point, is because SE already does it. Once they stop providing updates though, and the update servers go offline, it wouldn't be hard for somebody who is at the very last client version to create a torrent and start seeding so others can download the latest client version.

Actually, I can see a big problem here. Maybe I just don't know how to do it, but I have found if you just copy over your game install from one machine to another, it fails to work. Not just when you want to copy it to a second pc, but also if you have it installed on both, update one, then copy over the other to over-write the older version. It always fails for me. So, not sure if pure file transfer of the installation folder would work. I guess there needs to be something more done.

[starlightknight]

All SE uses is a torrent system to update to the newer version. It would not be difficult to make an update client (provided that people would actually seed), that would do exactly what SE's client does. I think the only reason nobody has done it up to this point, is because SE already does it. Once they stop providing updates though, and the update servers go offline, it wouldn't be hard for somebody who is at the very last client version to create a torrent and start seeding so others can download the latest client version.

Actually, I can see a big problem here. Maybe I just don't know how to do it, but I have found if you just copy over your game install from one machine to another, it fails to work. Not just when you want to copy it to a second pc, but also if you have it installed on both, update one, then copy over the other to over-write the older version. It always fails for me. So, not sure if pure file transfer of the installation folder would work. I guess there needs to be something more done.

It's highly likely that's because doing a plain folder copy doesn't copy any corresponding updates to the system registry, which is something an installer would normally take care of. Someone could dump the latest information from the registry and include making and/or updating the corresponding keys in their installer

[ex0r]

All SE uses is a torrent system to update to the newer version. It would not be difficult to make an update client (provided that people would actually seed), that would do exactly what SE's client does. I think the only reason nobody has done it up to this point, is because SE already does it. Once they stop providing updates though, and the update servers go offline, it wouldn't be hard for somebody who is at the very last client version to create a torrent and start seeding so others can download the latest client version.

Actually, I can see a big problem here. Maybe I just don't know how to do it, but I have found if you just copy over your game install from one machine to another, it fails to work. Not just when you want to copy it to a second pc, but also if you have it installed on both, update one, then copy over the other to over-write the older version. It always fails for me. So, not sure if pure file transfer of the installation folder would work. I guess there needs to be something more done.

It's highly likely that's because doing a plain folder copy doesn't copy any corresponding updates to the system registry, which is something an installer would normally take care of. Someone could dump the latest information from the registry and include making and/or updating the corresponding keys in their installer

Not to mention, doing direct file to file copies aren't always reliable. With torrent it continually checks the file to make sure the piece it sent is complete and if it's not it resends it. Registry keys are another thing that would possibly need to be updated.

[nasomi]

All SE uses is a torrent system to update to the newer version. It would not be difficult to make an update client (provided that people would actually seed), that would do exactly what SE's client does. I think the only reason nobody has done it up to this point, is because SE already does it. Once they stop providing updates though, and the update servers go offline, it wouldn't be hard for somebody who is at the very last client version to create a torrent and start seeding so others can download the latest client version.

Actually, I can see a big problem here. Maybe I just don't know how to do it, but I have found if you just copy over your game install from one machine to another, it fails to work. Not just when you want to copy it to a second pc, but also if you have it installed on both, update one, then copy over the other to over-write the older version. It always fails for me. So, not sure if pure file transfer of the installation folder would work. I guess there needs to be something more done.

It fails for two reasons. One, you don't have the registry settings and two, you haven't registered the dll's with the dll registration server. If you do those two things properly, it does work.

Code: Select all

C:\Windows\regsvr32.exe "FINAL FANTASY XI\FFXi.dll" /s
C:\Windows\regsvr32.exe "FINAL FANTASY XI\FFXiMain.dll" /s
C:\Windows\regsvr32.exe "FINAL FANTASY XI\FFXiResource.dll" /s
C:\Windows\regsvr32.exe "FINAL FANTASY XI\FFXiVersions.dll" /s
C:\Windows\regsvr32.exe "PlayOnlineViewer\polhook.dll" /s
C:\Windows\regsvr32.exe "PlayOnlineViewer\unicows.dll" /s
C:\Windows\regsvr32.exe "PlayOnlineViewer\patchfiles\PlayOnlineViewer\viewer\com\app.dll" /s
C:\Windows\regsvr32.exe "PlayOnlineViewer\patchfiles\PlayOnlineViewer\viewer\com\polcore.dll" /s
C:\Windows\regsvr32.exe "PlayOnlineViewer\polcfg\sysinfo.dll" /s
C:\Windows\regsvr32.exe "PlayOnlineViewer\util\unicows.dll" /s
C:\Windows\regsvr32.exe "PlayOnlineViewer\viewer\ax\MSVCR71.dll" /s
C:\Windows\regsvr32.exe "PlayOnlineViewer\viewer\ax\polmvf.dll" /s
C:\Windows\regsvr32.exe "PlayOnlineViewer\viewer\ax\polmvfINT.dll" /s
C:\Windows\regsvr32.exe "PlayOnlineViewer\viewer\com\app.dll" /s
C:\Windows\regsvr32.exe "PlayOnlineViewer\viewer\com\polcore.dll" /s
C:\Windows\regsvr32.exe "PlayOnlineViewer\viewer\contents\PolContents.dll" /s
C:\Windows\regsvr32.exe "PlayOnlineViewer\viewer\contents\polcontentsINT.dll" /s
C:\Windows\regsvr32.exe "TetraMaster\TM.dll" /s

Those are the dll's that need registered for POL/FFXI to function.

[idlemind]

Preserving the FFXI client should be on the back of our minds now. The idea was getting tossed around by CipherX when I just came onto DSP a few years back, but now we kinda need to bring it up again..

+1 for this. I'd be super excited to see an open source client come with a focus on connecting into DSP private servers even it still required a dump (of whatever versions) of sourced data files to be dropped in a directory prior to initial launch by the user. This of course would run and install separately of any regular production FFXI instances you have going on your machine.

[Delaide]

Preserving the FFXI client should be on the back of our minds now. The idea was getting tossed around by CipherX when I just came onto DSP a few years back, but now we kinda need to bring it up again..

+1 for this. I'd be super excited to see an open source client come with a focus on connecting into DSP private servers even it still required a dump (of whatever versions) of sourced data files to be dropped in a directory prior to initial launch by the user. This of course would run and install separately of any regular production FFXI instances you have going on your machine.

It doesn't work that way. The client is the IP of Square. In fact, if we got the source code for the server, that would be Square's IP also. You would need to recreate the entire game using original assets that cannot be attributed to Square's Intellectual Property. What they are talking about is a client installer if/when SE pulls the plug.

[TeoTwawki]

I've made and tested an MSI based installer that works with win xp/7/8/8.1/10 preview (yes really), and after the November update I'll update it to that client revision and release into the wild, along with instructions how to update/rebuild it for any future changes.

[JustMee]

I've made and tested an MSI based installer that works with win xp/7/8/8.1/10 preview (yes really), and after the November update I'll update it to that client revision and release into the wild, along with instructions how to update/rebuild it for any future changes.

+respect for this - IMO this is the sort of thing that's been needed.
Ideally, an entire POL replacement is the way to go. Installer and client both - this way individual servers could choose the exact client version and files for their players. Would eventually make it a feasible option to create truly custom content for their players.

Waiting and watching where this goes, exciting stuff!

[B_Type13X2]

I've made and tested an MSI based installer that works with win xp/7/8/8.1/10 preview (yes really), and after the November update I'll update it to that client revision and release into the wild, along with instructions how to update/rebuild it for any future changes.

+respect for this - IMO this is the sort of thing that's been needed.
Ideally, an entire POL replacement is the way to go. Installer and client both - this way individual servers could choose the exact client version and files for their players. Would eventually make it a feasible option to create truly custom content for their players.

Waiting and watching where this goes, exciting stuff!

The other positive is when someone new happens onto your server provided you follow a regular update cycle they shouldn't run into issues with their client version being different from the one the server is running. It helps avoid issues like POL 3331 which 2 of my friends ran into and had to do complete wipes of all FFXI related files and re-install. (one of them had to do this twice, he was following the client setup wiki and shared screen with me, it was a matter of eventually it just worked.)

I am naive about these things but would it not in the long run make the project easier to maintain/ update? You wouldn't have to worry about SE doing something on their project end that would mess something up on our end and have to spend so much time figuring out what they changed and fixing it.