imported_Steel_Rain Posted October 5, 2002 Share Posted October 5, 2002 After playing several tcp/ip games it occurs to me that the pre game negotiation is both complex and frought with error. We now have so many options that it is getting to be a pain to get setup correctly. That all being said, I think that the solution would be to allow both opponents to connect to the game at the setup screen. Allow both people to see the setup screen and all changes being made. It would be important to have chat ability during this time so they could negotiate the parameters to play with. Dont know how hard it might be to implement this, but it sure would be nice. Cheers. Kevin; [ October 05, 2002, 10:29 AM: Message edited by: Steel_Rain ] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GJK Posted October 5, 2002 Share Posted October 5, 2002 I 2nd this! It's kind of buggy to have to alt-tab out of the game just so you can ICQ or email (or call or wave?) to your opponent that you have the game set and that they can now connect. If both players connected first, then went through the setup process together (with the host being the only one that can actually make a change) and while having chat available... I believe this is the most common approach to 2 player TCP/IP games, at least in my experiences (though limited), no? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redwolf Posted October 5, 2002 Share Posted October 5, 2002 This is easily supported by a third-party web application. Both opponents fill out a form having all the parameters. For each parameter they declare "this is a must" or "can live without it" or "don't really" care. The programs behind the web forms then looks over the two form results and reports "hard" conflicts which then get resolved in IRC and a new pair of forms is filled. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GJK Posted October 5, 2002 Share Posted October 5, 2002 Originally posted by redwolf: This is easily supported by a third-party web application. Both opponents fill out a form having all the parameters. For each parameter they declare "this is a must" or "can live without it" or "don't really" care. The programs behind the web forms then looks over the two form results and reports "hard" conflicts which then get resolved in IRC and a new pair of forms is filled.Ugh...I do enough "forms" at tax time. I guess it's alt-tab, "is this ok?" "ok, we're ready now", alt-tab back to game, start the game for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redwolf Posted October 5, 2002 Share Posted October 5, 2002 The concern that there are too many parameters you have to talk about is justified. If you have lots of time or don't really care for a parameter more or less, then fine, but why do you tell other people they should do it the same way? I think the whiner-whiners begin to annoy me... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GJK Posted October 5, 2002 Share Posted October 5, 2002 Originally posted by redwolf: The concern that there are too many parameters you have to talk about is justified. If you have lots of time or don't really care for a parameter more or less, then fine, but why do you tell other people they should do it the same way? I think the whiner-whiners begin to annoy me...I said: I guess it's alt-tab, "is this ok?" "ok, we're ready now", alt-tab back to game, start the game for me. ME I said. Not telling other people how to do, just how I do it. And the topic is "Feature Request", not "whiner's whining" or the like. Simply saying that it seems to me that in most TCP/IP 2 player games, both players go through the setup together so that the parameters can be agreed upon without having to go outside of the game to do it. And that, is a "Feature Request" that I share with the original poster. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steel Rain Posted October 6, 2002 Share Posted October 6, 2002 Hi redwolf, long time I guess my issue is more centered around making mistakes and pissing someone off. Most network games have a chat lobby on the main screen where everyone can see what is set. Now, from my point of view, this is probably a non trivial thing to do at this point. But it might not be. I can deal with the situation as it is now, but it just a bit of a headache and I find myself saying "setup what ever you want, and I will play it". Right redwolf Cheers.... Kevin; Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joeski Posted October 6, 2002 Share Posted October 6, 2002 Sounds like a good idea to me. on the side... If you call someone a whiner arent you whining about it? Oh wait I just did it myself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redwolf Posted October 6, 2002 Share Posted October 6, 2002 Well I always have a seperate screen for IRC and the negotiations annoy the hell out of me, so I really support the idea to fix or do somefink. My point was just that it can be done outside the game in a web application. That doesn't help against the need to Alt-Tab. I would hate to see a half-baken IRC client in the game. Better let the players get a real IRC client of their choice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GJK Posted October 6, 2002 Share Posted October 6, 2002 Hey Redwolf, is there an IRC channel for CM? For opponent finding I mean? Sounds like there must be by your post. What channel is that? I haven't IRC'd in years. As far as the topic on hand, I think a "fix" would be to have the radio chat that's already built into the game become enabled as soon as your opponent makes the connection. Of course that's a lot easier said than done I'm sure. If you've ever played Links (golf) game online, the process is really nice, you can chat with it's built in chat (much like the radio in CM) while viewing all the setup screens. Only the host can change the settings, but your partner can make suggestions throughout the process. Something like that would really be nice, but again, a total reprogramming of the whole game I'm sure and just not in the scope of this release. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WWB Posted October 6, 2002 Share Posted October 6, 2002 CMHQ chat is as good an IRC channel as there is for CMxx. You can find it at www.combatmission.com then click on chat in the menu. As for a chat within the game, I dont see that happening based on order of operations if nothing else. You dont connect until well after the parameters are set. And I highly doubt they are going to rewrite the whole game starting sequence just for something as trivial as avoiding a little task switching. WWB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steel Rain Posted October 6, 2002 Share Posted October 6, 2002 That is kinda what I figure as well. One thing that did occur to me though would be to build a game launcher with the options and chat there. You could then pass the actual game the paramers for setup. I am guess though that this might be hard but I though I would ask. Perhaps in the rewrite. Kevin; Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redwolf Posted October 6, 2002 Share Posted October 6, 2002 The thing could also be settled by making the Quickbattle parameters commandline switches, in combination with third-party programming. The web application I described above could, after successful bitching^H^H^Hnegotiations, print a commandline to the browser window which you then cut'n'paste into an xterm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
russellmz Posted October 7, 2002 Share Posted October 7, 2002 more whining: i hate having to write down the ip address on paper before going to cm to enter it. or if no pen avaliable, having to hit escape every 2-3 numbers(bad memory) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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