Online Multiplayer - Solution and Explanation

[voidreaver]

Hi everyone!

Since the launch of X-Morph: Defense one of its major strengths was the local co-op functionality. Being able to play on one couch with friends or family is a completely different experience than playing solo. It builds bonds and evokes emotions difficult to find elsewhere. We have always been fans of this style of gameplay.

Unfortunately, despite our multiple attempts and best intentions, we have not delivered the online version of the co-op game mode. The main problem with the game is that it’s heavily physics based and it affects gameplay, thus we would have to make the physics 100% predictable or to completely rework the whole framework for it to be able to send physics information in multiplayer. Unfortunately, this would require 6-9 months of work for 2-3 programmers and so we decided that we won't be able to pull it off.

Luckily, a solution has arrived. The wonderful people at www.parsecgaming.com have delivered an amazing free tool which you can use as a workaround.

Parsec is a free program which you can use to stream your desktop to other users. In other words - you let other people have access to the controls of your Windows PC and they can see your screen on their monitor. This way you can run X-Morph: Defense and play co-op with someone over the Internet just as if they were by your side!

You can find a tutorial on how to set it up here https://steamcommunity.com/games/408410/announcements/detail/1670153815971881373

Forever Yours
EXOR Studios

www.facebook.com/exorstudios
www.twitter.com/exorstudios
www.discord.gg/exorstudios
www.twitch.tv/exorstudios
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjgeJSqpnR86E-ZcY17vl1g

[Raizen^TF2]

很好

[Glitzville]

Just played Xmorph with my friend using Parsec last night and it worked flawlessly and was a lot of fun!

[voidreaver]

Hey Glitz, we're glad you've been able to use this little workaround. Spread the word! :)

[KTZ]

Originally posted by voidreaver:

Hey Glitz, we're glad you've been able to use this little workaround. Spread the word! :)

Voidreaver
Can you give us an opportunity to disable human speech? Playing survival is really annoying because of it. I wanna listen to soundtracks but speech-trigger is muting them

[ShaggyMoose]

The new Steam feature for "remote local co-op" should help with this as well.

[respwn]

Even though the streaming solution is ok, it would be still cool to have a real multiplayer. Maybe a paid DLC at some time? I would totally buy it.

[voidreaver]

Sorry @respwn, the development of X-Morph: Defense is over as we are 100% focused on our new project, The Riftbreaker.

[Le Eliminateur]

I had high hopes for this game, downloaded the demo and it looked interesting and was about to buy.... Until i realized that it doesn't have true multiplayer coop and that's a dealbreaker. Splitscreen or some cludge of a screenshare are not acceptable solutions.

[*P0P$*FR3$H3NM3Y3R*]

The game is really dope. Great fun and I hope it performed well sales wise. Anyhow..a workaround is a nice thing, but this sort of stream your desktop solution is indeed not great for various reasons. First and foremost network bandwidth and the fact that you have to split screen just like in local coop.
I hope that a real MP will be viable either as a DLC or in X-Morph 2.

I already bought 3 copies for friends and I d buy even more if this had true MP.
MP is what made IRON BRIGADE great and thats why people still play this after all the years.

[Memph]

Originally posted by voidreaver:

Sorry @respwn, the development of X-Morph: Defense is over as we are 100% focused on our new project, The Riftbreaker.

Please ensure the next game has *proper* multiplayer!

The only way I've managed to co-op this is with my 7 year old niece. Remote play is sort of an option, albeit if you can handle a streamed image that looks like a camel's back-end where you can barely tell what's even happening.

[Sylvine]

Originally posted by voidreaver:

Hi everyone!The main problem with the game is that it’s heavily physics based and it affects gameplay, thus we would have to make the physics 100% predictable or to completely rework the whole framework for it to be able to send physics information in multiplayer.

Just out of curiosity, because I don't think it will change by this point, why do you need to synchronise physics ?

Yes it affects gameplay, but so what ?

For example building can collapse and block routes. What if the host just render physics on his side, calculate if the rubbles blocks the road, and then just send that data to the client ?

Then the client render physics on his side, maybe the debris won't perfectly match, but really, who cares ?

[voidreaver]

Originally posted by Sylvine:

Originally posted by voidreaver:

For example building can collapse and block routes. What if the host just render physics on his side, calculate if the rubbles blocks the road, and then just send that data to the client ?

Then the client render physics on his side, maybe the debris won't perfectly match, but really, who cares ?

It's not that simple. Resolution of all physics processes takes seconds, not miliseconds. That would make the game unplayable. Believe me - if we could do it, we would.

[Sylvine]

But again, does it really matter if you have even a 2 second delay for things like blocked roads ?

Because sure, physic is important on that game, but except for very rare cases like avoiding a collapsing building, I don't think I would even notice it.

Especially when the alternative is using streaming, where you still have delay on top of having to use splitscreen and making the game looking like a pixel soup.

Really I think most players would rather have heavy lag on physics than all the pros of streaming.

So I guess I'm missing something, I just want to know why out of curiosity.

[JFF44]

Do you know what could be good? Something than fixing this issue? Make some changes to Your Achievements's goal that requires those "Multiplayer/ Coop-op ", then makes everyone happy, I want to make myself enjoy n put even more time in this awesome game, but the achievements, it just won't work without Co-op

There's this game with the Name of "Saints Row the Third", someone in the community came up with a fix with a few command in the Note pad

[Somdier6]

no thanks...im not giving a random stranger access to my computer whatever the capacity...