MOMbot may be a bit dated, but is not poorly written.

This is the TWGS error log from that event:

Cruncher(18): Abnormal exit - Lock Violation(212) on file C:\PROGRAM FILES\EIS\TWGS\GAME\GAMER\TWPlan.DAT
04:22:02 AM 03/02/2016 Xanos(3): Abnormal exit - Lock Violation(11) on file C:\PROGRAM FILES\EIS\TWGS\GAME\GAMER\TWUser.DAT
04:22:02 AM 03/02/2016 Gil T. Azell(17): Abnormal exit - Lock Violation(11) on file C:\PROGRAM FILES\EIS\TWGS\GAME\GAMER\TWUser.DAT
04:22:02 AM 03/02/2016 Helix(8): Abnormal exit - Lock Violation(11) on file C:\PROGRAM FILES\EIS\TWGS\GAME\GAMER\TWUser.DAT

This was JP's reply:

Unfortunately there are rare situations where I file can become locked like this. I doubt if it was some kind of back door. Unless it happens a lot, and especially if it's repeatable, there isn't much that can be done about it.

I'm sure you know this, but whenever there is a lock like this, it's good to reset the server and probably the machine itself. If a file lock doesn't get released by the system, the problem can persist until a reset.

And this is not the 1st time this has come up. it happened on Mirco's server in 2012.
viewtopic.php?f=44&t=33046

Personally I blame comet. He was was there both times it went down!

HAHA

sk

It is actually a bug in the game. When multiple players try to access the same data files at the same time, the game kicks everyone involved out of the game. The simplest example is when two players try to place a fighter in the same sector at the same time.

If you are plying by hand, then you can just log right back in, but most scripts won't recognize this as a disconnect, because you are still connected, but just sitting at the "T" menu.

It is also unlikely that playing without scripts would activate this bug, because it happens when players are accessing data within milliseconds of each other in the same sector.

Sounds like the whole game needs to be rewritten from scratch. Probably in a completely re-imagined form, because if you tried to clone it, there would be no end to the fight over what's a bug and what's a feature.

Yeah, I was talking with JP about that and he totally agrees. It's just a matter of him finding the time.

I bet it would not be too difficult to write an online pure text edition applying Node.js along with PHP/InnoDB on the backend.

Server side JavaScript is an abomination. /ducks

ANYTHING with Java is an abomination!
Can you say security nightmare?

Just to clarify, JavaScript is not Java and Node.js is super awesome, it is likely to be the next big evolution in Webpage design, affording seamless and dynamic content updating without requiring full page reloads, thus keeping pages updated on timeframes (an advanced method of AJAX.) Companies such as Walmart, Google, Nexflix, Ebay and Paypal, LinkedIn, Uber, MicroSoft and others are now Node.js based.

The security threats exist largely in the coding of individual pages and not in the language being applied. Also, new placeholding standards in backend database design have completely eliminated injection attempts, such as by PDO and Mysqli. Further options available for two-way encryption and one-way salted hashes are virtually limitless and easy to implement.

I think a Node.js client would be awesome for the none super competitive games. I love the idea of playing that on a surface or android table; being able to tap on a sector number and have myself warp in. Tap on a port to auto-trade. There is a excellent MUD client someone has written and I've played on which uses this tech. It has triggers and basic scripting from memory.

Back in the day when Badboy started J-Twat which I later came on board to help we introduced a heap of new players into the game due the Java Applet version. Sure it was slow and clunky compared to other terminal programs but it had it's place. It also had inbuilt scripting so there wasn't the learning curve of "oh I've got telix and can play manually now what can I do?". The scripts were right there right away to try.

Hammer

JavaScript was developed by Netscape, and was originally called LiveScript. The name would imply that JavaScript is a subset of Java, but it is not. They share their "C" style syntax and that is about it. I'm not a fan of Java or JavaScript, but three.js looks pretty cool for web based games.

I haven't played with node.js yet, but I know it is a pretty hot topic in web design. I don't know if it is intended for game development though.

I stumbled on this thread during a slow weekend and was inspired to try to clone TradeWars and see where that took me. I completed a simple big bang + ports web version available at:

http://linode.twdata.org:2002/public/index.html

I probably won't take it farther, but it was a fun excuse to get back into tw coding.

Source code is at https://bitbucket.org/mrdon/pytw

a few new features that develop player base:

1.) much larger universe (are we limited?), 250,000 sectors, possible.
2.) stardocks (more than one) owned by players.
3.) no alignment shift when attacking enemy ships.
4.) asteroids to be mined (would become a destination and work colony).
5.) universe events... the meteor shower that holed 3 of your ships.
6.) new weapons, alien tech (nothing devastating... interesting!).
7.) offline defense (player sets it up... twgs runs it) (reduce online time).
8.) ship time delay based on distance rather than ship type.
9.) player owned game markets to sell accumulated assets.
10.) twgs ping filter... everyone plays at the same speed.
11.) backdoor to the underground for the evil player.
12.) expand the underground.
13.) stardock is dated, revamp with additional depths to explore.
14.) ship storage in citadel (like a garage).
15.) photons stun limpets.
16.) connect twgs's together (multi-server wars).

The Fed run Stardock could become a small game unto itself. depths to explore, scenario's to explore, alien traders to deal with...
The larger universe will provide sufficient room for empires, aliens, universe events...

Throw more at the wall, some will stick.

cc bee.... out

Love the ideas CC Bee but I reckon it's a pipe dream but keep throwing!!!

Must almost be time to start a new project I've invented I've titled it

Wrade Tars 3003 - it'll be a turn based war game with elements of trading.