LAN helper
 

We are getting ready to play SE over LAN, and so I downloaded SJ's LAN helper.

I think it's a very cool little app. But after experimenting with it for a while it looked like it still did not provide fully automated game play and all the convenience one would expect form this type of multiplayer game.

So I went off and put together my own helper (with such tools as VB it does not take long http://www.shrapnelgames.com/ubb/images/icons/icon6.gif ). You can find it on http://briefcase.yahoo.com/bc/andrei...?.dir=/Friends

There is a setup that installs all the necessary DLLs and fonts (but it is quite huge because of that http://www.shrapnelgames.com/ubb/images/icons/icon9.gif ) No help file is provided but I guess it's very easy to figure out how to work this thing (just fill in all the fields and start it up!)

I've also included the sources -- in case someone would like to improve it http://www.shrapnelgames.com/ubb/ima...ons/tongue.gif

Comments, suggestions and bug reports are always welcome http://www.shrapnelgames.com/ubb/images/icons/icon7.gif

Aub

Edit: typos

[This message has been edited by Aub (edited 26 September 2001).]

[This message has been edited by Aub (edited 26 September 2001).]

Re: LAN helper
 

can you place the files here or in the mod section.

I have right clicked and downloaded them.

But that way they will not get lost.

Thanks.

------------------
Inter arma silent leges

[This message has been edited by tesco samoa (edited 26 September 2001).]

Re: LAN helper
 

I'm a bit swamped with work right now, but I'll definitely check it out.

I am always willing to take suggestions for improvement on my stuff.

Re: LAN helper
 

I've made a couple more small UI enhancements, and I am testing them right now. As soon as I am done I'll post the result in the Mod section.

SJ - I basically wanted it to be 100% automatic, so that's where all the improvements are (of course I was building on your idea!). It now handles hosting as well as playing, and it takes care of transferring the files between the players and the host. And since it knows the game name and watches time stamps of game files, you don't need to make any additional clicks. It just works.

I hope someone will find it useful.

Aub

Re: LAN helper
 

My LAN helper was designed for sequential turn games. You've just done the other half http://www.shrapnelgames.com/ubb/images/icons/icon7.gif

What I really need to do is add a checkbox "don't ask before loading SE4", then it will be totally automatic.

PS: Do you know anything about the sequential turn bug? (loading a sequential game from the commandline leaves all ships with zero movement!)

Re: LAN helper
 

Sequential turns? Oh, I see - it makes total sense now!

Frankly I just never considered seq. turns as an option for multiplayer. And not only because of this bug. For 2 guys spending the evening at SE, seq. turns might be OK. But if more people are playing (e.g. we plan to have 6 or 7 players!), it becomes so painfully slow. Plus, it's a problem if someone drops out, tactical combat is a problem, etc., etc.

Re: LAN helper
 

Yep. In fact, I custom built my LAN Helper for SEIK, and wasn't really concerned about simul play.
He just needed a program to identify new game files, and start SE4 automatically when they arrived.

SEIK: If you don't see any mention of a fix in the next patch, you may want to send a reminder.
Also, another idea for you:
Try setting your path.txt to your opponent's SE4 folder (mapped to a network drive). Then, your default savegame folder should be right where you want it to be.

Re: LAN helper
 

SJ - I ve posted MM this bug (we talked about).

But until yet there is now answer - I hope they had read it and fix it asap.

I ve tried many ways to start SE4 squl.game but every time ships did nt have any movement points left.

Seik

Re: LAN helper
 

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Aub:
Sequential turns? Oh, I see - it makes total sense now!

Frankly I just never considered seq. turns as an option for multiplayer. And not only because of this bug. For 2 guys spending the evening at SE, seq. turns might be OK. But if more people are playing (e.g. we plan to have 6 or 7 players!), it becomes so painfully slow. Plus, it's a problem if someone drops out, tactical combat is a problem, etc., etc.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Hi Aub,

I ve sent you an email - any idea about the problem?

Re: LAN helper
 

Seik,

I am sorry but your email was sorted out as junk by Hotmail. I had to go and find it in the junk email folder when I saw your posting http://www.shrapnelgames.com/ubb/images/icons/icon9.gif There must be something weird about it http://www.shrapnelgames.com/ubb/ima...s/confused.gif

To start a multiplayer game you need to save your game in a shared folder, different form your local savegame folder. The helper will copy your turn files into your local savegame folder and then back to the host (sahred folder) automatically. I am sorry the error message is somewhat confusing http://www.shrapnelgames.com/ubb/images/icons/icon7.gif, it simply cannot copy a file onto itself and thinks there is a problem accessing it.

So -- when creating a game, save it in a different folder. Give it a try, that should work -- I used it today to play http://www.shrapnelgames.com/ubb/ima...ons/icon12.gif

BTW I recently updated the app - it works on both Win2K and Win9x now. There was a nasty incompatibility bug http://www.shrapnelgames.com/ubb/images/icons/icon9.gif

Hope this helps -- Aub

Re: LAN helper
 

@Aub: np http://www.shrapnelgames.com/ubb/ima...ons/icon12.gif

Thanks for the hint - I ll try this way.

Is it possible to be HOST and PLAYER on the same machine? &lt;- two copies of your tool (setting-problems)?

[This message has been edited by seik (edited 03 October 2001).]

Re: LAN helper
 

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" -&gt; 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: "*" &lt;- 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.

Re: LAN helper
 

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

Aub

Re: LAN helper
 

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

Re: LAN helper
 

@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. http://www.shrapnelgames.com/ubb/ima...ons/icon12.gif

btw: there is a new button FORCE - for what is it? http://www.shrapnelgames.com/ubb/images/icons/shock.gif

Seik

Re: LAN helper
 

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... http://www.shrapnelgames.com/ubb/images/icons/icon7.gif

Aub

Re: LAN helper
 

(dig, dig, dig) "Hm, here's a nugget." http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif

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

Re: LAN helper
 

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

Re: LAN helper
 

Well, specifically I was thinking of right now with PBW being down. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

I am aware that no one solution is likely to be perfect in every case for all eternity. PBW was intended to make the distribution of files of PBEM more convenient. And it does a great job at that. RTC is an attempt to make PBW even more conveient by automating the player end of it.

However there might be situations where players for whatever reaason may not want to use the PBW service for their game. Or they may be limited by the RTC firewall issue, as I am at work.

If Lan Helper could be configured to use ftp, then it would have a solid niche there, as well as be available in times when PBW is down.

I haven't used the Lan helper yet because noone on my LAN plays Space Empires but me. I have been playing some PBEM games while PBW is down. I would like to be able to have a utility for a two player game that can tell when both of us are done with our turns and then run the next turn. I don't care which is the host. And then launches me back into my turn.

Does Lan helper sound like it could do the job? It does to me, but as I said, I haven't used it yet. Basically I want to eliminate moving the files around entirely.

Geoschmo

Re: LAN helper
 

Aub,

Any thoughts?

Geo

Re: LAN helper
 

<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by geoschmo:

Any thoughts?
<hr></blockquote>

Sure thing. As I said, it should be easy to make the helper work with ftp. I cannot promise to make the changes today (or even this week may be problematic), but I'll start working on it asap.

Aub

Re: LAN helper
 

Hey, no problem. No rush. I just wanted to make sure you got the message.