Hello All,
Here is an update to this game of mine. (7.7MB in download at location below)
See earlier threads/screenshots/videos for details.
http://home.people.net.au/%7Etmalcolm/tom/SpaceBlast.zipNew Download Contains:
Multiplayer gameplay -> Designed currently for LAN play not INTERNET (need to tighten the network code).
1 PC needs to be designated as a server and any number of player can join (well to be honest - 2 can join the server making 2 players and 1 server (not a player but they can watch...), I've tried with 3 and sometimes the 3rd player can connect at other times they can't).
When running the server you have the option of running merely calculating the gameplay (Answer Yes - 'Black Box' at startup prompt) or allow the server to view the gameplay.
Once at the screen containing the ship selection the server selects a group of ships (or none if only player ships are desired) and presses "Play".
The client PCs need to specify the IP and their name/call sign. Once the server is up and running, and is in a game session, the player can join by selecting a ship either from red team (top row) or blue team (bottom row) and pressing Play.
If all goes as planned the Client should find themselves in the cockpit of their fighter/bomber and in the midst of battle.
Enhanced gameplay features so far:
Radar HUD showing relative location of all ships blue or red around the ship (left HUD radar) and relative location in the front 180degree arc of the ship (right HUD radar).
Also all ships appear with HUD reticules around them indicating whether they are friendly or enemy, as well as the distance from their ship to your own. Other client ships are shown with their callsign above the HUD reticule.
Ship damage details - it is possible to have sub systems damaged such as your engines, flight stabilisers, targeting and weapons.
Lock ons - it is possible to lock onto targets with your lasers, using the new autotargeting technique that allows your guns to pivot to point at a locked on target. Any target which is fired at within 700 metres of your ship will be targeted, and if targeted long enough will be locked, unless they fly out of view. Autotargeting will only target enemies.
Afterburner Boost - a brief 2-3 second burst of speed is possible with a 30 second delay before activating it again.
Keys / Joystick bindings:
If Joystick used:
Joystick controls direction faced, Z-axis controls speed, button 1 = shoot, button 3 = afterburner, button 4 = fine rotation control
Mouse left/right controls where you are looking out the window of the cockpit.
If Mouse is used:
Mouse controls direction, left button shoots, right button gives fine control over direction, A/Z controls throttle, Space bar controls afterburner.
ESCAPE exits to ship selection.
Thanks,
Oh...some issues I'd like to find some information on:
Is it better in a Network game for the server to spit out lots of little packets every so often, or 1 big packet every so often?
And I'd love to know why I'm finding it difficult to get more than 2-3 players to join a game, but that will need more testing..unless their is an obvious reason I'm missing (is there a limit on number of connections to a port for instance? - I'm using UDP)
Thanks, again.
Matt
