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server emulation (Read 89801 times)
RoaDiE
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Re: server emulation
Reply #30 - 01/10/14 at 18:19:24
 
Darn Sad Well if you're optimistic... I will be too. Given the fact that MGO and Outbreak 1-2 were done, I have faith. Sorry about the packets!! Thought this would be cake walk for you, but you enjoy challenges ... right? lol

LOL passwords were transmitted without encryption... wow that security was really beefy.
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Re: server emulation
Reply #31 - 01/10/14 at 22:00:38
 
DARKFORCE wrote on 01/10/14 at 16:30:12:
That's horrible. I thought for sure the Iris packets would be complete. Aced strikes again! lol.

Even without me, I bet you still would've begun using minimum packet size filters at some point down the line anyways Smiley Tongue.


No23 wrote on 01/10/14 at 16:58:06:
Btw., I wonder why the login password was transmitted as plain text without encryption  Roll Eyes

If you think that's strange, wait until you hear this.

TMBO was really bad as far as the potential for abusing aliases and impersonating other players went. Account names were completely disconnected from screen names...
  • Account name: A "private" player account name, used solely to login to the server. Past the login screen, the account name isn't shown to any players, at all. Not even the player the account name belongs to can see it once they've logged in.
  • Screen name: A player's "public" username. Shown in game lobbies, in-game, scoreboards, etc...

For a typical new player, the first time they'd create an account and login to the server, they'd realize that they're showing up as "Player" everywhere. So, to change their screen name, they had to go to "Options -> Player Settings -> Default Screen Name:" to change the default one ("Player") to something else. FYI the aforementioned option also controls your screen name in LAN matches, and doesn't require a connection to the server.

Unfortunately, there were no limits on what screen names could be set to. As a result, many players took advantage of it by regularly strapping on "alias" screen names, and even impersonating other players (i.e. morons copying the screen names of players they dislike in order to try tarnishing their reputations).

To counter this, a few players began tracing the IP addresses of other players they connected to while in-game.

TMBO uses a P2P network setup, where all players in a given game room maintain direct connections to one-another simultaneously. Via SNMP (to log the IP addresses of newly-established connections) and some persistence, it was possible to gather up IP addresses overtime, and eventually tie them to the usernames of players that would join into game rooms. That method worked fairly well, but was quite a pain to leverage (lots of manual effort).

At some point, DarkForce came up with a setup that allowed him to trace the game's packets. That method was pretty effective, because other players' PS2s would consistently send out packets containing their screen names to all other connected PS2s...

The big kicker came when DarkForce helped me get one of these kinds of setups going.

When logged in to the server, in the main lobby (consisting of a list of all open game rooms), pressing circle while a room is highlighted brings up a status screen that displays real-time information about it (i.e. usernames of all players within, match settings, etc).

Shortly after I got my packet sniffing setup up and running, I noticed something whilst looking at the logged frames... Under the aforementioned circumstances in the lobby, apart from the IP addresses of (initial) room hosts, the packets Sony's servers sent out contained both the account and screen names of all the players in a given room (!). Tracing really became child's play from then on.

The players that ran amok using aliases, impersonating others, and by extension poisoning the game's small community were too gullible to suspect that the flawed server setup that allowed them to thrive, also spoon fed their account names (which they never ever changed) to more thoughtful players... Smiley.


Anyways, since the primary reason we were logging packets at the time was for tracing purposes, and not with future server revival aspirations in mind, we generally used minimum packet size filters to limit the flow of frames that would otherwise make real time tracing next to impossible. That's why comprehensive packet logs are somewhat uncommon amongst what DarkForce passed your way. I'd recommend focusing on DF's oldest CommView and (especially) Iris logs for comprehensiveness. Most newer ones likely used packet filters in some form or another.
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DARKFORCE
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Re: server emulation
Reply #32 - 01/10/14 at 23:13:00
 
I decided to take yet another look at the Iris logs. Mostly because it's a pain to look through them one at a time like you were saying.

The exact filter was anything below 100 wasn't captured.

So, complete server login info, server version, etc, etc is in the Dec 31st folder, specifically the, "Capture_Dec_31_2004_04_09_01_578" file.

There seems to be even more complete packet captures in the January folders. The complete captures are between Dec 31st and January 27th.

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Re: server emulation
Reply #33 - 01/11/14 at 03:47:48
 
DARKFORCE wrote on 01/10/14 at 23:13:00:
So, complete server login info, server version, etc, etc is in the Dec 31st folder, specifically the, "Capture_Dec_31_2004_04_09_01_578" file.

That's the file I used to pull the missing packets for the first and second server connection.
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Re: server emulation
Reply #34 - 01/11/14 at 09:34:04
 
Just as a reminder that TMBO was one of the 1st online games for PS2. That and Socom. Also this was 2001-2002.

Besides the technological caveman shit, you guys are doing some crazy ass work. Hope it pans out. 
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Re: server emulation
Reply #35 - 01/11/14 at 10:35:09
 
No23 wrote on 01/11/14 at 03:47:48:
That's the file I used to pull the missing packets for the first and second server connection.


Awesome. Roadie had figured you had already found that file and that's how you made the progress you made. I was just doing quick passes through the Iris logs when I came across that incomplete capture file in February (which I thought was complete). Guess I got a little too excited and jumped the gun too soon.


Not only will it be awesome to change the SCEA TOU, but it will also be awesome to change this:

"TMBO standard maintenance window is between 5am and 6am PST, everyday.  The TMBO servers may not be available during that time.  We are continually striving to optimize your online experience."

Quotes of the day. Roadie and Kilrahis idea. Perhaps even used to organize tournaments and promote TMA youtube channels.
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Re: server emulation
Reply #36 - 01/11/14 at 13:06:45
 
DARKFORCE wrote on 01/11/14 at 10:35:09:
Awesome. Roadie had figured you had already found that file and that's how you made the progress you made. I was just doing quick passes through the Iris logs when I came across that incomplete capture file in February (which I thought was complete). Guess I got a little too excited and jumped the gun too soon.


Not only will it be awesome to change the SCEA TOU, but it will also be awesome to change this:

"TMBO standard maintenance window is between 5am and 6am PST, everyday.  The TMBO servers may not be available during that time.  We are continually striving to optimize your online experience."

Quotes of the day. Roadie and Kilrahis idea. Perhaps even used to organize tournaments and promote TMA youtube channels.

Nice idea. And absolutely possible, I am currently emulating exactly that packet.

The server has to be split in at least 3 services. There's the login service listening on 10075 which is emulated very well at the moment, I can use whatever I choose to login and the server accepts it (later this will of course be database driven). After the terms of usage and login procedure the console connects to the lobby service listening on port 10078. I am still looking through the captures for this one because it doesn't work like exspected, I must have overseen something Sad And then there should be a UDP service on port 10070, but PS2 is not yet trying to connect with it, so this comes later in the protocol.

I am prototyping in Python at the moment, so if you want to join the adventure and know a little bit of Python (it's easy to learn) I can give you what I have so far.

Aced14 wrote on 01/10/14 at 22:00:38:
Under the aforementioned circumstances in the lobby, apart from the IP addresses of (initial) room hosts, the packets Sony's servers sent out contained both the account and screen names of all the players in a given room (!)..

I guess unencrypted again ...
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Re: server emulation
Reply #37 - 01/11/14 at 15:36:58
 
Yeah message of the day stuff would be hilarious. Most important would be to always display the chat unlock code as a permanent fixture... pretty much everyone knew about it but there were still some who didnt check online.



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Re: server emulation
Reply #38 - 01/18/14 at 21:59:53
 
No rush, but what's the status?
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Re: server emulation
Reply #39 - 01/18/14 at 22:31:02
 
Status is things are still moving along Smiley
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Re: server emulation
Reply #40 - 01/19/14 at 10:08:39
 
RoaDiE wrote on 01/18/14 at 22:31:02:
Status is things are still moving along Smiley

You guys are getting me pretty pumped.
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Re: server emulation
Reply #41 - 01/20/14 at 04:39:37
 
I am quite amazed at the effort & determination. I am excited too, this thread has my undivided attention. Smiley
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Re: server emulation
Reply #42 - 01/27/14 at 20:41:42
 
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Progress folks lol. Not quite to playing a game or anything but breaking down walls!
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Re: server emulation
Reply #43 - 01/28/14 at 03:08:53
 
That is siiick! Love the update message, keeping it concurrent & modern, lol! This is going to be amazing! Good job guys, that is groundbreaking! I seriously cannot stop looking at the photo. This would not be possible without true love for Twisted Metal. TMA pride, the true elite. Smiley
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Re: server emulation
Reply #44 - 02/11/14 at 22:43:48
 
Resurrected game rooms from 2004/2005

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