Crossfire LAN server

You know. I can accept the fact that you don't want anyone to operate a LAN server, or host an official server for that matter.

What I DON'T like is the fact that you don't give any REASON as to WHY. And even practically tell people to F off when they don't like it

You are no better than the big gaming companies. At least they give us a reason why. You need to understand that the COMMUNITY is what makes
crossfire what it is. NOT YOU. If nobody gave a crap about this mod, well then we wouldn't be having this discussion at all. The community deserves an answer as to why you refuse to let anyone run their own LAN server. On top of that, you need to put it on the installation front page. It's ridiculous that I, like many others had to go through all this trouble to find out basically, NO YOU CANT HAVE IT, F OFF. It is this kind of crap that causes hacks, and bad reputations occur. I wouldn't be surprised if someone is working on releasing a hack which grants us access to hosting our own LAN server. Simply just to spite you, not because they like the mod at all. Give your community better feedback, or your mod will eventually die. Give us a real answer as to why you don't want us hosting LAN servers.

Chill, and welcome to the SWAT Portal.

In this, as well as other threads, you can actually see the real answers you are looking for, between, or instead of the insults around. Mainly because some people already started shouting and insulting instead of asking about the topic like a normal human being.

For example, in this same thread on a previous page, you can see this:

Quote from SWAT_OP-R8R

the client versions get their data ONLY from the official server

even if I would release the server files you would never get a CF server running stable as the clients could never synchronize with your server
it falls into the category "technically not possible"

putting that aside... the creation of the server files for that particular server took me several weeks (they are build for exactly that server)
i dont think that you could do such changes for your server [... etc]

From some other threads related to holding a server, I remember including from my own answers how a server holder needs the server build for it, an automated program to syncronize server and client files for features like the dynamic universe, dynamic economy (both daily changes), fixes, and such, as well as pretty much constant maintenance of the server using different stuff, and knowledge. One who doesn't know how to "mod" a game, and at least have the patience or sense to ask the admin about it instead of coming on the forum and starting to rage, is not able to handle all that work just to keep a 2nd server up.

So, in a list form, only from things I know in my way, and stuff OP already answered, you need:

Server version of the mod and it's files,
Special client version of the mod, "special" as it has to be modified to respond to a different server version of the mod.
A serie of tools/programs required to keep the server stable.
Personal maintenance on the server.
Knowledge on modding Freelancer to be able to do such maintenance.
A lot of time/patience.
A powerful PC and connection (well, like in any other server)
And nerves to handle people blaming you for anything that goes wrong, even if it has nothing to do with you.

And yes, probably more stuff that I don't know, as I am not the server holder, the closest I was, is as CF Developer.

If somebody is really up for a serious server holding (LAN is normally just not worth it, even bypassing the system and the need of server files, the game, due to it's size, would keep the server in constant lag and often crashes due to errors which are not controlled by a server, this was tried/tested before as you are not the only one who wanted LAN), he would contact OP, and discuss the topic.

Especially the idea of an US server sounded good and was accepted, but no one made it happen yet.

Have fun,
-Mike

Well... as michael just said and quoted the REASON has been told over and over again, practically EVERYTIME somebody asked about LAN support.
(reading helps)

Where we invest our time and work (for free) is OUR business.
Telling us what community means while you have never contributed to our community nor even been part of it (until your recent registration) is just ridiculous. We dont need such a lesson. The only reason why you still can play Freelancer on online servers and download mods is because of people like us.

Quote from SWAT_OP-R8R

Telling us what community means while you have never contributed to our community nor even been part of it (until your recent registration) is just ridiculous. We dont need such a lesson. The only reason why you still can play Freelancer on online servers and download mods is because of people like us.

You have no idea who I am, and have no idea whether or not I have contributed to the Freelancer community. Sure maybe not the crossfire community, but don't forget people played freelancer long before you guys came along. On top of that, thousands of mods have been released. Who are you to say I don't know anything about community? And judging by the response, I feel like you DO need a lesson seeing as how you are openly attacking me. One person. While I attacked a shoddy community practice I have seen time and time and again from community leader who forgot what a community was supposed to do. Merely my two cents.

As far as who am I to say what is community? It is not limited simply to this game. All games with modding communities operate in much the same way. Stellar Frontier for one.

But I digress. Thank you Micheal for the informative post. I hope you heed my advice on adding No LAN capability to the installation guide. I am sure I will not be the last person to be looking for it. It should save the headache on having to comment on it over and over and over again, by now I am sure you are tired of.

That about no LAN in the guide would be a good idea, as yes, you are not the first, and highly probable not the last. It's nice to see Somebody reads the guide though.

Anyway, counting with the tone you came on your first post, it is just normal that the boss of the community you just downtalked (attacked, or however you wish to describe your post even though you had reasons for it) without giving it/us a chance to reply, already started replying in the same not so nice tone. You receive what you give, usually multiplied, but in this case I don't really think OP behaved in a wrong way. He clearly mentioned "to OUR community", not others, so he didn't speculate or attacked what you are somewhere else or what you know about communities, only what you know of this community (which is, btw, as old as Freelancer itself, there weren't many before us, just one other portal, and OP was in there, now both the old place/portal and him are here), so he just talked about what is visible about you over here. So I also see your second reply to him to be with an... unfair tone to him. No one is your hostile here unless you make them. As you said, we don't know you, but we can see your words.

Crossfire 2.0 is coming soon, so it was a good moment for a suggestion.

Currently was looking at the download page here and read at the bottom line in red bold letters:

Quote

Crossfire is just playable in Singleplayer or Multiplayer. There is no option to play it as LAN game.

How much more on info should we actually provide? No you cannot oversee this - as below this text the download button is located.
Probably i admit its not written everywhere - where we did offer the download, but we already did include a phrase so people are informed.

One thing is also true, you and the entire community made what Crossfire actually is. But without OP and the dev team members you wouldnt have a mod to play. And it was mentioned, we are no big company. We do that stuff (modding) without getting paid - i mean the bills for time (holidays, or spare time) and work we invest to improve the mod on a regular basis. Just want to mention i believe we do the community a big favor is delivering a server to play, a mod to game and a community to be part of. Meeting nice people, developing friendships, building clans and and and. And one has to pay the bills - thats OP (with the support of the community). Its in both direction, giving and taking. Actually i think OP gives more than he is taking.

You are right, I dont know who you are and exactly there is the problem. I know the people which have contributed to FL over the past 10 years.
You know, thats just normal when being admin of the two oldest Freelancer communities on the net.
So how about you stop your idiotic claims now?
1. your claim about the LAN support was wrong (proof above)
2. your claim that people played FL before ppl like us came along is also not true -> e.g. I was member of the lancers community 3 years before FL was released (maybe you dont really know who we are)
3. thousands of mods? also wrong... there are a bit more than 300 mods for FL... if you want to count their different versions aswell you will get to around 400... if you intend to count the active ones worth playing then you have a handful (thats a fact)

... with other words... just stop with these stupid claims
and for gods sake... stop telling me something about communities.
Seriously, your entire behavior here shows me that you never had the intention to be part of this community.
You did not want to play with the others, you made false claims, you showed a respectless and offensive attitude towards this community and the people which work hard to provide a great mod for free, you had practically no intention of being part of this community... all you wanted and practically all you did was to flame... such people are not wanted here and people like you are the reason why i dont even bother to spend my time building LAN support into my work. Id rather use my time to do something constructive for the people here which really care for the word "community".

have a nice day

Well MegaMan, there's not much to say on this topic anymore, Huor also solved the part of mentioning "no LAN". There is no point in continuing this... live on, with, or without us

Note: Before Freelancer, there was Starlancer.

Thread closed ... was told enough for everyone to clearly understand that Crossfire simply IS NOT possible play on LAN.

(another similar 'troll' attempts like was above will be removed next time)