Flash/Java/HTML5-based Subspace?

[L.C.]

How flexible is Flash for online multiplayer games? Java? HTML5? I know Java and HTML5 are definitely capable. HTML5 might have some latency issues (but I might be wrong).

 

I'm thinking we need to get a basic prototype (that actually works) up and running. Fo' real.

 

EDIT: Is doc flabby's mobile client Java-based? Perhaps we could port that for PC and have an in-browser version.

Edited July 23, 2010 by L.C.

[★ Xog]

You should check out some of the incredibly creative things jowie and turboslug22 are doing in the Everspace zone.

 

For instance, they're implementing a way where you can equip your ship with items by pointing to them in your GUI with your ship. Crazy stuff man.

 

 

Not sure how they're doing it, but it's really cool. And they're implementing a LOT of what I said in my thread here: http://forums.ssgn.n...opic=24350&st=0 like mining, cargo hauling, NPC ambushes, etc.

 

They also have destructible walls!

Edited July 23, 2010 by Xog

[★ Lynx]

Think it would make a whole load more sense to try and make a client that just works before even thinking about any other implementation.

[L.C.]

According to Aquarius, QuakeLive is flash-based. Since that's 3D and apparently pretty popular, Flash+ActionScript3 might be a good option.

 

But I suppose what L Y N X and the point Dr. Brain made to me via IM about the difficulty in doing such thing is true.

[★ Lynx]

QuakeLive has got money to pay developers. We don't. It's far easier making a platform independent client than to make a in-browser client. I could bet you could find coders willing to code a new client within the community provided you had a few thousand in cash. Also, I'd avoid Flash like the plague. It's buggy, slow and is losing dominance very fast with the dawn of HTML5. I think the sooner developers stop using Flash for HTML5 the better for us all, really.

[★ Maverick]

I've heard in my Flex course that Flash has since version 10.1 support for UDP sockets which you'll need for Continuum networking.

I would rather make a client in Flash then in HTML5 as the latter means programming in Javascript which is a hell for development (lack of proper debugging, error handling and different interpretations in different browsers).

 

If you would begin making a new client, making it in Google's Java at Android would be another good option. It's definately a growing market and may bring in a whole lot of (new) players.

[JoWie]

You should try some nice tools in firefox like venkman and firebug, etc. If you want easy internet explorer support, use an abstraction layer like jquery.

I have a LOT more trouble debugging things in flash then in javascript, although I do not support internet explorer in my applications.

 

For chat only stuff,

it wouldn't be that hard to add support for XMLHTTPRequest / WebSockets to that chatnet bouncer in perl I made. Only downside is that it would be one script per user. Plus point would be support for things like the iPhone. The nature of the always online bouncer could also be great for when you have bad connectivity, like 3g in a subway.

If you want any user to login, you must either accept everyone coming from the same IP and the server admin being able to see your password, or using something else that does not work natively in browsers.

Another option would be an ASSS module that implements WebSockets.

 

But a full playing client without some sort of browser plugin (flash, java, etc) is not really doable yet. While modern browsers have support for bi-directional TCP sockets, there is no UDP. For most people the latency would be to big.

Edited July 23, 2010 by JoWie

[★ Maverick]

In my humble opinion, Java would be the best choice. You can play it in your browser via an applet, standalone as a normal java program and you can distribute it on mobiles via Android while sharing the same (more or less) coding base.

[Yupa]

would rather make a client in Flash then in HTML5 as the latter means programming in Javascript which is a hell for development

What? Flash just uses ActionScript, which is just a proprietary implementation of JavaScript. If you want to make yet another client that relies on proprietary software, though, by all means, use Flash.

 

You could do it in HTML & JavaScript (etc. [and yes, Flash if you wanted]), and if it was decent enough you could get a lot of new players (probably mostly random non-long-term players than anything else, but that's still something).

[aquarius]

What do you suggest a client be developed under, Yupa?

[Yupa]

BaK's is in C++. There are worse languages.

[Dr Brain]

BaK's is in C++. There are worse languages.

Not many, and most of those are made up with the sole purpose of being worse.

[Yupa]

Well there's Java™ & Pascal & C♯. But maybe those are what you were referring to.

[Dr Brain]

C++ (not C) is worse than all three of those, IMO. Whitespace and BF are worse than C++, and BASIC & VB are probably contenders too.

 

"Bad language" is defined as the ability to create working code that cannot be maintained or modified by anyone.

[★ D1st0rt]

In terms of language design, c# is actually pretty slick

 

makes java look foolish

[Yupa]

What doesn't.