Multiplayer Flash game LIST

[Ray Beez]

I was wondering if people would like to contribute to this thread as a running list of existing online multiplayer Flash games. I can't find very many and need to research the performance of Flash as an online multiplayer gaming platform.

Here are games I know of:

Experimental Penguins: http://www.rocketsnail.com
This is an avatar based chat where you can talk, and walk. Looks like a promising basis for a larger multiplayer game, but is it real-time or is there a delay we just don't perceive? I think this one is "simulated real-time".

Bomberman: http://www.flashnexus.com
This is the classic Bomberman remade in Flash with multiplayer over the net. Since this is an action game, it is very much "real-time", but some serious lag occurred when I tried the game with 3 players. The author claims it can handle 4 players.


Definitions:
"Real-time": The action on one player's screen matches that on other players' screens. The timing is accurate enough that all players see the same thing, and collisions occur accurately.
Advantage: Online arcade games.
Disadvantage: Only a few players with fast connections can play together. And delay with a player's data transmission causes the game to behave erraticly, ruining the experience for all players.

"Simulated Real-time": The action appears to be real-time on one player's screen in that they can move about and see other players move, but in reality there are delays that cause variations in each player's screen. One player might be moving up on their screen, but on another player's screen, the character hasn't started moving up yet because of lengthy "ping" time. This kind of situation is unsuitable for action games that require player to player combat.
Advantage: Many players can populate and move about the game world. Connection speed not as crucial.
Disadvantage: Players are not in sync enough to allow player to player actions.

"Turn Based": Players take turns performing actions, which then are played out as other players watch and await their turn. Suitable for strategy, board games, game shows, trivia, etc.
Advantage: Very many players can participate, and watch.
Disadvantage: Only games based on one player playing at a time.

"Ping": Ping is the amount of time it takes for data to go from one computer to another (with a reply from the destination computer... Otherwise we wouldn't know it was received.) The lower the Ping, the better a real-time experience will perform.


*Clever game designers may be able to combine more than one style of game into one. For example, you could have an avatar based world, similar to the Penguins game, where a player can challenge another player. If the other player accepts, they enter a one-on-one arena for real-time battle.
[Edited by Ray Beez on 05-24-2001 at 05:10 PM]

[Vagab0nd]

Here are 2 "real time" applications.

Both of these are in alpha, and use Flash 5 sockets to achieve as close to real time experiance as you can get on the net. Average ping times in the US are around 0.1 - 0.3 seconds.

Maelstrom RPG: http://www.webwave.com/rpg/
This is the real deal, a massive multiplayer online role playing game (MMORPG). The backend is enterprise technology, and will support thousands of players. Its all database driven, and has a complex skill system. The features and grahpics are just now being layed in, so expect radical changes in the next few weeks.

igeChat: http://www.webwave.com/chat/
The first example programing using the IGE backend. This is a room based avatar chat that supports loading dynamic objects at run time. You can create your own room, objects, backgrounds and even skins! (yes, its a skinnable flash chat). We are working on adding real time and turn based games.

[brianjun]

Please go to the gametuner.com
You can find real time multiplayer game.
It is called "Fleabag VS Mutt"


[Edited by brianjun on 05-24-2001 at 07:32 PM]

[jobemjobem]

Hi

You'll find 9 multiplayer Flash games at my new multiplayer area:
http://www.electrotank.com/games/multiuser/

[rsnail]

Yes, Experimental Penguins is Simulated Real-time application. Each client "pings" or "polls" the server every 4 seconds. The server provides the most recent changes to the client.

Another Multi-user flash chat is by the team at Chman. Check out Gull's Connection.
http://www.teamchman.com/

[jobemjobem]

sorry, forgot to give some specifics for http://www.electrotank.com/games/multiuser/

all of the games are turn based but some dont seem to be. i feel like a few of the games simulate real-time.

we use XML Socket server written by my friend and colleague Mike Grundvig.

[Olorin]

Unfinished work:

http://www.onetwofree.nl/test/movie_b14.html

Database backend, polling system. Simulated real time. Everything was coded and designed by me.

Olorin

[Ray Beez]

Thanks for the input. Keep them coming if there are more!

Maelstrom looks to be very ambitious! The ping claims are very impressive (if true).

As for "FleaBag & Mutt", that is a turn based game.


-RB

PS: Jobem: Is that your new site? Not bad. Can I make a recommendation though? "lighten" up the look of your site. Make it so both your mom and a 10 year old girl will find it "comfortable" to hang out in. You'd be surprised how many online gamers are women, and they don't like dark forboding (or sci-fi looking) stuff.




[Edited by Ray Beez on 05-25-2001 at 06:44 PM]

[jobemjobem]

I appreciate your comments Ray Beez. I read an article that said 51% (about 6 months ago) of online gamers are women. This schocked many many people. The games like quake are dominated by men, but more traditional games like cards and checkers are women. Just FYI. Pogo.com probably has info on this.

Our site is still in creation.

[zenzizi]

underground. a multiplayer breakdancing game.

up to 6 players. check the tutorial.
email me if you got questions.
man sorry for the short post
but am i tired to try to push it everywhere.

http://exostatic.com/underground/lobby/

zen@exostatic.com

[Ray Beez]

Zenzizi:

VERy cool game. Love the animation.

But it's also very confusing to get into. It is not at all clear what to do or why do it. I only figured it out because I have played games like Parappa the Rappa and Bust a Groove. Even so, I don't know what the menu with the cassette tape icons is for.

Oh also, why not stick to one tune? The tunes are too short. I start to get into the groove and then it switches music on me when the next dance move starts. :-)

Later,

[Edited by Ray Beez on 05-29-2001 at 07:14 PM]

[Mr Mayonnaise]

THIS is the king of multiplayer games. http://www.netbabyworld.com Somewhere round there there's an AMAZING MULTIPLAYER GAME. IT IS AMAZING

[zenzizi]

yeah well mister mayonnaise..

i have seen this site and their games are great really..
but the whole point is that they use director.

we take pride in having done one of the most complex
multiplayer games in flash (4!) only..

we can reach a lot more people with flash vs. director.