I'm pondering over the possibility to making a bot that can host download only games on frozen throne (read : custom games) to help spread custom maps, give an automessage to people, automatically kick people that have finished etc

Has anything like this been attempted before do you know? I'm wondering if there's some prior research on the subject of the protocol blizzard uses to send the maps to clients etc

There are bots that support joining games for Warcraft III. I can't think of any public bots that do, but perhaps if the bot could simply select the map that it wanted to use, then making the bot you need to be made shouldn't be hard at all. All you really need is a bot that can join (well, create) Warcraft III games and use a designated map. For what you want it to do, it'd have to be slightly modified, so making your own project would be the best way to go.

I don't think there are any current projects that do just what you mentioned.

[quote author=Sanguine link=topic=14255.msg145863#msg145863 date=1139860162]
Has anything like this been attempted before do you know? I'm wondering if there's some prior research on the subject of the protocol blizzard uses to send the maps to clients etc
[/quote]

Yes.  I had done this my self--my old bot hosted Tides of Blood on Frozen Throne.  Users were also able to chat in my "game" too, just the game never started so I was in the lobby only.

UL: Care to help me in that? I am tring to do the same thing and I am stuck :'(

I would appreciate any research you have on the file transfer you still have, if you feel like being super sexy and helpful to me :>

By the way BNFTP was crafted, and how it wasn't changed much in protocol v2, I'd guess it will be rather straight forward to implement map transfer, once you get it reversed.

[quote author=Joe link=topic=14255.msg146073#msg146073 date=1139964428]
By the way BNFTP was crafted, and how it wasn't changed much in protocol v2, I'd guess it will be rather straight forward to implement map transfer, once you get it reversed.
[/quote]BNFTP is the protocol that is used to transfer icons, right?

Yes, among other things, but users can't UPLOAD to it, which, Joe, shoots your idea out of the water.

[quote author=Joe link=topic=14255.msg146073#msg146073 date=1139964428]
By the way BNFTP was crafted, and how it wasn't changed much in protocol v2, I'd guess it will be rather straight forward to implement map transfer, once you get it reversed.
[/quote]

How do you figure this?  Several fields were added to the request packets, not to mention you need to authenticate your CD key...

[quote author=Joe link=topic=14255.msg146073#msg146073 date=1139964428]
By the way BNFTP was crafted, and how it wasn't changed much in protocol v2, I'd guess it will be rather straight forward to implement map transfer, once you get it reversed.
[/quote]

Wtf you talking about?  He asked about in-game file transfer...has nothing to do with Battle.net

Except for one thing: the protocols were written by the same developers, and probably in the same overall style. Think, UL! Think!

@MyndFyre:
Beyond the first fields, the file is still sent as-is as a void, not encrypted/encoded or anything fancy.

You realize that 'void' means 'lack of data', right?  'Void' is used on BnetDocs as a filler for 'some sequence of data types'?  Files are send in-game via uint_32[].

[quote author=Joe link=topic=14255.msg146187#msg146187 date=1140064234]
Except for one thing: the protocols were written by the same developers, and probably in the same overall style. Think, UL! Think!

@MyndFyre:
Beyond the first fields, the file is still sent as-is as a void, not encrypted/encoded or anything fancy.
[/quote]

Actually, no, considering I have done it before like I said...they have nothing in common at all.

Second thought, I think you don't know what this thread is about.  Why mention BnFtp when it has nothing to do with it at all?  That's like posting news in the Fun Forum--totally unrelated.

I'd think UL would know since he has already made a bot like this...

[quote author=Sorc.Polgara link=topic=14255.msg146271#msg146271 date=1140155845]
I'd think UL would know since he has already made a bot like this...
[/quote]

Nearly three years ago I might add & I don't have this anymore.

Infact, I just formatted and reinstalled Win2k3 so I have nothing at all! (I need to find where I hit VS .NET 2k3 Enterprise Architect on my mom's computer over the network along with VB6 so I can reinstall them :))

I wish I were at home so I could host custom games and packetlog what happens when someone DLs from you.  All I can do for now is packetlog what happens when I DL a map from someone.

I was brain storming about this last night and I thought of a problem, after awhile your game gets removed from the game list so how would you keep it on the game list without having to keep remaking the game.

[quote author=Sorc.Polgara link=topic=14255.msg146310#msg146310 date=1140212730]
I wish I were at home so I could host custom games and packetlog what happens when someone DLs from you.  All I can do for now is packetlog what happens when I DL a map from someone.
[/quote]
It's probably a lot more complicated than that. 

[quote author=DeTaiLs link=topic=14255.msg146322#msg146322 date=1140219153]
I was brain storming about this last night and I thought of a problem, after awhile your game gets removed from the game list so how would you keep it on the game list without having to keep remaking the game.
[/quote]

You could just tell Battle.net that you closed/re-opened the game. 

But wouldn't it make more sense to use some kind of file-sharing program to exchange maps without ever including Battle.net?  It seems like hosting games just for downloading is a waste of your time and of Battle.net's resources. 

[quote author=iago link=topic=14255.msg146323#msg146323 date=1140220160]
But wouldn't it make more sense to use some kind of file-sharing program to exchange maps without ever including Battle.net?  It seems like hosting games just for downloading is a waste of your time and of Battle.net's resources. 
[/quote]

However, Battle.net is the primary source for people wanting to play custom games, they dont typically go looking for custom maps on emule or whatever.

I run a bot for a community of a rather small custom map and we're eager to try and expand it.

Yes, most people aren't really that willing to go out on the internet, let alone a filesharing program or BitTorrent to look for a map.

The really only people who have the most incentive to do so is those 56k'ers who are trying to download map that are fairly large (1mb+).

Then perhaps you have to get people to start doing it.  Start hosting a whole bunch of maps and encourage others to do the same. 

I really don't see how it's a waste of resources for battle net you could say the same thing for winbotting, there is tons of sites where people can upload their maps but nobody ever uses them so I doubt anybody would start using an ftp type client so I think a bot would be best way to go.

[quote author=iago link=topic=14255.msg146355#msg146355 date=1140279684]
Then perhaps you have to get people to start doing it.  Start hosting a whole bunch of maps and encourage others to do the same. 
[/quote]

It would have the same effect on battle.net's resources as a bot doing it, the bot has the following pros tho;

it can refresh the slots automatically (If this actually helps to keep a game active on the list? Has it been proveon one way or another)
Failing that it can re-create the games automatically.

It can give automessages about the map, direct people that are interested to the community website
it can kick people that have finished downloading

and it can do all this whilst a) you're asleep or b) doing something else

[quote author=Sanguine link=topic=14255.msg146357#msg146357 date=1140282161]
[quote author=iago link=topic=14255.msg146355#msg146355 date=1140279684]
Then perhaps you have to get people to start doing it.  Start hosting a whole bunch of maps and encourage others to do the same. 
[/quote]

It would have the same effect on battle.net's resources as a bot doing it, the bot has the following pros tho;
[/quote]
It wouldent effect b.net resources because he was talking about an outside of b.net type of ftp client, but I have to agree with out an bot would be the best way to go about this.