RE: [Balder-devel] Networking

[bhansen <bh...@uv...>]

>===== Original Message From Pd <pd...@so...> =====
>>
>>
>>>3/ Can't develop efficient network code
>>>   It is going to be difficult for me with a single PC to write
>>>networking code. Eventhough I thinck it is possible to open a socket
>>>on the local machine (????) and simulate a local server.
>>>
>>
>>that's ok, we just need to understand the framework we're working with;
>>will have (at least) 2 networked machines this summer to work with, so as
>>long as we keep a modular approach there should be plenty of non-
>>network stuff to do.
>>
>Well, i've tried some network code using the borax code. I've used a
>single PC with the balder program executing twice. I've opened a port on
>the 'server' and i've tried to connet to it with the other instace as a
>client. Then i've sent some data from the client to the server (and from
>server to the client too) and it has worked fine. To do this, i fixed
>some errors in the borax code and i did some bad things (i need the
>network instace in the mwindow class, so i make bad code to get it,
>that's the reason because i don't commit anything). I connect to my
>local machine using the 'localhost' as ip address.
>Now, i have a question. What port will we use to connect to? (i've use
>the 2222 port because it's used in the blocks programs).

as far as I know, that's as good as any.  I'de assume it shouldn't be that 
hard to change right?  We should use a define for that (#define CONNECT_PORT 
2222), so if later on we find that some port is best suited, we can use that.  
Or maybe even a variable, so people can use any port they want.

>One bug of the borax code is that HandleEvent is not called (when it
>should be, because i think that it is handled correctly), so i call it
>manually when the cscmdPreProcess event happens. This is not correct at
>all, but i don't know how to solve this, and well, it works. This should
>be fixed (i'll put some tag it in the code). You can see this when i
>commit the code. So you won't surprise when you see a call to the
>network in the cscmdPreProcess event.

Might be better to stick this in Game::preFrame(); not sure tho.  I'm not sure 
if I mentioned this before, but when you find bugs in borax, I'm sure the guy 
who wrote it would appriciate it if you let him know about them as well :)

>I'll create a class that manages connection and it will be responsible
>for send all the events (and states) and recive all the events and
>process it (interacting with the data game).
>When i'll have something, i'll send it.
>

great!

>>>4/ CS network driver
>>>   does not support broadcasting apparently. So we can forget about
>>>peer to peer ????
>>>
>>
>>that's fine with me, one approach is probably all we want to try to handle
>>anyway.
>>
>Well, CS network driver can not support broadcasting, but we can do it
>manually, it's easy (if you hold all the ip address).
>
>And one doubt. If the client sends an event, that event is reproduced in
>the client when de server back it? in other words, when i press the
>button to fire, in that moment the game only send that action to the
>server and only start the action of fire on the client when the server
>send it back?
>When you answer this, i'll make other questions... :-)
>
>Noiro

what I'm thinking is this.  when you press the fire button, you would 
immediately see yourself fire, but it'll just be a visible effect.  It won't 
effect the game state untill the event is recieved from the server.  This for 
events that you want to feel fast, like looking around and firing.  For things 
that can be a little slower, I think we can wait for the event to come back 
from the server before taking any action in the client.

in "Ender's Game" the suits were described as making movements slow to start, 
so this should be fine,  besides less than a half second is hardly noticable 
in actions like pushing off a wall, or increasing your rotation rate.

Bjorn