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#4380051 - 09/18/17 04:54 AM EAW and New(ish) Multiplayer Features  
Joined: May 2015
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MarkEAW Offline
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To help out 352nd squadron and as it peaked my interest to get the new multiplayer settings written out (together in one place) I wrote up this help doc:

https://eaw.neocities.org/eaw-codegroup-multiplayer.html


I also have a stock v1.2 help doc that most of the important settings are used still in v1.60 (as far as I know).

https://eaw.neocities.org/eaw-multiplayer.html


Hope they help.
If you guys know anything I can add or change, please let me know.

Inline advert (2nd and 3rd post)

#4380584 - 09/21/17 06:43 AM Re: EAW and New(ish) Multiplayer Features [Re: MarkEAW]  
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FsFOOT Offline
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Quote
..
Apparently one of the programmers (Chris Coon) said EAW was optimized or adjusted for 33k(player) and 56k(host) modems, 4MB graphic cards, 32MB system RAM and around 250MHz CPU. However, It seems impossible to get a stable connection with the maximum of 8 players over the internet. Just something to keep In mind.
..

Yes found that to be true in 1.2 but later 1.28? series.exes the limit was increased to 16. MrJelly would surely be able to elaborate.

#4380689 - 09/21/17 11:02 PM Re: EAW and New(ish) Multiplayer Features [Re: MarkEAW]  
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Yeah someone increased it to 16, think Knegel. and also adjusted some of the delays and warp settings for faster connections like DSL.
I have the 16 people listed on the other multiplay doc, just not sure if it was kept so I have a question mark by it.
Also something about a server exe was to be made, or was made and tested out. i guess the testing didn't go so well.

#4380940 - 09/23/17 06:32 AM Re: EAW and New(ish) Multiplayer Features [Re: MarkEAW]  
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Brit44 'Aldo' Offline
Every Human is Unique
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The main problem is that the code of that time is client-client. IE. the data must be shared for all computers in the MP. It is exponential for the number of players in the MP. Stability depends upon the lag. Error growth starts from the slowest client. The code needs to be rewritten to Client-Server. That would be the DirectPlay side of the code.


TPA who TWI
"The 10th Amendment simply says that any powers that aren’t mentioned in the Constitution as belonging to the government belong to the states themselves."
#4380941 - 09/23/17 06:44 AM Re: EAW and New(ish) Multiplayer Features [Re: MarkEAW]  
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Brit44 'Aldo' Offline
Every Human is Unique
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Mark,
I ramble, but it comes down to knowing which DLL of the game engine is used. If you have to rewrite that deep, root of the engine, then the effort is better spent upon a newer game engine or your own learning..


TPA who TWI
"The 10th Amendment simply says that any powers that aren’t mentioned in the Constitution as belonging to the government belong to the states themselves."
#4385703 - 10/18/17 10:29 PM Re: EAW and New(ish) Multiplayer Features [Re: MarkEAW]  
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MarkEAW Offline
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So its true then that Server.exe didn't last long , just in short testing?
(I guess only one game type can be used to join at will anyhow, I never played it so I don't know if that mayhem?? is any fun)

The 16 player limit, was that cut back down to 8 again?

#4385738 - 10/19/17 03:59 AM Re: EAW and New(ish) Multiplayer Features [Re: MarkEAW]  
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FsFOOT Offline
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Not sure there ever was a server.exe
There is some code that someone posted its in a zip somewhere. But it s no server.exe code. That is a myth that developed here on the forum since years ago, IMHO.
The t could have been so misnomered because that is what we always wanted for EAW but it never had AFAIK.

What it does have is the code for connecting to a DirectPlay server. (i.e. MSN Gaming Zone server if anyone remembers that?)
I'm sure Aldo could elaborate on what that is but you can google it.
EAW in multiplayer play launches d(direct)playserver.exe which is in Windows or DirectX API code
Just as other DirectPlay capable games of the period and since do.
So in other words there is nothing particularly special about EAW in this regard.

There was also talk of how the game project team used to play on their lan but think they used IPX. That and serial code I think has been removed since ?1.28

As for the 16 player limit I think that was Knegel's initiative (MrJelly or Wil g may have implemented?) and don't remember reading anymore on it or reason to reduce it.
...in ther words it should be still active AFAIK


I seem to remember that about this time is when Jel updated the multiplayer code allowing the additional of having a 'single type' multiplayer mission thereafter and so remains in @ all later .exes if I am correct.
This is in other words the ability to go into multiplayer option and screens and then launch a mission without any other players online.
The code AFAIK is related to the stuff wil g or whoever elaborated on.

Anyway Mark,
Look for comments by Knegel in the notes I sent you.

At this time you have all the notes I have. Which is probably the largest collection outside of previous TheGen coder group forum which AFAIK now does not exist anymore.

What EAW really needed was access to the the archive of the code group forum. That contains most all the posts of technical details that anyone discussed or posted of the changes.
Usually there was an ongoing thread posted about the latest exes at that time containing notices from the updaters - knegel or jelly primarily,
In some cases those were the only notes.

Very few changes within the code group exes have any comments within the code itself. Yes there are some early ones and hundreds of intials earlier but few useable comments to anyone outside of the code group if at all.
Most that were documented at all were in TheGen code threads. Those threads no longer exist AFAIK and there are no backups to my knowledge.
Some of the notes I have and you do now also are brief copies of some of those pages or other documents posted related.

-----

About the Code, ad nauseam..

- What about finding the changes from within?

However within the code sets if one uses a differentrial code analysis tool (diff or windiff, etc.) comparing changes you can find the actual changes.
It only requires a little study...

But this all assumes you can follow the code or have some comments at least you can follow as to what the code change means.

- Classically the coders group or original programmers would use VC6.0 Studio and the code sets available to compare manually.
The original programmers had a Visual Source Safe to access the codebut the coders group used no version control system.
Version control and commenting on code or documenting changes somewhere is essential for professional programmers or companies.
But amatuers like us in the code group or other hobbyists in general as Aldo once pointed out, rarely do so.

Thus for anyone with the intention of really knowing about the code changes today you / they would basically have to open a discussion with whoever did the code or knows it directly.
Because even if you had the code it would be far too confusing and time-consuming to track all the changes.

- Nowadays if one were to study the code you could use any IDE if you don't need to compile it. CodeBlocks is one
(Code::Blocks is a free, open-source cross-platform IDE that supports multiple compilers..)
I used and its almost a clone of VC6 and runs on later Windows as well as Linux etc.
Of course in Linux Mint OS I have Geany and so although I have CodeBlocks installed I never use it.



Last edited by FsFOOT; 10/19/17 04:08 AM. Reason: ...in ther words it should be still active AFAIK
#4385744 - 10/19/17 06:09 AM Re: EAW and New(ish) Multiplayer Features [Re: FsFOOT]  
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Moggy Online content
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Moggy  Online Content
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Quote

At this time you have all the notes I have. Which is probably the largest collection outside of previous TheGen coder group forum which AFAIK now does not exist anymore.

What EAW really needed was access to the the archive of the code group forum. That contains most all the posts of technical details that anyone discussed or posted of the changes.
Usually there was an ongoing thread posted about the latest exes at that time containing notices from the updaters - knegel or jelly primarily,
In some cases those were the only notes.

Very few changes within the code group exes have any comments within the code itself. Yes there are some early ones and hundreds of intials earlier but few useable comments to anyone outside of the code group if at all.
Most that were documented at all were in TheGen code threads. Those threads no longer exist AFAIK and there are no backups to my knowledge.


The Gen is still there, the few remaining active members of the Code Group post from time to time. All the threads are there, and they are backed up.

I usually don't post here any more because I have no time for the grief.

Last edited by Moggy; 10/19/17 06:09 AM.
#4385759 - 10/19/17 12:14 PM Re: EAW and New(ish) Multiplayer Features [Re: Moggy]  
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VonBeerhofen Offline
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Zandvoort, N-H, Netherlands
Status report from the EAW Launchpad:

We're still flying every other day with new FXEXE's and between 3 and 6 pilots. Progress is slow but will coninue. http://www.europeanairwar.net/ stayed nicely in the top of Google search and other search engines, hence it must be atracting a fair amount of attention.

Sadly several links on the pages are dead and can no longer be updated since the owner (Tosh123UK) has died. The domain name is under my control though and may eventually be transferred to my own website. Recent changes by my ISP prevent me from uploading new material, my personal space uses secure data transfer for which I have no software.

Hence all contacts are going through our chatroom and will be dealt with through e-mail only.

http://www.chatzy.com/251310437564

Access to SimHQ has become too cumbersome and my current Vista machine will probably be the last one I bought but I'll deal with any questions and online players in Chatzy, as long as technology permits me. I'll post about new devellopments there too, if any. Latest FXEXE news is that a few minor bugs were cured, 'computed' gunsight was added, navigational lights were added to planes, new crash behaviour was introduced, plane explosions now damage surrounding planes, 4 new smoke/explosion algorythms have been added, take off dust and new damage smokes are under revision. V1 slot is fully flyable now, with it's own engine sound. When set to none flyable in PLANES.DAT it'll adapt it's original behaviour. Other planes become Kamikaze when set to none flyable too. In the works, adding siren sound to enemy airfields and illuminated dials and more plane debris when plane is destroyed (props, tailpiece, cockpit parts etc.)

Thx for reading this and happy flying, Thx to Mark for being an intermediary now I can no longer update my personal website.

VonBeerhofen

Last edited by VonBeerhofen; 10/19/17 02:55 PM.
#4385892 - 10/20/17 02:07 AM Re: EAW and New(ish) Multiplayer Features [Re: MarkEAW]  
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MarkEAW Offline
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Alright FsFOOT, Thanks for the info and I'll look at those notes.

VBH, no problem and I see you added some stuff to FXEXE I didn't have on my site yet....


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