User:DrinkyBird/Launcher protocol3

This launcher protocol lets you to talk to servers and get information from them, allowing you to make your own custom programs like browsers, stat tools, and so on.

Protocol information

Version: 0.58 (October 28, 2012), compatible with the developmental version, 1.1.

See "article history" to look up the protocol for prior versions.

The basics

All Zandronum servers use UDP as their network protocol. Additionally, all traffic is compressed using the Huffman algorithm to save bandwidth. Therefore, you'll need a copy of huffman.cpp or huffman.java to encode and decode your traffic appropriately.

There is also an implementation of the Huffman codec written in Python here. Also in Python 3 here.

Definition of data types used in this article:

Byte: 8 bit integer
Short: 16 bit integer
Long: 32 bit integer
Float: Long representation of a float
String: null-terminated series of Bytes

Traffic is encoded in little-endian.

Getting the list of servers

This is very easy, accomplished by sending a long and a short to the master server:

Type	Value	Description
Long	5660028	`LAUNCHER_MASTER_CHALLENGE`
Short	2	`MASTER_SERVER_VERSION`

If your request is denied, the server will respond with one of the following:

Type	Value	Description
Long	3	Denied; your IP is banned (MSC_IPISBANNED)
Long	4	Denied; your IP has made a request in the past 3 seconds (MSC_REQUESTIGNORED)
Long	5	Denied; you're using an older version of the master protocol (MSC_WRONGVERSION)

If you are accepted, you will receive multiple packets, each starting with:

Type	Value	Description
Long	6	Beginning of list (MSC_BEGINSERVERLISTPART)
Byte	0-255	Packet number (starting with 0)
Byte	8	Beginning of server block (MSC_SERVERBLOCK)

Then you will get this next block, which is repeated for every IP with servers on it.

Type	Value	Description
Byte	0-255	n = Number of servers with this IP address
Byte	0-255	IP address octet
Byte	0-255	IP address octet
Byte	0-255	IP address octet
Byte	0-255	IP address octet
Short	0-65535	IP port (sent 'n' times)

Once the packet is full or all servers are transferred, you will receive 0 as number of servers on the next IP.

Type	Value	Description
Byte	0	There are no ports for the next server, i.e. no more servers in this packet.

Finally, the response should end with either

Type	Value	Description
Byte	2	End of list, you got the full server list now (MSC_ENDSERVERLIST)

or

Type	Value	Description
Byte	7	End of current part of the list, you'll get more packets (MSC_ENDSERVERLISTPART)

Querying individual servers

You need to choose what data you'd like. To do so, bitshift the combination of flags with a boolean OR.

The flags are:

Name	Value	Description
`SQF_NAME`	`0x00000001`	The name of the server
`SQF_URL`	`0x00000002`	The associated website
`SQF_EMAIL`	`0x00000004`	Contact address
`SQF_MAPNAME`	`0x00000008`	Current map being played
`SQF_MAXCLIENTS`	`0x00000010`	Maximum amount of clients who can connect to the server
`SQF_MAXPLAYERS`	`0x00000020`	Maximum amount of players who can join the game (the rest must spectate)
`SQF_PWADS`	`0x00000040`	PWADs loaded by the server
`SQF_GAMETYPE`	`0x00000080`	Game type code
`SQF_GAMENAME`	`0x00000100`	Game mode name
`SQF_IWAD`	`0x00000200`	The IWAD used by the server
`SQF_FORCEPASSWORD`	`0x00000400`	Whether or not the server enforces a password
`SQF_FORCEJOINPASSWORD`	`0x00000800`	Whether or not the server enforces a join password
`SQF_GAMESKILL`	`0x00001000`	The skill level on the server
`SQF_BOTSKILL`	`0x00002000`	The skill level of any bots on the server
`SQF_DMFLAGS`	`0x00004000`	(Deprecated) The values of dmflags, dmflags2 and compatflags. Use `SQF_ALL_DMFLAGS` instead.
`SQF_LIMITS`	`0x00010000`	Timelimit, fraglimit, etc.
`SQF_TEAMDAMAGE`	`0x00020000`	Team damage factor.
`SQF_TEAMSCORES`	`0x00040000`	(Deprecated) The scores of the red and blue teams. Use `SQF_TEAMINFO_*` instead.
`SQF_NUMPLAYERS`	`0x00080000`	Amount of players currently on the server.
`SQF_PLAYERDATA`	`0x00100000`	Information of each player in the server.
`SQF_TEAMINFO_NUMBER`	`0x00200000`	Amount of teams available.
`SQF_TEAMINFO_NAME`	`0x00400000`	Names of teams.
`SQF_TEAMINFO_COLOR`	`0x00800000`	RGB colors of teams.
`SQF_TEAMINFO_SCORE`	`0x01000000`	Scores of teams.
`SQF_TESTING_SERVER`	`0x02000000`	Whether or not the server is a testing server, also the name of the testing binary.
`SQF_DATA_MD5SUM`	`0x04000000`	(Deprecated) Used to retrieve the MD5 checksum of skulltag_data.pk3, now obsolete and returns an empty string instead.
`SQF_ALL_DMFLAGS`	`0x08000000`	Values of various dmflags used by the server.
`SQF_SECURITY_SETTINGS`	`0x10000000`	Security setting values (for now only whether the server enforces the master banlist)
`SQF_OPTIONAL_WADS`	`0x20000000`	Which PWADs are optional
`SQF_DEH`	`0x40000000`	List of DEHACKED patches loaded by the server.
`SQF_EXTENDED_INFO`	`0x80000000`	Sends extended information. See table below for more details..

Extended flags

Name	Value	Description
`SQF2_PWAD_HASHES`	`0x00000001`	The MD5 hashes of the server's loaded PWADs.

For example, to get the server's name and player count, you'd use (SQF_NAME|SQF_NUMPLAYERS). Use these flags appropriately; doing so saves your users' and server hosters' bandwidth.

Now send the server the following packet:

Type	Value	Description
Long	199	Launcher challenge
Long	Flags	Desired information
Long	Time	Current time, this will be sent back to you so you can determine ping.
Long	Extended flags	Optional. If this field is not present, the value is inferred as 0. Desired extended information - ensure you set SQF_EXTENDED_INFO in normal flags

The server will respond with the following:

Type	Value	Description
Long	Response	5660023: Accepted; server information follows 5660024: Denied; your IP has made a request in the past sv_queryignoretime seconds 5660025: Denied; your IP is banned
Long	Time	The time you sent to the server.

Next, assuming you were accepted, you'll get:

Type	Value	Description
String	Version	Server version string with revision number.
Long	Flags	The info you'll be receiving, possibly corrected (see below).

Followed by:

Type	Flag	Description
String	`SQF_NAME`	The server's name (sv_hostname)
String	`SQF_URL`	The server's WAD URL (sv_website)
String	`SQF_EMAIL`	The server host's e-mail (sv_hostemail)
String	`SQF_MAPNAME`	The current map's name
Byte	`SQF_MAXCLIENTS`	The max number of clients (sv_maxclients)
Byte	`SQF_MAXPLAYERS`	The max number of players (sv_maxplayers)
Byte	`SQF_PWADS`	The number of PWADs loaded
String	`SQF_PWADS`	The PWAD's name (Sent for each PWAD)
Byte	`SQF_GAMETYPE`	The current game mode. See below.
Byte	`SQF_GAMETYPE`	Instagib - true (1) / false (0)
Byte	`SQF_GAMETYPE`	Buckshot - true (1) / false (0)
String	`SQF_GAMENAME`	The base game's name ("DOOM", "DOOM II", "HERETIC", "HEXEN", "ERROR!")
String	`SQF_IWAD`	The IWAD's name
Byte	`SQF_FORCEPASSWORD`	Whether a password is required to join the server (`sv_forcepassword`)
Byte	`SQF_FORCEJOINPASSWORD`	Whether a password is required to join the game (`sv_forcejoinpassword`)
Byte	`SQF_GAMESKILL`	The game's difficulty (`skill`)
Byte	`SQF_BOTSKILL`	The bot difficulty (`botskill`)
Long	`SQF_DMFLAGS`	[Deprecated] Value of `dmflags`
Long	`SQF_DMFLAGS`	[Deprecated] Value of `dmflags2`
Long	`SQF_DMFLAGS`	[Deprecated] Value of `compatflags`
Short	`SQF_LIMITS`	Value of `fraglimit`
Short	`SQF_LIMITS`	Value of `timelimit`
Short	`SQF_LIMITS`	time left in minutes (only sent if `timelimit` > 0)
Short	`SQF_LIMITS`	`duellimit`
Short	`SQF_LIMITS`	`pointlimit`
Short	`SQF_LIMITS`	`winlimit`
Float	`SQF_TEAMDAMAGE`	The team damage scalar (teamdamage)
Short	`SQF_TEAMSCORES`	[Deprecated] Blue team's fragcount/wincount/score
Short	`SQF_TEAMSCORES`	[Deprecated] Red team's fragcount/wincount/score
Byte	`SQF_NUMPLAYERS`	The number of players in the server
String	`SQF_PLAYERDATA`	Player's name
Short	`SQF_PLAYERDATA`	Player's pointcount/fragcount/killcount
Short	`SQF_PLAYERDATA`	Player's ping
Byte	`SQF_PLAYERDATA`	Player is spectating - true (1) / false (0)
Byte	`SQF_PLAYERDATA`	Player is a bot - true (1) / false (0)
Byte	`SQF_PLAYERDATA`	Player's team (returned on team games, 255 is no team)
Byte	`SQF_PLAYERDATA`	Player's time on the server, in minutes. Note: SQF_PLAYERDATA information is sent once for each player on the server.
Byte	`SQF_TEAMINFO_NUMBER`	The number of teams used.
String	`SQF_TEAMINFO_NAME`	The team's name. (Sent for each team.)
Long	`SQF_TEAMINFO_COLOR`	The team's color. (Sent for each team.)
Short	`SQF_TEAMINFO_SCORE`	The team's score. (Sent for each team.)
Byte	`SQF_TESTING_SERVER`	Whether this server is running a testing binary - true (1) / false (0)
String	`SQF_TESTING_SERVER`	An empty string in case the server is running a stable binary, otherwise name of the testing binary archive found in http://www.skulltag.com/testing/files/
String	`SQF_DATA_MD5SUM`	[Deprecated] Returns an empty string.
Byte	`SQF_ALL_DMFLAGS`	The number of flags that will be sent.
Long	`SQF_ALL_DMFLAGS`	The value of the flags (Sent for each flag in the order dmflags, dmflags2, zadmflags, compatflags, zacompatflags, compatflags2)
Byte	`SQF_SECURITY_SETTINGS`	Whether the server is enforcing the master ban list - true (1) / false (0) The other bits of this byte may be used to transfer other security related settings in the future.
Byte	`SQF_OPTIONAL_WADS`	Amount of optional wad indices that follow
Byte	`SQF_OPTIONAL_WADS`	Index number int the list sent with SQF_PWADS - this wad is optional (sent for each optional Wad)
Byte	`SQF_DEH`	Amount of deh patches loaded
String	`SQF_DEH`	Deh patch name (one string for each deh patch)
Long	`SQF_EXTENDED_INFO`	The returned extended information flags.
Byte	`SQF2_PWAD_HASHES`	The number of PWAD hashes.
String	`SQF2_PWAD_HASHES`	The hash of the PWAD. The index of the WAD is the same as in SQF_PWADS. Sent for each PWAD.

Note: The server will automatically correct your request if you made a mistake (like request team scores in cooperative games), so always use the flags it sends back to you when reading your data.

And that's it!

Notes

Game modes: Game modes are defined as:

   0   GAMEMODE_COOPERATIVE
   1   GAMEMODE_SURVIVAL
   2   GAMEMODE_INVASION
   3   GAMEMODE_DEATHMATCH
   4   GAMEMODE_TEAMPLAY
   5   GAMEMODE_DUEL
   6   GAMEMODE_TERMINATOR
   7   GAMEMODE_LASTMANSTANDING
   8   GAMEMODE_TEAMLMS
   9   GAMEMODE_POSSESSION
   10  GAMEMODE_TEAMPOSSESSION
   11  GAMEMODE_TEAMGAME
   12  GAMEMODE_CTF
   13  GAMEMODE_ONEFLAGCTF
   14  GAMEMODE_SKULLTAG
   15  GAMEMODE_DOMINATION

To discuss the protocol, use this forum and create a new topic.

Happy coding!