INTRODUCTION

Helbreath Crusade is (was ?) a massive online roleplaying game (up to 4500 player on the same server).
I was so found of this game that I made some software for it. One, HelPad, is for players, and the other ones for the management of a server...

Helping in managing, then hosting two servers for 4 years, allowed me to design many things, from hosting assistance program, to designing new maps, character classes, items, new spells, and many more things.
But the major experience I lived hosting private servers is that the live is very easy on private servers, XP good, drops sometimes high, and EK very easy due to low population (No chance to see 5 or 6 ennemy player comming to help our victim!). So I designed an "hard to live" server, so you will be proud of your achievements; but equally hard for everybody, even if population is scarce. This was my Revival project.

Revival project lived for mose than a year, then as I began coding my own server files, Equilibrium Project was born. I was as well the author of the first client 3.51 compatible sources, That way Equilibrium Project became a technically really advanced server, better than official one in many points, such as hack prevetion system.

The story of my adventure with Helbreath December 2001, I discovered a "free" game, Helbreath, an started a wizard Alchemist GemStone and Fencer LadyNamo, on International Apocalypse server. I became very found of this game and finally accepted to pay when it switched to P2P a few weeks later. But P2P was a major change in the game's spirit! No more thousands of noobs beginners to exploit! I was one of the last ... Admins prove very little concern for noobies only suporte High level characters in a hope to keep them paying as long as possible. A few mounths later (May 2002) I discovered a private, server HB-Mog, and started anew, but it was soon reseted ans prooved to be free only to catch payers as "easy victims" for staff PCs, loving easy PvP... Agust 2002, I found a French server, owned by ChenBen, and started helping him. As he had no fixed IP, I wrote PatchIP, then invented Eggs and HBmaster to restore faultly drops in v2.191 gserver files. As XP and drop rate was far too high, the game becane soon annoying for top players, and Chey decided to reset in November, with the server settings I designed. It was to become his Revival server. But he was tired oh the burden of hosting and never started the ready Revival server... So a friend of mine (Delta) had ADSL connection, and accepted to host the server, I was the technical admin. Revival was born...This server was lower XP/Drop rate, and many novelties were introduced regularlly. but as 2.20/2.191 + HBmaster server reached their max possibilities. Summer 2003 we decided to end Revival server, with a super event, the hunt and death of abaddon. A PvP lovers team relayed Delta for the hosting, styarting Revival 2 server. At the beginning I still was the major technician, but many choices were made by Revival 2 admins (XP+, drop+, PvP+++) that drove Revival 2 to his end a few weeks later. ( As most Private HB server anyways.... ) In October 2003, Delta took again the hosting burden, and I started Revival sequel: The Equilibrium Project. As citizens united against Abaddon at mount Asgard, Abaddon's armies finally invaded the two cities. The united citizens obtained a deer victory at Mount Asgarde, killing Abaddon, but both cities were destroyed. Survivors established in the rediscovered Equilibrium city, in a dificult cohabitation. Delta hosted for mounths, then I took this burden myself, as ADSL reached my home. Equilibrium Project switched to v3.51 server and client, using HBx 2.24b server deeplly improved and changed to meet all Equilibrium Project (EP) features. Apocalypse were coded, and new monster types added (swift, mighty, crippled, shamans) Boss type creature added, new weapons as the Elric's Demon blade who is able to strike alone, really new spells added. Executor pseudo 3rd city added, and alot more things... As 2005 began, I started code my own client, with some help at beginning, but I finished it alone. I released it and continued coding up the 3.82 compatibility both client and server side. I spent most time coding and lost interest in playing. Finally as I discoverd Travian in july 2005, I left HB world. The last major inovation I coded, a special event as important as Crusade, named the Avatar quest, still was buggy when I left. I continued hosting Equilibrium Project until end 2006, before giving the burden to a new admin, johnny.cheng, who had been responsible for the EP forum for years. Equilibrium Project finally dyed in october 2007... Helbreath was with me during 5 years in my life. I discovered a lot about many people, and the main difficulties... Hosting is easy. Coding not so difficult. Invent really new features is easy... once or twice, but not every week ! Keep a good equilibrium point for XP/drop rate, for PvP vs PvM, Character & weaponsor spells power is hard. Convince players that raising XP Droprate, power is bad is so so difficult Preventing vulgar players to destroy the pleasure of playing and boredom is impossible....

Here, you'll find all (?) my things about HB ( I left HB more than a year ago, so I'm not sure finding everything )

HB OLD v2.191 SERVER

Private HB server v2.191 fixed and modified by snoopy81 v2.191 server using v2.191 client.

Those files have been checked, corrected, translated, fixed by me. They have been released prior any Revival changes. I took them from two distinct but not complete sources. They all come initially from HBKX, but were corrupted...

Now all this works, the server and client side files are included...

REVIVAL

Revival was a v2.20 client / v2.191 server based game. I wrote many hacks to introduce new things in gserver or client. An external program (HBmaster) added new functionalities.
Many things have been changed from original HB v2.191, including new maps, new items, new character classes, Lottery, Soul eggs, new drops and drop rates, Stats 250, Manuf items with stats, and lot more things. All this represents more than 50 patches have been made for server and client files, in this distribution.

But the most important thing in those server files are the new game balance:

• Unlike many private servers, XP is not very high.
• Money will be a major problem for the uncarry!
• PvP is not the only way to play Revival.
• Fencers/Dexties are playable even High level.
• Max level characters can be very deadlly Player Killers, or unkillable, but never both!
• Drops depend on the thouthness of npc AND the difficulty to find it!
• Player can expect find more items than on HB.

With "Revival 2" server, started a all for PvP orientation from hoster that resulted in a lot players living the server. The hoster decided to change many things in those files, because PvP characters, were more difficult to XP than PvM characters.
Foreseen than "All for PvP" orientation is not possible on a 50 players server, I left the "Revival 2" server live or die (died in a matter of weeks). All experience I gathered, is used in this Revival Project, now available for everybody to use.

Many documentation is included in those files, mostlly French. Some have been translated to English, some are data that can be easelly understood.
This server is (nearlly) ready for use, and includes HBmaster v5.0; but those files don't include the skill to host/admin an HB server!
Note that some things (mainlly maps) in this server were added as they were intended for "Revival 2" server, but not tested.

EQUILIBRIUM PROJECT

Next step was testing a "Low PvP" beta server, Project Equilibrium.This server lived for 3 years.

Initialy based on v2.20 client, it soon moved to v3.51 (with many self made hacks), and own coded server file. I used and improved alot buggy server files that were available at this time. Finally I decided to add all v3.51 functions in available v2.20 sources, and some post 3.51 ones as well. My server was the first to fully implement Apocalypse then Heldenian. Finally I coded the available client sources up to full 3.51 compatibility and up. A new PL-based event ( Avatar's quest) was also coded but was still buggy when I left HB world.

My HB related SOFTWARE

And some things from others authors, gatheredin my HB years...

All HB software by Snoopy 81 and collected from other sources
HelPad v1.42	Client helper, look on HelPad page...
HBmaster v5.0 HBMaster v6.4 ( English )	Collection of utils for HB server: v2.191 Account easy creation / Characters listing / Creates an HTML "Top5" ready to upload on your site / Magic items creation codes generator / NPCs listing / Remove 300K/hour XP limit / Special features for Eggs / Priest new class / Lotery.etc... In final version (v6.4) I removed some functions now included direct in gserver sources, but add some new ones.
PatchIP v2.01 PatchIP v3.11export PatchIP v4.10	Auto-patching client exe for IP-changing HB servers.. -> read a known URL for a small text file (placed here by hoster) -> read the server's current IP in this file -> patches the client with this IP before running the game, or in client's process memory v2.01 is simple one for 2.191/2.20 client; v3.11 recognise v3.51+ clients, v4.0 includes autoupdate and snoopy's client variable IP feature.
Map Resize	This tiny tool is just used to in crease the size of a map. Of course old map will stay in the middle of the old one.
cKeyConv	This tool decodes server's TPC/IP messages.
PatchMain351 ExtasisFix	AntiHack for Main server.
Test351	Patcher for HB client v3.51 - Spell effects and Anti-Hack Changes spell effects (for adding a visual effect for extra spells) / Changes default server naming and versions as hack prevention.
HB tools collection	All the tools gathered from diverse authors in my HB years.
Skins	Tebb's Black & Tebb's Blue Skins. (I think they were for v2.20 client)
Hacks/patches 2.191/2.20	Server v2.191 + Client v2.20 Hacks/patches collection. most from Snoopy 81, others from Hankzar & Sobame.
Hacks/patches 3.51 client	All my patches for v3.51 client.

v2.191 server & v2.20 client Hacks/patches

Most patches here are on my dooing. they're for v1.191 server used with a v2.20 client. some of them relly on special items or spells in your configuration files. So their use is not so easy for noob admins. Some patches also are inter-dependant... or not compatible with some maps...

All zips have explanation texts, but in french...

Hgserver.exe (v1.191) patches:

• Quantity of 1sts drops, changes in potions drops: Patch1.4_DropRate.zip
• Restauration of 2nd drops (Eggs): Patch2.5_Oeufs.zip
• Improved items drop table, and drops for other npcs: Patch3.6_Drops.zip
• Fishing rare items improvement: Patch4_Fishing.zip
• Prevent players to be lost if too much XP: Patch5_noPenaltyXP.zip (Don't use on beginer zone server)
• New Potions: Werewolf & Demon invoke: Patch6.2_WW_Demon.zip
• Three patches to change Spot-mob-generator & random-mob-generator to introduce new (v2.20) npcs (61->69): Patch8.2_NewNpc.zip
• Change EK cape to 150 EK (also need client side patch), Remove Teleport to D2 click (CH) makes a "Connection Lost" (but don't tp to D2...), Prevent Polymorph to affect a player, Reduce mana penalty for safe mode casting to 10% or 0%: Patch09_divers.zip
• Mining improvement: Patch10_Mining.zip
• Server items drops/sells/exchanges logging for new items: Patch_11_Logs.zip

Client side patches (game v2.20):

• Replace IB by Equilibrium (needs rigth pak files as well), and read Equilibrium pak,
• Same plus read Elrom Pak,
• Same but remove TOH3 and not IB.
• Client side 150 EKs hero cape,
• Have multiple clients running at same time,
• Remove badword.txt & curse.txt..
• Add visual & sound effects for new spells,
• Building positions for minimap in new cities, (needs rigth pak files as well),
• Improve new ML maps (needs rigth pak files as well),
• Corrects needed XP for next level above lvl 140,
• Corrects BS selling window (patch by Hanczar), and some more things: Patch_client2.20.zip

World server patch:

• Translate starting items: Patch_World.zip

Main Log Server patches:

• Allows v2.191 server to accept v2.20 client,
• Prevent used to create an account througth the use of an obsolete client: Patch_MLS-v2.20.zip

Others:

• Special Editor for maps used with patched client (Equilibrium) This AnMap is patched to read the modified pak used with the client patched for Equilibrium/Elrom map: editorbrium.zip

v3.51 client Hacks/patches

Client side patches (game v3.51):

Ther're mainlly the same than v2.20 ones, plus some more. Later on I coded my own client, it was the only way to really add things such as Angels...

INTRODUCTION

Helbreath Crusade est un jeu de rôle massivement en ligne (jusqu'à 4500 joueurs par serveur). Il m'a pationné au point auquell j'ai écrit des logiciels pour lui...

Un de ces logiciels, HelPad, sert aux joueurs, alors que les autres HBmaster, PatchIP, servent à la mise en ligne d'un serveur HB.

Mais, le plus interressant fut ma découverte des serveurs privés, et la conduite d'un serveur. Ma participation à l'administration de 4 ou 5 serveurs pendant 3 années, m'a conduit à dévellopper de nombreux outils, depuis un logiciel d'assitance au hosteur, jusqu'à de nouvelles cartes, nouveaux sorts, classes de personage, et bien d'autres choses encore...

Après avoir aidé CheyBen sur son serveur , j'ai administré REVIVAL PROJECT ( Client v2.20 sur serveur v2.191) pendant 10 mois puis laissé une administration full PVP gérer REVIVAL 2 qui n'a d'ailleurs duré que quelques semaines. Suite à celà j'ai administré EQUILIBRIUM PROJECT (client v3.51 puis client maison sur serveur maison) pendant 2 ans avant de passer la main.

De nombreux outils, souvent obsolètes sont maintenant mis en ligne ici. Vous pourrez les retrouver ci-dessus car je n'ai plus le courage de rédiger deux fois les explications. Notez que bien des archives contiennent des commentaires en Francais...