Banelord

There are many different moving parts that could be licensed or purchased. It matter quite a bit which specific parts are being referenced in conversations about possible aggrements:


Likely licensing parts
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1. The IP rights (the right to develop characters, places and content derived from the CoH universe, but not any existing code or art or tools)

2. The client rights (the right to use a current or former CoX client as shipped but not the source to it; *maybe* modification via data and scripting changes allowed for by the client's design, and plugging in custom models or art)


Likely purchasable parts (essentially buying part/all of Paragon Studios sources and tools)
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3. CoH models and art (the characters, equipment, buildings, zones and instance sets)

4. CoH client engine, scripting and protocols (the client we use, and the communications between it and a server - it might use (3) or have to create and script its own models and art, and it might use (5) or have to create its own server

5. CoH server, database and behavior (the sum of behavior of the CoH server side)

Any deal for these parts should emphatically include any tools developed for use with them. Character modeling tools, test beds, traffic emulators, profilers, etc. Gaining access to parts of the codebase but lacking the associated tools would mean a giant setback in terms of time and effort.


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(1) and (2) would be minimally necessary to produce something remotely ressembling the CoH we know and love, or you risk C&D as mentioned. You would need to fabricate the server emulator either from scratch or using an existing emulation platform base. As most people know, emulating the server but using an existing client is what almost every private MMO effort does. Whether they formally obtain (1) or (2) is another story ...

I don't see gaining access to (3), (4) or esp. (5) unless you could convince them to actually sell Paragon Studios assets to you. And (5) along with internally developed tools would be the very last thing they may want outsiders to have, since it may be tech shared with other projects that they may yet repurpose in another subsidiary projects.

Regardless of which tact ends up being taken, you absolutely need a few very talented devs who have defintely built 3d games before (obviously ex-PS folks would be gold), in addition to the added talents of other devs pitching in for all sorts of contributions from building up the database of info needed to testing to scripting to limited UI mod'ing to protocol reverse engineering.

If you don't have access to the existing client, or lacking that the models and art assets, then you would also need a whole other set of talents - artists and character/zone designers - which would be prohibitive and best avoided (again, unless you could somehow get ex-PS folks).

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TL ; DR

Unless you are going after the right to the CoH IP and existing client for use with your own server effort, you will need a studio-sized effort of your own. And even then you will still need a tight-knit set of dev resources not unlike Project99 (EQ), Feenix (WoW) or Utgarde (DAoC).

What you also may need between now and Nov 30 as a backup plan is to make a fraps+net traffic capture tool which records both simultaneously and then compresses the video. You can separately code a timeline tool that lets you display a timeline sync of the fraps video markers with net traffic. The net traffic window would display message breakdown sort of like Fiddler does for http to show what the data means (a constantly improving feature as your reverse engineering gets better). This accelerates decoding the server packets against the fixed client, esp. for a server that is possibly going to be offline at some point and not capable of providing further live correlation.

This is assuming you won't have access to any protocol docs from PS, and no significant formal help from existing devs who know it. The game is an absolute gold mine of communications protocol info while it is still running.

A big reason why it takes so long for things like EQ's Project99 effort and other emulation investments is simply having that protocol rosetta stone figured out.

Unless someone already has something like this.

Like a lot of people hearing the news, I am coming out of the woodwork to say something. I will also follow and contribute as this progresses.

We are losing some of the last bastions of golden era MMOs like CoH. Even EQ and DAoC are kind of shaky now, and it just seems inconceivable that any of these would ever disappear. I won't get into my hatred for the modern MMO focus and f2p, just know that I consider it a cancer that absolutely ruins the spirit and intentions of a solid and fair-minded MMO. I know why MMOs might convert and cater to it, often out of need, but that doesn't excuse it.

I have returned to CoH over the years and resubbed because it was always worth it, just to fly again, see the zones and listen to the very evocative music queues. The original login screen theme, Atlas Park, Steel Canyon, etc.

I hope someone is archiving ALL the current zones with fly-throughs and instance runs, to document what is where, mob spawns, music queues and such. Something tells me you are going to need them.

I guess I will never see the changes I wished would eventually be updated into CoH:
- continous zones
- all buildings have interiors you can access
- skyscrapers with huge vertical atriums, working elevator shafts you could hide-and-seek PvP in
- a DAoC-like spin on RvR for superheroes, complete with 100% open-world relics, sanctuaries (keeps) and such - oh, and 3 or 4 sides not just 2 fighting (let's face it, CoH's PvP was *never* even close to the scope and epicness to compliment its awesome PvE universe)