Netcode - Network play?

[DarkHadouGouki]

What are your opinions on network playability, say over a LAN by modifying the netcode used for internet?
Ther could be a server version to keep LAN scores and accounts and everyone wanting to fight could use a client version to connect to the server. I think this would attract more people like myself who spend the majority of the day behind a NAT, 2-3 routers and quite a few firewalls in my school network. Seeing as we have to go through the server online, we cannot play each other over a LAN. This would also be awesome at LAN parties :p
/DarkHadouGouki

[viper2040]

great idea man...i was wondering about that.
but it may be that, because of the way the game works (it downloads only the characters u use), it may need to maintain a connection with the servers at XMvsSf.

[TMyApp]

you can ALREADY do that...

just put in the internal ip of each system in the options menu (ie: 192.168.0.1)

that way when you sync/connect... u'll do it DIRECTLY via the internal ip, thus, playing via the internal network :biggrin:

[DarkHadouGouki]

Really? While i'll be darned, don't u still have to login to the server and run through the chat servers tho? hey TMY wats ur e-mail i need to get in touch with you about web space and other things like that. Do you get the mail from the main page's contact link?

[Scorponok]

<font color="blue">Yeah, it's xvssf@cyberfuturism.com, xvssf@cyberfuturism.com

[DarkHadouGouki]

aight, i haven't been getting replies but i'll wait and see :p I'm sure you get a ton of e-mail

Ah well... *sigh*

<span style='font-size:7.0111111pt;line-height:100%'>2000warrior goes and crys in the corner with Dan</span>



Edited By 2000warrior on Dec. 01 2002 at 22:14

[Quass]

Actually, I'm going to open this topic again.

The question actually asked for a standalone version that would include a win/loss ratio record system.

One that you could use at a lan party. Like the scores screen on a deathmatch, in one of the FPS's...(Quake, Half-life)

Personally I think this would be a cool idea.
"TMy" has already shown his coding prowess by creating a downloadable .exe version of the game, why not have a downloadable standalone server version.

It wouldn't have to have all the features, just:
- creating a session based user name
- record win/losses (based on session)
- small chat room to organize games/rules

Should be a small task for such an accomplished programmer.. hey "Tmy"? :D

[SSJKarma]

you know what ?
quass is right !

if we could have access to a small portion of the code that able us to create our own servers.
like the bertha one or anything like it, it would be very great and it would reduce TMY WEB SERVERS cost !

let's think it like kaillera !
EXAMPLE:
- me is starting an XMvsSF game
- my game appears as a server to many more games or just mine.
- people join my server (reducing traffics on TMY's one)
- i start the game.
- we play and enjoy it

this would be awsome...
not just like the chatroom we already have.
i mean that when i start a game, my game show up as a server like big bertha was !

it could be like that...
- we connect to TMY server (that server show us what SERVERS are actually open)
- once we choose the server we want to be in (EG my game) it disconnect from TMY and RECONNECT to mine !

i think this would reduces TMY traffics on his server and keep his cost as LOW as possible !

can it be possible ?

[TMyApp]

*sigh*... what do u people do ?? stay up all night trying to find MORE work for me ?? lol :biggrin:

seriously though... its "an" idea... but because we have SSOOO many problems that we NEED to work on (gameplay/lag/char issues) it really is "last priority"... i don't see more than 5% of the users "using" this feature...

so far, u people are talking about 2 dif ideas...

1: a standalone lan-server
2: ability to host internet chat servers on the fly

standalone idea goes back to "5% of people using it"... the "servers on the fly" is a bit more difficult to code (trust me on this)

there are issues to think about as well... like the bots...

also, the more control is given to the public (ability to host chat servers.. bots.. etc) the more "problems" we'll have (cheating for one)...

all in all.. we're looking @ about 50+ hours of coding for each of these ideas... something that won't happen anytime THIS year :biggrin:

... OR .. you just get a network with SOME sorta' internet connection (most lan-parties have inet on each box... @least the ones' i've been to) and use my original idea of using the internal ip's :biggrin:

[Quass]

Um..

You're a bit misinformed on what you're talking about.

The costs for "Tmy" would still be incurred in your scenario.

- He would still have to have somewhere for you to download the game from... COST!
- You didn't say anything about usernames based on "sessions".. meaning, people would still need to authenticate with a server, meaning.... COST!
- You obviously don't know that the small chat servers that you create in the game (to play 1v2, 2v2 etc..) are ALREADY hosted on your computer.

Basically, this isn't going to be a method to save COSTS! at all.. It would just be a way of having small, SESSION BASED** tournaments that would be scored.


**SESSION BASED means: You start up the game, choose your username (no password), and then play, your score is recorded for the time you play. If you log out, end the match, shut down the server, EVERYTHING IS GONE. No authentication servers needed, no saving your username or stats... No online competitions.. (why would somebody play a truncated version online, when a better version exists??)

[SSJKarma]

the game wouldn't be truncated !

the records would be kept on YOUR MACHINE because YOU were the server !
kinda like the TETRINET game.
you play it by activating the server.
then all scores are kept on your computer because it was the server !
and no need to actually login to anything !
but you could still be loging to the original server with your password !

the game would still be online, but you could start your own server, CHAT included, not just a host/join game like we have !

[DarkHadouGouki]

okay, here we go:

[server box running win32/linux connected to a router/hub/swithc]
Server has a program similar to HLDS (Half-Life Dedicated Server).
This program acts as a local server, dosen't contact the outside world AT ALL, thus requiring no AUTH, no cost to TMY except the programming time (which i'd love to do :p).
Ther server makes a file, say scores.dat, which records the scores and can be displayed into php or html or xml, whatever. This file is kept on the server box, but can be moved if the server master uses a diff comp or whatever.
Server window:

[Console Window]-------------------------------------------
Loading cWolverine.cct...Done
Loading cSentinal.cct.........Done
Characters loaded
Server IP is : 192.168.0.34
Clients: 4
Slots: 6
Server Name:Cool_Dude
Avg Client Ping: 25ms
Console starting...
>status
Player name | Ping | Stats |
w00t | 10ms | Dead |
DarkHadouG| 15ms | Alive |
SoulX | 13ms| Alive |
Joshin | 20ms|Connecting|
>
-------------------------------------------------------------
> represents a console where admin can control. Server can play as well. >status is just an example command to show the server stats.
This is the server.


[Client Box win32/Linux nic with IP of same subnet as SERVER]
Will do later :p

[SSJKarma]

that was about my point too !

that's exactly the idea i had in mind !
making it this way cause no COST to tmyapp because we can all SHUT or START the game by ourself !

but this game is made in flash and that's why i want to know TMYs opinion in that !