Volunteering for Multiplayer

[A Lord of Men]

Orion said:

If you can:

Find the simplest way to code multiplayer in to M&B
Get Armagan to approve your method
Find a server suitable to host M&B multiplayer
Pay for server that is suitable to host M&B multiplayer
Get the multiplayer up, running, and working properly
Test multiplayer with chosen testers
Release multiplayer to public

then sure, go ahead and suggest multiplayer. If you can NOT, don't make another topic about it.

I have found a very easy API to support multiplayer with and hope to get approval from Armagan for it. I will find and pay for the MP host myself, code, run and test it myself, and release and support both a closed and open Beta.

The API is found at: www.smartfoxserver.com . Though geared towards Macromedia Flash games, the support specialist had this to say when I asked him about it:

> even if SmartFoxServer is targeted to Flash multiplayer apps/games it
> is indeed possible to use it with any other application that is
> capable of parsing XML formatted messages. In fact we plan to develop
> APIs for Java, C# and maybe Python in the future.
>
> The best solution would be to implement a partial or complete version
> of the client API in C++. Even if this sounds like an extra effort it
> would allow faster development of your multiplayer game and it would
> avoid to deal with the details of the protocol.
>
> The API sources are present in the downloadable version of our server
> and they are written in Actionscript which is derived from the
> ECMA-262 specification and it's almost identical to Javascript. I
> guess C++ developers would have very little problems in reading that
> code.

XML parsing is quite easy to do; a single DLL and you've got it made.

What do you think? Good idea or bad? 'Cause I'd love the chance to do this.[/quote]

 

[compfreak]

Assuming that I understood that right, it is a very good idea. But just to make sure: you found a site that gives multiplayer code that you will port to c++ and somehow you will integrate the dll you create from that code into the game? If you can do it, great. Otherwise, no.

 

[A Lord of Men]

Close. I found a site with Server Code that doesn't need to be ported at all, the code for M&B would just need to be added to. Easy to do, really, if you get it all planned out before you start.

 

[J.A.R.S.]

umm hold on... I might have a server for this... keep me informed with the details, we might get cheap and quick hosting for this... with some editing of the source code, it sounded doable. Yet,what exactly did you have in mind once you've settled it as multiplayer? What kind of flow? A semi-rotative server (Battle.net games) or massive?

 

[Thorn]

Just one word: read. It's for FLASH, in ACTION SCRIPT, that's different. My god what a nonsense.

Even if you manage to import it using xml statements, it will most likely be slow as hell. (imagine packets having twice as much information because they have all them tags around them.)

There are plenty multiplayer api's (in c++), just scout gamedev a little. But the point is that multiplayer isn't on the list, read the sticky ^^.

 

[Nairagorn]

I'm not gonna kill this thread, because I think it has potential. Keep it friendly tho.

IMO if you want to try to mod in multiplayer, feel free*. Somebody managed to do it for Morrowind, sorta. Anything is possible.

*Armagan may not share my opinion.

 

[Lhorkan]

They got multiplayer for GTA as well, but it simply wasn't playable. So even if you'd ever manage to get M&B MP, it might as be so laggy that you can forget all about it.

 

[GonZ]

Best of luck to anyone wanting to dev multiplayer. Count me in as a betatester

 

[Final End]

No matter what, I just think the game shouldn't be a single game, but a net game.

 

[Ordie]

I'm not gonna kill this thread, because I think it has potential. Keep it friendly tho.

IMO if you want to try to mod in multiplayer, feel free*. Somebody managed to do it for Morrowind, sorta. Anything is possible.

*Armagan may not share my opinion.

What they did in Morrowind was not multiplayer per se, what they did was create an NPC of the other player on the player's computer, meaning the two players didnt actually interact, and only got to see the character walking, and talking and the like. You couldn't battle, you couldn't do quest together, and in short it was only useful for leading or taking someone somewhwre.

 

[Stormbringer]

I think it's great that there is atleast ONE good game for players which is possible to play offline. Sure, i would love to have multiplayer support, but as i don't have any internet connection at home i would really want to encourage keeping the single player option too.

 

[A Lord of Men]

Yes, lag does have the potential to kill this idea, but I won't know how bad it is until I try...

Yes, it is Actionscript. But, again, I won't know how well/bad it works until I try.

As for development ideals, I think starting simple and just letting you Tourney against each other, then doing a Battlenet approach. That would put less stress on the server than a Massive, I think. *begins thinking about details*

Then again, I might be wrong. Always looking for advice here!

 

[Seff]

Best of luck to anyone wanting to dev multiplayer. Count me in as a betatester

I'll second that.

 

[J.A.R.S.]

Um... If your wish is to TRY, I would recommend using the connect two peers aproach... In this approach, you basically create a "server" on one of the computer (host/client) and the other connects to it. The magic of such system is you can use it as a rotative server, meaning that if one player leaves, and was the host, he can bestow hostmanship (did I make up this word?) upon the next player... Basically, with a reliable computer 24/7 logged, you got a MO server up, but you can use it in smale scale where 2-3 peeps join for a while... a nice try to check out jousting and the like in the game environment. A simple joust would be a nice way to check out your solution. If it doesn't work, I might have some backup ideas as well...

 

[SimonForsman]

that api is very bad for large scale multiplayer, it could work on a small scale though (2 player), also you need ALOT more than just an api to get multiplayer working in a game, there are multiplayer api:s in directx aswell, and proper networking api:s (winsock for example) that are alot better. but at the end, the actual networking part of multiplayer is easy, the hard part is adapting the game so that multiplayer gets fun. going the mmo path would require alot more of the game (larger game world, 3-4 way battles etc).

best mp solution would be to allow smallscale servers (2-64 players) for Lanpartys or internet. you could then possibly host a server that holds a list of all online servers (similar to half-life, battlefield etc). the multiplayer mode should be more like a deathmatch thing (team deathmatch) , lets say 2-4 teams, and up to 32 players / team (max 16 if you use 4 teams) , put them in a arena and let them fight. allow shopping between rounds , those who "die" loose their gear , those who survive will split the stuff the others had.

all players should be at a set level and have a set amount of gold when they join the game (decided by server), you shouldn't be able to gain any levels etc.

another solution would be to allow player controlled heroes in the campaign, 2 player lan coop where the second player only is "active" in battles (like a hero but controlled by another player) . this would probably be the easiest solution since it would require any big changes to the game.
(Though i don't think it would add that much fun to the game either)

 

[mazzadude]

Best of luck to anyone wanting to dev multiplayer. Count me in as a betatester

I'll second that.

thirded

 

[Gaidal Cain]

it's not necessary to me. As much as I like multiplayer, all my favorite RPGs are purely single player (excepting Neverwinter Nights and, to some extent, Baldur's Gate, however, single player was still what made them)

Unless you put up a good client that allows good moderation of your server (to bounce/ignore flamers or people who arent doing what they're supposed to be doing) you will only detract from the game.

In my opinion, it would be nice if implemented, unless it's some halfass flash port script that is either impossible to play multi if you don't know anyone, or impossible to play multi 'cause there's no decent moderating going on.

 

[Maelstorm]

Instead of making wholly mmo game, we can arrange some tournaments for fun sometimes maybe, should a mp mode is enabled. But of course, cheat0rz would try to enter with charas who give 10.00.000 damage. Well.

 

[mazzadude]

Personally i dont think it would work massive unless you mapped the wholeland scape so you could walk and ride around instead of the map view.

 

[pandaman]

i think the tournys could be pretty easily done MP wise, thier could be a option with the tourny master to check for new challengers or somthing like that and it would show you people also looking for new challengers, then you could send them a challenge and do a normal tourny with them on the other team. (excuse my spelling)