Re: network play

[Hans Ronne <hronne at pp dot sbbs dot se>]

>Here's a question for the networking gurus out there:
>I'd like to play via the internet.
>
>I have a cable-modem & a router/firewall.  My IP address
>is (relatively) static.  My friend is using a regula 56K modem.
>
>1) will Xconq be fast enough over a 56K modem?
>2) how do we find each other?  Should I host the game, and
>    then he connect to me, or the other way around?  Or is
>    this even possible?
>
>I know just enough of this network stuff to be dangerous...

Using the network game is really simple. I do think you can play it over a
modem, but this is excatly the kind of stuff we need to test. It doesn't
matter who of you hosts the game in a 2 player game, but the client needs
to know the IP of the host. So it would make sense for you to host the
game. Here is what you do:

1. The host launches the game, hits "Connect" and then hits "Host Game".
You can leave the default address (localhost) in place, it translates into
whatever IP you are using.

2. The client launches the game, hits "Connect", enters your IP instead of
"localhost" and then hits "Join Game". Both of you will see the other
player listed in the Chat window if things work.

3. You then proceed to set up the game as usual. Both of you can change the
setup, but only the host can hit OK in order to proceed to the next window.
You can talk using the Chat window while you are doing this and throughout
the whole game.

One thing you do need to worry about if you have a firewall is that port
3075 (which xconq uses) is open for traffic. It is possible to use another
port instead if both of you agree to do that, but I don't recommend that
unless you really know what you are doing.

Some advice for playing the network game:

1. Don't turn on the AI (mplayer) for either side since it will slow down
the game a lot. This is particularly true if the client uses the AI.

2. If you do turn on the AI for either side, don't ever turn it off again.
This will immediately crash the network game.

3. If you have a third side in the game that is under AI control, you will
find that it doesn't do anything. This is a bug in the tcltk version (the
Mac version works fine).

4. Try to stick with sequential games. Turn on the sequential option in the
setup, if available.

5. If the "Reference to dead unit" warnings pop up just keeep clicking
until they go away. However, when asked if you want to see more warnings,
always answer yes, even though you don't want to. If you answer no, xconq
will save and exit. This is a bug in the tcltk interface.

I recommend that you first test everything by playing two games against
each other on your own computer. In that case, you don't even need to enter
a host IP in the client's Chat window. It will find the host if you keep
"localhost".

Hans

Hans Ronne

hronne@pp.sbbs.se