Short: UDPfuncsV2.5 for Blitz-good for Net games Author: anton@ww.co.nz (Anton Reinauer) Uploader: anton@ww.co.nz (Anton Reinauer) Version: 2.5 Type: dev/basic Requires: dev/basic/TCP-to-Blitz.lha, WB 2.0+, min 1.5 meg mem, TCP stack -Ie: Miami These are functions to use the UDP protocol for multiplayer internet games in Blitz2. Also there is a small IRC-like chat program which is a good Net game communications test-bed. It checks wether packets have arrived at their destination by using an acknowledgement system, and resends packets if necessary (it is also able to send packets unreliably if wanted). Also it can also act as either a Server or Client. It has full Connect/Disconnect routines- each player is informed of the new player and starts sending any messages to the new player, as the communication is still Peer-To-Peer. Players are automatically disconnected by the Server if they can't be contacted for a certain amount of time. There's a few TCP functions as well, like converting an ASCII address to numerical (long), and vice-versa, getting your local IP address etc. Some of the log-in and message protocols could be used in TCP games as well. It has an Arexx port to allow you to automatically connect to other UDP_Chat programs from AmiComSys, IRC, StrICQ etc- you just have to pass a host address to UDP_Chat. UDP is more appropriate for fast action games, like Doom clones, XWing clones, or platformers, maze games etc; anything that needs small lags (ping times), to remain playable over the Internet/LAN. What's new in V2.5! Version 2.5 14/06/1999 ------------ Shifted LocalHost: button to the left to allow for longer localhost names. You can now send and receive Unreliable messages. I've added the Function Send_Unreliable_Message{}. Decode_Packet{} now recognises unreliable packets and sends them to Security_Warning to be printed out. Button 7 now toggles between sending Reliable and Unreliable messages. Any sent unreliable messages now have SU at the beginning of the line, and any received unreliable messages have RU at the beginning. Fixed a bad bug- well bad programming I'd done early on actually. Send_Reliable_Message{} was changing last_message_number at certain times, when only Find_Next_Message{} should have been dealing with it- naughty! UDP_Header is V1.2, the net protocol header is now V0.5 I've changed Security_Warning{} and Comms_Debug{}, so they now put the messages into arrays rather than calling Print_String{}. Instead you can get the messages by calling either Read_Security_Warning{}, or Read_Comms_Debug_Messages{} which return either a message or empty string "", if there's no more messages waiting to be printed out. Print_String{} has been put with the Game functions, so now you can cut and paste all the UDP stuff into your program in one section. Added some more Theory to the Guide. ============================= Archive contents ============================= Original Packed Ratio Date Time Name -------- ------- ----- --------- -------- ------------- 22203 8736 60.6% 23-Apr-98 12:58:06 +Lag problems in Net games 2614 964 63.1% 30-Apr-99 12:15:48 +net_protocol_header.bb2 1242 219 82.3% 30-Apr-99 12:15:48 +net_protocol_header.bb2.xtra 283474 79146 72.0% 18-Jun-99 17:24:42 +Old_Stuff.lha 267 196 26.5% 12-May-98 22:17:14 +Quit_UDP_Chat.rexx 1290 666 48.3% 29-Jul-98 15:04:56 +UDP_Chat.rexx 39499 15351 61.1% 14-Jun-99 21:31:50 +UDP-Examples.guide 53411 13772 74.2% 14-Jun-99 21:36:28 +UDP_ChatV2.5.asc 1242 179 85.5% 14-Jun-99 21:14:38 +UDP_ChatV2.5.bb2.xtra 5657 2091 63.0% 23-Apr-99 19:19:02 +UDPFuncs.bb2 1242 189 84.7% 23-Apr-99 19:19:02 +UDPFuncs.bb2.xtra 1206 522 56.7% 05-May-99 13:23:38 +UDPHeader.bb2 1242 190 84.7% 05-May-99 13:23:38 +UDPHeader.bb2.xtra -------- ------- ----- --------- -------- 414589 122221 70.5% 18-Jun-99 21:36:56 13 files