3DGS Users: "Are we there yet?!"
Locoweed: "Don't make me come back there!"

Actually yes, we are there, as far as the source code goes. LocooweedsMPSource.zip can now be downloaded at Locoweed's Multiplayer Page. This is the Beta. I need Beta testers fast, because this is the shortest ever Beta test, like a few days. I really need someone to check it on internet or someone to check it with me and my speedy 26k connection on the internet.

Known problems:
1) I haven't got the stupid Host camera to go back the overlooking game view after he dies. Clients OK on this.
2) I have seen a player's weapon disappear once, never to return.

The detailed game description can be found at my multiplayer page too in the tutorial PDF under Chapter 2: Defining the Game. I highly reccomend you read the description. I made changes the Damage and Armor Classes a bit on the professions after some testing, so all the Game Description isn't perfectly accurate, but it should give you an idea.

Here is a short guide on game play.

When a player first joins he has a 10 second grace period, so he won't be killed immediately on entering without having a chance. During grace period, he can't be hit, he can't shoot, but he can pick up ammo. You know a player is in grace period if he is transparent.

A player can only carry 50 rounds of ammo. To get more he need to move over a ammo power-up that goes with his weapon. If his ammo full, he can't pick up ammo power-up.

A players health not only goes down when damaged by an enemy. If player is running, this also slowly drains health. If a player is not moving at all, he is resting and gains a small amount of health over time. A players health can also be increased by moving over a lunar candy power-up. If a players health is max, he cannot pick up lunar candy.

Professions:

Biological Scientist (Guard, heh) A Bio Scientist has medium health, medium attack, and medium AC. His weapon is a Photosynthesis Emulator that shoots petri dishes of photosynthesis jelly.

Nuclear Scientist (You guessed it, Warlock). A Nukkie has low health, low ac, and great damage. His weapon is a Nuclear Rod that fires a Radiation Beam using spent nuclear fuel.

Operations Officer (CBabe maybe?) An Operations Officers has high health, high ac, and low damage. She carries a Compression Rifle which fires bullets using ammunition cartridges.

Very short description:
BioSphere IV: Lunar Mania is a game about the first attempt to put a biosphere on the moon. But after a while everyone went crazy from a disease called Lunar Psychosis Disorder. The idea is to kill the other moon dwellers and increase you Lunar Psychosis Rating, thus becoming the most insane of them all.

Controls:
cursor_keys: move
space: fire
shift: run
left mouse click: To click on Profession you want at game start.
enter - start/end chat entry
<s> key for screen shot if you have something to show me.

Some excutive commands
Host: -cl -sv -pl Player_Name
Client LAN: -cl -pl Player_Name
Client IP: -cl -ip IP_Address, -pl Player_Name

Later,
Loco

Anyone that has DSL or Cable that would like to Host for a test, please contact me @ AIM: StayOutOfTrees or WM: stayoutoftrees@earthlink.net . I know I will have to do some fixes for internet play. I never went from LAN to Net before without having to tweak something. Figures, no buddies online tonight, heh.

Later,
Loco

havn't got a whole lot of time lately but ill give it a try on my LAN here at home.

I have cable and I can host if you are still looking.

Seems like alot of people are having d3d or video problems not necssarly that have anything to do with the game. Anyway it works on LAN on my puters and has has worked on LAN with some others too. Still trying to get a internet test group together. It definately doesn't work right now with a 26k phone connection (I think A6 times me out before server is found). Hopefully I can get a DSL & Cable test team together tonight. I am trying.

EDIT:
Ok, just had a online test, the client is getting black screen, which means A6 never set connection.

Code:

---

//--------------------------------------------------------------------

// MAIN

//--------------------------------------------------------------------

function main()

{	

	randomize(); // set random seed

	

	// if not a single player game, wait for connection

	ifdef server;

		while(connection== 0) {wait(1);}	// wait until level loaded and connection set	

	endif;

	ifdef client;

		while(connection== 0) {wait(1);}	// wait until level loaded and connection set

	endif;

	

	level_load(world_str); // load level, must be loaded after connection is set

---

Never gets to level_load over internet with A6.30 beta. I can't fix this (connection never set by A6) unless it has something to do with firewalls on host (I will try some other stuff too, incase I am wrong). I will ask Conetic about this also, and try some more test with other people as Host later tonight.

Loco

I havn't looked at the scripts yet for the test biosphere . using any high end demanding video setting? display is all choppy ( like an OLD DOS CGA game) or black on my gforcemx400 vid card on my older machine


but I can see the text widnow fine and can connect between the 2 LAN wise and chat back and forth np. I can on my better machine shoot up the 2nd machines player and kill it. Connection is pretty good though takes about 5 sec or less to load up and connect.

Hi Locoweed,

There is a video problem with A6 beta versions 6.23 and up for some Nvidia graphics cards when your game is in 16 bit video mode. The workaround is to change this:

var video_depth = 16; // 16 bit colour d3d mode

to this:

var video_depth = 32; // 16 bit colour d3d mode

Hope this helps.

Giorgi3

Like Giorgi3 said, I am going to change video from 16 to 32 bit. Or maybe bring the video down to a more simple level. Alot of people were having problems with the 16 bit video. I would like to thank Giorgi3 (my new bestest buddy, heh). We did alot of test and the code, although it needs alot of tweaking, is actually working over the internet(Not really playable, atleast with phone connections yet though). Host was cable and we connected with 2 phone lines (3 players). I now know what areas to look at to get network traffic down. So I will start making the improvements and I don't think it will be long until we get it working decently over Net. After I get it running decently, I will update the Tutorial documentation to reflect all the changes and new stuff that has been added.

I will keep you informed,
Loco

Latency is a killer. I think I have the code close to decent working order, but all test have been at high latency. I finally got set up where I can atleast test by myself from cell phone connection (14.4k) to my 26k phone connection (Host) at ~1500 latency (Ouch, heh). At that latency, I was having all kinds of creation problems. I put alot of sleeps() in where needed to get past that.

After getting creation working at 1500 latency I found that the client's player entity does not move or fire on his own computer, although he is actually moving and firing on the server's computer. The server's entity is moving on the client though. Oh the joy of multiplayer tweaking.

Bytes Per Second (BPS) is good, usually below 50.

The good news is, if I can get it running with the 26k phone connection as server at 1500 latency, it will run on anything. The bad news is, I doubt that happens. Hopefully, I can figure out at what latency the program fails if I can't get it working at that high latency.

No updates to code uploaded at this time.

Later,
Loco

Well, I think I am close to as good as I can get it.

I still haven't been able to get a dsl to dsl or dsl to cable test yet.

The test I have been able to actually do used 26k phone connection and 14.4k cell connection.

The results:

14.4k (client) to 26k (host) with latency > 1100ms
Client fails, even though he is moving and shooting on server he is so far behind on the ent_rate that the entities never move.

14.4k (client) to 26k (host) with latency 1000ms to 1100ms
Client's enities move, but very delayed. Projectiles just stand still and disappear. The explosion effects never happen, even though they are done locally.

The max BPS I ever saw on server was 124 BPS and it is usually running around 56 BPS.

My bandwidth is too low and my latency is too high for a decent test. I was surprised I got the entities on the client to move at all.

I think with dsl or cable connections it should work pretty well, maybe even on 56k with low latency, but I still need the test.

Anyone have the capabilty to accomplish a dsl to dsl, dsl to cable, cable to cable, or even a 56k to (dsl or cable) test?

If anyone could test it over one of the connections listed above and tell me results, I would appreciate it. The most current Executive File is now uploaded.

Bopete is putting some textures together for it to make it feel more like a biosphere on the moon.

I have also cleaned up script and added mega comments. Also started the 2004 Conetic Tutorial Contest HTML documentation. Due in 2 days of course. I can't take the pressure. Any comments on it would be appreciated too.

Thanks,
Loco