Is There an Easier Way to Playtest MP Mods?

[Got Guitarma?]

Hello all,

I'm working on a multiplayer mod, and am currently trying to test the mod with two players. The only problem I'm having at the moment is that setting up every test is a tedious and time-consuming process at the moment. Currently I'm borrowing my friend's Steam account and copy of M&B and playing the mod on my laptop under one account and on my desktop under another account. I then connect the two over LAN. The only problem with this method is that every time I make a change to the code, I have to compile it, compress it, upload the compressed mod folder to my Google Drive, go to my laptop, download the new version of the mod, put it in my mod folder, boot up the game on both computers, etc. etc.

This process is very time consuming, especially with all of the compressing, uploading, and downloading. I was just wondering if anyone else with multiplayer modding experience ran into this pitfall and what, if anything, they did to overcome it?

Thanks for any responses!

 

[Eärendil Ardamírë]

I think it always depends on what exactly you are doing and if you have also others to gather feedback.

To give you an insight on my workflow (or plan):
At the multiplayer I am working at, I am now working on the UI (userinterface, module_presentations) and scripted in the troops I need. At this stage I can test it all by myself without a second laptop since I only need to reload the module to see the changes. The next stage will be to have an alpha version and for this some others will join to test the work I have done until then. While I gather the feedback and possible hints for bugs I work on the importing of scenes and try to integrate other ideas. The next version will then be a beta-version which will be again available for the alpha-testers and some more new beta-testers. While again gathering feedback I try to put in the final touch and solve all bugs which have appeared until then.

The main difference is here that you are working on your own and it also seems like you try to introduce something new (no simple Overhaul of Native) which requires testing. One point at which I wonder is: Why are you uploading the module to google drive and downloading it again when your other laptop is already connected with your desktop PC via LAN? If you would have other people as testers, I would understand that. But in your case I would simply push it over there via the LAN-connection, it would save some time I think^^

 

[DtheHun]

Why are you uploading the module to google drive and downloading it again when your other laptop is already connected with your desktop PC via LAN?

Maybe because sportsmanlike Steam users not doing things without connecting to the internet. Where would it lead?

 

[Got Guitarma?]

Thanks for the responses!

When I said that I was using LAN, I just meant I used a LAN server in-game. Also, I should clarify that the bug testing I'm doing has more to do with testing the server and client events than it has to do with basic bug testing. On a single machine, it works fine. I'm just having some difficulties when there are multiple people running the same module.

Also, over the course of writing this reply, I just figured out you can move files to other computers over the same network (which is what I'm assuming you meant when you said LAN). I feel pretty stupid for not realizing this before, as it looks like it's a pretty key feature of PCs. Well this is revolutionary!

Thanks for your help!

 

[Eärendil Ardamírë]

Also, over the course of writing this reply, I just figured out you can move files to other computers over the same network (which is what I'm assuming you meant when you said LAN). I feel pretty stupid for not realizing this before, as it looks like it's a pretty key feature of PCs. Well this is revolutionary!

Thanks for your help!

This is what we wanted to tell you^^

Good luck with your further progress!