Multiplayer Game System Setup Questions/Answers

jakee308 · Post by **jakee308** » Fri Nov 04, 2005 6:52 am

having NEVER played any game over the internet,
i can recognize the words folks use when they talk about starting a game but have no clue what they're talking about.

Is there somewhere a detailed description of how to configure one's system (computer, router, game config) to enable one to access a multiplayer game?

How available are multiplayer servers for playing descent?
edit: just noticed the old skool descent site archive by vlider
how coexistent are d2x-w32 with other flavors and original d2? is there a topic/forum here to communicate their formation/availability? (if not i think there should be.)

would someone here be willing to detail the steps to configure a game?
guesses where to look for the info are ok too.

pointing out the errors in a setup that can happen will be especially welcome.

also does the server machine suffer any performance hit? does the server machine have to have an active player?

(wake up folks. with diedel's work on d2x and dle let the games begin anew. yeah, we know you now have a marriage, 2 kids and a mortgage and the new assignment at work is kicking your ***. THAT'S NO EXCUSE. all work and no play makes jakee a dull boy and you too.)(cool! i just found out the board censors bad words automatically. i was putting in my own asterisks before!) it missed a word on preview but a second time caught it. please excuse i'm not at best today=been sick. no, no, sicker than usual.

Diedel · Post by **Diedel** » Fri Nov 04, 2005 6:56 am

There are no dedicated servers in D1 and D2.

One player has to be the game host (non-dedicated server). He choses the level, the game settings, and admits the players to the match.

If using the online gaming software KALI, other players from the same chat room can then join that server and have to be admitted to the match by the host.

If using UDP/IP, the host must tell the other players his IP address somehow and they need to enter it in D2X-W32 (it will prompt you for it) to join the server.

If using UDP/IP via tracker, D2X-W32 will do the work of telling the other players the host's IP address.

jakee308 · Post by **jakee308** » Fri Nov 04, 2005 7:10 am

i recognize ip=internet protocol but what is udp?

which is better kali or setting up the address yourself.
NOOB ??? = what is kali? and where do you get it?

Aus-RED-5 · Post by **Aus-RED-5** » Fri Nov 04, 2005 7:21 am

jakee308 wrote:NOOB ??? = what is kali? and where do you get it?

Ever hear of Google or maybe Yahoo? Do a search for once..... but I'll help ya a bit.

http://www.kali.net/

Diedel · Post by **Diedel** » Fri Nov 04, 2005 7:26 am

UDP/IP is a network communications protocol that does not require a receipt confirmation for every sent message like TCP/IP does. The advantage is that a program using UDP/IP cannot get 'stuck' while waiting for an acknowledgement (or has to be built so that it can handle this asynchronously or time out), which isn't bad for a constant data stream like in online games where each data packet has a very limited time of validity anyway. The disadvantage is that there is no way to make sure the receiver gets the data sent to him.

KALI is program that will intercept the network traffic programs like Descent2 create, translate it to a protocol that can be used on the internet; on the receiver side it will translate the data back to the original application's protocol (which is IPX for D1/D2 - a protocol mainly intended for LANs and obsolete today).

KALI can maintain a list of all games on your HD and easily allows you to enter multiplayer matches with these games. It offers chat rooms and other extras to make it easier to meet with buddies on the inet and start games, etc. pp. yadda yadda.

Find it on http://www.kali.net.

Oops - AUS-Red beat me to it. That is becaused bashing you took less time than explaing UDP/IP and KALI.

jakee308 · Post by **jakee308** » Fri Nov 04, 2005 8:01 am

a lot of folks seem to think i should google for all my questions. i guess they are annoyed by questions they've already found and want that i should get the answers the way they got them. that's ok.
personally if i'm conversing with someone and they say something i don't understand, i don't run off to an encyclopedia or dictionary for the definition; i ask them. using google is a crap shoot at best especially if you're not sure how to phrase the question. i.e. 1,248,890 hits and nothing on the first 4 pages answers the question. also the tone of the response of people who post about my using google isn't the nicest. it's not like i pooped on your thread or something with a non-topic question.
I've got the google toolbar on my browser! found this place using it! ok! did you read where i said i've been sick?

Thank you Diedel for the answer and your patience.

what about performance between game setup one way over another? i don't think i'll find THIS answer on google!

Aus-RED-5 · Post by **Aus-RED-5** » Fri Nov 04, 2005 8:41 am

I apologize Jakee... I didn't mean for that to come out sounding rude. Sorry

Just so you know.... I replyed to the question on "Kali". I'm not pooping nore am I bashing you on ur question on UDP/IP. I myself don't know the tech info on that.

Anyways.... It all good.

jakee308 · Post by **jakee308** » Fri Nov 04, 2005 9:10 am

thanks Aus-RED-5

me, i don't care what level i.q. anyone has. if they've an idea or a question or if they know where the answer is, that will contribute either way.

yes it can be tricky to put in words what you mean to say as there is no "tone of voice" for input as to attitude. smilies help a little.

as in i been sick

so if i act ditzy just chalk it up to my feverish state of mind.

Edit: To Aus-RED-5 in rereading replies realized i was being a little sensitive and testy myself. i would not want to stifle anyone's willingness to participate. "sticks and stones may break my bones but being flamed will never hurt me." (unless you know where i live. eek!)

Diedel · Post by **Diedel** » Fri Nov 04, 2005 10:56 am

jakee308 wrote:Thank you Diedel for the answer and your patience.

For me, there's two kinds of questions: One kind is asking obvious things you can easily find yourself using e.g. Google. The other kind is about things that are harder to find or answer: In that case I will not refer ppl to Google. That's at least my personal take on this. If ppl ask too much for my taste, I still have the option to simply ignore them.

Hehe.

It's a good idea though to try this forum's search function for Descent specific questions. If you did that and couldn't find what you were looking for, at least nobody can accuse you of not having tried.

AUS-Red is a nice guy, as far as I can tell. Nobody's perfect.

When I wrote he was 'bashing' you, I was rather teasing him a little (see the ':P' smiley?)

Grendel · Post by **Grendel** » Fri Nov 04, 2005 1:04 pm

Jakee, check this out for a more correct description ("UDP/IP" .. guys!

)

http://www.cisco.com/univercd/cc/td/doc ... doc/ip.htm

User Datagram Protocol (UDP)

The User Datagram Protocol (UDP) is a connectionless transport-layer protocol (Layer 4) that belongs to the Internet protocol family. UDP is basically an interface between IP and upper-layer processes. UDP protocol ports distinguish multiple applications running on a single device from one another.

Unlike the TCP, UDP adds no reliability, flow-control, or error-recovery functions to IP. Because of UDP's simplicity, UDP headers contain fewer bytes and consume less network overhead than TCP.

UDP is useful in situations where the reliability mechanisms of TCP are not necessary, such as in cases where a higher-layer protocol might provide error and flow control.

UDP is the transport protocol for several well-known application-layer protocols, including Network File System (NFS), Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP), Domain Name System (DNS), and Trivial File Transfer Protocol (TFTP).

Diedel · Post by **Diedel** » Fri Nov 04, 2005 3:46 pm

Grendel,

does anybody here have to understand that?

Grendel · Post by **Grendel** » Fri Nov 04, 2005 4:24 pm

It makes a lot more sense if you read the rest of the article too -- thought it's a lot easier to understand than the RFC defining TCP/IP

Top Gun · Post by **Top Gun** » Fri Nov 04, 2005 7:23 pm

Questions like this make me more and more glad that TechPro and I have taken on the Descent guide project over at PD (see this thread for more info and what we still need). It'll be great to finally have a community-wide resource to direct new players to.

Sirius · Post by **Sirius** » Fri Nov 04, 2005 7:52 pm

Grendel wrote:User Datagram Protocol (UDP)

The User Datagram Protocol (UDP) is a connectionless transport-layer protocol (Layer 4) that belongs to the Internet protocol family.

I wish my router manufacturer had seen that.

P.S. Entering "Kali" and "UDP" into Google and hitting the "I'm Feeling Lucky" button landed me the exact relevant information immediately.