Fix ingame server query (Qtracker)

[Spawn]

Fix the No One Lives Forever 1.004 ingame server query.

Update: A new modernizer patch has been released for this game where this issue is fixed. Check out Nolf modernizer 1.006 this update comes with a new master server that works out of the box. If you want to keep running v1.004 instead, this is how you can do it.


1. Why?

You will be able to connect and host servers just like you did before gamespy was shut down, all you need to do is to edit your windows hosts file. The content in this file will override domain requests, an example would be:

65.112.87.186 master.gamespy.com

The first part 65.112.87.186 is Qtracker's master server for nolf1 and then after the white space it says master.gamespy.com.
When the game asks for master.gamespy.com, windows will tell it to go to 65.112.87.186 instead. and Qtracker's server will reply instead of gamespy. this method will also work with Contract J.A.C.K

To read more about Qtracker, click HERE


2. How do I make this change?

After this is done, you should be able to start the server.

I have two working sollutions here:


2a) Batch file

Create a empty .bat file somewhere and paste this content into it:

@echo off

ECHO Redirecting server query from Gamespy to Qtracker

SET NEWLINE=^& echo.

ECHO.
ECHO Adding redirect to: 65.112.87.186 From: master.gamespy.com
ECHO.

FIND /C /I "master.gamespy.com" %WINDIR%\system32\drivers\etc\hosts
IF %ERRORLEVEL% NEQ 0 (
ECHO %NEWLINE%^65.112.87.186 master.gamespy.com>>%WINDIR%\System32\drivers\etc\hosts
) else (ECHO Redirect already exists, skipping)

ECHO.
ECHO Adding redirect to: 65.112.87.186 From: master0.gamespy.com
ECHO.

FIND /C /I "master0.gamespy.com" %WINDIR%\system32\drivers\etc\hosts
IF %ERRORLEVEL% NEQ 0 (
ECHO %NEWLINE%^65.112.87.186 master0.gamespy.com>>%WINDIR%\System32\drivers\etc\hosts
) else (ECHO Redirect already exists, skipping)


ECHO.
ECHO Adding redirect to: 63.239.170.53 From: motd.gamespy.com
ECHO.

FIND /C /I "motd.gamespy.com" %WINDIR%\system32\drivers\etc\hosts
IF %ERRORLEVEL% NEQ 0 (
ECHO %NEWLINE%^63.239.170.53 motd.gamespy.com>>%WINDIR%\System32\drivers\etc\hosts
) else (ECHO Redirect already exists, skipping)

ECHO.
ECHO Adding redirect to: 65.112.87.186 From: contractjack.available.gamespy.com
ECHO.

FIND /C /I "contractjack.available.gamespy.com" %WINDIR%\system32\drivers\etc\hosts
IF %ERRORLEVEL% NEQ 0 (
ECHO %NEWLINE%^65.112.87.186 contractjack.available.gamespy.com>>%WINDIR%\System32\drivers\etc\hosts
) else (ECHO Redirect already exists, skipping)

ECHO.
ECHO Adding redirect to: 65.112.87.186 From: contractjack.master.gamespy.com
ECHO.

FIND /C /I "contractjack.master.gamespy.com" %WINDIR%\system32\drivers\etc\hosts
IF %ERRORLEVEL% NEQ 0 (
ECHO %NEWLINE%^65.112.87.186 contractjack.master.gamespy.com>>%WINDIR%\System32\drivers\etc\hosts
) else (ECHO Redirect already exists, skipping)

ECHO.
ECHO Adding redirect to: 65.112.87.186 From: contractjack.ms11.gamespy.com
ECHO.

FIND /C /I "contractjack.ms11.gamespy.com" %WINDIR%\system32\drivers\etc\hosts
IF %ERRORLEVEL% NEQ 0 (
ECHO %NEWLINE%^65.112.87.186 contractjack.ms11.gamespy.com>>%WINDIR%\System32\drivers\etc\hosts
) else (ECHO Redirect already exists, skipping)

pause

Then save it and run it as administrator. This will add the redirections from gamespy to qtracker for you
without having to edit HOSTS manually


2b) Edit HOSTS manually

Open Notepad by rightclicking your notepad shortcut or notepad.exe file and "run as administrator"

1) browse to c: --> windows --> System32 --> drivers --> etc
2) Select to view "All Files (*.*)"
3) Open hosts





Before editing I would recommend saving a backup of the file, for instance hosts.old just in case you accidently delete everything or need it later.

Go to the bottom of the file and add these lines: (will also fix contract J.A.C.K)

65.112.87.186 master.gamespy.com
65.112.87.186 master0.gamespy.com
65.112.87.186 master1.gamespy.com
65.112.87.186 master2.gamespy.com
65.112.87.186 master3.gamespy.com
63.239.170.53 motd.gamespy.com
65.112.87.186 contractjack.available.gamespy.com
65.112.87.186 contractjack.master.gamespy.com
65.112.87.186 contractjack.ms11.gamespy.com
65.112.87.186 nolf.ms11.gamespy.com

Then replace the original hosts, make sure that the file is named hosts and not hosts.txt

This is windows 7, but the same method is confirmed working in windows 10 as well

When you launch nolf, the server query should look just like in the good old days:





You won't need to have Qtracker installed for this to work.


3. Hosting a server through Qtracker

With the hosts file now forwarding, hosting should work pretty much like it did in the past.
You will need to forward ports in your router for others to see you though.





A name for the forward <--> Starting port <--> Ending port <--> Both Tcp/Udp <--> Local IP for host computer

After this is done, launch your server and play with your friends!

[Legbat]

I edited the hosts file successfully but am now having a different problem altogether. The servers are now listed just as they should be but I'm completely unable to join ANY of them. I get one of three different error messages every time. It's either:

Connection to server timed out

OR

Missing (fill in the blank) DAT file

OR

Invalid cshell.dll file. Please make sure you are running the same version and modifications as the server

Any ideas as to what I'm doing wrong?

[Spawn]

Version conflicts is my bet. Are you sure it is version 1.004?
I believe you also have to use a nocd patch in windows 10 to make it work.


Sent a PM to you as well.

[Legbat]

Yes. It's the NOLF Revival version I downloaded. Plus I double-checked - It's version 1.004.

[Spawn]

Yes. It's the NOLF Revival version I downloaded. Plus I double-checked - It's version 1.004.

Even if the game version is 1.004 doesn't mean that cshell.dll isn't altered.


Check the dates for REZ files such as NOLFGOTY.REZ, it should be 09-15-2001, I think the game will ignore the previous versions of the dll files. From what I can tell, the actual version of the game is specified in the dll files. And since it will load NOLFGOTY after all the others, I believe that's the version of the dll files the game will pick. Unless you are running a mod. Atleast that's the thing that makes sense to me

If these files are modified compared to a different stock version of Nolf GOTY, the server will kick you.

I haven't checked the nolfrevival installation myself, so I have no idea if these are modified or not.

L.Icepick for the eGo clan sent me this picture btw, he had to run his nolf this way:

[Legbat]

I've never checked the box marked 'Disable display scaling on high DPI settings'. I've also only set it up for Windows XP compatibility - not Windows 7. I'll give it another go tomorrow and will keep my fingers crossed the whole time.

P.S. - I stopped using the Nolfrevival version altogether so that's not the problem at least.

[Spawn]

Fats sent me a screenshot from his windows10 regkey. Seems like it is from a virtual machine though. Values should be correct though.

EDIT:

This issue was resolved by downloading the custom mappack a second time for some strange reason.

[johnicepick]

I will have a look onto those windows registry values, when my windows 10 computer behaves strange - which will happen very soon.

The "cshell.dll" error is a common error that occurs when you try to play a multiplayer game and you have the "widescreen.rez" patch from nolfrevival.tk loaded. It seems to be a common issue, I had it too when I tested it, and another ego member suffered from the same. Once I/he installed the game from its original nolf CD's the cshell.dll error was gone.

Edit#1: on http://www.ego-clan.com we have the original nolf CD's as ISO. In English and German. We also have the "hosts" file as a download.

[Spawn]

If all computers run nolf with the widescreen patch it works (both server and clients). That's because the widescreen patch is behaving like a mod and will use a modified version of cshell.dll
I am 99% sure that the reason why they made it this way is to prevent cheats in multiplayer, since a modified cshell.dll going unchecked could basically give the player godmode

Edit
_________________________________
After further study: Nolf revival's version of nolf1 is modified.
The nolfrevial version can be used online as well if you delete/rename the "WidescreenGOTY.rez" from the base folder, since nolf.exe is also modified to search for WidescreenGOTY.rez and load if it is found.