Unofficial "Empty Server List" Fix


(Paul) #1

For more information: check http://etmaster.net/

Dear ET players,

Since the masterlist is still down, and ID is keeping quite at the background I’ve been working on a new masterlist. It would be nice if all server admins could add this master to the server config. I’ve also modified the ET 2.55/2.60b game file to load up this new list. As soon as ID’s master is back up, we will synchronize with their list continuously as well, so you do not need to revert back later.

I’m still working on some improvements on the background, but this is a start, didn’t want you to wait much longer :slight_smile:

For server admins
Put the following in your server config, then, if you don’t want to restart your server immediately, go to rcon and also copy paste the command there.


set sv_master5 "master0.etmaster.net"

For players
Option 1: Download and install Rudi’s hosts service, this patch will run as service and send the masterlist through from etmaster.net as long as ID’s masterserver is down, if ID’s master will be back up, it’ll load from there. This tool does not require you to change any files. This option is recommended!

Option 2: Download the new ET.exe files 2.55 is HERE and 2.60b is HERE

Option 3: Modify your hosts file and add this to the bottom USE ONLY IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO USE THE NEW EXE FILES, YOU DO NOT NEED TO DO IT BOTH


91.220.53.73	etmaster.idsoftware.com



(Salteh) #2

w00p !
:slight_smile:


(GIXLORDGIX) #3

So we have to reload- or wipe our servers and lose all the cfgs to upload the new hosted file… What about the “hosts” that have the old 2.55 pack fie. like game servers and the rest. Shouldn’t you be telling them to upload this mod of yours.better yet- if ID is supposedly working on the cure, how will your modified 2.55 effect the old 2.55 pack file that older clients have installed on their machines? . what about client mismatch- all the older clients that will have a check sum error to host to client issue when connecting to your host after loading this mod you made, because of the file size changes?


(Paul) #4

I checked with punkbuster/connecting to several servers. No mismatches/kicks. File size is exactly the same.

Server admins should NOT WIPE ANYTHING, they only need to add 1 line to their cfg, as said in the ‘server admin’ section. This host file overwrite is only for those who want to use another workaround besides the modified exe file.

I hope this answers your question :slight_smile:


(Patriotqube) #5

thanks Paul il def try it out, our 5 servers should already now be on that list?

i will however make it so i have 2 et installs, not sure what it will do on tzac servers for now

but very nice mate, except the 2.55 shouldnt have been fixed imo, just wasted a great opportunity to get all onto 1 version only :wink:


(Rudi) #6

It’s not a mod and there is no pak file.

Plus, isn’t this only client side?

+1!


(GIXLORDGIX) #7

I do have a question tho for client side. What part of the pack file did you re script.? wouldn’t be easier to make a fix pk3? that would be uploaded to client?


(GIXLORDGIX) #8

whats this then if not a modifying script — Quote: I’ve also modified the ET 2.55/2.60b game file to load up this new list.


(Paul) #9

[QUOTE=Rudi;391289]It’s not a mod and there is no pak file.

Plus, isn’t this only client side?

+1![/QUOTE]

It’s indeed only client side, and a pak file is not possible as it’s a change in the ET.exe code.

About the 2.55, the MOTD is also hosted at the same server, currently it just has a happy greeting message but in the future it’s possible to post something YOUR ET VERSION IS OUTDATED PLEASE UPDATE for 2.55 users :slight_smile:


(Rudi) #10

It’s not a pak file, it’s not a script, it’s not possible in a pk3. Nothing needs to be downloaded.

If they can’t find your server anyway, how are they meant to download it?!


(GIXLORDGIX) #11

Well no… the pack file if you mod it will not pass the check. you have to have both the one you changed, and it downloading to client- then and only then will the client have the same 2.55 file you changed. meaning simply-- the client and server have to have the same version of the file. Punkbuster will not pick this up by the way. I can change NQ to have script files in it that can be loaded into a “host” machine- to be downloaded into the client when they connect to download NQ they will get the scripted version of NQ, that is on the HOST machine. being the 2 will work fine together. But if the client visits another NQ server he may or may not get kicked due to the changes. It just depends on what and how you change the master file. How good you are programing wise. So if you make change to the “host” machine by uploading this change to it… anyone that connects to this machine will get a diffrent version of 2.55 that will not work on every client out there. that’s why most modders and scriptwriters-aka programers- don’t fool with the main pac file. they just make a “much” smaller script file to tell the game what to do when theirs a loading issue.


(Peter Peterson) #12

Dude. You are giving me a headache. He patched the engine and thats it. Could this be done by a mod too? Yes. Would this be a good idea? No.


(Patriotqube) #13

i think your misunderstanding what Paul has done mate

on the server hosts there are not going to be made any changes in the files, its all done by change a setting in the server.cfg which we can do as we wants.

on the client side it has to be the et.exe you have to edit as it in that file the game is programmed to find servers delivered by the previous masterserver, its actually just an adress that has been changed, so it now find servers from a masterserver placed on a different location. it has nothing todo with mods etc etc

i myself am not sure how the change in the MD5 hashsum will influence on TZAC which is why i would recommend for the moment to use a fresh install with Pauls fix


(GIXLORDGIX) #14

Just so you know… since you don’t:{Quote: and a pak file is not possible as it’s a change in the ET.exe code} its easy. everyone has done it. at least once.to think that someone cannot exact the code and mod it is silly… F/A Clan has done this to et a few times over the years in their server to keep players in there servers before they switched to zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz_pk3. files. or tilde files… regardless. they know how to do it.
That’s one of many reasons punk-buster wont support et anymore cause they know this to be true.
We would all like to think that you cannot do that. but in reality you can to the point where the fake one runs like the true one. who will know eh? :smiley:


($omator) #15

thnks for hexeditining et.exe for those who are unable to edit hosts :slight_smile:

any idea why id dropped main master, is it permanent ?


(Patriotqube) #16

@GIXLORDGIX

ok now you lost me


(GIXLORDGIX) #17

I think it would just be easier, to setup a ftp host to hold the master list. since it has to update its self a running script or bot would have to run hash checks every 10 mins or so just to update the list. that would take about 20 mins to set up. then tell everyone where your pointer is. bla bal bal.host.com . just so their servers would be able to see the master list.


(Peter Peterson) #18

Well, dont you think voip would be better suited for this task?


(Rudi) #19

[QUOTE=GIXLORDGIX;391298]Just so you know… since you don’t:{Quote: and a pak file is not possible as it’s a change in the ET.exe code} its easy. everyone has done it. at least once.to think that someone cannot exact the code and mod it is silly… F/A Clan has done this to et a few times over the years in their server to keep players in there servers before they switched to zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz_pk3. files. or tilde files… regardless. they know how to do it.
That’s one of many reasons punk-buster wont support et anymore cause they know this to be true.
We would all like to think that you cannot do that. but in reality you can to the point where the fake one runs like the true one. who will know eh? :D[/QUOTE]

How are you so thick that you can’t understand what is happening?

This can not be done via a .pk3 file, it’s simply impossible. The master server hostname is within ET.exe and can not be affected by a mod (a full mod) or otherwise (a pk3!), all Paul did was make a simple hex edit change to ET.exe.

Sorry to be so harsh but your posts are downright idiotic.

EDIT: BTW PB dropped ET support because it is an old and commercially unsupported game. You can expect CoD1 to be dropped very soon.


(GIXLORDGIX) #20

I dont have permission rights to host it. for that. It be upto ID and splash damage to assign rights to me. that’s why. :smiley: