Jump to content
The Dark Mod Forums

TDM and multiplayer


MirceaKitsune

Recommended Posts

I'm sure the idea has occurred in someone's mind before, and it's certainly made me curious: Has a multiplayer mode ever been considered? Obviously I'm not talking about DeathMatch, and players using bows and swords to frag each other and score... there are enough FPS projects designed for that purpose. I'm thinking of multiple players partaking in the same mission on a server.

 

The most obvious way is a coop mod, where any player can join the mission and play it as usual (no attacking each other). When a player completes an objective, the objective is marked as completed for everyone. Players can form groups and go for different objectives to complete the mission faster. I believe this would automatically work for all existing missions.

 

An alternative mode, which is what I think would make the effort worth it, are players being able to join different sides: When entering the server, each player is asked what role they wish to play. Each role changes where the player spawns, what objectives they have, and who their enemies and allies are (among both players and AI). For example, a mission can contain the two roles "thief" and "guard": Players who join the thief team spawn outside of a house which they must enter and rob, and will be attacked by both guard AI's and guard players. Players who join the guard team instead will spawn in the house and be friends with guard AI's, while their objective is to find and kill all players in the thief team. I imagine this would require greater coding and refractoring some existing mechanics though.

 

Obviously there would be limitations and concerns to playing online. The most obvious is that saving and loading would no longer be possible, and once a player is dead they must be turned into a floating spectator. Another issue is that unlike FPS games, TDM would be more prone to trolling in an online environment. For example, if there's an objective which requires you to not kill someone, a troublemaker can do so and end the game for all players. Some players might also feel like killing everyone in sight, making others who prefer stealth feel that the game is being ruined.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

The game code does have multi-player support built in. But you're suggesting a completely different game, one that'd need new maps designing for it, and one that I suspect most of our players (including me) wouldn't want to play. For me at least this game is about plotting and planning my movements without being hurried.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The game code does have multi-player support built in. But you're suggesting a completely different game, one that'd need new maps designing for it, and one that I suspect most of our players (including me) wouldn't want to play. For me at least this game is about plotting and planning my movements without being hurried.

To be honest, I too enjoy and would continue playing single-player the most... only occasionally going to online servers. Just thought this could allow for some interesting scenarios and possibilities with missions.

 

The way I see this in my mind doesn't feel like a different game, since all non-relevant mechanics are still the same. But it would certainly be a different mode and experience, putting an accent on different aspects. Such as cooperation with other players on a mission, or having to worry about a real person seeing you which is much more different from an AI... these could be some interesting factors on occasion.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yep, this topic has come up every now and then in the last few years. I don't think there is anything stopping a group picking up TDM source code and start converting it into a multiplayer game.

 

If someone would make it, I would definitely try it out, but like Steve said, I don't know how long it would be fun or interesting.

Clipper

-The mapper's best friend.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I take it the people that don't think it would be fun haven't played Thief2 FMs with multiplayer coop, because it's awesome. And you should play it right now to see for yourself.

When interesting things happen in an FM, it makes it even more fun when there's another person that sees it and shares it with you.

It's like getting a hole in one in golf is fun, but when another person is there to see and share it with you it's even more fun. Playing coop is like that.

 

Not to mention it's very fun teaming up with someone to go through a mission, strategizing how to take on a given section, who goes which direction, maybe one person distracts a guard while the other skirts around them, or you start at two ends of a mansion to meet in the middle but hell breaks loose and one has to run over to the other to help. Situations like that.

 

And it would be awesome to have for TDM to play existing FMs coop as well. As T2 multplayer also shows, you don't need new FMs with multiplayer in mind, and in fact they'd probably be a bad idea for coop style. The normal FMs we have now are already perfect for the job.

 

I understand it'd be quite a bit of work, so there would probably need to be a few people that were both dedicated and skilled enough to code it over the long haul.

I would love for it to be done though.

What do you see when you turn out the light? I can't tell you but I know that it's mine.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That would be great. Multiplayer adds endless possibilities,as long as there's someone to create custom content. I still play JK:Jedi Academy multiplayer (q3 engine). from time to time.

I've tried to create a tdm server just for fun, to see what huge list of errors it would throw at me. The code seems to be still there, and the map apparently loaded, but I couldn't spawn as 'player_tdm_thief_mp' and got sent back to the main menu.

I know very little c++ and I probably wouldn't be able to assist you in the developement, but it would be great if someone started making changes to the code for MP.

Edited by Agent Jones
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I take it the people that don't think it would be fun haven't played Thief2 FMs with multiplayer coop, because it's awesome.

Guilty as charged.

 

Interesting to hear some alternative views. I withdraw my comment :) If someone wants to try it, I'd certainly try playing it and I'd help a bit along the way by sharing what I've learned about the code. It's not something I'd be likely to work on personally, as I plan to be busy on the renderer and animation system for the foreseeable.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm not really interested at this point.

 

Multiplayer in general is not a thing that mixes in my mind perfectly with The Dark Mod especially considering some of the less open missions it has. It probably wouldn't work without a lot of optmization, tweaking and many features to make it as visually and practically accesible as Portal 2's coop.

I refuse to play any other unfinished entity because it simply wouldn't be enjoyable. I would rather play a 100 times the singleplayer.

 

Since the team has more pressing matters to attend to, I personally don't see reason to draw our attention to this.

Only a AAA company or a group of REALLY determined people can pull it off (like the Project Vaulderie for Vampire the Masquerade Bloodlines which by the way was forced to close down) and even then not easy.

"I really perceive that vanity about which most men merely prate — the vanity of the human or temporal life. I live continually in a reverie of the future. I have no faith in human perfectibility. I think that human exertion will have no appreciable effect upon humanity. Man is now only more active — not more happy — nor more wise, than he was 6000 years ago. The result will never vary — and to suppose that it will, is to suppose that the foregone man has lived in vain — that the foregone time is but the rudiment of the future — that the myriads who have perished have not been upon equal footing with ourselves — nor are we with our posterity. I cannot agree to lose sight of man the individual, in man the mass."...

- 2 July 1844 letter to James Russell Lowell from Edgar Allan Poe.

badge?user=andarson

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It wouldn't be us working on it, but if there were a group of people that wanted to take it on, I'd certainly be interested in trying it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think Thievery UT already is the perfect multiplayer Thief experience. It contains guards vs. thieves, coop and thiefmatch (thieves competing for loot) and maps which are very well designed. The map design is completely different from the usual Thief maps though. My personal favorite is guards vs. thieves because it's so much more fun to hide from your friends and the adrenalin rush you get when the discover you and hunt you down is unmatched.

 

I can see this coming to the Dark Mod but you should know that maps and gameplay would differ greatly from the singleplayer experience. Thievery is more action focussed, one game only takes like 20 minutes and while the maps usually tell a little story it can't be compared to Thief FMs. In my opinion these differences aren't bad at all and I find myself playing Thievery more often than the other Thief games because I actually prefer it.

 

I recommend you to give it a try. Don't watch videos on YouTube because they don't reflect the actual experience at all and make the game look stupid. Only problem is that the community is very small. I'd just join a server and play alone (you can finish all maps alone) until someone joins which usually happens in the evenings and on the weekends (european time).

 

You need to follow these instructions to find servers these days: http://forums.thedarkmod.com/topic/14411-thievery-mod-for-unreal-tournament/?p=355639

Edited by Hiradur
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...

Thievery is very old. The Dark Mod could be so much better (graphics, ambience, AI, etc.).

 

The problem is: I don't know if/when anyone will pick up the multiplayer files, unfortunately while I know something about coding and C I don't know C++ (yet).

Anyway, do not dismiss a new idea just because it has not been done before. Guards vs Thieves, or even Coop, it could be a nice change of pace and absolutely fun!

 

I wonder how one player could see another one though: now we don't even have a working&moving player model, as you can see in the mirrors; perhaps the Doom multiplayer code implements it. The AI has a gradual recognition system regarding the player... Perhaps, 0 lightgem = invisible, 0.05 lightgem=barely lit model, etc...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thievery is very old. The Dark Mod could be so much better (graphics, ambience, AI, etc.).

Thievery was never even that popular in its prime despite being advertised plenty. I doubt that multiplayer TDM would be much different. Besides, it'd only be copying mechanics from the Splinter Cell multiplayer.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think it'd be better too. And I'm personally more interested in coop than guards vs theives, so it doesn't need tons of players, just me and a friend.

 

Seeing other players by itself isn't a problem. Player animations are an issue, but T2 multilplayer doesn't have many player animations and it's still fine to play. Watching climbing and swimming is entertaining, but that's the worst of it.

What do you see when you turn out the light? I can't tell you but I know that it's mine.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recent Status Updates

    • Petike the Taffer  »  DeTeEff

      I've updated the articles for your FMs and your author category at the wiki. Your newer nickname (DeTeEff) now comes first, and the one in parentheses is your older nickname (Fieldmedic). Just to avoid confusing people who played your FMs years ago and remember your older nickname. I've added a wiki article for your latest FM, Who Watches the Watcher?, as part of my current updating efforts. Unless I overlooked something, you have five different FMs so far.
      · 0 replies
    • Petike the Taffer

      I've finally managed to log in to The Dark Mod Wiki. I'm back in the saddle and before the holidays start in full, I'll be adding a few new FM articles and doing other updates. Written in Stone is already done.
      · 4 replies
    • nbohr1more

      TDM 15th Anniversary Contest is now active! Please declare your participation: https://forums.thedarkmod.com/index.php?/topic/22413-the-dark-mod-15th-anniversary-contest-entry-thread/
       
      · 0 replies
    • JackFarmer

      @TheUnbeholden
      You cannot receive PMs. Could you please be so kind and check your mailbox if it is full (or maybe you switched off the function)?
      · 1 reply
    • OrbWeaver

      I like the new frob highlight but it would nice if it was less "flickery" while moving over objects (especially barred metal doors).
      · 4 replies
×
×
  • Create New...