Arda Online - A Lord of the Rings Online (LotRO) Community: Forums / General Discussion / in-game arda-online map

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in-game arda-online map

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jshanman

Sun Apr 29 2007, 10:11PM

Registered Member #2

Joined: Thu Feb 08 2007, 03:23PM
Posts: 209

This is a discussion started by instant as comments on a news post regarding opening arda-online.com/map while in-game.

This would make is very easy to view/edit the map & database.

Example: http://instant0.googlepages.com/supermap.jpg
Comment Page: http://www.arda-online.com/comment.php?comment.news.17

I really like the idea, but want to find a way to make it very easy for users, trusted (once source/open source) and not stepping on codemasters/turbines toes... I think it best to stay on their good side.

Silverlode
60 Man Lore Master Shandor
53 Elf Hunter Shanindor
54 Man Burgler Shandoc

instant

Mon Apr 30 2007, 02:11AM

Registered Member #143

Joined: Fri Apr 27 2007, 05:37PM
Posts: 26

Hopefully they will let us 'be' with the little modification to their /bug thing as long as we make it VERY Easy to use and completely transparent what we are doing.

They will get support issues if:
1. It fails and the stupid (yes, i think so) user contacts them with support issues after messing up with "our" code.

2. Someone creates a keylogger and brands it as a ingame map enabler, meaning the user downloads it from another place than here (or somewhere else, like sourceforge net.)

3. Someone hacks the 'trusted' download site for the map enabler and inserts malicious code affecting users.

Just recently my wow guild got our dkp site hacked by someone who managed to insert a keylogger in 10 guildmembers computers and steal their account cleaning out their characters.. this created a lot of "support" issues for Blizzard (not that they did much...). And if turbine experiences something similar because of this I am sure they will plug any hole.

Also; If we start to read in game memory to make the ingame map auto-track you, I am sure they will start to behave nasty.

Alternatively; Perhaps they can help us in some way if 'we' decide to contact them and offer this as a aid to players of LOTRO, since it only adds (a lot) to the game for aspiring explorers.

--
The current EDIT by using the HOSTS is the only thing that does not 'trample' on Turbines toes, in the sense that I do not modify ANYTHING of Turbines stuff. But this is also the easiest "hole" for them to plug and the hardest for the user.

[ Edited Mon Apr 30 2007, 02:13AM ]

// instant - http://instant0.googlepages.com/lotroingamemap

instant

Thu May 10 2007, 01:48PM

Registered Member #143

Joined: Fri Apr 27 2007, 05:37PM
Posts: 26

Made a tiny html "server" to do the redirects, so you can now do it locally instead of having to use a real web server.

It still requires you to modify your HOSTS file to change the bugurl redirect, but at least it is better than having a IIS Server or similar running just for a simple game :)

// instant - http://instant0.googlepages.com/lotroingamemap

instant

Thu May 10 2007, 01:50PM

Registered Member #143

Joined: Fri Apr 27 2007, 05:37PM
Posts: 26

Sourcecode and pre-compiled .exe at
http://instant0.googlepages.com/RedirectHTTP.rar

// instant - http://instant0.googlepages.com/lotroingamemap

instant

Thu May 10 2007, 01:52PM

Registered Member #143

Joined: Fri Apr 27 2007, 05:37PM
Posts: 26

HOWTO MODIFY YOUR HOSTS FILE:

-- Click Start, Run
-- Type "NOTEPAD %WINDIR%\SYSTEM32\DRIVERS\ETC\HOSTS"

The notepad editor will open with the file HOSTS already in it, you should see some text already filled out and it should be fairly easy to know what to do next. But i'll explain it anyway.

Add a new line

127.0.0.1 lotro-europe.com

Save and Launch LOTRO, you can now type /BUG and get a ingame Arda-online map.

Of course, if you are using the US Server you may have a different "Bug-url", the best way to find out this is to launch the game and use Process Explorer from www.sysinternals.com to see what the command line arguments to lotro.exe is, alternatively type /BUG in game and right click the new window and notice what the url is, however this may have been a redirect and as such will not be 'correct'.

// instant - http://instant0.googlepages.com/lotroingamemap

jshanman

Thu May 10 2007, 07:41PM

Registered Member #2

Joined: Thu Feb 08 2007, 03:23PM
Posts: 209

I look forward to trying this out! I think though, that I will create a splash page that allows the visitor to choose to continue to the bug report... maybe this won't upset Turbine so much :)

Silverlode
60 Man Lore Master Shandor
53 Elf Hunter Shanindor
54 Man Burgler Shandoc

instant

Fri May 11 2007, 12:06AM

Registered Member #143

Joined: Fri Apr 27 2007, 05:37PM
Posts: 26

Good idea. Perhaps there is a way to add it to the menu options. If you try the map in game you will notice that there is little room left to do much, so you might want to design for that, alternatively and if possible, perhaps there can be a "formatted" map for the ingame browser, and a full browser experience as it is now.

I have a suggestion/question also for the Google Map, is it possible to have a dropdown list and input box to select MAP and then I can quickly enter coordinates from the game, makes it easier to add locations while playing instead of having to /bug and then scroll over to the location every time.

:-)

// instant - http://instant0.googlepages.com/lotroingamemap

jshanman

Fri May 11 2007, 12:31AM

Registered Member #2

Joined: Thu Feb 08 2007, 03:23PM
Posts: 209

Entering coords: That is great idea! Very easy too :)

Silverlode
60 Man Lore Master Shandor
53 Elf Hunter Shanindor
54 Man Burgler Shandoc

instant

Fri May 11 2007, 11:54AM

Registered Member #143

Joined: Fri Apr 27 2007, 05:37PM
Posts: 26

So, you tried it out yet. Just interested in knowing if it works on the US Servers.

=)

// instant - http://instant0.googlepages.com/lotroingamemap

jshanman

Fri May 11 2007, 11:55AM

Registered Member #2

Joined: Thu Feb 08 2007, 03:23PM
Posts: 209

Sorry, didn't get on last night... I'll have a chance to try it some time this weekend.

Silverlode
60 Man Lore Master Shandor
53 Elf Hunter Shanindor
54 Man Burgler Shandoc

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