Working on a pseudo-multiplayer system for Stunts using em-dosbox and WebSockets

[HunterBoy344]

Hey. It looks good.
A few practical ideas. We can make a game executable that has a different car as default.
If you also use default as track you only have to select drive to race.
On the evaluation screen we can place save replay instructions by editing the background.

Very interesting ideas! I don't know how to change the background or modify the executable, but something like that would definitely make sense. If you're able to make that, I'll gladly add it in to the site.

As for the default track part, I already thought of that, and it unfortunately won't work. As I discovered, Stunts caches whatever track is currently loaded, meaning that even if DEFAULT.TRK changes, the new track won't actually load unless the user manually reloads the track file from the main menu.

However, I have found a way to make the track selection a little more convenient! I have changed the name of the server track to 01SERVER.TRK. By adding the 01 to the beginning, the track is by default placed at the top of the tracks list. In other words, one only has to press enter twice to load the current track in the tracks menu. It isn't perfect, but it's better than before!

Before I post this, I'd also like to mention something. Replay files are great and all, but... what if I used high score files instead? I don't know all of the details, but I do know that more accurate times are stored in high score files (even including penalties!) and that they are ONLY updated when a user actually crosses the finish line, meaning that they can automatically be sent whenever a user finishes AND that it is impossible to submit a crash or early end as a valid time. While it would be possible for a cheater to add in their own custom high score file, it's also possible for a cheater to add their own custom replay, so there aren't really any new risks.

Let me know what you think!

[Daniel3D]

well, it is not a problem to make, just tell me if you want a different car as default (the indy for instance)

I tested the site, and the game runs really smooth, but i still dont have sound.
it is possible, https://www.myabandonware.com/game/stunts-10y/play-10y

[HunterBoy344]

Very important dev update!

I tried using highscore files instead of replays, and it worked really well! Times are now submitted automatically only when the race is completed, meaning cheating is harder, and users no longer need to manually save replays to submit their times. Additionally, tracks now go by their original names, and all other default Stunts tracks and highscore files are removed upon connection to a server to keep things organized. The warning displayed when a round ends now is more verbose, so users know how to load the new track when it updates, and a basic explanation of the gameplay loop for new users is now below the login form.

Here are some screenshots of a private test I did today! The server was able to handle all 6 players, though it did notably crash when someone tried to paste the entire Bee Movie script as their username.





Everyone was able to figure out how to play quickly despite having never seen Stunts before, so I think most new players will be able to get the hang of it without a detailed explanation! I can't wait to host a public play test!

[HunterBoy344]

well, it is not a problem to make, just tell me if you want a different car as default (the indy for instance)

I tested the site, and the game runs really smooth, but i still dont have sound.
it is possible, https://www.myabandonware.com/game/stunts-10y/play-10y

The Indy would be good! Definitely the ideal car for new players. It might actually take a bit for me to add the updated executable though, since I'd have to remake the emscripten .html and .data files and add all of the page elements from the previous version to the new one.

As for sound... I know it's possible and I've seen it working, it's just that the version of em-dosbox I've been using doesn't support it for some reason. I was able to find a version that does, but it didn't compile. If I can get it to work, then sound might be possible, but it definitely won't be in the first play test.

[HunterBoy344]

Short dev update!

I figured I'd actually make the website look nice, since most of the logic is done. Here are the results!

Before:


After:


Still need to finish styling the timer, but it'll all be ready soon! I'm thinking of doing the first public test on Wednesday, but I'm going to make sure my new visual changes haven't broken anything before I decide on an official date and time.

[HunterBoy344]

Hey, haven't posted on this thread for a while, but here's some stuff that's changed!

As of version 2.1...

- Added sound
- Added mouse support
- Switched entirely from em-dosbox to js-dos
- New wallpaper
- Added support for uploading and downloading files while not connected to a server
- Updated localization fi-- wait, wrong game

Thanks for sticking with the project! My next priority is definitely live chat, which will come with version 3.0. 3.0 will also require an update to the server. Right now, StuntsServer version 1.0 is still completely compatible with Stunts Online 2.1!

[Cas]

Great work, mate!  When I manage to get some time, I'll make some test to see how I can make it run normally on my computer