Boo, I guess it was going to happen eventually but I always thought they were just going to keep it going and going but now it's actually happened.
https://www.epicgames.com/site/en-US/news/epic-is-turning-off-online-services-and-servers-for-some-older-games
They mention UT3 is going to get an overhaul... "Note: We have plans to bring back online features via Epic Online Services in the future."
I only just installed UT2K4 again.
GOG is still selling it (for now). I downloaded their installer. I have no idea where my CD and original key are (to be fair, I don't know where my CD drive is either!).
https://www.gog.com/en/game/unreal_tournament_2004_ece
Pretty sure there is still a workaround, it's only the stats server isn't it?
There is a workaround, we think. OpenSpy.
This tells you how to switch across once the master server is fully dead: http://beta.openspy.net/en/howto/ut2k-engine/ut2004
Once you do that:
1. Turn off "standard servers" from the server list
2. Extract this into your system directory to see Freon servers in the list: https://www.utzone.de/forum/downloads.php?do=file&id=981
Between now and then improvements in reporting at both ends are expected - i.e. there may be changes I need to make to local code to put the servers in the category. At the OpenSpy end there are changes to drop colour codes from the server list (should not affect the in-game listings - but will make this look better): http://beta.openspy.net/en/server-list/ut2004
Epic is turning off all new purchases of the games. New people who want to play....well..."tough luck" seems to be the attitude...
People have asked and been refused permission to release new versions of the game.
More news as we get it.
thanks, piglet, for now, GOG.com is the only place to get the unreal classic pack, but I assume they will be delisting the games there too. For now Unreal Gold and UT99 have OldUnreal.com for patches at the moment, UT2003/2004 has I think open-spy, and UT3 is going to be coming back as F2P on steam/gog/EGS. It sucks especially the alpha version of ut 2014 or ut4 is going to be shutdown hard because you wont be able to use it offline because you need to be signed into the epic games launcher to even run the thing.
I do not know if usefull, but in case it is and you don't already know about it, here is a server actor for Unreal Tournament (https://github.com/0xC0ncord/MasterServerMirror), just released.
EDIT. : same source also has a mutator for Unreal Tournament 2004 that prompts joining players to switch to an alternate master server (https://github.com/0xC0ncord/OpenSpyInfo).
Nice. I was going to write the first one over the weekend, but I wasn't feeling well enough.
We're currently pointing to both places using a hosts redirect for gamespy. I check this out and possibly add it in
On a side note - Hey Jezza :D *waves*
Quote from: jezman on December 16, 2022, 16:14
I only just installed UT2K4 again.
GOG is still selling it (for now). I downloaded their installer. I have no idea where my CD and original key are (to be fair, I don't know where my CD drive is either!).
https://www.gog.com/en/game/unreal_tournament_2004_ece
Make sure you get the unique CD key just in case.
https://miasma.rocks/pages/gog.php
Quote from: jezman on December 16, 2022, 16:14
Boo, I guess it was going to happen eventually but I always thought they were just going to keep it going and going but now it's actually happened.
https://www.epicgames.com/site/en-US/news/epic-is-turning-off-online-services-and-servers-for-some-older-games
They mention UT3 is going to get an overhaul... "Note: We have plans to bring back online features via Epic Online Services in the future."
I only just installed UT2K4 again.
GOG is still selling it (for now). I downloaded their installer. I have no idea where my CD and original key are (to be fair, I don't know where my CD drive is either!).
https://www.gog.com/en/game/unreal_tournament_2004_ece
If you did buy it from gog legally then ask for a unique cd key so you can play online...
For UT3 I wouldn't touch it except on consoles since I'm not sure what epic has in mind for bring it back with no microtransactions
If they did a new version of ut2004 that could play all the old maps and gametypes, same old urealscript, but on a new engine I'd buy it
Quote from: Piglet on December 21, 2022, 17:24
If they did a new version of ut2004 that could play all the old maps and gametypes, same old urealscript, but on a new engine I'd buy it
we may very well have to upgrade our hardware too for that, new engine might be UE5 if they decide to do it
Quote from: kops on December 20, 2022, 09:03
On a side note - Hey Jezza :D *waves*
Hey!! ;D
Quote from: Blub on December 20, 2022, 22:26
Make sure you get the unique CD key just in case.
https://miasma.rocks/pages/gog.php
Thanks for this (and to the other person who mentioned it). There is a little note when you buy it that mentions something about requesting a key so I will follow this up. I'm using my Steam copy but wanted a spare for the other PC.
Quote from: jezman on December 22, 2022, 13:42
Thanks for this (and to the other person who mentioned it). There is a little note when you buy it that mentions something about requesting a key so I will follow this up. I'm using my Steam copy but wanted a spare for the other PC.
That's exactly why I got another copy on gog as well - having a backup just in case my physical copy and key get lost somehow. But be aware the support process might take a while, when I did it, it was not even holiday season and it took them 12 days. :D
Hey Jez - I did send you a link a while ago for here (via steam). hope you are well mon ami?
http://beta.openspy.net/en/server-list/ut2004
Quote from: Piglet on December 24, 2022, 16:17
http://beta.openspy.net/en/server-list/ut2004
nice! there's life in the old game yet <3
I have our servers saved in UT as favorites, they won't get deleted right? When Epic shutdowns master servers I could just find miasma servers in favorites...
Quote from: Piano on December 26, 2022, 15:01
I have our servers saved in UT as favorites, they won't get deleted right? When Epic shutdowns master servers I could just find miasma servers in favorites...
No they won't, just don't remove them from favs as of yet
Quote from: Piano on December 26, 2022, 15:01
I have our servers saved in UT as favorites, they won't get deleted right? When Epic shutdowns master servers I could just find miasma servers in favorites...
Favourites won't be lost.
You can always use the front page here to get to the servers.
As and when the master server is turned off just update your config to point to OpenSpy and it should "just work".
http://beta.openspy.net/en/howto/ut2k-engine/ut2004 - just note that that should say "ut2004master..." rather than "ut2003master..."
Fantastic work on the auto configure :) Quick question thou.
Should we backup before auto-configure? Holy kindly helped me optimize my settings and a ton of edits were done. Can you please confirm that it won't screw my settings somehow.
Thanks a lot.
You can add the new row and add a Semicolon on the start of the two original addresses to ignore the 2 lines for UT2004 if you want to keep it in there.
[IpDrv.MasterServerLink]
LANPort=11777
LANServerPort=10777
;MasterServerList=(Address="ut2004master1.epicgames.com",Port=28902)
;MasterServerList=(Address="ut2004master2.epicgames.com",Port=28902)
MasterServerList=(Address="utmaster.openspy.net",Port=28902)
It never hurts to have a backup. The game does occasionally trash the ini files and if you don't have a backup you need to start from scratch!
Awesome :) Thanks a lot. Will add. Thou to be honest I do not play anywhere else ;) So, since my favourites are already added, I don't see a reason to edit immediately. But good to keep an eye out :)
And yes Piglet. Always a great idea to backup :)
PS > nslookup ut2004master1.epicgames.com
Server: UnKnown
Address: 1.1.1.2
*** UnKnown can't find ut2004master1.epicgames.com: Non-existent domain
PS > nslookup ut2004master2.epicgames.com
Server: UnKnown
Address: 1.1.1.2
*** UnKnown can't find ut2004master2.epicgames.com: Non-existent domain
So it is truly dead...
they could have ran a cheap instance of it on azure or aws for few pennies
Quote from: Piglet on January 25, 2023, 09:04
It never hurts to have a backup. The game does occasionally trash the ini files and if you don't have a backup you need to start from scratch!
Yep, a backup is always a good idea. I've combined it with Nardaq's approach to comment the old master servers out for sentimental purposes :D
The servers, all but vctf (which I've not seen empty) are now configured only for OpenSpy.
I'll do the vctf server when I see it empty and I have a moment to do it
I have already logged in to Openspy thanks