Server emulator is a term that is used to refer to an internet
serverA server is an application running on a computer that delivers a service. For example, a web server will deliver web pages when requested by a browser . The way a server and a client dialogs is called a protocol...
that mimics the behavior of another server that is usually more well known. This is implemented through
cloningIn computing, a clone is a hardware or software system that is designed to mimic another system. Compatibility with the original system is usually the explicit purpose of cloning hardware or low-level software such as operating systems...
or
reverse engineeringReverse engineering is the process of discovering the technological principles of a device, object or system through analysis of its structure, function and operation...
of the original server. Other synonyms include
server reimplementation,
server engine recreation, or
server-side emulation.
The term is widely used to describe reimplementation of
MMORPGMassively multiplayer online role-playing game is a genre of computer role-playing games in which a very large number of players interact with one another within a virtual game world....
game servers, typically unauthorized clones of
proprietaryThe word proprietary indicates that a party, or proprietor, exercises private ownership, control or use over an item of property.Terms relating to Proprietary include:*Proprietary chapel*Proprietary church*Proprietary colleges*Proprietary colony...
commercial software by a third party.
Server emulator is a term that is used to refer to an internet
serverA server is an application running on a computer that delivers a service. For example, a web server will deliver web pages when requested by a browser . The way a server and a client dialogs is called a protocol...
that mimics the behavior of another server that is usually more well known. This is implemented through
cloningIn computing, a clone is a hardware or software system that is designed to mimic another system. Compatibility with the original system is usually the explicit purpose of cloning hardware or low-level software such as operating systems...
or
reverse engineeringReverse engineering is the process of discovering the technological principles of a device, object or system through analysis of its structure, function and operation...
of the original server. Other synonyms include
server reimplementation,
server engine recreation, or
server-side emulation.
The term is widely used to describe reimplementation of
MMORPGMassively multiplayer online role-playing game is a genre of computer role-playing games in which a very large number of players interact with one another within a virtual game world....
game servers, typically unauthorized clones of
proprietaryThe word proprietary indicates that a party, or proprietor, exercises private ownership, control or use over an item of property.Terms relating to Proprietary include:*Proprietary chapel*Proprietary church*Proprietary colleges*Proprietary colony...
commercial software by a third party. Technically, a server emulator does not
emulateAn emulator in computer sciences duplicates the functions of one system using a different system, so that the second system behaves like the first system...
by the traditional definition, which would permit software from one hardware platform to run on a different one; it is more similar to a
terminal emulatorA terminal emulator, terminal application, term, or tty for short, is a program that emulates a "dumb" video terminal within some other display architecture....
.
History
With the rising popularity of commercial MMORPG games, came the desire from ardent players of these games to run their own servers beside the ones run by the game's creator(s). Since the original server software is not usually available, the behavior of the server has to be reverse-engineered. This can be done by analyzing the data stream with the original server, or by
disassemblingA decompiler is the name given to a computer program that performs the reverse operation to that of a compiler. That is, it translates a file containing information at a relatively low level of abstraction into a form having a higher level of abstraction .-Introduction:The term...
and analyzing the game client which is available.
Ultima OnlineUltima Online is a graphical massively multiplayer online role-playing game , released on September 25, 1997, by Origin Systems. It was instrumental to the development of the genre, and is still running today...
was one of the first large MMORPGs. Due to its openness in implementation, server emulators arose very quickly, even during the beta stage of development. The destination to which the client connects was changeable by simply editing a
text fileA text file is a kind of computer file that is structured as a sequence of lines. A text file exists within a computer file system...
. In beta stage the client-server data stream was not encrypted yet. The term server emulator became known through
Ultima Online server reimplementation such as
UOXUOX, or Ultima Offline eXperiment, is an Ultima Online server emulator that is written in C++ and released under the GPL. Today, the term UOX almost exclusively refers to the third version, UOX3.- Overview :...
, which was the pioneer. Many forks and reimplementations followed
UOX, because its source code was released under the
GNU General Public LicenseThe GNU General Public License is a widely used free software license, originally written by Richard Stallman for the GNU project....
relatively early.
RunUORunUO is a project to create and maintain a freely available Microsoft .NET based Ultima Online server. The goal of the RunUO Software Team is to provide software that is scalable and capable of recreating the EA Games server environment.- History :...
is today the most widely used
UO-server emulator.
Game companies usually try to hinder emulator development by encrypting the data stream. However, since the client needs to understand the data, the "attacker" is always equipped with a deciphering machine. Therefore, the original game designer can only add layers of strenuousness to decipher and understand the data stream, he cannot hinder it with cryptographic tools.
Legality
The legality or illegality of server emulators is a recurrent argument. There are several branches that are of concern:
- Piracy
Piracy is a war-like act committed by private parties that engaged in acts of robbery and/or criminal violence at sea. The term can include acts committed in other major bodies of water or on a shore. It does not normally include crimes committed against persons traveling on the same vessel as the...
- Copyright
Copyright is a form of intellectual property that gives the author of an original work exclusive right for a certain time period in relation to that work, including its publication, distribution and adaptation, after which time the work is said to enter the public domain...
- Reverse engineering
Reverse engineering is the process of discovering the technological principles of a device, object or system through analysis of its structure, function and operation...
- End User License Agreement (EULA)
- Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA)
Piracy: The most common situation for illegality of server emulation. Some commercial MMORPGs charge the player on a subscription basis, usually monthly. The majority of emulated servers allow clients to connect and avoid paying subscription fees. In other cases, there is a one-off payment for a license to use the software. Its game client can be downloaded when not normally available for free, thus also causing loss of revenue for the companies who own their games in a similar motive to traditional software piracy. Even though this may not apply to some games, other issues may take effect.
Copyright and
Reverse engineering: Another issue is a possible
infringementCopyright infringement is the unauthorized use of material that is covered by copyright law, in a manner that violates one of the copyright owner's exclusive rights, such as the right to reproduce or perform the copyrighted work, or to make derivative works.For electronic and audio-visual media,...
of the game creators copyright. As the case of
Lotus v. BorlandLotus Development Corporation v. Borland International, Inc., 516 U.S. 233 , is a United States Supreme Court case that tested the extent of software copyright...
demonstrates, recreating "methods of operation" is not a copyright infringement. Thus, emulating copyrighted material is not a breach. However, this demands that the complete emulator is a work of its own. Sometimes the original server software leaks out of the company that created the game, for example
AEGIS (Ragnarok Online)AEGIS is Windows Server software used along with Microsoft SQL Server by Gravity Corporation to run the official Ragnarok Online game servers. It was originally developed for exclusive use within Gravity and Gravity subsidiaries, but has been leaked within its lifetime, purportedly by several teams...
. Use or distribution of leaked code is widely held to be copyright infringement. Modified versions of such original server software are not considered to be server emulators. There are cases where a game creator has effectively shut down popular private game servers by threatening
lawsuitsA lawsuit is a civil action brought before a court of law in which a plaintiff, a party who claims to have received damages from a defendant's actions, seeks a legal or equitable remedy. The defendant is required to respond to the plaintiff's complaint...
due to obvious copyright violations, such as offering the client for download or offering downloads of modified files from the original game package, or perceived copyright violations, such as simply offering an "unlicensed" version of the game, which may or may not constitute actual infringement.
End User License Agreement and the
Digital Millennium Copyright Act: Another legal issue is the EULA. Today, most commercial MMORPGs require the user to sign a clause not to create or use server emulators when installing the client they bought.
Commonly mistaken as server emulators
- Original server software that is stolen, like AEGIS
AEGIS is Windows Server software used along with Microsoft SQL Server by Gravity Corporation to run the official Ragnarok Online game servers. It was originally developed for exclusive use within Gravity and Gravity subsidiaries, but has been leaked within its lifetime, purportedly by several teams...
, is not a server emulator.
- Reimplementations of standardized
Standardization or standardisation is the process of developing and agreeing upon technical standards. A standard is a document that establishes uniform engineering or technical specifications, criteria, methods, processes, or practices. Some standards are mandatory while others are voluntary. ...
protocols or server behavior is not considered to be emulation.
- The program VMware Server
VMware Server is an entry-level server virtualization software suite from VMware, Inc., a subsidiary of EMC Corporation. VMware released version 1.0 of Server on July 12, 2006. Server is a continuation of the retired GSX Server product line. VMware Server can create, edit, and play virtual...
is sometimes mistakenly called a "server emulator".
List of popular MMORPG's with a server emulator
- Aion: The Tower of Eternity
- Anarchy Online
Anarchy Online is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game published and developed by Funcom. Released in the summer of 2001, the game was first in the genre to include a science-fiction setting, dynamic quests, free trials, and in-game advertising. During its first month of release, many...
- Asheron's Call
Asheron's Call is a fantasy MMORPG for Microsoft Windows-based PCs developed by Turbine Entertainment and published by Microsoft. It was released on November 2, 1999. Asheron's Call is set on the continent of Dereth and its surrounding islands on the fictional planet of Auberean...
- Conquer Online
Conquer Online is a Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game, developed by TQ Digital Entertainment. The game is available in English, Chinese, French, Japanese,Spanish and Arabic. The game landscape is a two dimensional rendition of mythical China with three dimensional characters...
- Dark Age of Camelot
Dark Age of Camelot is a 3D medieval fantasy MMORPG that revolves around war between three realms following King Arthur's rule.DAoC includes both player vs. environment and Realm vs. Realm combat. Players can choose to adventure alone or join groups...
- Diablo II
Diablo II is a sequel to the game Diablo, a dark fantasy-themed action role-playing game in a hack and slash and "dungeon roaming" style. It was released for Microsoft Windows and Mac OS in by Blizzard Entertainment, and was developed by Blizzard North.Diablo II was one of the most popular games...
- Earth and Beyond
- EverQuest
EverQuest, often shortened to EQ, is a 3D fantasy-themed massively multiplayer online role-playing game that was released on the 16th of March, 1999. The original design is credited to Brad McQuaid, Steve Clover, and Bill Trost. It was developed by Sony's 989 Studios and its early-1999 spin-off...
- Flyff
Flyff is a fantasy MMORPG by Korean development company Aeonsoft. Flyff is a fairly typical party-oriented game where no character can do everything, and efficient play requires working in groups...
- Lineage
- Lineage II
Lineage II is a fantasy massive multiplayer online role-playing game for the PC, and a prequel set 150 years before Lineage...
- MapleStory
MapleStory is a free-of-charge, 2D, side-scrolling massively multiplayer online role-playing game developed by the South Korean company Wizet. Several versions of the game are available for specific countries or regions, and each is published by various companies such as Wizet and Nexon...
- Phantasy Star Online
Phantasy Star Online is an online RPG title, originally released for Dreamcast in 2000, bundled with a demo of Sonic Adventure 2. Another edition, entitled Phantasy Star Online ver.2, was released for the Dreamcast the following year...
- Ragnarok Online
Ragnarok Online , often referred to as RO, is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game or MMORPG created by GRAVITY Co., Ltd. based on the manhwa Ragnarok by Lee Myung-jin. It was first released in South Korea on 31 August, 2001 for Microsoft Windows and has since been released in many...
- RuneScape
RuneScape is a fantasy massively multiplayer online role-playing game . It is a graphical browser game, operated by Jagex Ltd., implemented on the client-side in Java and incorporating 3D rendering...
- Star Wars Galaxies
Star Wars Galaxies is a Star Wars themed MMORPG for Microsoft Windows developed by Sony Online Entertainment and published by LucasArts.-History:...
- Ultima Online
Ultima Online is a graphical massively multiplayer online role-playing game , released on September 25, 1997, by Origin Systems. It was instrumental to the development of the genre, and is still running today...
- Universal Century Gundam Online
Universal Century Gundam Online is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game that recreates the One Year War so that players from around the world may join in during the one year war....
- World of Warcraft
World of Warcraft, often referred to as WoW, is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game by Blizzard Entertainment. It is the fourth released game set in the fantasy Warcraft universe, which was first introduced by Warcraft: Orcs & Humans in 1994...
See also
- Emulator (Ragnarok Online)
An emulator for the massively multiplayer online role-playing game Ragnarok Online is a server emulation software which mimics the functionality of the official Ragnarok Online server software Aegis and is used to create private servers. Examples of these software projects include Athena ,...
- Ultima Online shard emulation -- Legal issues
External links