[4.1.2.0] Network multi-player doesn't sync up properly

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Eizzoux
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[4.1.2.0] Network multi-player doesn't sync up properly

Post by Eizzoux »

I when I first tried launching up one game four times on one laptop and connect each other and then starting the game on older version, they weren't really connected to each other, at least there was no multi-player sync in gameplay what-so-ever, no matter how you move, you don't move for other players, which kinda destroys the purpose of multi-player connection. In the new update this issue was fixed... but of course, not without it's problems. When I connected them all together, I started moving as player 2 and... Yes, he moves everywhere! I tried with each player, works just as intended! But then when I was running as player 4 while looking at the game of player 1, I hear him dying. I see his explosion loot (custom elements instead of purple emeralds because these are supposed to be blue emeralds but I just didn't load up the required graphics) in player 3 and player 4 screens, while on player 1's screen he's fine (on player 2's screen player 2 was too far away from player 4). What's also interesting, I could still control player 4 on his screen and so he'll be moving in player 1's screen. Then I dies as him in player 1's screen and... purple emeralds instead of custom elements? I guess the game got confused is player 4 dead or alive (that pun wasn't really intended, I swear) and kind of reset player 4's custom explosion after his first death, I don't really know. Then I started moving as player 3 and... got stuck under rocks on player 1's screen, while on others I was still running around free. Then I started running around as player 1 and... I think you guessed it, died on every screen except player 1's screen. This is getting more and more ridiculous. Then I killed him too and... game over on every screen except player 1's screen, because player 3 is still alive in player 1's game. I guess that happens because the game syncs up only player's inputs (what buttons is player pressing, how long does he hold these buttons) and the sync is just getting lost for some players because of delay and so he steps on wrong location and unsyncs with others.
Top left is player 2, top right is player 1, bottom left is player 3 and bottom right is player 4
Player 4 died, also player 3 is 1 block ahead of others in p1 screen.
Player 4 died, also player 3 is 1 block ahead of others in p1 screen.
mp1.png (934.15 KiB) Viewed 3319 times
Player 4 died on p1 screen and left wrong elements after dying, player 3 is stuck for player 1.
Player 4 died on p1 screen and left wrong elements after dying, player 3 is stuck for player 1.
mp2.png (897.55 KiB) Viewed 3319 times
Player 1 died, but he's fine in his game.
Player 1 died, but he's fine in his game.
mp3.png (891.61 KiB) Viewed 3319 times
Game over for everyone except player 1 since he has last survivor in his crew.
Game over for everyone except player 1 since he has last survivor in his crew.
mp4.png (879.83 KiB) Viewed 3319 times
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Holger
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Re: [4.1.2.0] Network multi-player doesn't sync up properly

Post by Holger »

Argh... There were a few changes (bug fixes) to multi-player games a few days ago; maybe I've fixed things here and broke it there. :shock:

I will do some more network game tests with all four players again; it looks like the problems you encountered should be easy to reproduce. Oh well... :?
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Re: [4.1.2.0] Network multi-player doesn't sync up properly

Post by Holger »

So far I wasn't able to reproduce this problem with 4.1.2.0.

What I did: I created a very simple level with all four players, plus some emeralds and rocks to play with (and to easily kill a player). Started that level with all four players in four instances of R'n'D, running around in all four game windows, collecting some emeralds with each player. Worked fine. Killed some players with rocks. Still worked fine. Tried to find a way to reproduce the out-of-sync scenario you encountered, but no luck. :-o

Is there anything special about your setup that I might have missed?

Are you able to reproduce those problems with a "simplest possible" level as described here?

Any special actions (or in a certain order) I should do to reproduce the problem?
BrownSky
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Re: [4.1.2.0] Network multi-player doesn't sync up properly

Post by BrownSky »

Not an answer to this post, more of a quick side-question. It never occurred to me that you could run multiple instances of RnD on the same computer. Great. That would solve the problem of having only 1 screen for up to 4 players. But...

1. How do you do it?
2. How do the different instances each get their own keyboard input? I thought in Windows only one window could be active and receiving the input?

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John
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Holger
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Re: [4.1.2.0] Network multi-player doesn't sync up properly

Post by Holger »

It never occurred to me that you could run multiple instances of RnD on the same computer. Great.
Yes, that's handy for testing network stuff... :-)
That would solve the problem of having only 1 screen for up to 4 players.
Maybe it does not work the way you think it does... :-/
1. How do you do it?
Just double-click the program icon when the program is already running to start it a second (third, fourth) time. (At least this works fine on Windows 7.)
2. How do the different instances each get their own keyboard input? I thought in Windows only one window could be active and receiving the input?
That's correct, so you have to move all four players in their own R'n'D (then active) windows -- not at the same time, but one after another. FIne to test networking, but probably not-so-fine for real games with more than one participant. :-/
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