Network related - Game finder

[EvanR]

Here is an idea which shouldn't be too hard to implement. The options for multiplayer will obviously include 'host game' and 'connect to game' but what about these additional options.

'search for game on the internet' - we can have a server which coordinates ta3d between two people on the internet, like blizzard's battle.net or the similar feature on doomsday engine. there would be an accompanying 'host game on internet' option.

'search for game on lan' - use a broadcast packet to see if theres any games hosted on the local network.

zuzuf probably already thought of this stuff, but now its on the forum.

[Balthazar]

Yes, you are right, we should think about all type of connection and future serfvices from the very start, but I suggest to start from TCP/IP (UDP) connection via Internet, and once it`ll be well tested start to implement IP6 or Game-Finder.

[zuzuf]

Well I agree the Game-Finder isn't the priority but it remains something important, so we should add it as soon as the networking code is working. Maybe we could also implement some kind of mixed type (LAN & Internet so you can play over the LAN and the Internet at the same time)

[EvanR]

If you allow connection from the internet, then connections from the lan will work automatically. The lan players just need your local IP or your local hostname (example evanscomputer). Internet players need to know either the ipv4 address of your router (which has the games port forwarded to evanscomputer), or the ipv6 address of evans computer, or evanscomputer's hostname on the ipv6 internet (evanscomputer.evanshouse.net). At the moment my code doesn't allow you to disallow internet based connections. But I supposed you could do it by saying "if the guy who just connected doesnt start with 192.168 (or something similar for ipv6), then drop".