Question about WinGPS

[Mr Guy]

I don't want to hear all the public outcries and rage over a WinShowEQ. It's not a good idea.

What I do want to know is how the community would react to a WinGPS. My thought is to combo EQW functionality with the linux GPS functionality. It's not unlike what (allegedly, I've never seen it) Xylobot does, only it'd be side by side instead of an overlay.


There are a few issues I need to deal with; it's long from ready for primetime. I don't know whether a)I should keep playing with it until I can do it all on my own, and release it as a binary, quietly; b) Do it on my own, release it as a binary, loudly; c) Open source as much as I can and simply require everyone to download the SDK's I'm playing with.

I'd prefer option C, because that's less I have to personally learn. Of course, that'd mean I'd have to show the world how sloppy my coding can get at 2AM.
The other problem with C is I'm not sure how the community here and Verant would react. Obviously if I'm sniffing out player loc it's not a huge jump to added a hacked and ported libEQ.a. I'm not sure. I'm also not sure if I'm getting in over my head. Guess that's why I wanted to take a reading here before I got too far.

[high_jeeves]

I would recommend that you keep the application to yourself. I think in general, the more cheat programs that are available, the more likely Verant is to crack down on them. What if they decide that because of this program, EQW is now a problem? They could disable EQW. Or they could continue to modify the opcode/packet structure to make your product more difficult to use (as well as SEQ).

If you do decide to release it, which I hope you dont, it would be best to atleast leave it closed source. You have dont most of the grunt work, and it wouldnt take a rocket scientest to make it decode properly. Remember, under most liscenses, anyone could take your code, fork it, and add their own decryption, leading to a WinSEQ without very much work being required.

[Hoihoi]

>> anyone could take your code, fork it, and add their own decryption

well, anyone who could build his own(not decompiled/ported) libEQ can port the the rest of the linux seq code easily to windows anyway and wouldn't have to "steal" his gps stuff. the code is out there as well the instructions how to port libeq.
even without any decryption you can build a gps for navigation too. but i will say it again, why windows if there is linux? :p

[high_jeeves]

I think its just a matter of barrier to entry. Porting the code to windows (including libEQ.a) is quite possible, but is much more work than taking someone elses port, and adding decryption. Posting a 90% complete WinSEQ is only a couple of hours of someones work away from posting a 100% complete WinSEQ, and just as damaging to these projects.

Also, by releasing this there is another significant barrier of entry removed: owning a second machine. There may be many people who want to use SEQ, but dont have two machines. Take away that requirement, and we get more and more attention. Attention = "A bad thing".

[RavenCT]

I agree with all of you that the WinGPS is a bad move. I'd imagine that most people out there who want (or would like) to see a WinSEQ (GPS or Not) and have the ability to code one probably already have. At least they have the sense NOT to make that public.

I'll be completely honest; I've worked in the computer field for 10 years now as a Network guy and not a developer. I'm quite impressed at what you people have come up with, and as a relative newbie to SEQ and Linux (I've used XENIX and UNIX, but I'm new to Linux) I can see how only those who are "Serious" about getting there hands on this actually succeed.

There definetly is a learning curve if you've never used Linux before to get this working.

With that said, now that I HAVE it working (GPS, decode new spawns - just not on zone), I can't wait to see what else they come up with. WinSEQ? BAD bad bad bad! I can understand how Veriant would want to SQUASH that one as fast as they can since I think the most vocal of the lusers out there screaming for it either can't figure Linux out or are too lazy to put the work into it to make it function.

Heck, when I finally got it to work I was quite pleased with myself... Let the fools who try to take the easy way out get the "Trojan" and loose there accounts (not that I encourage Trojans or viruses or anything, I don't). At least I have the smarts to disable Internet access on my Linux box so it has NO way of communicating with the outside world!

WinSEQ = Attention

"Attention = Bad"

Need we say more?

Oh well, that's enough ranting...

/shoebox off

[SeqTester]

I think a WInAnything is a bad move. Even if it is just a map.

I do know someone that has a Windows PRogram for his chat windows that's kinda cool. But he hacked his OS on his EQ box to port it to the other box. He also Works for MS so he has source code for 98 and that made it easy.