GTA Proxy

As the Proxy Interface and GUI is getting underway for the GTADS client. There are serveral things I have decided would be good for the future of GTADS. I am making the GTADS proxy a modular java package for other people to incorporate in their own programs if desired. Since the proxy will be separate from the GUI, it would be fairly easy to jar up the package and incorporate it to other uses. I am also making the proxy program an optional standalone application separate from the chat client.

I don't want players to feel locked in to having to using the chat client to logon just to play a quick game of anything, when one could easily load up the proxy and manually put in the network settings to play a proxied game. Of course they would miss out on player based stats but its about choice.

This week will be very busy in terms of development as I will be trying to decode and incorporate the GTA1 start up game sequence into the code. I have found some of the work I started in 2003 on it through the proof of concept program I wrote which seems to prove that this proxy method is possible for game play. It was written in C++ using winsock2.h and the source is available From my GTADS archived site as well as the binary. To check out the concept program in action run the binary then run GTA1. Switch the game into multiplayer mode, TCP/IP, and connect to 127.0.0.1. You will then see a game to connect to. The game will start shortly and the host (the program) will disconnect.

GTADS Client/Server Model Diagram

Since a lot of you have been curious as to exactly how GTADS will work I posted up a basic diagram that will show the 3 part mechanism on how the server, the client, and the game all piece together in this multiplayer system. It seems a bit complicated but each component has its own specialized purpose that makes the gameplay possible.

You can view the Image Here for a quick overview. If you have any other questions of comments on anything detailed on any of the 3 components feel free to drop me an email or leave me a comment. As far as development is going, I am starting on the Proxy API tonight and should have a good portion of it done by the end of the week.

The monster is almost ready to be awaken!!

Roadmap for GTADS

I've gotten a few beta tester requests thus far and I am hope that there is interest in this project. I would just like to let everyone know about the road ahead for DS in terms of development and usability. At the time that I write this, there IS functional chatting to a hardcoded chatroom on the server. Small things like leaving a chatroom are being implemented and is only a matter of coding on the protocol level, very trivial stuff, but don't rely on the user list on the right too much. So if any of the beta testers log in this minute they will be able to chat with one another on the very flimsy and unrefined interface. As I have told the beta testers in my reply email, most of the development has gone into the server program. If there is no server then a client couldn't exist. Must of the server development as creating internal lookups for users and chatrooms functionally and efficiently has been the main focus as to prevent any future problems

Now, to where we are going in this project. As a matter of priority in what GTADS is and isn't, the dedicated server is a game server first and a chatserver second, and support for multiple chat windows may take a back seat to getting the game specific features worked on. On the protocol level this is easily feasible but on the GUI client side it requires keeping track of multiple windows which would be a waste of time right now.

In the coming weeks the following functionality will be implemented

• Fully functional single chatroom.
• Minimal support for private messages
• Custom Configuration Files for Server and Client
  
• Security features for Server operators
• Join/Host Game
• Game Proxy Connector

These may or may not be implemented in the particular other they are being presented in as the proxy is an extemely integral part of the client. As I have mentioned in my earlier postings too, GTA1 and 2, if they prove successful will not be the only game that this server will be supporting. I am eyeing other games that are old favorites such as Twisted Metal 2, Starcraft, and Command and Conquer but depending on how the procotol is set up i'm sure if I can get GTA working, the other games will be equally functional.

On a final note I would like to thank Sektor for mentioning me on his site GTA2 Game Hunter. I am sure his mention has brought some people to my site and I am glad to see the support.

Alpha Testers Wanted

Alright, the chatroom features are getting refined for the client and it is only a matter of days before this feature will become minimally functional. What I will need though are alpha testers who can login to the server and test chatroom features and the small set of chat commands implemented. A test server will be put up soon specifcially for the alpha chat testers around next week.

Users who sign up to become testers will have the full freedom of using the test server, poking and proding all known features. What i'm looking for here are problems or issues with performance now so that it won't become too much of an issue when the first beta version is released. To sign up as a beta tester either send me an email at
steven dot day at gmail dot com or leave me a comment under this entry. Place beta tester in the subject to make it more identifiable and your desired username and password.

Revamping development

Sadly due to this being a busy month for me, my committment to server development has been dramatically slowed. I have been working on the chat features and mostly serverside stuff however the client-side needs a lot of work. I will try to get a trial run of the chatroom feature working soon but I cannot promise anything.

GTADS has not been abandoned.