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Trash Talk - Metaspace Client Updates

Qndre - Mon Mar 15, 2004 8:44 am
Post subject: Metaspace Client Updates

IMPORTANT!!
This is a thread where I post the development status of my "Metaspace" client. Mr Ekted told me to start a new thread because the original thread "Spectate-Only-Client" now has 17 pages and people could think it's junk! Please read the blue description so you know what should be posted to this thread and what you should better post into the other thread.
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DEVELOPMENT REPORT:
Sorry, I am a bit busy at the moment so development continues a bit slowly. But I keep working on it.
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The idea of "Metaspace":
The idea of "Metaspace" (the client software included in the software package "SpecServ 2.0") is still the same as in the beginning of the development:

"Metaspace" should be a new Continuum client. It will be combined with my self coded webserver to make users (who don't have the Continuum client) able to spectate the game using their webbrowsers. So the program should recieve the data from the "Shanky Server", render it to an image file and send it to the browser there a plugin is running, which recieves the (very very compressed) image data from the server, decompresses it and puts it on screen, so everyone, who has a browser can spectate a game.

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Things the client is already able to do:
- Connect to a zone and keep the connection alive (if sysop powers)
- Use VIE encryption to secure connection
- ACK reliable packets
- Display ships as windows which are moved around at the screen
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Some of the next steps:
I must be able to calculate the path of objects which aren't discribed by position packets (bombs, bullets, etc.)! Then the renderer module must be expanded to be able to do more than just coordinate maps. It must include functions to blit images and transparent blitting would be nice.

So it should generate a matrix with the internal 256 color palette of Subspace. Then there should be a function to generate images out of the dot matrix and put them together to a continuous videostream which should be MPEG compressed with two different bitrates and there should be an option to handle the bandwidth and to restrict how many people are spectating at which compression ratio. Then I must implement a function to blit the radar view on top of the spectate view (transparent blitting if possible) and finally a kind of GUI for the spectators and a remote-administration function for administrators is needed (for the remote-administration function the login data MUST be encrypted - I won't let a NOT-SSL-CONNECTION run).
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What the future will bring:
A full C38 client integrated in a web server which can be set up by everyone and which can allow every user with a web-browser (even on linux systems) to spectate the game or the person who set it up to play and bypass bans. I do not want to cheat even if some people could abuse the source for it. The client should have a full physics engine, which I've already written and which already has been open-sourced by me. You can download it from the file being attached. Also important: This engine is still in beta.
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Other stuff:
If some of you want to suggest some features or code, please add it here. If you want to discuss about the clients, why it should work, why not, if you think it's bullshit or if you think it's really a great thing please use the thread "Spectate-Only-Client" because this is a serious development thread so please don't chat here.

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About the physics engine:
It is open-source! Feel free to use it in your own software if needed. It also supports 3D games (not only 2D games like subspace) and can simulate nearly all kinds of physics, like gravity, friction, no-energy-loose, ...
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Catid (the famous bot-developer) about the physics-engine:

Quote:

It's a solid idea based on established physics approximations, and I'd love to see an implementation of these things in Continuum. Eh, mainly just for Metal Gear.

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So please download it and feel free to include it in your own applications.

Cyan~Fire - Mon Mar 15, 2004 4:12 pm
Post subject:

Your source has a copyright (but invalid since it doesn't include a year) yet you say it's open source a freeware. Why not take that notice out?

Also, I would suggest re-writing it in C++ so most programmers can actually use it.

Qndre - Tue Mar 16, 2004 8:31 am
Post subject:

Thanks. I took it out. It was there because the source should be included in an ego shooter network game (like half-life) which was written by some friends and me (I should write the physics). But after a few lines we recognized that the project was way over our heads so I decided to write it "open" (usable for every program, no specific function calls) and suggest it for Continuum.
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I can't do C++ but the programming language it's written in is C-script so it won't be a problem to re-write in C++ for a good C/C++ programmer but I'm not good in C++.

So if you are good in C++, you shouldn't have any problem in re-writing it because C-script (also known as WDL) isn't very different from C. If I knew the differences, I might be able to correct it so that you can directly include it in C++ but ... you know my knowledge in C++ is 0 (I don't know the basics, I don't know the further stuff!)
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C-script is a bit simpler than C++ (maybe it isn't really but it looks simpler). So I used C-script to write the application. The differences between C-script and C++ are a bit like the differences between JavaScript and Java.

Mr Ekted - Tue Mar 16, 2004 1:29 pm
Post subject:

Your "physics engine" is about 1% of what's needed to handle SS physics.

Qndre - Tue Mar 16, 2004 2:30 pm
Post subject:

Mr Ekted wrote:

Your "physics engine" is about 1% of what's needed to handle SS physics.

Er... No! It's an enhancement. It creates a new physics from scratch. It shouldn't emulate SS physics. It creates a standalone physics which could also be used in subspace but it shouldn't be like subspace physics is now.
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If you want to see my other projects too or want to know what I'm just developing please look at my sourcecode download centre:
http://www.subspace-addicted.de.vu/downloads/
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But please don't tell me that "wirefram.c" is trash. I know that it's trash. I'm currently developing a new solution which is a full renderer then and not only a wireframe manager (which doesn't do anything but calculation in the old version). It's also more user-friendly and not in this syntax which no one needs.

The unusual syntax and the very low use is the reason why I say the old version is "far from being a beta".

Mr Ekted - Tue Mar 16, 2004 2:38 pm
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What i am saying is that you need LOTS more code to handle just the simple physics of SS.

Qndre - Tue Mar 16, 2004 2:47 pm
Post subject:

That may be true! Even if the physics of subspace is very primitive.