[Darkhill]

How do you guys test out anything for multiplayer?  Right now I have to pass along changes to another guy and then we have to connect and see if anything works (usually not).  It would be much easier if I could connect to my own computer and be able to fly missions.  I don't have a router or anything but I can get a hold of another computer.  Any suggestions?

[WMCoolmon]

There've been a couple of official multiplayer sessions, but neither was very successful as it was extremely difficult to get a game going in the first place.

Generally multiplayer _isn't_ tested, and the first coders usually hear about bugs is when one of the passionate squadwar types start complaining about something that's been there for a month or more, but noone has bothered to mantis or report in the main forum.

[taylor]

I use two computers, one Linux and one Windows based.  The only real problem with that is it's very difficult to do any real testing with just one person and two games.  You end up missing out on a lot of possible bugs.  I've already fixed everything that I could verify but there are several bugs in Mantis still waiting for feedback to know if they are fixed or not.  Debuging multi problems is not something well suited to doing with a normal user or game player.  There is just too much feedback that needs to take place to get anything done.

You really need two people, two computers and two debug builds to do any real testing.  Both people really need to be coders or at least be able to diagnose problems on their own.  Anything else and the process is just too slow and not all that effective.  Getting multi working cross-platform took too many months for this reason.  If organized testing could have taken place then it would have been done in week or two.

[Darkhill]

Its things like rotating submodels don't work on client computers.  A little change in the code and it works.  But after you are killed and respawn then nothing rotates again.  Things like this and a couple of other toys would be easier if I could make a quick change and then try them out.  The way it is now I only have a small window in which to test with another guy and he is halfway across the world (Holland to be exact).

taylor, did you have both your computers hooked up at one time?  And if so, how did you go about it?

I was actually wondering if I could use Direct Connection and use IPX and if the two computers would see each other.

[taylor]

Originally posted by darkchrono4
taylor, did you have both your computers hooked up at one time?  And if so, how did you go about it?

Hmm, thought I wrote something about that.  Must have forgot and just pressed Submit.

Anyway, the bug you mentioned is something that is a lot easier for one person to try out and fix.  I'm on a network so it's easy for me to just have a few computers running FS2_Open and see how it goes.  As long as you are just using two computers though you don't need the hub/switch or any of that crap.  If both computers have network cards and you've got a Cat5 cable (or can buy one pretty cheap, or make it) then just hook them up directly.  The cable does have to be special, a cross-over, but that's easy to make/modify, or if you don't have to tools you can probably buy one.  Or you could just get a cheap hub and use that to connect the two machines and skip the cable madness.  Then you can just use TCP/IP to do the testing, the game would automatically show up in the list.

If that's too much then the Direct Connection method would work but I'm not sure how reliable IPX is at this point.  You may run into problems that would be IPX specific.

If you don't know how the make a cross-over cable let me know, or if you don't have the tools I can just snail-mail you a little converter if you want.  I made a dozen or so not too long ago so I've got one to spare.  I do that since I hate having one cable for a specific purpose and attaching the converter to an existing cable saves me from that.  Plus, since I've got quite a few boxes of 1,000 foot Cat5 it makes sense to use the converter and roll out however long of a run I need of straight-thru for testing things or whatever.

[Darkhill]

CAT5 is just your standard network cable isn't it?  And those hubs they are the cheap $20-30 deals you can find at Walmart?  I got one of those floating around at home somewhere from when I had a roommate and there is only one ethernet jack in the room.  I will probably have to end up making a crossover cable, what colors are connected to what?

[StratComm]

If you use a hub, you don't need a crossover cable unless you're linking it up to a larger network AND your hub doesn't have an uplink terminal or switch.  Most linksys ones have that though, so you should be able to get around crossover cable entirely.

[Darkhill]

I can't find my hub anywhere.  Is it possible just to cross over the wires inside a cable and not have to worry about changing an end?

[StratComm]

Its possible, but you'll probably ruin the twisted-pair configuration in doing so.  The ends are designed specifically to have wires plugged in to them, and will make much surer and less interference-prone connections than splicing will.