Gandalf ! Help !

[Zapmeister]

In a game just started, we have a player that is saying that the server won't accept his password. Regardless of the reason that brought this situation about, it brings the whole 17-player game to a halt until its resolved.

As far as I know, the game itself provides no way of resolving it. But I've heard Gandalf say that he's been able to crack passwords from a game. Could you do this for us, Gandalf?

I'd also like to put in a request to the devs for some host over-ride when access to passwords is lost for whatever reason.

[Saber Cherry]

You know, there ARE private Messages=)

[Zapmeister]

It was a message to the devs as well as Gandalf ...

[Argitoth]

I can easily restart the server. I do have everyone's pretender file. I could restart the server, let pythium re-join, and I just upload everyone elses pretender again myself.

[Zapmeister]

There's been no turns played, so restarting is probably the best option. Argitoth can reload everyone's pretender except for whoever it is that's having the problem.

Could that person please identify himself/herself, and prepare a new pretender (take care with the password) so we can get moving again?

[Raen]

Originally posted by Zapmeister:
There's been no turns played, so restarting is probably the best option. Argitoth can reload everyone's pretender except for whoever it is that's having the problem.

Could that person please identify himself/herself, and prepare a new pretender (take care with the password) so we can get moving again? <font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Will the new game have the same name? Do I need to blow that directory away or will it overwrite automatically?

[Saber Cherry]

We don't KNOW that the person exists yet. No name or nation has been stated as missing a password. Someone could be pulling our leg...

[Zapmeister]

That's true, and the reason we're waiting for the person to identify themselves.

[Gandalf Parker]

I could go into a deep explanation but the short response is that cracking a password takes anywhere from hours to days. Months if the person chose a good one (which is rare). With Dom games Ive usually been more lucky than expert (bad passwords).

Plus Id have to know which file to crack which means you would have the answer needed for a fast restart.

[Argitoth]

Originally posted by Raen:
Will the new game have the same name? Do I need to blow that directory away or will it overwrite automatically? <font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">It should overwrite.

[Johan K]

Originally posted by Zapmeister:
I'd also like to put in a request to the devs for some host over-ride when access to passwords is lost for whatever reason. <font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">The coming Version will feature a master password that can be set by the host. The master password can be used to access all turns. Still people had better remember their passwords as giving someone the master password on turn 1 wouldn't be the best thing to do.

[Saber Cherry]

Originally posted by Johan K:
The coming Version will feature a master password that can be set by the host. The master password can be used to access all turns.<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Or as I call it, "Master Enslave". Bwahaha!!! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif

[Zapmeister]

Excellent - that will certainly do the job. Even better would be the possibility of changing the master password mid-game, so it could be re-secured after being used.

Still, even without that, the master password is most welcome. Thanks.

BTW, our game has moved to turn 2 without any further comment from whoever-it-was that complained of a non-working password. Perhaps it was a hoax, or perhaps the working password was discovered. Fingers crossed that all is well.

[Argitoth]

i need to restart the game.

Somehow I uploaded the wrong Mictlan pretender. I also cannot even take my turn because I get a strange error message, "Wrong gnumber". The error appears when I press, "No, reselect my nation".

gnumber is not a spelling mistake.

[ December 05, 2003, 13:30: Message edited by: Argitoth ]

[Argitoth]

Strange, I'm getting that error in both my games.

Well I'd restart but I don't have time. Ned to goto school.

[Gandalf Parker]

Until a dev pops in I will make a wild guess. Id say gnumber might be god number. And the problem might be if you created any new gods then put the player files in to try and restart the game? Something like that? Well a mismatch of some sort.

Are you using a dedicated icon to host the game from different directorys then the ones you yourself play on? That way the player stuff doesnt overwrite your stuff (like their gods)

[Tiltowait]

Many thanks for dealing with my Mictian issue, I will sacrifice a nice plump slave in your honor come fall.

[Argitoth]

Originally posted by Gandalf Parker:
Until a dev pops in I will make a wild guess. Id say gnumber might be god number. And the problem might be if you created any new gods then put the player files in to try and restart the game? Something like that? Well a mismatch of some sort.

Are you using a dedicated icon to host the game from different directorys then the ones you yourself play on? That way the player stuff doesnt overwrite your stuff (like their gods) <font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">That can't be the problem. First of all, my pretender is saved in the game folder. And I deleted my pretender and made a new one a few weeks ago. This is the first time I'm getting this problem and I get the error message when I don't even select a nation.

[Argitoth]

Ok... I found out I can select "Yes" when it lists all the nations and asks, "Play the following nation(s)?"

Sooo, I have to select "Yes" and not "No, reselect nations"

When I choose "Yes", I am able to play everyone's nations. But, that's just a minor problem I will ignore for now.

[Johan K]

gnumber = game number, but that won't make much sense either I think.

My guess is that something wicked has crept into your newlords folder. Erase your entire newlords folder and it might just work.

[Gandalf Parker]

Kewl. If the master password were kept in an external file (unencrypted even) I think that would allow more good things than bad. It would still be only host accessable.

Other nice features, it would allow you to use a god you have forgotten the password on. Make a game and review the stats he had so you can remake him with a password you know.

By the way, if you did go to the bother of encrypting the "master password" somehow I wouldnt mind if you shifted that code to the CD key file instead.