Q&A About the NeoEE

[Arntzen]

Q: What is NeoEE?
A: NeoEE is a free project aiming to bring the original multiplayer game mode back to Empire
Earth and Empire Earth: The Art of Conquest by implementing new online servers. This means
that You can play Empire Earth and AOC online
together exactly ...

Q: Sounds cool. I want to play on it now!
A: Sorry buddy, it is still not ready (yet). Except for the first small public test (so-called "NST1") nothing of NeoEE has been gone live yet. However, the NST2 is imminent, including features like group creation and major bug fixes. After the NST series, the real public test series will start with a permanently running server. In order to join that you must have installed a unique, valid CD-key.

Q: I don't have a CD key. Will I be able to play on NeoEE servers anyway?
A: Yes! If you don't have a CD key, you will get one by using a special small software that will install an Empire Earth and Empire Earth: The Art of Conquest key on your computer once. With it, you will be able to log in to the servers without any problem.

Q: I already have a CD key. Do I need a new one?
A: No. NeoEE will support the old Sierra keys as well as new keys calculated with a special algorithm. But: this will only work within a limited time. Within the first months of NeoEE servers existence it will save all old Sierra keys and white list them so that they are also valid in future.
In order to make this happen, you must login to the server at least once before the time elapsed. When the time elapsed, the servers won't accept any old keys. This means that you either must contact the administration or use the CD Key tool to obtain a new one.

Q: Who made NeoEE?
A: The project was founded by "Jodocus" (named "Ad aCTa" back in the old days). Shortly after, "RealForce" (creator of the Alpha patch series) joined him.

Q: When you began with NeoEE?
A: Jodocus started the project in February 2013 at the Empire Earth modding source #1: Empire Earth Heaven. The thread is:

http://ee.heavengames.com/cgi-bin/forum ... 1&tn=38110

Q: How you made it?
A: Somehow there are source codes leaked that contain information about the multiplayer structure. With it's information the project tries to restore the original Empire Earth multiplayer system.

Q: What experience do you have with these kind of things from before?
A: Jodocus is an expectant physicist and RealForce is an electrical engineer, so both of them have no special education in IT sciences or software development. Jodocus acquired skills in general (C++) programming, basic cryptography and networking implementations while RealForce best knows about all kinds of Empire Earth's internal matters, including modifying certain hexadecimal values to change the games behaviour.

Q: Who has helped you so far on the project?
A: The key of the projects initiation are the leaked source codes. Without them, it wouldn't be possible to do this. Additionally, Jodocus contacted various former programmers of Empire Earth (including Brian Stephens, Richard "Methos" Bishop, Charlie Cleverland and Dan Higgins), but none of them could actually help. At the current state, the success of failure of this project completely depend on RealForce and Jodocus engagement.

Q: What has been most difficult this far?
A: Cryptography. The system is using very advanced (and buggy!) algorithms for encryption. Due to several bugs in Empire Earth, it was almost impossible to get behind it. However, after some hours on thinking about certain mathematical proofs, lucky/educated guesses and much debubbing work cryptography is no problem any more.

Q: Are you going to make a new patch or is it going to be exactly like old servers?
A: First of all, if we owned sierra.com domain (or just the needed subdomains) we could actually re-enable the multiplayer without the necessity of downloading any third-party binary. However, we don't own it so acquiring an installer is inevitable.
NeoEE won't be exactly like the old servers. First of all, the alpha patch series will be stopped so NeoEE will only support original Empire Earth installations with valid CD-keys. The lobby will contain additional features like "Moderator Bots" which will execute the "croud-based" moderation work in the lobby (via chat commands, think on features like "vote mute <playername>). The lobby will have on big shared account database (for both Empire Earth and its expansion). This will be connected with a website where the database is enhanced with clan information and ladder rankings directly associated with the account.
On the Empire Earth side, the NeoEE patch series will begin. This patch series is a lot different from alpha or the other patch series. This patch series will be high-frequent and (if the SierraUp-facilities of EE got explored enough) automatically installed when logging into the servers (so there is no chance for a "version hell" by downloading some installers externally). They will be much more concentrated on enabling different strategies by introducing balance changes. Because such balancing is a highly sophisticated work it will be always discussed and decided in the public by the most experienced EE players out there.

Q: I don't like it! I want the old EE!!
A: Not least because the monotony of the "ultimate" strategy many players got bored of Empire Earth. Do you ever have used helicopters in Atomic Age? Or pilums in Bronze Age? There are so many aspects of Empire Earth ignored because they are useless against the ideal way of playing. Give it a try and await the results (or even better: join the discussions). None of the decisions is irreversible.

Q: When do you think it's going to be 100% done?
A: Never. As long as there are players in Empire Earth there will be ideas for improvements. However, it is hard to estimate when the project will go live. Nobody knows. At least you can expect that a lot will happen within this year.

- Written by Jodocus and RealForce