how does the VFNET card system work?

specifically...

Toronto has a japanese Evolution board.
1) Is it all ready to go for the card but the hardware is hidden?
2) if we uncover the hardware and get cards could we track our stats (win/loss) regardless of having a net connection ("no name")?
3) if the above two questions are answered with a yes would there be a wonderfully sympathetic girl or guy in japan willing to power up some cards for the Toronto Crew and be re-imbursed for their troubles?

GE

 

I think the very first thing that would be required is for the arcade owner to get a brand new cabinet that contain card slots. Even if that is accomplished, all the records are not held on the card itself. They are stored on the server. VF.net is a paid service. There is simply no possible way to utilize it if the board is not hooked up to the network. There is a japanese version of the game close to where I am also, but there is no hope of getting the card function to work unless Sega decides to put the network up in north america. /versus/images/icons/frown.gif

 

But isn't it just a normal internet connection?
Wouldn't you just need to plug in a LAN cable or something?
There is that guy in Japan who is/was on the top of the VF.net rankings and he just had a machine at home he played on all day (yeah, sad I know).

 

The guy in japan pays for sega's special service. I don't know for sure, but my impression is that it's not
Arcade ---> Arcade's ISP --> Sega's Server
It's more like
Arcade ---> Sega's own special vf.net ISP
And you pay for that service on a monthly or annual basis.
If ninjin is right, it wouldn't matter if an arcade got a nice internet hookup anyway, they'd still have to pay a little extra for the special Vf.net service, it's not free to any arcade with a net connection. Convincing the arcade manager to pay for both an ISP and whatever sega charges = aieee.

 

Okay, you'll need two card slots (one for each side) a router, and an internet connection (DSL/Cable/whatever). Here's the cloudy part, but I can find out -- you need to be able to connect to VF.NET, and someone to send you cards - the cards being the easy part.

While getting your machines hooked up to VF.NET doesn't cost anything (or maybe a small fee) each individual VF.NET account costs 300 yen per month. Then, you need an NTT DoCoMo or J-Phone mobile phone to connect. There will be a PC version available sometime before winter they say, but no promises. THe PC-version will likely cost 400 a month, and you need a Dricas account (www.dricas.co.jp) to connect to that. Also, I'd assume to get your arcade connected to VF.NET, Sega would want some specific info from you, to open up firewall rules or something.

I'd say the first things to check for is
-an ethernet port on the actual hardware.
-ability to install the card slots in (you can actually buy these seperately, although hard to find)
-If the connectability stuff is even in the US release of the ROM. I wouldn't be surprised if they took it out altogether. I heard from someone that worked at SEga one of the main reasons they didn't do VF.NET in the states was b/c they didn't want the cards copied and sold. /versus/images/icons/smile.gif

 

Is that the guy in Hokkaido? I dont' think he's American, but who knows.

 

They didn't want the cards to be copied and sold?! What a lame excuse is that? That could just as easily happen in Japan.
The main reason I can see is that the mobile phone structure outside of Japa isn't up to what you'd need for VF.net. But really, if they just made the VF.net content available on the web right away, it wouldn't be a problem. Much of the fun, especially in Evo, are the VF.net features.

 

Yeah, but that stuff DOESN'T happen in Japan. PSO wasn't destroyed until the US release either. Makes you think, eh? I'm not saying all Japanese have halo's, but you find far more 'cheaters' or whatever you want to call them here than in the west. I presume it's the same excuse in the rest of asia -- especially HK.

I assume the real reason is money -- putting a VF.NET system in the states is just an economically stupid move, as the 87 VF players in the states couldn't financially support the infrastructure.

 

Well, they'll never know until they try. It COULD increase awareness of the game increasing the player base.
It's sad to see the Sega that had the balls to try new stuff like Sega.net, Seaman, Space Channel 5 and Samba de Amigo in the west is gone.

 

Re: What about Hong Kong?

Anyone confirm whether this is
a. An offiicial sega-created "Vf.net lite" or
b. Something the HKers hacked together, which wouldn't surprise me given their reputation for being good at that sort of thing?

 

Re: What about Hong Kong?

everything is original.

Have some faith man~

And to my best knowledge...lotsa arcades have evo with card system in HK.

As they say..good old 'cardless' days are gone~

 

Given SoA's uncanny ability to botch anything, I'd say their days of 'ballsy' stuff is over. I guess SoJ has made some collosal goofs as well though.

 

Re: What about Hong Kong?

Anyone who had the hardware (readers, cards, and the game) could enjoy the most basic aspects of VF.net. Your location doesn't matter.

All of your data is stored on VF.net and most of it is on the card as well, from what I can tell. When I was in Japan, many machines weren't hooked up to phone lines, and some go off occasionally. With these machines, you can still use your card and see your color, rank, win/loss record, and ranking matches. You could enjoy all thses things without ever having to put your card in a net-enabled machine. All that data is stored on your card.

This is how I imagine people in HK are doing it. But once the machine is hooked up to the phone line to VF.net, you can also enjoy Mission Mode and Shou Datsu Sen (scramble mode/vs. matches for items). Since these things net you fight money, and sometimes items (which can only be accessed through the VF.net service via cell phone/PC), there's not a lot of point storing this data on the card before it translates into equipped items, which you have to do at VF.net.

That's the final step, you need to register with VF.net to be able to access your data. One of the first things you have to do is make a ring-name. Then you can spend your fight money on items, change colors, start a "Quest" etc. Once you do these things, you'll have to stick your card in a connected machine again, then the adjusted data will be loaded and saved to your card. Then you can go to a non-connected machine and still see your name, items etc (although I'm not sure if quest will work, as I never tried it, mission etc. still won't work).

It seems that if the arcade owner that GodEater and Llan know bought the game, he should have a manual, right? That'd probably show you how to set it all up, as well as give info about how the VF.net service works. And like GP said, I think any paying that goes on is between the players and Sega upon registering the characters, not from the arcades to VF.net (but I could be wrong).

And again I think he hit the nail on the head as to why we won't get any of it, because there's just not NEARLY enough interest in VF outside japan to justify all the work that goes into it. Really, it's the gaming scene here in the US that we're all a part of that's to blame.

Spotlite

 

Re: What about Hong Kong?

US is simply TOO big and too spread out for something like VF.net. There would be huge problems for communication between SOA and local arcades. There is simply no financial justification for SOA to implement VF.net. We will never see it. Unless if somehow alot of future Sega arcade games start to use such infrastructure, then there is a chance they will set this up in the US. Of course the people here on VFDC will support Sega if they set up VF.net, but that is not nearly enough to be profittable. So unless more games calls for cards, and Sega sets up a site like Dricas, don't expect vf.net anytime soon. /versus/images/icons/frown.gif

 

Re: What about Hong Kong?

One thing that would work better in the US than Japan is that an analogue line could theoritically be affordable. Basically, if you dont' have DSL in your game center, you're not going to have VF.NET. You can get an OCN ISDN line, but that's like what? $350/month? Unless they've gone down. I suppose it's possible.

Anyways, what spotlite said was pretty much it. Here's the technical details if anyone wants to know.

1: Get a VF.NET account via J-Sky or DoCoMo phone (no PC yet, although it's coming).
2: Set your ringname and all that bullshit.
3: Buy a card
4: Play ONCE on a *CONNECTED* machine that's currently up.
5: Register the card's serial number at VF.NET
6: Play w/ the card again, and your ringname will appear.
Fight money, items, and victory points will now be saved in your account. Mission mode & quest mode are available, and Soudatsusen (prize matches) will start popping up - again, only on connected machines, and only when it's online.

If you don't have an account, basically you'll only save:
1: Wins, losses, dan-level points, and the two colors you get at 5-kyu & shodan, although you can't change to them - in Ver. C you changed automatically at each level that gave a color.

If you play when the network is down (local or remote)
you don't get victory points, items, or money. No missions modes or prize matches appear.

In short almost everything is saved on the card. If you play online somewhere, then change your items/colors, then play offline, you'll have the same items you last played with. Once you get on a connected machine, the changes will be reflected
.
In Ver. C., you can get loads of items on a card before ever registering it, however, they've apparantly changed that.

 

Re: What about Hong Kong?

I just wanted to think everyone that responded. Good information all.

I also just wanted to break down what I've learned so those in the know can point out flaws or validate.

1) If you have a board with the card reader exposed and active and 2) you have a VFNET card that has been activated on a VFNET active machine you can 3) use that card on number 1 and keep track of stats/ring name/rank without ever re-connecting to the VFNET system.

Correct? Or have I mis-understood?

GE

 

Re: What about Hong Kong?

What it boils down to - for us - is that we can have a card system in place. We never need to connect to the VF.net system for us to keep track of stats or rank. Only the items and fight money are tracked and acquired through the VF.net online system. The other thing we don't have are ringnames.

So - if we can get a card system - we can have stats and rank and a whole lot of VF fun. /versus/images/icons/smile.gif

cheers,

 

Re: What about Hong Kong?

I can see the arcade operator now.
"why doncha just have a guy with a notepad write it down?"

 

Re: What about Hong Kong?

heh...true.

However.

My recent phone call with our operator - who is the bomb, btw - was quite exciting. He is game on the system, thinks it's a great idea and is making phone calls to see how we can acquire some readers, etc. This could be fantastic, but we'll see what happens - I won't hold my breath until I see them being installed. But exciting nonetheless.

cheers,