A few thoughts on creating a workable multiplayer for BSF

Tsakara · Post by **Tsakara** » Thu Feb 12, 2009 3:44 pm

Hammachi, is a program developed by pirates for players who illegally downloaded games and want to play online. It forges a link between two computers, basically tricking the computer into think its in a LAN network with the other.
This could be used in BSF
the problem I see chiefly with a multiplayer BSF mostly stems from the server issue (ie: there are none)
But with Hammachi, we could get around that whole bit.

How would multiplayer be implemented?
well it could go a number of ways but I think the best would just be a duel sandbox, where both players can import ships and things, this is extremely open to abuse, so it would require both players to have a sense of honor and the like.
Eventually I could see multiplayer encounters being worked in, but I figure, one step at a time.

Idk, I might be completely off base, its 3 am. I can't think straight.

Aaganrmu · Post by **Aaganrmu** » Thu Feb 12, 2009 4:22 pm

Hammachi won't be too much help, I think. Instead of making a Hammachi connection, you can as well just give out your IP and make a connection that way. It'll probably be less of a bother.

As for the server: it isn't too hard to make one. A lot of (freeware) games use a setup like this:

The only thing needed is a small script which keeps a list of hosts online. When someone hosts a game, his IP is added to the list. When someone wants to play online, the game downloads that list, and shows a list of hosts. The player can then join a game from the list. He connects directly to the host, and the server has served it's function.

As for the multiplayer itself: have you ever tried making anything multiplayer? It isn't just a simple add-on to an existing game. All the programming has to be done with multiplayer in mind from the beginning, or it's going to suck big time. So I guess we won't be seeing multiplayer soon, unless BSF has already been designed with that in mind.

But it'd be fun! Sandbox battles ftw

AnnihilatorX · Post by **AnnihilatorX** » Thu Feb 12, 2009 4:39 pm

Hamachi or not is not the main problem. People with proper firewall config doesn't even need to use Hamachi, they can just use regular IP.

Does GM even support TCP/IP or UDP?

Post by **Arcalane** » Thu Feb 12, 2009 5:07 pm

1) I don't recall Hamachi being made by pirates of all people. Unless they're masquerading it as a completely legitimate revenue-generating business operation.

I suggest you check your sources.

2) Regardless of Hamachi, there's still the issue of actually making GM support multiplayer. Don't even think about suggesting how to start doing it, because I doubt you'll recieve anything but "you're a fucking idiot and know nothing about GM" from Kaelis.

Hypothetical Wisdom · Post by **Hypothetical Wisdom** » Thu Feb 12, 2009 7:38 pm

Arcalane wrote:Don't even think about suggesting how to start doing it, because I doubt you'll recieve anything but "you're a fucking idiot and know nothing about GM" from Kaelis.

I made that mistake once, too

You might also get that kind of response from Seraph.

Post by **Kaelis** » Thu Feb 12, 2009 10:01 pm

Hamachi won't solve anything, because its not a solution to specific problem or difficulty that is needed. Its just that multiplayer takes a lot time, and BSF isnt really coded towards supporting it.

Arcalane wrote:Don't even think about suggesting how to start doing it, because I doubt you'll recieve anything but "you're a fucking idiot and know nothing about GM" from Kaelis.

Well at least im doing it in a mostly polite way!

But yeah, hes right. Unless you have deep knowledge of BSF source and GM in general, you can't really help.

Hypothetical Wisdom, FFS, will you stop spamming?

Draco18s · Post by **Draco18s** » Sat Feb 14, 2009 2:14 pm

Arcalane wrote:1) I don't recall Hamachi being made by pirates of all people. Unless they're masquerading it as a completely legitimate revenue-generating business operation.

VPN software (Virtual Private Network). Which is what Hamachi does, actually, it establishes a VPN with the connected computers. It just with a few other perks over other VPN softwares (such as not needing an existing LAN to connect with).

LukeRM · Post by **LukeRM** » Sat Feb 14, 2009 3:30 pm

Multiplayer will be less of a problem when the game engine is not GameMaker. GameMaker also has the performance problem, so we have to wait 'till the devs recode BSF (or code BSF2) in a real engine. (Yay, no more lag!)

Be PATIENT.

Tsakara · Post by **Tsakara** » Sat Feb 14, 2009 4:56 pm

I had an interesting thought.
what if, instead of creating an 'ingame' multiplayer, you could find a way to see one players game from the others computer in real time, like a webcam for your screen.
Idk if such a program exists but if it does then you could at least sorta get the idea of multiplayer.

Squishy · Post by **Squishy** » Sat Feb 14, 2009 5:02 pm

That's more like spectating rather than multiplayer.

There are programs that stream the state of a screen to others, but I doubt anyone would bother with that trouble just to watch someone else play with themselves.

Tsakara · Post by **Tsakara** » Sat Feb 14, 2009 5:03 pm

well it could help for tourneys, that way all the tourney ppl could watch the battle.

AidanAdv · Post by **AidanAdv** » Sun Feb 15, 2009 12:53 am

Tsakara wrote:well it could help for tourneys, that way all the tourney ppl could watch the battle.

Why would we need that when people running tournaments can and have just posted videos of the battles on Youtube?

Slayer0019 · Post by **Slayer0019** » Sun Feb 15, 2009 2:06 am

If multiplayer ever gets up and running (big if, but I have faith in our developers), all I would ask for is something very similar to skirmish mode, where you get say 12 points, buy your stock ships, and have duels. I don't think we really need anything too in depth.

Post by **Arcalane** » Sun Feb 15, 2009 6:40 am

Slayer0019 wrote:If multiplayer ever gets up and running (big if, but I have faith in our developers).

Hate to burst your bubble but MP for BSF1 is impractical and is incredibly unlikely. This is not a case of "th15 said it's unlikely but we did it anyway", it's a case of "it really is very unlikely". Save those wishes for BSF2.

Slayer0019 wrote:all I would ask for is something very similar to skirmish mode, where you get say 12 points, buy your stock ships, and have duels. I don't think we really need anything too in depth.

That'd be bloody boring though. Oh look, another unexciting stock ship duel. People would want to face their custom ships off against each other over the 'net, and if you don't let them do that, it could end up being worse than having no MP at all.

Slayer0019 · Post by **Slayer0019** » Sun Feb 15, 2009 8:11 am

If multiplayer never goes live, I won't be offset. Shipbuilding will keep me occupied.

And stock duels really would get boring. But given the choice between that and no multiplayer, I'd take that.