The one main problem people have with extensions like OINC or moo or what not is creating online games. Sure, we can get them to work, but not smoothly. For example, DizzyDoo's movement tutorial works great, other then the lagony(heh, puns are fun).
So, together, we should work on something, a tutorial or engine or something, to help people (like me :P) put there games on the internet. Unlimited possibilities, what could we do? Lets start discussing!
When you make a custom engine, think about how you put input into the game to control it. You don't keep tapping right to make the player keep going right. You just make it so that it goes right as long as the button is held. Well as long as you don't hit any other buttons, he'll keep going right until you let go of right.
So when making an online game, think of it like controlling a remote control car. Don't keep sending information, just send it whenever input changes. Once whenever they press the button, once when they let go. Let the other clients assume what's happening, because if your engine is solid, they'll usually be good at it. And theres nothing wrong with sending the players position when sending any of this information, just to make sure that before the game actually sends a remote command, that the players position is in sync with the real player. Again, as long as your engine is solid (clean), they should be very close in sync. It's at that point, the only thing really causing de-sync is ping.
You underestimate OINC as UDP is now an option. you can smooth out the movement issues without causing huge latency as you don't need to confirm the data being sent. I'm pretty sure Jamie will cater for latency issues in the server as this would save you a lot of hassle calculating where the objects are supposed to be when sending recieving data.
I have a good method of smoothing out, which works for more than one objects, and I have tested it myself and it looks the same as what you see on your screen to what other people see; aslong as you blast the X,Y every 1-15 MS.
the problem with community projects is that people are different programming-wise. It's hard to adjust to another person's code
I don't mean to be rude here, but that's perhaps the worst way to create an online game. You need a dead reckoning system to make an online game even remotely possible, especially with more than 2 or 3 people. Sending information every <insert time here> is horrible inefficient and not even all that accurate, and will cause major lag in the future, especially once you have more than 2 people on.Originally Posted by izac
Good suggestion GF202.
I need to learn this and have little clue on how to do it even though I've read miles of theories about it. I always fall on the math since I'm an absolute no-math person (was sick the day we had math). :whistle:
Can you elaborate on what would be the "right way" to handle dead reckoning? I'm doing pretty close to the same thing, as it's the only way I can think of to handle this.You need a dead reckoning system to make an online game even remotely possible, especially with more than 2 or 3 people.
I see people say it's "wrong" or not efficient, but I've yet to see anyone tell what is the right way. I for one would really like to learn, since I fully intend to have dozens of players in my game at any given time, if not far more.
Thanks!
I should be more specific about how I'm doing movement in my game.
Player starts at a certain position, all players in the same sector of space see the player in that same spot.
Player presses the up arrow key to thrust in whatever direction they are pointing.
A message is sent to the channel and all players on that channel (in the same sector) apply the same amount of thrust to that player. it is pretty accurate, so far I've had about 6 players in the same sector in my tests.
but, once in a while, it does get a bit out of sync, not sure why. I'm using time based movement, not frame based, so computer speed should be less of an issue.
every so often (i forget the interval) I do send position, angle, direction and speed corrections, and on rare occasions, I do notice the correction moving a players ship to the right place, but for the most part, i've been happy with it.
I have been using "SEND" rather than UDP (blast) because i have had some experience in winsock (vb) and UDP messages being missed.
Uhh? I have already tested my way with 4 people in it and the server only uses 5kb/s upstream with 4 people in it? dangI don't mean to be rude here, but that's perhaps the worst way to create an online game. You need a dead reckoning system to make an online game even remotely possible, especially with more than 2 or 3 people. Sending information every <insert time here> is horrible inefficient and not even all that accurate, and will cause major lag in the future, especially once you have more than 2 people on.
Dead reckoning is different for every game..
Yeah, but that's not dead reckoning... at all, and is a horrible way to create an online engine.Uhh? I have already tested my way with 4 people in it and the server only uses 5kb/s upstream with 4 people in it? dangI don't mean to be rude here, but that's perhaps the worst way to create an online game. You need a dead reckoning system to make an online game even remotely possible, especially with more than 2 or 3 people. Sending information every <insert time here> is horrible inefficient and not even all that accurate, and will cause major lag in the future, especially once you have more than 2 people on.
Dead reckoning is different for every game..
Dead reckoning usually starts with the system that I mentioned in an above post, with the whole remote control thing. Usually you build off of that and then you work off of that and make it more complex as the game progresses. Never let either the online engine or especially the offline game, get too far ahead of the construction of the opposite though. The second you let either one get too far ahead of the other, the game immediately becomes overwhelming and that's how most online projects die out.
It is possible to break an online project down, especially if you do a lot of pre-planning ahead, but remember... if it starts to feel overwhelming or overcomplicated, chances are you're doing it right. xD
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