Some features I could find interesting for QuestNet :

- support games for a specific number of players, and allow several (separate) sessions of such games
- allow the connection of several players for a single-player game
- support normal telnet connections, or general MUD softwares.

By allowing connection of players for a single-player game, I mean making possible the run of a "normal" game through a QuestNet server. What is the advantage of this ? If the telnet (or MUD softwares) connection is improved, then people who enjoy MUD could also play single-player games, the same way they play multiplayer games, with the same tools. It would allow also linux/Unix/Macintosh-users to access general Quest games.
I tried to make my single-player game work with QuestNet server (I installed the options and such), but even if the game runs fine on Quest, it crashed the QuestNet server...
Some people will still enjoy multiplayer games more, but like RPG and "choose your adventure" gamebooks, it's a different products (as it was already discussed on this forum) and it's better if everyone can access both of them. Some servers could propose real MUD based on QuestNet, and at the same time propose some single-player games.

- If I'm not mistaken, multiplayer games allow as many players as those who connect, or as many players as the QuestNet licence allow. For example, if 5 players connect, they will see each other in the "arena". I guess if the licence allows only 3 users, if a 4th one tries to connect he / she will get a msg such as "connection full".
An experimental feature could be to handle special games designed for a particular number of players, for example a duo-game, of a game for 4 players only etc. (think to Baldur's Gates for ex.) ( The different groups would play a different games and won't see each other)
But the server should be able to handle as many groups of users as the licence allow (for ex. a licence for 15 users could allow 3 groups of 5 players max). This could allow groups of adventurers such as those in Dragonlance for ex., or mystery games like Sherlock Holmes with 2 players, and they could help each other (think to Maniac Mansion / Zak Mc Cracken etc., even if those are graphical games).

The single player games run on servers should work the same, allowing several players to play their own adventure (I'd be like starting several sessions).


By the way, probably the page doesn't exist yet, but it doesn't seem normal when we click on the order page for QuestNet this page doesn't exist :
http://www.axeuk.com/quest/questnetorder.htm

By several sessions of games I presume you mean several different copies of the game world? This would be very difficult for me to implement (adapting the Quest code to multiple player was a massive task - adapting again to multiple games doesn't even bear thinking about! ). You could do it more easily by running several servers on different ports. Or you could adapt your ASL file to do it, though it might not be much fun.

You should be able to make a single-player-style game reasonably easily. Try overriding the take and drop commands to move things to a single room, rather than individual inventories for example. It depends how you want to implement multiple people controlling the same thing really. I can see a number of problems though - for example, what happens if one person wants to use an object, and the other wants to drop it?

Support for Telnet connections will be implemented in a future release. I haven't looked at any general MUD clients - is there a standard protocol they tend to use? If there are a few particularly popular clients you'd like to see support added for, let me know and I'll take a look into it.

I tried to make my single-player game work with QuestNet server (I installed the options and such), but even if the game runs fine on Quest, it crashed the QuestNet server...

One of my goals for both Quest and QuestNet is that they shouldn't crash, even if you try loading gibberish into them. If you send me your ASL file I can take a look into what went wrong, and I can fix your code if necessary and can get Quest(Net) to give more helpful error messages.


The order page is not yet available because QuestNet can't be ordered yet, but as soon as the final release version is available, the order page will be online and you'll be able to purchase the software.

with the release candidate it no longer crashes the server, just the player application (and with a message before crashing, so it's better in a way )

I removed some commands that were only allowed in Quest "not net", but it still crashes the player. I'm using Al's TypeLib, so maybe it's related (I haven't checked yet).
I'll test it further, and send my game later if you wish.
But if we have to remove commands such as "playerwin" etc. to make it compatible, it's less interesting. Could it be possible to declare the game as single player, and run it as it on a server anyway, with no change in the code ?

You could do it more easily by running several servers on different ports

yes, it seems easier than changing the core of QuestNet.
But is there a way to limit the number of players in a game ? As I said, for ex. allowing only a certain number of players if one has a certain type of adventure in mind. What would happen if 50 players log in (in the case the server has the appropriate licence for this) when the game is supposed to be for only 5 players max ?

I can see a number of problems though - for example, what happens if one person wants to use an object, and the other wants to drop it? 

I though rather 2 pple would interact with each other by playing two characters, not 2 players playing one character.
About multiple players playing only one character, you could get some ideas at :
http://www.bits.bris.ac.uk/zinc/

I haven't looked at any general MUD clients - is there a standard protocol they tend to use? If there are a few particularly popular clients you'd like to see support added for, let me know and I'll take a look into it. 

I don't play much MUD, but I tried a few clients anyway. http://pueblo.mozdev.org/ seems to be popular
In the case you want to try the compatibility of Quest Server with some popular MUD clients, you could look at http://www.outland.org/modules/mylinks/ ... ?op=&cid=3

I can undestand you prefer ppl use your own Quest client, but if some are used to their favorite MUD clients, I think it's better QUest Server becomes compatible. (I guess most of them use the same prototols, probably derivated from telnet)
It seems the fact you can only type one letter with them (for a game which run on Quest Server) is a minor bug (I hope it will be easy to fix)

with the release candidate it no longer crashes the server, just the player application (and with a message before crashing, so it's better in a way )

If you could send me your code I can take a look into why the player is crashing, since this shouldn't be happening.

But if we have to remove commands such as "playerwin" etc. to make it compatible, it's less interesting. Could it be possible to declare the game as single player, and run it as it on a server anyway, with no change in the code ?

There are fundamental design differences between single-player and multi-player games, so I can't see too much advantage in making QuestNet server run single-player games automatically. What should happen when somebody wins a multiplayer game? The game shouldn't suddenly cease surely - what if people want to continue chatting? My suggestion is to move all players to a different room if your game has a definite end-point, then they can continue chatting to each other. You could even put celebratory drinks in the room

But is there a way to limit the number of players in a game ? As I said, for ex. allowing only a certain number of players if one has a certain type of adventure in mind. What would happen if 50 players log in (in the case the server has the appropriate licence for this) when the game is supposed to be for only 5 players max ?

You could add a player counter to count players into the game, and disconnect all further players (or you could move them to a different room where they can "sit out" or whatever). e.g. in the "define game" block:

start <normal game start point>
player startscript {
   inc <numplayers>
   if ( %numplayers% > 5 ) {
      msg <This server is full.>
      disconnect <%userid%>
   }
}
disconnect dec <numplayers>

(NB: I've just noticed I haven't actually included the "disconnect" tag in the documentation, but it is in ARENA.ASL)

I though rather 2 pple would interact with each other by playing two characters, not 2 players playing one character.

Well, that is what QuestNet server does anyway, unless I've misunderstood you.

I haven't looked at any general MUD clients - is there a standard protocol they tend to use? If there are a few particularly popular clients you'd like to see support added for, let me know and I'll take a look into it.


I don't play much MUD, but I tried a few clients anyway. http://pueblo.mozdev.org/ seems to be popular
In the case you want to try the compatibility of Quest Server with some popular MUD clients, you could look at http://www.outland.org/modules/mylinks/ ... ?op=&cid=3

Thanks for these links, I'll take a look into them for the next version.

It seems the fact you can only type one letter with them (for a game which run on Quest Server) is a minor bug (I hope it will be easy to fix)

This is because Quest sends the whole command only when the whole thing has been typed in, whereas in Telnet each character is sent to the server as soon as you type it. Accommodating this sort of thing should be quite easy to add.

I can't see too much advantage in making QuestNet server run single-player games automatically

it's for allowing non mswindows users to play Quest games anyway. It's also, in the case someone is running a website with some MUDs, to be able to propose single player games too. But probably it's not very important

Well, that is what QuestNet server does anyway, unless I've misunderstood you.

yes, but it's just because you said "I can see a number of problems though - for example, what happens if one person wants to use an object, and the other wants to drop it?", about my idea of limited number of players. Probably we misunderstood each other

You could add a player counter to count players into the game

well done... it's also why I enjoy ASL : it seems everything is possible to code with it

Accommodating this sort of thing should be quite easy to add.

about Telnet and Mud clients, I tried out of curiosity to connect to a general mud server with the Quest player. (Since it's possible to connect to Quest with a Mud client)
Unfortunately it didn't work, but probably with a few tweaks it may be possible to use Quest to play other MUD. Sure there are already several MUD clients out there, but I think Quest could be a very decent client too, especially because of the compass and such.
This way it may give the general Quest system and QuestNet some publicity and bring new people to Quest.
As I said I don't play much with MUD, I prefer general IF games, but it seems the current features of Quest are so close to MUD that it's a pity there is no compatibility yet...