reverse engineer an old MMORPG with game client?

[TheOne83]

hi all,

is it still possible with only the game client, still can build the server back ? the game i looking is call fairyland online (ENG version) there taiwan server and is still up and running (

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).

do let me know what how to move on from here so that this game can be restore.

sample below:

 

[PyroSamurai]

You would have to log the network traffic to and from server/client and reproduce those packets with a self-written server emulator.
As simple and as hard as that.

 

[TheOne83]

i see, but how to log the network traffic to and from server/client and reproduce those packets? the server have already shutsdown? how to self written server emulator?
is there any tools that i can use to get the log network traffic?

 

[PyroSamurai]

Ah well, you said the taiwan servers were still up in your OP. If they aren't up then no.
In that case you'll have reverse engineer the entire game from scratch, which is probably beyond your current abilities if you are asking these questions.
Wireshark and WPE-pro are the standards for packet capture programs.

 

[TheOne83]

yes, the Taiwan server is still up. so how do I move on from here? for Wireshark and WPE-pro is there any guide I can refer to?

 

[zipper20032]

You have to document the packets received and sent by both server and client.
WPE Pro or Wireshark are good. Or attach a SocketSniffer to the game process and sniff the packets which are sent and received. Of course, the packets would be encrypted, most probably.
Pay attention if the same packet for the same action in-game is different or the same. If it's the same, then it's using a single key (maybe per TCP session).
Just document everything you can and try to replicate the packets into your own server emulator.
Depending on how the game's network architecture is made, that would show you how hard it would be to get the correct values for your packets.