What is Portal NR?
Portal NR (Nostalgic Revival) is a modern platform designed to unify classic DAoC shards. Unlike the legacy portal, it features automated file updates, enhanced security, and strict isolation of local game settings. Classic DAoC freeshards traditionally require separate installations, manual patching, and different launchers. Portal NR unifies these servers under one platform, allowing players to manage multiple shards from a single interface while keeping each shard fully isolated and automatically updated.
Do I need to install patches manually?
No. Every shard on Portal NR essentially has its own integrated launcher. When a shard administrator updates files, the system detects the change via SHA-256 hashing. Clicking "Connect" automatically synchronizes all necessary files.
Does every shard require a full game installation?
No. This is one of Portal NR's most powerful features. The launcher uses a virtualization logic: it relies on your base DAoC installation and only provides shard-specific files "virtually." You only download the files that actually differ from the standard client, saving gigabytes of disk space.
What's the difference between DOL and OpenDAoC shards?
Both are DAoC server emulators, but they use different login handshakes. DOL shards connect the classic way via connect.exe. OpenDAoC shards use a stricter handshake that rejects that classic connection method, so Portal NR instead uses launcher.exe — a small tool that patches the client's encryption check in memory before connecting, then hands off to the same game.dll as usual. This tool is downloaded automatically once and requires no action from you. Everything else — file sync, updates, virtualization — works identically for both emulator types.
Do I need administrator privliges?
Normally no. Portal NR stores all downloaded files inside its own directory and does not modify the Windows registry or your original DAoC installation. Administrator rights are only required if your DAoC installation itself is located in a protected Windows directory.
Can I play offline?
Offline play for custom shards is currently under development. Once available, it will work the same way as in the classic DAoC Portal, allowing you to launch previously synchronized shards without an active internet connection.
Where are the received files from Freeshards stored?
To prevent permission conflicts and "mixed" settings, Portal NR uses dedicated directories under:
C:\PortalNR\[ShardName]\
Why does it say "Launcher Missing"?
The web portal requires a small local background service (the Launcher) to handle file patching and secure game execution. Without this tool, the website cannot communicate with your PC.
How secure is my account data?
We use Peppered Hashing. Your passwords are not just encrypted; they are protected by an additional secret server-side key. This makes traditional attacks like rainbow tables virtually impossible.
Which files required?
Make sure your ZIP archive containts at least the game.dll and its dependencies libxml2.dll and mss32.dll as otherwise the launcher will tell you that there are files missing.
Can shard admins use custom in-game commands with DAoC Portal NR?
Yes. DAoC Portal NR runs a lightweight HTTP listener in the background on localhost:8080. Shard admins can configure their game client to send requests to it via custom commands — for example, typing /wiki in-game can automatically open a URL in the player's browser without leaving the game.
Requests follow this format:
http://localhost:8080/daoc/?action=open&target=https://your-url.com
Currently supported actions:
open – opens any URL in the default browser
No separate launcher or additional software required. The listener starts automatically alongside the portal launcher.
Does DAoC Portal NR interfere with my game client or inject code into the process?
No. Portal NR runs entirely alongside the game — it never injects code into the DAoC process, does not hook into game memory, and does not intercept network traffic between your client and the shard server. Communication between Portal NR and the game happens exclusively through a local HTTP listener on localhost:8080, which only responds to requests explicitly sent to it. The launcher has no access to your game session, chat, or character data.
Is or will Portal NR be Open Source?
The C# launcher is fully open source and available on GitHub.
The web backend (PHP/API) is intentionally not part of the public repository, as it contains the server-side infrastructure, authentication logic and deployment-specific components. This separation allows the community to verify, improve and contribute to the launcher while keeping the production backend secure and independently maintainable.