Please don't delete your characters


Angelxman81

 

Posted

Also, since it's plain XML, it's possible for someone to build a tool to read that file in and create .costume files that can be loaded by the game.

The idea behind the exporter is to grab as much of a characters "essence" as we can and save it to disk, as quickly as possible since time is limited. It can always be reprocessed later.


 

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Quote:
Originally Posted by TonyV View Post
As it's being developed now, you run the tool. You log in to your City of Heroes account and pick a character. Once you get in the city, you hit a button in our tool, and it takes a snapshot of that character and exports it. That file will contain data about your character's name, server, archetype, origin, powersets, slotting and slotted enhancements, inventory (salvage, inspirations, enhancements, influence/infamy/information, experience, etc.), a complete description of your costume including body type, scales, and customization options, and probably a whole bunch of other stuff I'm probably leaving out that Guy Perfect knows the innards of.

When it's done, you will have a file that has enough data in it to accurately recreate your character, including all of his or her stats, inventory, powers, slotting, costume, etc. on a different server. It will also include some kind of checksum and encrypted value to detect any tampering with the file, so that if the time comes when we import these characters back into a server's database, you won't be able to, for example, give us eight copies of the same character, each tweaked slightly. That could lead to jerk hacking, and the last thing we want is for people to be dupin rares because next thing you know, the game it well be gone to the Americans. I will try to talk Guy into making the file some sort of human-readable format, though, so that if you want you can print it out and reminisce.

To export 31 50s, you'll need to log in 31 times, once for each character, and click the button on the tool. Without access to the back-end database server, that's probably the best we can come up with.
Keep us apprised of your progress. Some people have stated that their subscription will not renew and that when the 30 day timer is done, they will be switched to Premium rather than VIP.

So if we MUST log in a character to snapshot them, this may mean some loss of rosters for people in that unfortunate situation.

And will the tool grab stuff that is greyed out by premium status, like incarnate powers and inventions?

Just questions. (pretty sure under this model, my account will be VIP through mid November)


 

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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ashen_Fury View Post
With every thread i see by you, tony, A little bit of light is restored to our little universe. Thank you for all your efforts
This!
Thanks Tony


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Quote:
Originally Posted by GuyPerfect View Post
Oh, we already know how to decode it. That's how we know for sure that all the contents of the storage bins are in there.

With a collection of .xml (character) and .cohdemo (sg base) files, Titan Network will be able to accurately recreate nearly all player assets in a new system.
ah, well thats better than expected then, yesterday i decided to do a demorecord in my sg base to save it for future use

just wanted to say how awesome you guys are as well


 

Posted

I hope you guys might be able to provide a "how to for idiots like me" manual. I'm not very computer savvy and a lot of what is being discussed here doesn't make any sense to me, but if I gotta figure it out in order to play this game, by god I will try.


 

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also in regards to the duping, i would be perfectly fine only keeping slotted enhancements, most of the stuff in my inventory is garbage anyway its the slotted stuff i want to keep


 

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Quote:
Originally Posted by TonyV View Post
Hey all, please don't do anything drastic with your characters. Don't delete them, don't nuke all of your stuff, don't do anything that is irreversible.

I'm saying this because of two reasons. First, as has been hinted in rumor threads elsewhere and even if it weren't a rumor it would still be possible, another studio may very well pick up this game. If so, it's entirely possible that the servers won't go dark on November 30. If that happens and the game keeps chugging along, you'll be kicking yourself for doing something permanent that carries forward after November.

Second, at the Titan Network, we are working on tools to export your character data in a form that, even if the servers go down November 30 but we're able to revive the game in some form, will be usable to recreate your character on alternate servers if need be. If you go deleting them or deleting all of your stuff, you'll lose the opportunity to do that and, if the servers are recreated at some point, you'll have to start from scratch instead of having your characters documented in a format that we can use to re-import them unscathed.

We'll be talking more about this as we make progress on our toolset--we're not keeping it a secret, but we're still in the process of working on it at a furious pace--but in the meantime, like I said, just please don't do anything permanently bad to your stuff.
Damn, Tony, that is awesome. Props to you and the hardest working heroes in town, Titan Network!

Edit: and GuyPerfect, CodeWalker, Diellian and DeProgrammer!


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Originally Posted by Hyperstrike View Post
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Posted

Question what does /demorecord actually do ? Is it just a vid file or something ? TY

Also not sure if i asked this before - but what about market slots and whats stored in them. Ive actually left tons and tons of inf and items in market slots.


Over the hills and through the woods.

 

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Originally Posted by MeanNVicious View Post
Question what does /demorecord actually do ? Is it just a vid file or something ? TY
Demorecord creates a text file that captures most of the information necessary for the client to reproduce what's happening on the screen. It does not include information about the user interface for the most part, but using the right command line switches you can take a demorecord file and feed it back to the client, and the client will basically play back what you saw while you were recording it. On its own, its just a bunch of ascii text, and players have figured out how to edit that text to alter the playback and create new scenes with it.

This information is NOT, I repeat NOT what the Titan team is trying to extract. This only captures the visuals of a window of time. It does not capture your character bio, your build, your badges, you stats. It only captures what you look like, what the scenery looks like, what the other NPCs look like, what other players you come across look like, and what the various powers that are activated that you can see look like. It is a purely visual only tool, for the most part.

To use it, you just type /demorecord filename and to stop recording just type /demostop. Warning: zoning automatically terminates demorecords. If you zone, you have to start a new one. Warning 2: the game does not warn you if you type the same filename twice: it just quietly overwrites old files.


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Quote:
Originally Posted by GuyPerfect View Post
Please refer to this file as an example of what will be exported. Currently contains the following information:
You guys are rocking so hard. Thanks so much for all the effort!

If this goes, I will log in all 150+ times and export characters like there's no tomorrow. Because, you know... there might not be. Even just having the files around like that would be nice.


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Posted

Can't recall if this has been asked/explained yet, but once we have these exported character files, how will we get them back into the game when the time comes? Do we send them to whomever is running the game so they can place them on the servers, or will we have a tool to that ourselves?


 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by TonyV View Post
Hey all, please don't do anything drastic with your characters. Don't delete them, don't nuke all of your stuff, don't do anything that is irreversible.
Not a chance. I could never even delete a 50 that I didn't like all that much!

Quote:
Second, at the Titan Network, we are working on tools to export your character data in a form that, even if the servers go down November 30 but we're able to revive the game in some form, will be usable to recreate your character on alternate servers if need be.
THAT would be brilliant. My dread scenario is one where the game somehow continues on a private server, but my whole emotionally-invested stable is gone. I'd manage eventually, but starting all over with no resources would be very painful.


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We really don't know yet, Rik. It depends on exactly what happens.

The main goal is to at least save something while we still can; we'll have time to figure out what to do with it later.


 

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I really hope NCsoft sell it, thanks tonyV and the rest of titan even if we end up with jsut a private server its something. Honestly though I hope NC sell it. That seems to be the main sticking point at the moment will they wont they.

On subject to delete would be to admit the possibility of defeat and as a mostly redsider I will not! There is no possibility of defeat!


The end is just a new beginning, Goodbye all my coh friends and even the enemies, its been a blast I will miss you all. Thank you Paragon team, you gave me a home from home I will always appriciate it.

 

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Quote:
Originally Posted by MeanNVicious View Post
Also not sure if i asked this before - but what about market slots and whats stored in them. Ive actually left tons and tons of inf and items in market slots.
Market and e-mail storage aren't included because it's somewhat redundant work. If you want items recorded, pull them out of storage and have them on-hand before exporting your character.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mister Rik View Post
Can't recall if this has been asked/explained yet, but once we have these exported character files, how will we get them back into the game when the time comes? Do we send them to whomever is running the game so they can place them on the servers, or will we have a tool to that ourselves?
Let's say that there's a Secret Underground Server that appears somewhere. Titan Network will give the management team information on how to validate the XML files, and everyone would send them the XML exports.

For now--rather, when exports become available--people should hang onto their own exports.


 

Posted

Codewalker, GP,

If I could add a request for something to this tool to export, could I ask that it also include...

  • Non-AE souvenirs
  • Contact lists and progress
Of the two, souvenirs are probably more important for the collection fanatics among us. I know I treat them as a kind of badge. This would be useful for any off-line tools for viewing snapshots of our characters.

Contact lists and progress would be more important if there were ever a chance of actually getting these characters imported into a server back-end. While outleveled contacts are not a must-have, it's nice to have some handy across the game world's zones to sell recipes to or buy inspirations from.

In any case, thanks for all of this.


Blue
American Steele: 50 BS/Inv
Nightfall: 50 DDD
Sable Slayer: 50 DM/Rgn
Fortune's Shadow: 50 Dark/Psi
WinterStrike: 47 Ice/Dev
Quantum Well: 43 Inv/EM
Twilit Destiny: 43 MA/DA
Red
Shadowslip: 50 DDC
Final Rest: 50 MA/Rgn
Abyssal Frost: 50 Ice/Dark
Golden Ember: 50 SM/FA

 

Posted

Unfortunately, both of those are information that the server sends only when you request it. There's no way to dump them all at once.


 

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Quote:
Originally Posted by GuyPerfect View Post
Unfortunately, both of those are information that the server sends only when you request it. There's no way to dump them all at once.
By request, do you mean the entire category comes up? For example, if you were to look at your list of contacts, would the server send you all information about your status with contacts at that time? Would it do similarly if you go looking at your souvenirs?

If so, maybe you could have a function where the program "listens" for that information, and tells the player to request it so that it can capture it?


 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by GuyPerfect View Post
Unfortunately, both of those are information that the server sends only when you request it. There's no way to dump them all at once.
Does it not send that info when the appropriate lists screens are opened? Kind of like badge info?


Blue
American Steele: 50 BS/Inv
Nightfall: 50 DDD
Sable Slayer: 50 DM/Rgn
Fortune's Shadow: 50 Dark/Psi
WinterStrike: 47 Ice/Dev
Quantum Well: 43 Inv/EM
Twilit Destiny: 43 MA/DA
Red
Shadowslip: 50 DDC
Final Rest: 50 MA/Rgn
Abyssal Frost: 50 Ice/Dark
Golden Ember: 50 SM/FA

 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by TonyV View Post
That could lead to jerk hacking, and the last thing we want is for people to be dupin rares because next thing you know, the game it well be gone to the Americans.

Bravo, sir. Bravo.





This tool sounds amazing, and I'm really looking forward to using it.

I can already see a potential exploit, though--that is, filling up your inventory with purples and the like, taking a snapshot of that character, and then transferring everything over to another character to snap it again.

But really, at this point, that's a minimal worry compared to the other mountains we need to climb.

EDIT: I see that Guy already addressed that, in much the same way I did -- there are bigger fish to fry.
Quote:
Originally Posted by GuyPerfect View Post
At the end of the day, it doesn't really matter. So there's 50 more Shield Walls on the new server than there should be. It won't be the end of the world. (-:

And frankly, there's no way to prevent it for sure. But I imagine most people will be honest, though that's just my imagination.


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Quote:
Originally Posted by LittleDavid View Post
If so, maybe you could have a function where the program "listens" for that information, and tells the player to request it so that it can capture it?
It may load them on demand, I know some of the menus do that.

In any event, it's something that would probably have to be a secondary feature to be added later. Given everything else going on I'm not sure there would be time for it.


 

Posted

Alright, I'll keep that in mind. If nothing else all the souvenirs and progress will at least be backed up somehow. Thanks for the tip!

And I wish I could help with the code side of Titan Network's efforts, but I don't know parsers from peanuts.


 

Posted

Thanks, TonyV! This is wonderful news! Happily, I hadn't planned to delete anything.


aka @Kristoff von Gelmini, leader of small SG bases (Infinity/Victory/Virtue/Protector), member of The House of Tera (Justice) and various others (Champion/Infinity/Victory/Guardian/Freedom).

 

Posted

Some interesting news came out of the twitch.tv broadcast yesterday. Apparently they're enabling beta access for all players, including premium.

Something to try on a premium account -- can you copy a locked character to Beta and access it there?

If so, that might be an option for those stuck on Premium to get time capsules of their characters -- copy to beta and run the export there. I'll speak with Guy but I don't think it would be too hard to make a version of the program that works with the beta client.


 

Posted

On a Mac here, and I don't actually know anyone outside of the game who plays it. And not sure upgrading to Parallels or getting Bootcamp is in the financial cards at the moment. So I might be S.O.L. That said, I had fully planned on deleting all of my characters on November 29th, for the simple reason that I would be able to retain creative license over them.

The way I see it my characters are ideas and concepts. If I lose them all and then have to start over, yes, that will royally suck. But at the same time, they are immortal in my brain. I'll be able to recreate them whether I end up somewhere else, or back here by some miracle.


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