Wednesday, 19 May 2010

Multi-player address book

Before I code the address book, what do you think of this arrangement?

I'm trying to keep interface items as simple as possible as I hate coding fiddly bits. But these things are mandatory for modern multi-player games.

8 comments:

  1. Hi Flex....I like this simple style. Most important info is there, so why complicate it.

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  2. Seems nice, clean and simple enough.

    How does MP work? Will you have a central server where created servers are listed and clients go fetch them or do you have to know the IP and add it manually (from the interface I'm assuming you add it manually)?

    It seems like it supports LAN (seems to me that it's a simple TCP/IP connection, right?) which is always great.

    Will you have a dedicated server or do you create it simply from the "client" software?

    Sorry about all the questions but I'd like to know how it will work so I can actually comment on the interface :)

    Cheers

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  3. what about voice comms?

    also ability of pasting IP from clipboard, via button preferably, would be a doll!

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  4. You do need anything else, clear simple browser.


    "Abillity to save favorite servers and a sort function by ping and or by alphabetic order,ability of pasting IP from clipboard"
    100% consent

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  5. It's a server/client. You choose to host or join and the net code branches accordingly.

    Starting multiplayer: approach any satdish on base and you get a choice to host or join. Host starts the server instance right away, join brings up the address book. (And someone points out I forgot a join button).

    Adding a central site is possible but I don't want to build in any external dependencies at this stage.

    So many people have different ideas about voice comms it's just not worth adding it. It should work just fine with any Teamspeak, Vent, Roger Wilco and probably better too. I'll be sure to add the clipboard paste.

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  6. By "central site" I mean a site contact for managing a "game browser". It's a bit of PHP and MySQL.

    Sort function, right. Ok. See what I mean about fiddly bits? :)

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  7. IMO, voice comms are a waste of time. People probably won't use it anyway and go with a 3rd-party software.

    I didn't ask about a join button because I assumed you'd double-click the server. I guess the button is handy too. What about a refresh button?

    Game browsers are not hard to implement. Just have the game communicating with a server via webservices or something (using the SOAP protocol).

    Sorry, got my web dev genes jumping up and down here :P

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  8. BTW php is evil! .Net FTW!!!

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