RE Kali: Backward IPX Compatibility. Who needs it anyway?

Tankie2 · Post by **Tankie2** » Sat Mar 25, 2006 1:20 am

Both the W32 and the XL still have the same problem. They don't communicate well with older versions. Maybe it's sending info packets and waiting for a reply packets that just is non existant in the older versions. I don't know. Still, ships stall, you get no clang in visual hits and clang when you visually miss. The XL and W32 users teleport.

The broadband connect is fine but intermittantly it's as if they're on slow dailup modems. I think maybe you need a mode switch that disables packets that are pertinent only to the newer verions. I don't know. I do not think much IPX testing was ever done with older versions. It's just not Kali worthy and right now I wish it wouldn't be able join older IPX versions. It's evolved beyond that anyway and plenty of good IPX versions are available for Kali.

For now I think it's ruining the quality of play when post 0.2.5 joins a multi game. I've been playing for 11 years now and I am certain it's not my imagination and there are others that agree.

I've tested it with D2X_0.2.5 (the last and best D2X) and D2_3dfx. IMO, as far as Kali IPX is concerned w32 and XL aren't worthy of the prefix D2X. Call it D2R_XL for D2 Revival or something, it's a whole new Descent and that's not a bad thing. I think that D2X really ended when bradley stopped developing. W32 and XL are great games in thier own right. I'd do a special install to play IP games and keep my old ones for IPX Kali games. XL and W32 don't need IPX and are a game unto themselves with lots of desirable features. The only thing wrong with them is in IPX mode with older versions.

So maybe IPX is not needed, no longer desirable and not worth fixing in these later versions. The time would be better spent on game play and other hardware and platform issues. It makes sense doesn't it? I think so.

So please, either fix it or cut it out. I think it makes more sense to cut it out or make it version exclusive. As of now, it's not really backward compatible.

Tankie2

Diedel · Post by **Diedel** » Sat Mar 25, 2006 2:49 am

I have asked other people about this, and they haven't observed any such problems even with a lot of players.

Tankie2 · Post by **Tankie2** » Sun Mar 26, 2006 11:33 am

I suggest you test it yourself using an old version.