The Grand Multiplayer Thread

[thape]

check some multiplayer games made with Unity on http://www.moock.org/unity

[m_andrews808]

Yeah have a look at www.globulos.com too

[centaurii]

http://80.11.244.5/www/e-battle/index.html

arrows , mouse pointer , left button and ctrl key to check your current status and swap weapons feedback here if you connected i'm waiting..

[brcolow]

I have been coding PHP for about 7 months now and I feel I am very expierenced with it, I just don't understand a few things here...

I would like to try to create a tic-tac-toe game (to start of course) using the Polling method. This would be based on a forum addon so usernames would already be provided so I would send the usernames to flash using the POST from php and GET from flash. But I don't understand how to...keep track of what is going on. Is it all actionscript? Which parts are php/mysql? I mean could I store the data in a database like so...

0=nothing
1=x
2=o

0,1,0
0,2,0
1,0,1

Then post that to flash and it creates that? Any help would be immensly appreciated.

Thank you,
-Brcolow

[schwa]

http://www.deepmachines.com/bigbattle

created by Big Spaceship
http://www.bigspaceship.com/

backend powered by the new, open-source, free Oregano multiuser server for flash
http://www.oregano-server.org/

[brcolow]

Hm, I looked it over Schwa and I am not sure it is what I am looking for. My host will not allow me to run a program like that on their server so I am stuck with the polling option. Any tutorials/refrences on how to make a tic-tac-toe type game with polling?
Thanks,
-Brcolow

[stevz©_]

Originally posted by Ed Mack
Well, once you ftp the files onto the server (NOT in html directory, or in a private one!), you can connect to it, and then move to the directory with the files. Say it was a java class file named "Server.class" you would use this:

java Server &

The & forks the process, basically making it run in the background without your terminal. That should be fine.

Just a couple of questions...

First where and how do u put the "&" fork? (id thought u make a bat file and do it that way)

Second, lets say a client has to download a standalone flash exe to play a MP game. would anyone know how updates will work? would i have to create it with a side program?

Peace out!

Stevz!

[centaurii]

the defintive URL is here if you wanna make some tests :
http://e-battle.e-planete.com

good luck.Hope to see you there and shoot'ya all (lol).

STEF

[kyled]

Surprising, I was able to write my gameup to allow my action base game to run extremely well and in sync. So to anyone who thinks flash games cannot be somewhat realtime action, i think i may have proven this wrong. Its not 100% perfect and will have some flaws but its damn close to the right path.

My current engine update has high speed users interacting with a low amount of jumping in thier game. (well except with somethings I still need to work on)

If you want to test out what I mean, www.gecko-games.com
With a low ping time , players that I have spoken too with high speed connections are saying that the game runs fairly fluent between different users. Under 300ms is working decent, but under 100 I have not heard any complaints. well atleast when my host is running well.

[okaypatrick]

I am in the process of developing a multiplayer drag racing game as well. Now, reading through all these posts--the best route seems to be going with a socket server.

However, there's a little bit of confusion on my part.

The concept that I am still unclear about is how Flash will directly communicate with the socket server.

Does the socket server communicate via Flash through the transfer of .xml files? Or do I need the xml files read into a database via Coldfusion, and then the database would communicate with the socket server?

Any ideas, solutions are greatly appreciated.

[kyled]

okaypatrick
depends on the server.

The one I use, data is sent from flash to the server and then sent by the server to other clients that need it sent to.

You don't have to transfer through xml files or anything. You can just create a data string, and then send it to the server. Of course, depending on the server.

Then the server can just echo or process and send the data back your your client, and you can create you own handler on how to process the data.

[okaypatrick]

I was thinking about using Electroserver. The only con about it seems like its steep price for an unlimited amt of users. Now I'm kinda lookin towards open-source, but I will continue dissecting the Electroserver code. As I was looking through, I saw XML code written in one of the .as files, so I'm assuming Electroserver is using XML. The task of writing my own socket server implementation seems daunting to say the least.

[jobemjobem]

Hi okaypatrick,

ElectroServer transfers XML over the socket connection. It doesn't transfer XML files, just XML itself.

One of the cool things about ElectroServer is that you don't need to ever even know that XML is being used. The ActionScript class that is handed out with ElectroServer makes it super easy to send/receive messages from the server just using method calls through the API.

For instancce:
ElectroServer.sendMessage("public", "Hello world!");

Or to send a move you can actually send an object and the other uses in the room will receive the object. For instance:

var moveOb = new Object();
moveOb.xspeed = 30;
moveOb.yspeed = -13;
moveOb.x = 100;
moveOb.y = 230;
ElectroServer.sendMove("public", moveOb);

Good luck with your game!

[okaypatrick]

hmm..interesting..So there needs to be no editing done on my part to the included libraries? I also would like to integrate both client side and the socket server software with a cold fusion database because it will hold account information. Does Electroserver already have this functionality included in the software?

[jobemjobem]

ElectroServer has the ability to connect to databases built in. But there will definately have to be some sort of customization on your part to make it talk to the database in some specific way. I know that sounds vague, but there is no way for ElectroServer to know exactly how everyone will want to use their individual databases.

So you can write some server-side ActionScript to perform specific queries, or what ever. If you download and install the ElectroServer 3 demo, there is a database example.

We are happy to help you understand how to integrate your database with ElectroSErver 3.

[Rovert1971]

I have 2 plans with 17 domains on both Verio and CrystalTech. I have good experience with ActionScript, Flash, SQLServer2000 and am a ColdFusion Pro. The problem is, I am a moron when it comes to socket servers. I want to host one at either Verio or CrystalTech, they have no idea what I am talking about and I don't know how to turn one on and off from a remote machine. (Have ElectroServer 3 working on my local machine) PLEASE HELP!!!!

[jobemjobem]

Hi Rovert1971,

To install and run a socket server you need enough access to the machine that will actually let you install applications. Usually this means you need to be running a dedicated machine. But sometimes you can convince your ISP to install and run it. But I think its unlikely that a huge ISP like verio would install a socket server from some random company. But I could be wrong.

If you can't get verio to install it, then I'd recommend the following:
-get a $18/month account with webgamehost http://www.webgamehost.com/account_features.html
-get them to host your socket server (they do it). They prefer ElectroServer 3
-Then either host your multiplayer content on their server or get them to add your IP to the crossdomain.xml security file. That will allow SWFs from another ip to connect to the socket server

Good luck!

[Ed Mack]

Originally posted by stevz©_
First where and how do u put the "&" fork? (id thought u make a bat file and do it that way)

The & symbol is a cool *nix thing, bat files cannot use it since they are dos. & just goes at the end of any *nix command, and makes it just goto the background like a 'service'.

For updates, you could use loadMovies to get the game from the server, or just have some other program check your server for updates and download if approp.


Just for interest, I've been working with Unity2 recently (school coursework's put a cold axe in my dev work, hopefully will go away soon), and here's a very simple innefficient (sends data for every movement) iso game:
http://www.edmack.com/edland/
Hopefully will be improved Haloween holidays should be good for that!

[stevz©_]

Im soooooo SORRY ED! I just realized that this can be done only with unix users (i use XP).

I actually wanted to put java files (and swf) on a remote server (lycos.co.uk) and let the java server run by itself ...

I got this cool example (can't remember where) of a chat server and i wanted to test the reaction speed of it. With the learning curve, costs and all Java is free and writing scripts is like cooking eight course meals for a living. To put my mind on another script might make my brain implode of an overload (not neccessarily sayin that this is bad) ... and i dont think "lycos.co.uk" support Java files anyway!

But i'll still be interested working around problems (you could say it gets me high)

Thats a very nice example... Looks Promising!(Planning to have user accounts with it?)

Real Sorry!

Stevz!

[BenderB]

Hi everyone!

I want to make a flash-multiplayer table soccer simulation as a student project for our university.
I have basic knowledge of Action Script & PHP and I'm not that bad at java.
I read the posts in this thread and it seems that latency is a big problem with flash based real time games.
But for this kind of game the only thing transmitted would be the coordinates, speed and angel of the ball and the position and state of the players.

As my project would require very little latency (or else it wouldn't make sense...) I wanted to ask if this would be possible without writing my own socket server (it's enough work already).
ElecroServer seems good (as it is hightly promoted through Jobe in this thread ) but will it work fast enough?

thanks, BenderB.