ghost servers - quake 3

crs9683 · **Joined:** 05 Mar 2011 05:28 **Posts:** 3

Can anyone give an explanation on how this works? Maybe there are some tools for this? Anyway, I'm needing to create ghost servers that all redirect to one server.

For example, if I had a quake 3 server with the IP address 453.34.123.234 on port 27960 (which is the default port for quake 3) then I'd need any IP I would be using and any other port that's not the default port to be redirected to the default port (27960).

aluigi · **Posted:** 05 Mar 2011 20:40

as far as I know only the half-life engine has a similar feature that allows to redirect the player on another server.
the quake 3 engine doesn't have it

crs9683 · **Joined:** 05 Mar 2011 05:28 **Posts:** 3

I see. I didn't know that about half-life. I posted this topic way early in the morning so I might not have been clear about the information I'm seeking. I'm wanting to create many fake servers that query the quake 3 master server and redirect players all to one specific server. I have seen a tool on your website that emulates a fake quake 3 server + heartbeats to the master server for an exploit on con\con map. I'm guessing it could work sort of like that? But I don't know. I'm not a coder.

I'm also thinking that this can be done in the quake 3 source code. There are many lines in the source code I've been wondering about under sv_main.c that could be maybe somehow be modified to create fake servers.

Code:

   // echo back the parameter to status. so servers can use it as a challenge
   // to prevent timed spoofed reply packets that add ghost servers
   Info_SetValueForKey( infostring, "challenge", Cmd_Argv(1) );

   Info_SetValueForKey( infostring, "protocol", va("%i", PROTOCOL_VERSION) );
   Info_SetValueForKey( infostring, "hostname", sv_hostname->string );
   Info_SetValueForKey( infostring, "mapname", sv_mapname->string );
   Info_SetValueForKey( infostring, "clients", va("%i", count) );
   Info_SetValueForKey( infostring, "sv_maxclients", 
      va("%i", sv_maxclients->integer - sv_privateClients->integer ) );
   Info_SetValueForKey( infostring, "gametype", va("%i", sv_gametype->integer ) );
   Info_SetValueForKey( infostring, "pure", va("%i", sv_pure->integer ) );

   if( sv_minPing->integer ) {
      Info_SetValueForKey( infostring, "minPing", va("%i", sv_minPing->integer) );
   }
   if( sv_maxPing->integer ) {
      Info_SetValueForKey( infostring, "maxPing", va("%i", sv_maxPing->integer) );
   }
   gamedir = Cvar_VariableString( "fs_game" );
   if( *gamedir ) {
      Info_SetValueForKey( infostring, "game", gamedir );
   }

   NET_OutOfBandPrint( NS_SERVER, from, "infoResponse\n%s", infostring );
}

Anyway, i know fake servers can be created for quake 3. I've seen many server owners do this, but they aren't willing to share this information.

aluigi · **Posted:** 06 Mar 2011 00:33

the fact is that redirecting means something different in a technical way.
let's say you start 100 fake servers on your computer and they occupy the ports from 27961 to 28061.
when a player decides to join the fake server on port 28000 you can't say him "don't connect here, connect to the port 27960" because the protocol doesn't support it (instead Half-Life or Source seem to support it, yeah I didn't know too till some weeks ago).

so in this case the solution would be running a proxy on each one of these ports (not a classical proxy, a simple udp datapipe) and when someone connects to them they will send the packets to port 27960.

in this way yes it's possible although the speed and ping for the clients connected via fake servers could be not perfect.

the problem is another, you have said you are not a coder so... for sure I will not do it for you :)

crs9683 · **Joined:** 05 Mar 2011 05:28 **Posts:** 3

I see. Thanks. I will try your solution. It seems like some of the tools you provided on your website are able to do this. Which tool would you recommend?

aluigi · **Posted:** 06 Mar 2011 01:35

not a tool specifically but a merging of some of them, basicly something like an updated q3concon + a minimalistic sudppipe.

I have checked the code of q3concon and although it's a bit old it already implements almost everything, even the code for adding it to the master server, so the only missing part is the proxy one

Luigi Auriemma

ghost servers - quake 3