I'd really like to make a network game. What support does Coldstone provide for network play? Any? I can't seem to find information on this?
Thanks
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bummer.
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Originally posted by thebeagle:
**Yeah... I've thought about this and decided that yes, it IS a bummer.Hey moderators-- any chances AT ALL of this coming down the pike? Or are there inherent obstacles that probably won't ever be worked around?
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You mean aside from the complexity and cost of setting up a MMORPG?
I doubt Coldstone will have online support in the near future, so don't get your hopes up.------------------
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Birdland this evening. A recording for Blue Note Records...
"Actions have reactions, don't be quick to judge, you may not know the hardships people don't speak of,
It's best to step back, and observe with couth, for we all must meet our moment of truth." - (url="http://"http://www.OHHLA.com/anonymous/gngstarr/moment/moment.gsr.txt")Guru(/url) -
Here's an even better thought-- I'd like it if we could link up all the games everywhere that use the Medieval format. I'd just walk to the edge of one
game space, and automatically walk onto the map of another user. Ambrosia could issue out the land space, maintain the map, etc. Global variables could be automatically initilized and appended with the users name so a visiting users variables wouldn't conflict with their own, put caps on the kinds of powers an item could have (to keep things playable). The world would grow and grow and anyone could add onto it, until the game was a massive realtime medieval world in which people enjoy living more than in real life...okay, I'll stop dreaming now and go read "Snow Crash" again...
-beagle
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While a massively multiplayer game would be something that Ambrosia fans would love and just be absolutely killer for a game like POG (or EV), I think most people would be fine with something like Warcraft. You can have so many more character classes and quests with even a limited multiplayer game then you can have with a single player game.
Gallandro
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"(Even though you just obliterated a fleet of Galaxy Destroyers) Prepare to die!" says the confederate gunboat pilot. -
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Originally posted by Gallandro:
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You can have so many more character classes and quests with even a limited multiplayer game then you can have with a single player game.
**How so? Classes and quests are dependent on the designer's creativity, not how many people can play the game at a time. If you mean that everyone makes their own class and quests, then you run into cheater plug-esque problems. If that's not what you mean, you are making no sense.
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"I believe in the sun, even when it is night. I believe in love, even when I do not feel it. And I believe in God, even when he does not reveal his prescence."
-A survivor of the Holocaust -
I wasn't originally talking about massive multiplayer type stuff, though that would definately be cool. I would also say that something like Warcraft or Starcraft would suffice. In other words, the ability to run one copy of the game as a server, which receives UDP broadcasts over a specified port from other client games.
As a windows programmer, I know that this is achievable. The trick here would be to encapulate the process to make it easy to use from a GUI perspective. Consider this a feature request for a future version.
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Stephenson rules!
that being said - multiplayer is about the worst code to write- even if you are a windows coder. I don't think a single game has been released in the past years where multiplayer wasn't the biggest issue of delay.
I'ts a bit more complicated than running a single copy wich then 'records' all changes and broadcasts them again- what about delays? remember the time when you couldn't use a nailgun playing quake online? when 'bullettime' was called 'lag'?
How about cross-platform abilities? Running games trough provider firewalls?It takes a lot more people than beenox employs and a lot more playtesting than you would think to get it right - and that for every possible way we could be using coldstone. It would slow every release and update down with at least half a years worth of beta testing on servers.
If people are going to start working on the second edition, i'd rather have them work on a lot of other stuff then on trying to get multiplayer to work.
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(This message has been edited by -LethaLGraphiX- (edited 02-21-2002).)
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I'd like it if Beenox would simply give us the raw materials we would need and it would be our job to get it running, find a server, provide tech support, ramble on forever about the numerous things needed to run a multiplayer online game, etc. We are responsible for firewalls and plugins, whatever we want to do. We take care of the messy stuff.
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Originally posted by Minty:
I'd like it if Beenox would simply give us the raw materials we would need and it would be our job to get it running, find a server, provide tech support, ramble on forever about the numerous things needed to run a multiplayer online game, etc. We are responsible for firewalls and plugins, whatever we want to do. We take care of the messy stuff.Yes, but Beenox and Ambrosia still have to code and test it don't they. :rolleyes:
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Ladies and Gentlemen, as you know we have something special for you at
Birdland this evening. A recording for Blue Note Records...
"Actions have reactions, don't be quick to judge, you may not know the hardships people don't speak of,
It's best to step back, and observe with couth, for we all must meet our moment of truth." - (url="http://"http://www.OHHLA.com/anonymous/gngstarr/moment/moment.gsr.txt")Guru(/url) -
Yeah, but it would help cut back on their work a little at least.
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This is in response to Celchu's response to my original post:
It would allow the creation of professions that in a single player game are essentially pointless. An example is Cleric.
Why would one need a Cleric when there are healing potions? Well, for one, he could be designed so that he'd be adept at administering the potions than another class (e.g. a healing concoction would restore 80 hp instead of 40 hp). Also he could have the ability to heal through magic, and perhaps even bring back someone who was just killed. His killing ability, though, would be very limited. This is one reason why he would be pointless in a single player game. Yes, you could probably create an NPC that could follow you around, but it wouldn't be the same--anyway the stupid thing would probably get itself killed before being useful.
With multiplayer, you could design quests that require the talents of two or more different classes. True these quests could be accomplished in a single player game by allowing the player to multiclass. Muticlassing is a generally good and logical idea as there obvious middle grounds between certain classes. However, if player is too many classes he becomes either too bogged down with all the choices to make or so powerful that only a god would provide any challenge.
Also, one could design quests that would be physically impossible for an individual to complete. An example would be a quest with time limit where 2 objects in 2 different and distant location need to be collected.------------------
"(Even though you just obliterated a fleet of Galaxy Destroyers) Prepare to die!" says the confederate gunboat pilot. -
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Originally posted by Minty:
Yeah, but it would help cut back on their work a little at least.To tell the truth, if Ambrosia did release some sort of network/MMORPG software, it's very unlikely they would provide server bandwidth and online services for it, think how many different games and users would have to be run through poor old Janus, that would make every very slow.
Therefore, there will not be an online version of Coldstone. Period.
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Ladies and Gentlemen, as you know we have something special for you at
Birdland this evening. A recording for Blue Note Records...
"Actions have reactions, don't be quick to judge, you may not know the hardships people don't speak of,
It's best to step back, and observe with couth, for we all must meet our moment of truth." - (url="http://"http://www.OHHLA.com/anonymous/gngstarr/moment/moment.gsr.txt")Guru(/url) -
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Originally posted by Gallandro:
**Stuff about clerics.
**True, few people would want to play a healer in singleplayer. But then again, I know I wouldn't want to be the walking first aid kit in multiplay, either. It would just not be interesting.
Picture this. You party up and go off to fight an ogre. The ogre is found, and the fighters go up against it with swords, the mages start flinging lightning bolts or what have you. Meanwhile, you just click 'cure wounds' and wait for a fighter type to yell "CLERICINEEDHEALZNOW!" Not my idea of a good time.
To make a cleric interesting, you must drop the idea of a healer. Replace it with one of warrior of a god. Sure, said god may give out heal spells. But what about the punishing heathens to eternal hellfire with their divine inspired wrath? Broader, and more interesting.
Take this same character and put him in a single player role, and he should do quite nicely.
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Originally posted by Gallandro:
**Stuff about quests.
**As to your quest examples, I see no reason why any character cannot emulate abilties of another class successfully, at least to the point where they could fulfill a quest or solve a puzzle. For the following demonstration, I shall use a basic soldier.
Problem : Dungeon has a crystal which must have flame applied to it in order for a door to open. Ideal solution : Have a wizard cast fireball. Actual solution : Coat gem with oil, light with torch.
Problem : Dying man on field, has vital info memorized. Ideal Solution : Have cleric (the good one, mind you) cast heal on him. Actual solution : Battlefield first aid.
Problem : Trap infested dungeon. Ideal solution : Have thief clear it out. Actual solution : Take prisoners from enemy. Learn traps by trial and error.
I could go on, but I'll take your other arguement now. Two quest goals in different places. Solution : NPCs. Honestly, you won't be there anyway. What are you missing by having an ally do it?
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or so powerful that only a god would provide any challenge.
That can be arranged....
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"I believe in the sun, even when it is night. I believe in love, even when I do not feel it. And I believe in God, even when he does not reveal his prescence."
-A survivor of the Holocaust(This message has been edited by Celchu (edited 02-23-2002).)
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In response to Celchu's response to my response:
Obviously you have not played all that many mushes. There are plenty that have clerics with limited killing abilities and yet there are people who do play them (I though am not one). Clerics can be plenty interesting without dropping the healer part. The clerics can basically have the divine inspired wrath and still be healers (they actually go hand in hand).
You obviously did not read my last post carefully. I said multiclassing is an acceptable, although to certain extent. There is a saying jack of all trades master of none. So if you have a character that is master of everything then its unrealistic and in my opinion is rather boring.
As to having two items in two different places, if you don't understand the subtle challenges involved in that, then there is no point in trying to explain them.
As to arranging to fight gods, I prefer a good mix of brains and strength over sheer braun.
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"(Even though you just obliterated a fleet of Galaxy Destroyers) Prepare to die!" says the confederate gunboat pilot. -
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Originally posted by Gallandro:
**-snip-**
I stated quite clearly that the cleric would have both heals and combat ability. And the multiplayer example was simply a way to extrapolate a viable single-player healer.
I was not advocating multiclassing; I was giving intelligent ways to make up for defiecencies in certain areas.
Multiple items. I know what you are trying to say, send a friend to fetch one while you snag the other. What I say is 'Why can't the other guy be an NPC?"
As to fighting gods, that was a joke. I would never have the player fight an actual god in my game.
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"I believe in the sun, even when it is night. I believe in love, even when I do not feel it. And I believe in God, even when he does not reveal his prescence."
-A survivor of the Holocaust