This is Norms help file For the creation dialog. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> OVERVIEW The options specified by this app are program specific. The game programmer should provide exact documentation To be used by this app. These settings will be listed in the actual game matching And will be listed on the match making server And are used To determine how To set up a game. When all players have agreed To settings, these settings are passed To the game programs as flags. The first 2 letters indicate the actual flag passed; usually a / followed by a single letter. For maps And game types, it will be M Or T followed by a number. Display options would be D0 - D9... Max players And observer options are determine by the game programmer And are included here For users To enable Or disable. If a game supports players intering a game already in progress, the listed game will remain listed on the server unless users wish To block observers. To prevent observers, when the Host sets up a game, just disable observers. For games that do not support observers, enabling observers will not have any effect and should be left disabled to conserve space on my website. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> adding support for a new game >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> this requires knowledge of the game you wish to support. This knowledge should come from the game programmer and related documents. The settings here are then used to interface with the game program. REQUIRED ENTRIES Host Options - the actual flags can be changed, but the section is needed. Specs - all names in specs section are required, although the values can be changed Maps - first letter must be a number 0-9 the rest can say anything Type - same as maps, 0-9 Display - same as maps, 0-9 CHANGING ENTRIES the best way To change an entry is To first Select where To place it. then type in what it should be And click add flag. If you like it, Select the old entry And click remove entry. CUSTOM TYPES Although not currently supported, you can add a user defined custom section And add any Data you want To it. For example, you could add an Image section with a list of images. Since this saves out as a .ini file, this Data could be made available To the game program Or other custom matchmaking programs To show actual map Or player images .... CHECKBOXES .... currently not supported use these to turn off default options. Checked = Use option UnChecked = Option Not Supported Send suggestions to mycat98501@yahoo.com to add additional default options.... ********************************************************************************** Joining a game - this requires game support already completed from above. pressing refresh will update the list of games select a game and then press options to show/update the currently select options for the game. This is required to view the connection settings. Sometimes this happens automatically.. select a display option you desire for your computer. The flag list will then update. The requested host connection is then listed. If your computer supports this connection method, then all is well. when required flags are done, you may add any other flags you may need (cheat codes?) .... not supported at this time see game documentation for other flags. when ready press join to connect to the chat room. NOTE: if a game is already in progress, the host chat app will be shut down and you'll get an error saying something like "unable to connect to chat client" and "do you wish to launch the game anyway?" This is sorta normal. If a game is played via email or only via proxy or via FTP then there will not be a chat client to connect to. So if this error occurs, its just a warning that the game may not launch correctly. A more detailed error report will need to be provided from within the game after launch. Exmaple of the problem here: lets say you launch DUEL. The chat server is shut down on game launch, but your ISP is still valid, so a joining player will need to connect directly to DUEL instead of going through the chat server. If the game is shut down, then the joining app must state that it could not connect to the host using the selected joining method. Currently, this is the only way to tell if a game is really still in progress or was shut down. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> hosting a game >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> this requires new game support to be already completed above. Select from the list of "installed" games and then click host. A list of host options are then made available. You should recognize this list from the game setup. Select the connection options, map option, and game type. When ready, click POST. Your game will now be listed on my website and you'll enter a chat room and begin waiting for other players to join your game. As they join, they will enter the chat room as well (see joining a game). As the host, you have the option to enable players to enter your game after it has started. That is what the PERMIT OBSERVERS option is for. Some games will not support this option, but some do. This option will determine if/when your game is removed from the website. If you permit observers, the game will be listed as "Started" instead of "Waiting". If you do not want observers, your game is removed from the website when you decide to start the game. Launch - Click this to start your game program. This will also inform all other players to start thier games too. Only the HOST can do this. All other players will start after the host, and then, automatically. All users will then leave the chat room at the same time, and launch the actual game app. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> FireWall Issues >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> this is a small footprint chat app that uses TCP comunication on port #1667 Target ISP will be the host computers ISP. IF the target is behind a firewall, the host user must ensure that the public ISP is provided on the host setup screen. This app will be unable to determine the real ISP#. Also, this port must be unblocked for a connection to occur >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Use of Proxy servers >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> currently, this chat app does not support them. If you wish to provide support for a proxy server email me at mycat98501@yahoo.com Basically, a proxy server is a remote computer that is not behind a firewall that is running a program (a version of this chat app). Players behind a firewall can connect to the proxy and the proxy relays all chat/game data to all players. I have done those before, and they are easy to setup, but hard to maintain. Some people like to use thier computers for other things once in a while:) And if you have an ISP provider that changes your ISP# from time to time, the proxy address would change. Thats why its not supported at this time. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Programmer issues.... >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> if you are writing a game to support this matchmaker, The commandline is sent in this format, seperated by spaces Name - assumes no spaces in the name string ISP - address of connection (passed to client only) unless a host flag is used, then this is the proxy address. Host flag - if used to indicate this app is hosting or to indicate how hosting is done..... Client flag - if used to indicate how client conects to host Map Flag - sent to host only to select map Type Flag - sent to host only to select map Display Flag - sent to host and client if used *************************** *************************** map and type issues will need to sent from host computer to all connecting users upon connection All name issues will need to be provided by connecting users to host upon connecting. The hosting app will then need to proved the name list to all other users. This is done automatically if connecting via DirectPlay. If using TCP or UDP this will need to be done manually by the game app. *************************** *************************** to simplify game setup to third parties, you should provide the end user with already setup game files for use with this kit. If your game provides only one type of connection scheme, then it will not require any flags at all. Your game can determine if it is a host or client by detecting whether the ISP is passed or not. Only the client needs the ISP#; unless a proxy is used ...... but thats not supported at this time. *************************** *************************** use of Proxy servers. Unsupported, but.... Basically, place a master server somewhere. Pass this ISP# to both the client and the server game apps. Since the master server belongs to you (assuming you wrote it) your games will know which port its using. As far as this app is concerned, its just another number to relay. The host will still not be told the ISP# of the proxy, but if your App knows the ISP and knows its the host, that should not be a problem. The proxy will then be responcible for relaying all game data to all users.