To Justin1984:  
Apparently the forum server is so outdated that private messages can no longer be sent here.  Please advise.

Message to Rhodan...

Sorry, I haven't logged into the forum recently I guess.  Turn of User Account Control or at least turn it down to a level where you can allow manual registry modifications to take place.  It blocks bot registration.

I couldn't respond to your PM directly due to the above issue.

This is Chuck, I run the CCMuleBot "MuleBotLives" game host server.

I have emailed the original developer of the game about the issue.  We don't have a direct contact for support at Blue Systems who oversee the master lobby server.  It's a waiting game.  This happens every 3 to 6 months and every time it does I beg for a copy of the master lobby software to start some alternative lobby's but so far no dice.

Hard to believe because the lobby server package appears to have been intended to have multiple servers like an IRC chat network.

Anyway, there is still away to play.  Join the Facebook Group.  You can arrange games there.

WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/GROUPS/PLANETMULE

I do my best to keep my bot running as an independent host.

So far it’s crickets from the server support team.  Will let you know when I know something.
But I will when possible have a game for manual join running at…
97.94.141.36
To join run Planet M.U.L.E.
Select ”Play Local”
Choose Join Address and enter the number listed above.
If a game is open you will connect, if not try again later.

If you want you can also start your own local games in this fashion, play local, start new game, and post your public IP address in the FB group.  You still need to have the port forwarding configured in your router as usual.

I sent him a private message on forum about it.

I am currently talking to Melanie Bunton at Ozark Softscape in an attempt to procure something like that, will post back if she gives a green light to anything.  Her dad wrote the original M.U.L.E. and she is pretty adamant about being sure any tribute games give credit too and are licensed by Ozark Softscape.  Even this freeware version is officially licensed.  The issue of having only one master server in existence and no access to the server package and the fact that it’s being provided purely as charity by an entity that NEVER involves itself with the game is bothersome.

The Windows 7/10 download was removed and the Windows XP/Vista Download is now for all Windows (Issue with the Java engine compatibility in the Windows 7/10 download, and the Java Engine is the only thing that was actually different.  Symptoms were in game chat didn't function properly and no sound.)

That said, the freezing issue has not been fixed on game close.  The game source will actually need to be rewritten to solve that in Windows 10, and I have a feeling that's never going to happen so it's just going to be a matter of opening task manager to kill the Java task for Windows 10 users from now on.

Masterserver set to www.planetmule.com?

Use your user name and password, both case sensitive.
If it matches the website it "should" work.

There is one called Joy2Key (Google it)  Still works in 10 as far as I know.  I haven't used it since my last Windows 10 build update, but it worked with Build 1703.

I just sent an email to the team that wrote this version of Mule. Sadly they aren't involved with Mule anymore, they passed it off to another company, but they are assisting with contacting said company, hopefully we get some updates, this is a freely hosted and unsupported piece of software for the most part, it was programmed by volunteers.  They put a great effort to make it as good as it is, but they abandoned it long ago, we are going on 7 years without a significant update.  Getting to the stage that if you don't have an outdated system to run it on, it isn't going to be available to play, Windows 10 can play it, but not without issue, last Mac OS that could run it is OSX Mojave, and it was a headache to make it work.  Even the linux builds have their complications popping up now.

I will try to keep everyone posted if I find out anything.

Chuckie Chuck
(Player and Host of CCMuleBot01)

I'm am trying to get some support on this currently, but in the mean time, the Windows XP/Vista version works in 7/8/10 just fine.  The game code is identical, the difference is the intergrated Java Runtime Enviroment.  They imported the Runtime for Java 7 into the Mule Data Folder, but the Mule Code isn't fully compatible with Java 7, it was written for Java 6.  That is genuinely the only difference between the XP/Vista version and the 7/8/10 version, one uses Java 6 and the other uses Java 7.  It also messed up the keys for chat, so I tell people, just don't use the 7/8/10 version.  The XP/Vista version is completely compatible with 7/8/10 with one exception, since the 2004 build of Windows 10 came out, it won't release the frame when you close the game and you have to open task manager to kill the Java Task.  (Coding error in Mule that never effected anything until this Windows10 update.  A fix is documented and it's another thing I am attempting to get support on.  I don't have access to the code to fix it myself, and even if I did, it would take me hours to learn how they structured the code for Mule, I wasn't involved in writing it and I'm not a programmer, just a troubleshooter, I can diagnose broken code fairly well, but I can't write it from scratch.)

In anycase, I emailed Turborilla today, they wrote the game, but they are hands off now, they passed the rights to Blue Systems, unforunately Blue Systems has no direct method for end users to contact them, so I only seem to be able to get a message to them via Peter at Turborilla.  He's the only one at Turborilla who even has access to contact them, none of his underlings do.

Things my email addressed.  The failed Windows 7/8/10 build, I requested they outright remove the download, it doesn't work right for anyone, no sound and the chat doesn't work right.  The locked frame error in Windows 10 on exit, someone who has the code and knows the structure could fix this in 2 minutes.  I already know what's missing in the code, Oracle has documented the issue recently and provided a fix for programmers to add to their programs.  Mac compatibility: the last Mac operating system that could run mule is OSX Mojave, and that with a complicated convoluted process of disabling the built in java in Mac OSX and importing Java 6.  We have a siginificant number of Mac based players, so this is a significant issue.

I have sent the following email to Turborilla the company that originally wrote this version of the game...

Hopefully a few issues will be able to be resolved....

E-Mail Begin:

Charles Campbell
6:05 AM (1 minute ago)
to support

I understand that Blue Systems now administers Planet M.U.L.E. however I don't know how to get support from them.

A recent update to Windows10 has created an issue with the game closing properly.  I have researched it a bit and believe I found the answer but to fix it requires a fix to the code.

Also a version for Windows 7/10 has been posted to the website that has Java 7 integrated rather than 6.  This version does not work correctly on many aspects due to the code not being fully compatible with the Java 7 runtime engine (Audio and Chat don't work correctly.)

We need code updates to fix these issues and until that is done the Windows7/10 download needs removed.

The Java 6 WindowsXP/Vista version does work correctly in all Windows operating systems except for the closing issue and if that could be corrected it is sufficient.

Also the Macintosh version doesn't work in the newer mac OS (I believe OSX Mojave is the last Mac OS that we could find a way to force an install for Java 6 in)  This has left our Mac user base in a pickle.

The following link contains a fix to the code for the Java 6 closing error I believe will solve the Windows issues, but we are hoping someone can bring the game up to current in terms of OS and current Java compatibility.

https://stackoverflow.com/questions/23502522/application-not-closing-properly-java-platform-se-binary-wont-close

If you can help with this, that would be awesome, if not, please provide an email for someone at Blue Systems that can be of assistance.  No one official seems to be monitoring the forums.

Thank you, Chuck Campbell (Chuckie Chuck) - Mule Player - and Host Provider.  (Automated bot host - CCMuleBot01)

I am researching this currently...

I have found this, which indicates that the code needs a minor update, however, I don't have the code...

https://stackoverflow.com/questions/23502522/application-not-closing-properly-java-platform-se-binary-wont-close

The Windows7 version was an experiment to drop the mule code on top of the newer java engine, it's not fully compatible with 1.7.

The WindowsXP/Vista version is built on 1.6 (which is what it was developed under) and that is the only difference between the two.  Use the WindowsXP/Vista version and it will work fine.

It just an alternative to making a chart on paper.  You still have to do the assays, watch others assays and find the pattern and fill it in.

You need to ensure your video drivers are properly setup to support OpenGL.  If you built the system yourself and went with Microsofts internal drivers it won't work, you need the cards native manufacture provided drivers.

I have found that while they did publish a newer version that uses updated java engines, the original old version is still the one to have.   The sound does not work in new java and their are other cantankerous issues.  Just try the older one.  It works in all versions of Windows from XP to 10.