Multiplayer Forums

Hello,

Is it possible to write an alternative client with currently provided API?
I would like to write WebUI for it, so that I could play it from my G1, or any other systems that are currently not supported (other phones?).
I know that there is already Android app for AO, but theres no multi, and I think that paid membership revenue would be good enough to accept such... competition for native android app.

If its not possible now, will it in future?


Regards,
Paziek.

There's already a webGUI so to speak since the game plays in a browser via Java, but I don't think this will work on mobile phones. However, multiplayer for the Android version will most likely happen, but not just yet. I think Chris is planning an iPhone port of the Android version, then adding multiplayer to both afterwards. From what he's said, the mobile version will eventually be able to play the same games that the PC version currently does.

As far as the API itself, from what I understand (just looking at it quickly), it only provides information about current games/players. It's not designed to create an actual game client.

But it seems like he first wanted to make that iPhone version, then in some distant future make people play multi phone vs phone, and then perhaps after we are long after Armageddon, then there will be a rewritten server side part and client side, so that phone and PC version can work together.

Thats nowhere near close enough :<


And Android (nor iPhone?) doesn't support Java applets, so it doesn't work as it is now.

I might have the single player iPhone version out by the end of this month!? If that goes well enough and I am able to work full-time on game development, the multiplayer versions will not take that much time to develop...

I am also committed to WEL etc., so I will spend time there as well.

I don't think we are talking distant future.

Keep in mind that he's working on this part time. He has a full time job which is his main priority. He's also working on several other projects. Another thing to consider is that programming a game doesn't happen in a day or two. If you've ever done any programming, you'd realize that it can take time to create what you want. Of course, if you're really impatient, he can rush things and you'll be able to download a buggy version of AO with multiplayer. Personally, I'd rather he took his time and produced a stable, bug free game.

If that is true, then wouldn't it be better to just create API, and let others do clients? And people would choose the one that fits them best. Of course I'm not saying to discontinue that Java client, but instead of making native clients for phones, it would be better to make a WebUI instead, so that it would work on most phones, and didn't require to maintain 2 separate code.

And its true, that making a game takes a lot of time, but making a client that uses some API - that doesn't take that much time. Its not like it would need to be fully featured AO client, no need for map creator and stuff like that - just to play games and chat.

if your planning on using a phone i'd remove the chat too, but you also need to consider the time it will take to get the maps, yeah you only need the ones you play regular but you'll still need those ones, where i think the current mobile versions are modified for use

Well, whether or not Chris wants to make such an API is up to him. I think he would prefer to keep the types of clients under his control. But, adding in such an API would require changes to the server code at minimum. I'm not sure how extensive of changes are needed as I haven't seen the code. Ultimately, only Chris can answer your questions.

The chat can work in game. I like how Aurora Feint incorporates their chat (a free iPhone game). During the main game play (or just about any screen), the chat is shown as 1 line at the bottom of the screen. If you tap that line (you don't need to be exact), it opens up to fill half the screen. At this point, you can chat as you wish (if you have the paid version which I don't). It works well, although I wish there was a way to disable the chat.

For anyone that doesn't have access to the App Store, look here: http://appshopper.com/games/aurora-feint-the-beginning. Scroll down and look at the 3rd and 4th screenshots for the 1 line chat.

Here's a link to the full version of the game with a screenshot of the full view of the chat. http://appshopper.com/games/aurora-feint-ii-the-beginning. Just go to the 2nd screenshot.

Although an API would be cool, I probably would be the only one to end up using it. The AO code base is a lot more complicated/interconnected that it appears. The current client hides all the complexity of the source case by providing a "somewhat nice" interface. Implementing a client is not easy.

Now, the good news, I am planning to implement the V3 server of the game more in a "service-orientated-matter", so adding an API at a later stage is not that far off. Give me time...