Multiplayer Save

Discuss the future of Warzone 2100 with us.
ratarf
Trained
Trained
Posts: 154
Joined: 29 Nov 2006, 09:45

Multiplayer Save

Post by ratarf »

Would it be very hard to code? I've seen it in another (old) RTS... The host saved the game, and upon loading, players that joined could pick a "player spot". It was perfectly possible to switch roles then, like you continuing as one of the AI players or another player...
Or having an AI player fill the spot of a player that disconnected. (auto-save each 5 minutes would be nice in that case)
Since there is already a save option in skirmish mode, would it be that hard to implement it into multiplayer?
User avatar
DevUrandom
Regular
Regular
Posts: 1690
Joined: 31 Jul 2006, 23:14

Re: Multiplayer Save

Post by DevUrandom »

Saving a multiplayer game is allready possible. Leaves us with the loading. Maybe after the netcode rewrite we can manage to get this into the game. (Before would make no sense.)
So maybe in 2.2 (perhaps allready in 2.1, depends on the difficulty).
User avatar
Terminator
Regular
Regular
Posts: 1077
Joined: 05 Aug 2006, 13:46
Location: Ukraine
Contact:

Re: Multiplayer Save

Post by Terminator »

Its realy good idea :) . but if not a save in next version  at list pause in MP game.
Death is the only way out... sh*t Happens !

Russian-speaking Social network Group http://vk.com/warzone2100
ratarf
Trained
Trained
Posts: 154
Joined: 29 Nov 2006, 09:45

Re: Multiplayer Save

Post by ratarf »

Only the host should be able to pause the game then (send pause/resume command to all players). Because if one player pauses the game would go out of sync.  ::)
User avatar
Terminator
Regular
Regular
Posts: 1077
Joined: 05 Aug 2006, 13:46
Location: Ukraine
Contact:

Re: Multiplayer Save

Post by Terminator »

ratarf wrote: Only the host should be able to pause the game
Its would be good too. Pause is necessary in anyway.

But what about if not a host pausing the game > then player sent like a command to the host that tells it to press a pause. like that.
Death is the only way out... sh*t Happens !

Russian-speaking Social network Group http://vk.com/warzone2100
ratarf
Trained
Trained
Posts: 154
Joined: 29 Nov 2006, 09:45

Re: Multiplayer Save

Post by ratarf »

Or the player could just ask to pause the game in the chatbox :)
User avatar
Terminator
Regular
Regular
Posts: 1077
Joined: 05 Aug 2006, 13:46
Location: Ukraine
Contact:

Re: Multiplayer Save

Post by Terminator »

ratarf wrote: Or the player could just ask to pause the game in the chatbox :)
Its will take too much time. :D
Death is the only way out... sh*t Happens !

Russian-speaking Social network Group http://vk.com/warzone2100
User avatar
DevUrandom
Regular
Regular
Posts: 1690
Joined: 31 Jul 2006, 23:14

Re: Multiplayer Save

Post by DevUrandom »

Yes, if Terminator's bleb is filled to the edge, it could be too late when typing some words into a chatbox. ;)
User avatar
kage
Regular
Regular
Posts: 751
Joined: 05 Dec 2006, 21:45

Re: Multiplayer Save

Post by kage »

you have to put some thought into a pause feature, or it *WILL* get abused.

there are really about good ways this has been done in the past:
  • player either gets a maximum number of pauses in the game, or a maximum pause time (maximum pause time is usually better) -- you'd want to make either of these settable by the host/admin. in either case, there should be a way to overrule the pause if all other players unanimously agree to unpause the game. to keep players happy, you might freeze the tick in which the game was paused, then spawn a new instance of all game data, allowing all players to play on as though they were playing normally until the pause ended, at which point, gameplay would jump back to the point when it was paused. alternatively, you could start some kind of "arena of death" game where you have a few units (no trucks) that fight it out on a very small map.
  • instead, pauses might only "freeze" the player who requested the pause, making it so their units and structures are greyed out and untargetable and invulnerable. the player should definitely have to choose a duration of pause, in minutes, which is broadcast to the other players (as in "xtg is paused for 3 minutes"), so that other players will have some idea when they can attack, though this should not provide a "countdown clock" to the other players. the pausing player must choose a fixed duration and it must be broadcast so that this feature can not be abused for invulnerability (otherwise, a player under siege might choose to pause the game and wait for the attacker to get impatient). to even this out, players should not be able to see a paused unit they hadn't seen as the player paused their game (wouldn't apply to structures), and perhaps enemy units shouldn't be allowed to move to within a "safe" (safe might be 2x their maximum weapon range) radius of any paused base structure, unless that unit is already within that radius, game time would be entirely frozen for the pausing player (so there's no progress on building anything , and they wouldn't be allowed to move the camera.
having to specify a fixed pause time might be useful for the first point if the other players are doing anything but staring at their screens, so that they have some idea how long they have to wait before their "imaginary battle" is over and they get back to the actual game.
ratarf
Trained
Trained
Posts: 154
Joined: 29 Nov 2006, 09:45

Re: Multiplayer Save

Post by ratarf »

Kage, that are a lot of good ideas... But I think they would be very hard to implement. But the developers should judge that...
I think for now, it would certainly not harm to make only the host able to pause the game. At least it's not that hard to code.  :P

Thinking about the "arena of death" type of game: I think it should be added to warzone ASAP  :D If you've got only half an hour left to play, you should not want to start a 8 player multiplayer game. I would like to rush & destroy, eventually improving my combat abilities and trying out some weapons that I do not use regularly.
We should really think about such a game mode.
User avatar
kage
Regular
Regular
Posts: 751
Joined: 05 Dec 2006, 21:45

Re: Multiplayer Save

Post by kage »

i agree, a "host only" pause ability doesn't have too much potential for abuse, and is a good and quick option.
Solitaire
Trained
Trained
Posts: 32
Joined: 05 Dec 2006, 22:47

Re: Multiplayer Save

Post by Solitaire »

Extension of Arena: good old-fashioned Deathmatch. When all team units are destroyed replacements are dropship'd in (i.e. respawn). Actual match lasts a specific duration and the winner is the team that inflicts the most total BP damage OR kills the highest resource value of enemies (so pwning that Gauss Tiger Hover is gonna give you more kill points than that MG Vengeance Tracks  ;D )
User avatar
Terminator
Regular
Regular
Posts: 1077
Joined: 05 Aug 2006, 13:46
Location: Ukraine
Contact:

Re: Multiplayer Save

Post by Terminator »

ratarf wrote: ... I think it should be added to warzone ASAP...
How to translate "ASAP" mode ?
Death is the only way out... sh*t Happens !

Russian-speaking Social network Group http://vk.com/warzone2100
ratarf
Trained
Trained
Posts: 154
Joined: 29 Nov 2006, 09:45

Re: Multiplayer Save

Post by ratarf »

as soon as possible
physaro
New user
Posts: 2
Joined: 26 Dec 2006, 13:39

Re: Multiplayer Save

Post by physaro »

I would love to see a pause function too. But I think it shouldn't just be the host who can pause but every player. Because for example if I get an phone call or s.th. like that it just would take too much time to write a message and than to hope that the host will read it and will pause some seconds later.

Of course one would have to make sure that this doesn't get abused. I personally like it how its done in Warcraft III there everyone has the ability to pause the game 3 times. And everybody can unpause no matter who paused it. I never had problems with this in Warcraft because nobody really abuses it and I don't think this will be a big problem in the wz2100 community.
Post Reply