feat(network): Send product information to distinguish clients by Caball009 · Pull Request #1404 · TheSuperHackers/GeneralsGameCode

Caball009 · 2025-08-01T20:16:20Z

This PR makes our clients send product information to distinguish them from retail clients primarily. Retail clients will ignore the product information data that's sent to them.

Product information is exchanged on demand and never broadcast. A client is considered 'patched' if it responds to a product info request (or, in pre-match, if it sends one). The implementation consists of three parts.

player - player in lobby:

When a player detects a new player in the lobby, it sends a product info request to that player.
If the other player responds with an acknowledgement, they are considered patched.

player - host in lobby:

When a player detects a new game host in the lobby, it sends a product info request to that host.
If the host responds with an acknowledgement, it is considered patched.

players in pre-match (game room):

When a player joins a match, it sends a product info request to all players in that match.
Existing players treat this request as confirmation that the joining player is patched (no explicit acknowledgement required).

Examples of future use cases, visualizing who's not using the retail client

LAN Lobby:

Pre-match / Game Options:

Status in match:

TODO:

Add code comments.
Update the title, this message and labels to reflect that the color change is no longer part of this PR.
Use value from feat: Implement math CRC calculation utility for logic mismatch detection purposes #2100 for variable fpMathCRC.
Replicate in Generals.

GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Source/GameNetwork/LANAPI.cpp

GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Source/GameNetwork/GUIUtil.cpp

GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Source/GameNetwork/LANAPICallbacks.cpp

GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Source/GameNetwork/LANGameInfo.cpp

xezon

Good effort.

This work relates to #16

I think the packets need redesigning.

GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Source/GameNetwork/LANAPI.cpp

GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Source/GameNetwork/LANAPICallbacks.cpp

GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Source/GameNetwork/LANAPIhandlers.cpp

GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Include/GameNetwork/GameInfo.h

GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Source/GameNetwork/LANAPI.cpp

GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Source/GameClient/GUI/GUICallbacks/Diplomacy.cpp

GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Include/GameNetwork/LANAPI.h

GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Source/GameNetwork/LANAPI.cpp

L3-M · 2025-10-23T13:37:09Z

What is the current status of this change? I think this would be a nice change for the first release.

Caball009 · 2025-11-01T15:05:53Z

What is the current status of this change? I think this would be a nice change for the first release.

The current implementation ought to be changed to make it more efficient / optimal, but that requires much more work. I did some of the work locally, but it didn't really work out iirc, so the PR is kind of stuck for now.

Caball009 · 2025-11-06T14:03:58Z

I've revisited this PR and was able to move away from the broadcast implementation. It feels better now. I put networking related changes in one commit and the color / status stuff in another.

What sort of information do we want to exchange just to establish which clients are on a patched version? Maybe it's a good idea to send the commit hash as well.

Caball009 · 2025-11-06T14:22:33Z

Short overview of the new implementation. Patch information is not broadcast and only sent when needed.

Interacting with players in the lobby:

When a player detects a new player in the lobby, they send a patch information request to that player.
If the other player responds with an acknowledgement, they are on a 'patched version'.

Interacting with game hosts in the lobby:

When a player in the lobby detects a new game host, they send a patch information request to that host.
If the game host responds with an acknowledgement, they are on a 'patched version'.

Interacting with players in the pre-match game:

When a player joins a match, they send all players in that match a patch information request.
If the other players respond with an acknowledgement, they are on a 'patched version'.
The other players consider the patch information request from the joining player as acknowledgement.

Currently, players in the lobby do not have a way to know which players in a match are on a 'patched version' except the host. It doesn't seem necessary to me to have the host communicate this information, and it also breaks the current pattern where each client only sends data about itself.

GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Source/GameClient/GUI/GUICallbacks/Diplomacy.cpp

xezon

This change is going into the right direction but needs more polishing and wider scope.

Are the pictures of the first post still relevant?

The terminology of the network data needs changing from "Patch" to "Product", because "Patch" is a much more limited term than "Product" is.

The ProductInfo message needs to contain all relevant information to describe the Product that the remote player is using. A version number alone will not be enough to properly describe a Product. Think of 100 different products that the user could interact with in the lobby.

GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Include/GameNetwork/LANAPI.h

Caball009 · 2025-11-08T19:29:26Z

Are the pictures of the first post still relevant?

Yes, the colors are still like that; the status text will be slightly different. My current idea is that it shows the Git short hash string there (there isn't much room for additional text, unfortunately).

The terminology of the network data needs changing from "Patch" to "Product", because "Patch" is a much more limited term than "Product" is.

Fair enough. Everything should say 'product' instead of 'patch' now.

The ProductInfo message needs to contain all relevant information to describe the Product that the remote player is using. A version number alone will not be enough to properly describe a Product. Think of 100 different products that the user could interact with in the lobby.

I added a couple of stuff (e.g. exe and ini crc values), but I don't feel like this is final version yet.

Core/GameEngine/Include/GameNetwork/LANAPI.h

Core/GameEngine/Source/GameNetwork/LANAPIhandlers.cpp

Caball009 · 2025-11-30T19:15:53Z

I could use some feedback on this PR.

Core/GameEngine/Source/GameNetwork/LANAPIhandlers.cpp

xezon

Current thoughts on this. No exhaustive review.

Core/GameEngine/Include/GameNetwork/GameInfo.h

Core/GameEngine/Include/GameNetwork/LANAPI.h

GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Source/GameNetwork/GUIUtil.cpp

GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Source/GameClient/GUI/GUICallbacks/Diplomacy.cpp

Core/GameEngine/Include/GameNetwork/LANAPI.h

Core/GameEngine/Source/GameNetwork/LANAPIhandlers.cpp

greptile-apps · 2026-02-01T22:45:23Z

Greptile Summary

This PR implements a product information exchange protocol to distinguish community-patched clients from retail clients. The implementation adds a request/response pattern across three contexts: lobby player-to-player, lobby player-to-host, and in-match player-to-player exchanges. Product info includes flags (NO_RETAIL, SHELLMAP_ENABLED, ZERO_MAPS_STARTED), CRC checksums, launch time, and version strings (title, version, author, git hash). The data is serialized using ETX (0x03) separators in a 201-character buffer and stored in GameSlot and LANPlayer structures. The protocol is backward compatible - retail clients ignore unknown message types.

Added GameSlot::ProductInfo struct with comprehensive version and runtime information
Implemented 6 new message types for product info request/response across different game contexts
Added string serialization/deserialization helpers using ETX character separators
Integrated product info requests at appropriate trigger points (new player detection, game join)
Added m_launchTime and m_startedGamesCount tracking for runtime metadata
Product info is retained across slot updates when same player remains in slot

Confidence Score: 5/5

This PR is safe to merge - well-structured protocol extension with backward compatibility
Clean implementation of a non-invasive feature that extends the network protocol without breaking existing functionality. The code is well-commented, handles edge cases appropriately, and previous reviewer concerns have been addressed with assertions. The backward compatibility ensures retail clients continue to work normally.
No files require special attention

Important Files Changed

Filename	Overview
Core/GameEngine/Include/GameNetwork/GameInfo.h	Added `ProductInfo` struct to `GameSlot` with flags, CRCs, and version strings - clean data structure design
Core/GameEngine/Include/GameNetwork/LANAPI.h	Added 6 new message types and helper methods for product info exchange - clear protocol extension
Core/GameEngine/Source/GameNetwork/LANAPI.cpp	Added message handling dispatch for 6 product info message types and cached product info message
Core/GameEngine/Source/GameNetwork/LANAPIhandlers.cpp	Implemented product info request/response handlers for lobby, game, and match contexts with string serialization

Sequence Diagram

sequenceDiagram
    participant P1 as Player 1 (Lobby)
    participant P2 as Player 2 (Lobby)
    participant H as Host (Lobby)
    participant PM as Players (In Match)

    Note over P1,P2: Lobby: Player-to-Player
    P1->>P2: MSG_LOBBY_REQUEST_PRODUCT_INFO
    P2->>P1: MSG_LOBBY_RESPONSE_PRODUCT_INFO
    Note over P1: P2 marked as patched

    Note over P1,H: Lobby: Player-to-Host
    P1->>H: MSG_GAME_REQUEST_PRODUCT_INFO
    H->>P1: MSG_GAME_RESPONSE_PRODUCT_INFO
    Note over P1: Host marked as patched

    Note over PM: Pre-Match: Join Trigger
    PM->>PM: Player joins match
    PM->>PM: MSG_MATCH_REQUEST_PRODUCT_INFO (broadcast)
    PM->>PM: MSG_MATCH_RESPONSE_PRODUCT_INFO (responses)
    Note over PM: All players mark each other as patched

_{Last reviewed commit: 391bdf7}

This reverts commit 7a7775e.

greptile-apps

_{3 files reviewed, 2 comments}

_{Edit Code Review Agent Settings | Greptile}

Core/GameEngine/Source/GameNetwork/LANAPIhandlers.cpp

Caball009 · 2026-02-05T02:11:22Z

I'm slowly moving forward with this PR, though there are still several unresolved conversations. I've decided that the code for colored names is best suited for a follow-up PR.

xezon · 2026-02-08T10:23:44Z

Please set to draft if this is still WIP. It is not clear to me if Review can continue.

Caball009 · 2026-02-08T20:21:52Z

Please set to draft if this is still WIP. It is not clear to me if Review can continue.

This PR is ready for review. Perhaps there are a few minor details that may still change. I hope #2100 won't take much longer so I can include it in this PR.

For anyone who wants to test this, you can revert the reverted commit so that you can see the colored names and status again.

xezon · 2026-02-13T20:59:13Z

So #2100 is meant to be concluded before this change? I thought we would do #2100 afterwards.

xezon

Looks promising but there is still some polishing to do.

Core/GameEngine/Include/GameNetwork/GameInfo.h

xezon · 2026-02-13T21:05:21Z

Core/GameEngine/Include/GameNetwork/LANAPI.h

+		// A client is considered 'patched' if it responds to a product info request (or, in pre-match, if it sends one).
+		// The implementation consists of three parts.
+		// 1. player - player in lobby:
+		// - When a player detects a new player in the lobby, it sends a product info request.


Is there precedence to this type of communication? Is it expected to be ok if there are 100 people in the Network lobby that receive and respond these new messages?

Will a response just reach the client that made the request or is the response broadcasted to everyone?

Will a response just reach the client that made the request or is the response broadcasted to everyone?

Only the client that made the request. I'll update the comment to reflect that.

Core/GameEngine/Source/GameNetwork/LANAPIhandlers.cpp

greptile-apps

_{10 files reviewed, 1 comment}

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Core/GameEngine/Source/GameNetwork/GameInfo.cpp

Caball009 · 2026-02-22T22:53:42Z

I just addressed most of the review feedback

I'd like to reduce the string buffer size from 200 characters to 190. For reference, we barely even use 50 characters depending on the user name: Community Patch�~1297�By Caball009�~8c71c3a61 I'm slightly worried that we'll want to add several additional fields later and not have enough room to do so in this type.

Caball009 · 2026-02-23T01:08:58Z

So #2100 is meant to be concluded before this change? I thought we would do #2100 afterwards.

There's been some discussion about what #2100 should do, but I think returning the hash can be done before this PR so it can be included.

xezon · 2026-03-02T18:55:24Z

I'm slightly worried that we'll want to add several additional fields later and not have enough room to do so in this type.

How much is left now? Are there not more than 200 characters of spare space?

xezon · 2026-03-02T19:03:49Z

Core/GameEngine/Include/GameNetwork/LANAPI.h

+		// - When a player detects a new game host in the lobby, it sends a product info request to that host.
+		// - If the host responds with an acknowledgement, it is considered patched.
+		// 3. players in pre-match:
+		// - When a player joins a match, it sends a product info request to all players in that match.


Do the previous players also receive Product Info from the new joined player?

xezon · 2026-03-02T19:09:38Z

Core/GameEngine/Source/GameNetwork/LANAPI.cpp

 		m_transport->queueSend(ip, lobbyPort, (unsigned char *)msg, sizeof(LANMessage) /*, 0, 0 */);
 	}
-	else if ((m_currentGame != nullptr) && (m_currentGame->getIsDirectConnect()))
+	else if (m_currentGame != nullptr && (m_currentGame->getIsDirectConnect() || !broadcast))


Condition can be simplified by doing

if (m_currentGame->getIsDirectConnect()) broadcast = false;

before

xezon · 2026-03-02T19:13:43Z

Core/GameEngine/Source/GameNetwork/LANAPI.cpp

 }

-void LANAPI::sendMessage(LANMessage *msg, UnsignedInt ip /* = 0 */)
+void LANAPI::sendMessage(LANMessage *msg, UnsignedInt ip /* = 0 */, Bool broadcast /*= TRUE*/)


The term broadcast is confusing. Because when it is set to FALSE it will still broadcast to game room participants.

Perhaps split this function into multiple to make its usage more explicit.

For example have a LANAPI::sendMessageToGameRoomPlayers(LANMessage *msg)

xezon · 2026-03-02T20:58:20Z

Core/GameEngine/Source/GameNetwork/LANAPIhandlers.cpp

+	}
+	else
+	{
+		output[ARRAY_SIZE(output) - 1] = '\0';


Would there not already be a guaranteed null via wcslcpy?

xezon · 2026-03-02T21:01:26Z

Core/GameEngine/Source/GameNetwork/LANAPIhandlers.cpp

+	// null terminate the output buffer to signal the end of the last input string
+	if (outputIndex < ARRAY_SIZE(output))
+	{
+		output[outputIndex++] = '\0';


Would there not already be a guaranteed null via wcslcpy?

Can we just do

return outputIndex < ARRAY_SIZE(output);

xezon · 2026-03-02T21:11:23Z

Core/GameEngine/Source/GameNetwork/LANAPIhandlers.cpp

+		const size_t length = etx_strlen_t(input + inputIndex);
+		output[i]->set(input + inputIndex, length);
+
+		inputIndex += length + 1;


Perhaps write length + sizeof('\3') to make clear what the 1 means.

xezon · 2026-03-02T21:13:09Z

Core/GameEngine/Source/GameNetwork/LANAPIhandlers.cpp

+		output[i]->set(input + inputIndex, length);
+
+		inputIndex += length + 1;
+		if (inputIndex >= ARRAY_SIZE(input))


This condition looks as if it returns true when the input is exactly 200 characters, perfectly fitting?

Perhaps do inputIndex += sizeof('\3') after this condition only?

xezon · 2026-03-02T21:15:38Z

Core/GameEngine/Include/GameNetwork/LANAPI.h

 	void handleGameOptions( LANMessage *msg, UnsignedInt senderIP );
 	void handleInActive( LANMessage *msg, UnsignedInt senderIP );

+	static LANMessage createProductInfoMessage();


buildProductInfoMessage to be consistent with buildProductInfoFlags

xezon · 2026-03-02T21:26:14Z

GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Source/Common/GameEngine.cpp

 	m_logicTimeAccumulator = 0.0f;
 	m_quitting = FALSE;
 	m_isActive = FALSE;
+	m_launchTime = ::timeGetTime();


What is the purpose of the launch time? I suspect to see for how long the game has been running? timeGetTime() return the milliseconds from Windows start until now. This is not a useful information for others.

What we likely need to send is a UTC time. With c++20 that would be chrono::utc_time, but with VC6 we would need gmtime https://en.cppreference.com/w/c/chrono/gmtime

xezon · 2026-03-02T21:28:53Z

Core/GameEngine/Include/GameNetwork/GameInfo.h

+		};
+
+		UnsignedInt flags;
+		UnsignedInt launchTime;


If this is meant to represent unix time, then it needs to be 64 bits because 32 bits value wraps in 2038.

Caball009 added Enhancement Is new feature or request GUI For graphical user interface Network Anything related to network, servers Gen Relates to Generals ZH Relates to Zero Hour labels Aug 1, 2025

Caball009 commented Aug 10, 2025

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L3-M added this to the Important features milestone Oct 23, 2025

Caball009 force-pushed the show_clients_with_sh_patch branch from 9fb6a01 to c4e3f1d Compare November 6, 2025 13:52

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Caball009 changed the title ~~feat(gui): Distinguish patch players from retail players by a colored name and different status~~ feat(network): Send product information to distinguish clients (with a colored name and different status) Nov 8, 2025

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Caball009 mentioned this pull request Jan 19, 2026

feat: Implement math CRC calculation utility for logic mismatch detection purposes #2100

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This was referenced Feb 2, 2026

feat(version): Add functions to get Git short hash string #2243

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feat(lanapi): Add LANAPI function to find LAN game with host IP address #2249

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Caball009 added 3 commits February 5, 2026 02:13

feat(network): Send product information to distinguish clients.

296c768

Added color and status code.

7a7775e

Revert "Added color and status code."

f2651b9

This reverts commit 7a7775e.

Caball009 force-pushed the show_clients_with_sh_patch branch from 540c3e7 to f2651b9 Compare February 5, 2026 01:17

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Caball009 changed the title ~~feat(network): Send product information to distinguish clients (with a colored name and different status)~~ feat(network): Send product information to distinguish clients Feb 8, 2026

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Caball009 added 2 commits February 22, 2026 20:20

Merge branch 'main' into show_clients_with_sh_patch

765e5fa

Addressed feedback (part 1).

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Caball009 added 5 commits February 23, 2026 00:00

Updated comment for improved accuracy.

e834604

Removed temporary flags variable.

7a86f43

Improved comment.

51636b6

Added assertion for game slot transition.

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Added parentheses around assertion comment.

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Caball009 commented Aug 1, 2025 • edited Loading Uh oh! There was an error while loading. Please reload this page.

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Greptile Summary

Confidence Score: 5/5

Important Files Changed

Sequence Diagram

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