ZDaemon

Zorro · Unstoppable! Joined: 12 Oct 2005 Location: Your Closet

The ACS language wasnt really designed for a networked environment and I think that if wee added a few features, the results would allow for some great scripts to be written. I mean, it's not like the Zdeamon project strives to be an exact replica of the most recent ZDoom anyway. I never opened up a single file of the ZDoom source, so I obviously dont know how exactly the ACS compiler and interpreter are implemented. Thus, I have little idea how difficult it would be to implement these ideas but here I go

Shared Variables: there should be the ability to crate a type of variable that remains consistant with all the clients. When client A updates shared variabe ALPHA, the variable gets updated in client B's client.

A way to differentiate between clients - TIDs arent really a solution like they are in a local game where you dont respawn. A fuction Client_GetID() would be good. where it returns a variable that doesnt change for the client, but is different for every client

Functions controlling aspects of the game added by Zdaemon: (such as Player_SetScore(client_id, amount), Player_GetScore(client_id) Player_GetTeam(client_id) Team_SetScore(MACRO_IDENTIFYING_TEAM), Team_GetScore(MACRO_IDENTIFYING_TEAM) Team_ReturnFlag(MACRO_IDENTIFYING_TEAM) ect.

it would open many doors (perhaps polyobject ones) in ACS scripting

Ronald

_KE9_NecroMage · Dominating! Joined: 05 Feb 2005 Location: NJ, USA

I am not a hundred percent sure of what version of acc (thats the compiler for the scripts for those that don't know) was the current one when zdoom 1.23b (or whatever version of zdoom this is based on) came out. Because of that I don't know what features were absent from the current compiler. I do know that the current version (1.42) does have basic support for a few interesting things though. Thanks to Carn the current acc that is used by zdoom (yes, not only skulltag but zdoom) supports such things as scripts running when the blue flag is returned as well as built in functions that return the number of players on the blue team and the ability to score points for a team. Here is the catch, though, even though you can create a script with all of those things zdoom just ignores it. Therefore, all zdaemon really has to do is its own code for dealing with the functions and there you go. Now, I haven't tested it but I will when I get the chance that zdaemon does use these functions and I just didn't know that.

I know all of this because the latest version of acc (1.42) includes changes that I made to it, so I am not talking out of my ass here.

Ronald · Posted: Fri Jul 28, 2006 11:14 am Post subject:

Stealth · Gone with the wind Joined: 09 Nov 2004

Nah, in fact it would be more of a hassle than anything. Remember when they changed the sound code to that of the latest ZDoom? Just sound? Complete chaos. Sounds were not scaled properly by bars, 1on1 players raged, and it took weeks to fix.

Now let's say we replace the code entirely.. Nothing will work, the game would have to many bugs to make it playable, and it would take months to finish.

Take a look at the changelog for the time difference between release of ZDaemon 0.99 and ZDaemon 1.0, for migration of code from ZDoom 1.22 to ZDoom 1.23.

Ronald · Posted: Fri Jul 28, 2006 4:05 pm Post subject:

Thundare · Posting Spree! Joined: 07 Aug 2006 Location: portland OR

that is all good too know

Thundare · Posting Spree! Joined: 07 Aug 2006 Location: portland OR

good too know

The Ultimate DooMer · God like! Joined: 30 Aug 2004

Updating the scripts, even to the level of Skulltag (2.0.63a) would be enough to make stuff happen.

But of course that's too new....

[n00b]Adereth · Posted: Tue Aug 08, 2006 11:37 pm Post subject:

Englander · God like! Joined: 04 Jun 2004 Location: Devon, England

I know shit about programming, but common sense tells me it's probably alot more fucking difficult to transfer these features to a port who's native purpose is online than a usual local port. It's probably like trying to mod a car with a diesel engine using the same method on a petrol one, sure, the cars do the same thing, but they operate very differently. That's how I see it.

I'm fairly sure that if the developers could of implemented it by now it would be there in all it's shiny glory, but there is obviously problems and side effects, who knows.

enVision · A.K.A. Rat-Arsed Joined: 13 Dec 2002 Location: Lagland

The main hurdle would be splitting it into server/client portions I'd have thought. Still, a lot to be done first.

Ronald · Posted: Wed Aug 09, 2006 4:06 pm Post subject:

I am looking forward to it.

[n00b]Adereth · Posted: Wed Aug 09, 2006 4:43 pm Post subject:

Englander · God like! Joined: 04 Jun 2004 Location: Devon, England

You could always ring him first.

_KE9_NecroMage · Dominating! Joined: 05 Feb 2005 Location: NJ, USA

I don't know how zdaemon handles acs internally but I would imagine the hard part would be getting all the information down to a small size so that it doesn't take forever for each packet to send. Other then that I don't see what the problem is.

ALIENwolve · Posted: Wed Aug 09, 2006 10:23 pm Post subject:

No clue.

(Hex, hex dammit!) Shifty eyes...

[n00b]Adereth · Posted: Wed Aug 09, 2006 10:29 pm Post subject:

Understaffing is the problem, actually. Huge ACS fixage has already been done, but it isn't complete or in a state that can be called release quality. I estimate we'll see it in/by 1.10.

_KE9_NecroMage · Dominating! Joined: 05 Feb 2005 Location: NJ, USA

If understaffing is the problem I would gladly help out but alas, I don't think I can do it with my current programming skills.

Ronald · Posted: Thu Aug 10, 2006 12:19 am Post subject: