LAN helper

Seik · #1 October 4th, 2001, 01:21 AM

Call me crazy, stupid or whatever you want - it did not function!!!

I believe that it works - but what the hell I m doing wrong?

For a test I started a new game (only 1 human player / and only at this machine - no LAN) - that should be go, right?

I ve created a new game labled
"Test" -> Savegamefolder "C:\g\SE4\"

I started the first round and the game file is in C:\g\SE4.

Now I start the MultiplayerHelper with following settings:
Path to EXE: "C:\g\Space EMPIRES IV\"
Game folder : "C:\g\SE4\"
Game name: "Test"
I am... : "Player" - No.:"1"
Total Players: "1"
Password: "*" <- nothing, only default value

and ...
ERROR - and dont understand it.

The tool copies the file to
"C:\g\Space Empires IV\Savegame" - at the right position - but that s all.
From my point of view - at this time the tool only has to start the game - but only the ERROR-message still stands up.

When I delete the Test.gam file while the MPHelper is still running - the tool will copy it another time and so on.

Dont understand it at all.

Aub · #2 October 4th, 2001, 02:18 AM

replied offline... I'll post as soon as we find the problem.

Aub

Aub · #3 October 4th, 2001, 08:43 PM

Well, it was the wrong Version after all. Seik installed the update over the old installation and that didn't work (I hate VB's Setup utility!)

Siek -- by the way, if you (re)install SE4 fonts on your machine, the way the helper looks will really improve. (Your screenshot looked like you didn't have them). Just drag the fonts from your Space Empires IV\Fonts directory into Windows\Fonts, that should be enough.

Aub

Seik · #4 October 5th, 2001, 01:40 AM

@Aub:

I ve made a copy of the fonts now - but I see no big difference.

But the main point is that the tool is running very well ... now.

btw: there is a new button FORCE - for what is it?

Seik

Aub · #5 October 5th, 2001, 02:30 AM

The "Force" button forces next turn generation, even if not all players have made their moves (the AI will take over). Useful if you have a huge game and want to keep it going at a reasonable pace.

It would be better if forcing new turns was also done automatically (e.g. according to a schedule). Maybe next Version...

Aub

geoschmo · #6 January 25th, 2002, 05:21 AM

(dig, dig, dig) "Hm, here's a nugget."

Aub or SJ,

Is anyone working on this anymore?

Would it be possible to adapt to play over the net instead of over a lan? I was thinking it might be useful for small games.

Geoschmo

Aub · #7 January 25th, 2002, 09:52 PM

I had an impression that TCP/IP would mostly supersede this helper in functionality.

One nice feature of the helper tho is that you can turn it off and back on, reboot a machine etc. etc. - it will just pick up where it left.

I have to admit I didn't have time to download and play with tcp/ip in the gold demo yet.
Depending on how convenient tcp/ip turns out to be (e.g. how easy it is to resume games, recover from network failures, manage the players etc.) it might make sense to do some more work on the helper, or to leave it alone.

And yes, it would be easy to adapt it for some kind of net play, e.g. for using ftp. That would be similar then to the RTC you're testing for PBW, only it could use any computer on the net to store the files, not necessarily the PBW site.

Geo, did you have any other features in mind, or maybe a concrete scenario where tcp/ip turns out to be inconvenient but a helper could save the day?

Aub