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Directplay and multiplayer messages

BlitzPlus Forums/BlitzPlus Beginners Area/Directplay and multiplayer messages

acolite246(Posted 2008) [#1]
Hi for a fourth time
Is there any way to 'flush' server messages in directplay? When I send data quickly, I am getting the wrong response from the server.

I send messages in a while not recieve message loop. I tried removing the loop, but then the client doesn't recieve the response/ the server doesn't send one.

Thanks


acolite246(Posted 2008) [#2]
Anyone?


acolite246(Posted 2008) [#3]
Oh well

I am using BPLite now


em22(Posted 2008) [#4]
What's BPLite?

I've noticed that when creating programs using BPlus that i get random data or not the correct response from certain events. It's very annoying that I have to program round blitz's own issues.

If I knew Blitz was to be abandoned I would never of purchased it. :(


acolite246(Posted 2008) [#5]
Blitz --- abandoned? It still has an active forum base.

But to answer your question

BPLite is BlitzPlay Lite. It is a very powerful UDP alternative to DirectPlay. The built in commands are amazing, and my program, hopefully, will be completed within a month because of BlitzPlay's sample code and commands. I am looking to purchase the full version, but the director dude seems to have abandoned it (he hasn't gone on in 4 years).


CloseToPerfect(Posted 2009) [#6]
I know it is a bit old but maybe helpful to someone. I just used Direct Play in a small game I made and I to needed to flush the messages to smooth out the game play. I did this by putting my RecvNetMsg routine in a repeat loop. Ending the loop with Until RecvNetMsg()=False to flush the server messages after each access. It work very nice and solved a lag issue I had with one computer that was behind a firewall which would get farther behind in this action game as the game went on because of a backlog of messages.

Something like this,

Repeat
If RecvNetMsg() Then  
msgType=NetMsgType()  
	If msgType>0 And msgType<100 Then
	msgFrom=NetMsgFrom()  
		If player=1 Then  
		msgData$=NetMsgData$() 
		If msgdata$="player1hit" Then p2score=p2score+1 : Goto reset
		player2x=stringtonumber(msgdata$,1)
		player2y=stringtonumber(msgdata$,2)
		player2frame=stringtonumber(msgdata$,3)
		bullet2x=stringtonumber(msgdata$,4)
		bullet2y=stringtonumber(msgdata$,5)
		ElseIf player=2 Then 
		msgData$=NetMsgData$() 
		If msgdata$="player2hit" Then p1score=p1score+1 : Goto reset
		player1x=stringtonumber(msgdata$,1)
		player1Y=stringtonumber(msgdata$,2)
		player1frame=stringtonumber(msgdata$,3)
		bullet1x=stringtonumber(msgdata$,4)
		bullet1y=stringtonumber(msgdata$,5)
		EndIf
	EndIf 
EndIf
Until RecvNetMsg()=False


This way I read the messages until there is no message to read and keep the data in the last message.

CTP


Matty(Posted 2009) [#7]
One problem you may want to consider with Directplay is that it doesn't let you know what ports are in use, therefore if you need to forward any ports on your router for internet play it can be an issue.


CloseToPerfect(Posted 2009) [#8]
I had only uses DP on a network. So it is better to use straight UDP for net play?


Matty(Posted 2009) [#9]
Yes.


GaryV(Posted 2009) [#10]
I wouldn't worry too much as DirectPlay is deprecated.


CloseToPerfect(Posted 2009) [#11]
I liked DP as it is UDP in a nice wrapper that handled everything for me. I know if using TCP it handles controlling the order you receive messages in, but TCP will stop a program waiting for the message reply to come in. Where in UDP you have to handle this yourself, but wont stop the program. But there are no examples in the UDP help files and I don't really know how to control the messages if they come in out of order. I just made my first little action game using DP about two weeks ago. It was mostly a learning experience. Now I will have to just dig though the code archives here and try to understand the UDP codes.

CTP