gse/README.experimental.md at ae979f1edba525a933532f7dc6de5bf4cfe0050b

alex47exe ae979f1edb * [alex47exe] major overhaul of **generate_emu_config** - custom configs, proper ini parsing, better logging and error handling, helper tools:

* add `-def1` ... `-def5` arguments, which can be used to generate your preferred custom config
    if no `-def` argument is provided, `-def1` will be used by default, to automatically copy from the following folders:
    * `.\_DEFAULT\0` ............... essential emu files, like latest GSE dlls (*steam_api.dll* and *steam_api64.dll*)
    * `.\_DEFAULT\1` ............... other GSE files and folders, including default ini files
    * `.\_DEFAULT\<appid>` ... other GSE files and folders, but only for the current `<appid>`, if the folder exists
  * (Windows only) add some useful helper tools, written in *AutoIt3*:
    * **gse_acw_helper.exe** - add the required achievements schema db files for *Achievement Watcher*, if  .\steam_misc\extra_acw\extra_acw.zip file exists (if generated by `generate_emu_config.exe -acw <appid>`)
    * **gse_debug_switch.exe** - automatically switch between release and debug versions of the emulator, if *steam_api.7z* / *steam_api64.7z* file exists (or *steamclient.7z* / *steamclient64.7z*, if you use the steamclient version)
      paths to release and debug files inside 7z, can be customized in .\steam_misc\tools\au3\scripts\gse_debug_switch.ini
    * **gse_generate_interfaces.exe** - simple x64-x86 launcher for *generate_interfaces.exe*
      it also writes all found steam interfaces to CODEX *steam_emu.ini* (if generated by `generate_emu_config -cdx <appid>`)
      make sure to name your original dll to one of these formats, so it can automatically find its interfaces:
      * `valve_api.dll / valve_api64.dll`
      * `steam_api.dll.bak / steam_api64.dll.bak` or `steam_api.dll.org / steam_api64.dll.org`
      * `steam_api.bak / steam_api64.bak` or `steam_api.org / steam_api64.org`
      * `steam_api_orig.dll / steam_api64_orig.dll` or `steam_api_legit.dll / steam_api64_legit.dll`
    * **gse_lobby_connect.exe** - simple x64-x86 launcher for *lobby_connect.exe*
  * new folder structure, compatible with current and future helper tools --- default arguments are `-acw -cdx -clr <appid>`
    NEVER delete `.\steam_misc\app_backup`, `.\steam_misc\app_info`, `.\steam_misc\tools` and `.\steam_settings` folders
    MIGHT need `.\steam_misc\extra_acw` and `.\steam_misc\extra_cdx` for compatibility with Achievement Watcher and CODEX
  * add `-scx` argument to automatically download images / videos for trading cards, backgrounds, badges, emoticons and other tradable items
    unfortunately I couldn't find any direct steam api method to download the files, so I had to write a rudimentary web scrapper to extract the download links from a third-party website, hence the *scx_gen.py* script might need updating in the future if the website design changes
  * download screenshots and videos:
    * download thumbnails for both screenshots and videos, and compress them to `.zip` files
    * screenshots and videos are now numbered from first to last published, as in the Steam store page
    * add `-vids_low` / `-vids_max` arguments to download all videos, in low and / or high quality
  * create / update .\\*top_owners_ids.txt* when .\\*top_owners_ids.html* is present
  * generate controller action sets txt files for all found controller vdf configs, and zip them inside .\steam_misc\app_backup\app_backup.zip
    by default, the emu supports only `xboxone` and `xbox360` controller configs, though if the're are any issues with the default supported controller action sets inside .\steam_settings\controller folder, you could try to unpack and overwrite action sets for other unsupported controller configs
  * (Windows only) add *AdvancedRun* launchers (cmd console + silent) for `.bat` files and `.py` scripts
* **[alex47exe]** major overhaul of **migrate_gse** - uses the same `.\_DEFAULT\0` and `.\_DEFAULT\1` folder structure for default configs
  it can convert old `.txt` format to `.ini` format, minus *branches.json*, which would require using *top_owners_ids.txt* and some login code from **generate_emu_config**, which should actually be used to properly generate the config files, instead of converting from the old `.txt` format
* [alex47exe] *generate_interfaces.exe* - find all Steam Interfaces instead of only old ones
  the emu will ignore the ones it doesn't require, while we'll have the complete list to write it to CODEX *steam_emu.ini*
* [alex47exe] *lobby_connect.exe* - improve cmd console text alignment
* [alex47exe] `mods_img` instead of `mod_images` (better folder consistency), better example for `mods_img`, minor tweaks to `.ini` and `.md` files

2024-07-30 01:21:09 +01:00

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What is this ?

This experimental build of the emulator:

Blocks all outgoing connections from the game to non-LAN IPs
Lets you use CPY style cracks that use the steam_api dll to patch the exe in memory when the SteamAPI_Init() method is called
Can load extra dlls in memory via LoadLibraryW()

Mr.Goldberg's note:

In this folder is an experimental build of the emulator with code that hooks a few windows socket functions. It should block all connections from the game to non-LAN IPs. This means the game should work without any problems for LAN play (even with VPN LAN as long as you use standard LAN IPs 10.x.x.x, 192.168.x.x, etc...)

It likely doesn't work for some games but it should work for most of them

Since this blocks all non LAN connections doing things like hosting a cracked server for people on the internet will not work or connecting to a cracked server that's hosted on an internet IP will not work

Why ?

Mr.Goldberg's note:

Lots of games seem to connect to analytics services and other crap
Blocking the game from communicating with online IPs without affecting the LAN functionality of this emu is a pain if you try to use a firewall

Which IPs are allowed ?

With disable_lan_only=0 inside .\steam_settings\configs.main.ini, only LAN-only IPs are allowed:

10.0.0.0 - 10.255.255.255
127.0.0.0 - 127.255.255.255
169.254.0.0 - 169.254.255.255
172.16.0.0 - 172.31.255.255
192.168.0.0 - 192.168.255.255
224.0.0.0 - 255.255.255.255

To allow all IPs, including non-LAN IPs, modify your .\steam_settings\configs.main.ini and set disable_lan_only=1

How to use a CPY style crack

Rename steam_api.dll crack to cracksteam_api.dll, or steam_api64.dll to cracksteam_api64.dll
Replace the steamclient(64).dll crack with the one in this folder

How to load extra dlls in memory

Put the dll file inside the folder .\steam_settings\load_dlls, and it will be loaded automatically using the LoadLibraryW() function

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