Ports of platforms for ScummVM: Network connectivity?

[GuyBristle]

As a ScummVM newbie, I'm wondering is the network connectivity implemented for ScummVM?

Have been thinking that perhaps some (but not many?) of the games (and up to game engines) supported by ScummVM require some network channel for their certain features (like save-games online, multiplayer options, etc.) to fully function. Now, JavaVM for example exposes its APIs for communications available and the end-user can be given the power to flexibly choose the mediating channel (for mobile terminals Wi-Fi, GPRS, etc. you name it) to be used by an application (here: a game) for actions over network.

Is networking supported by ScummVM up to some common extend (for desktop platforms?) already or is it implemented case by case seperately? I guess lower-level APIs (from the point of view of VM) are needed for each platform (let's take e.g. Maemo and N900 running it) seperately to do the job.

Thanks for comments and hints!

[fingolfin]

As a ScummVM newbie, I'm wondering is the network connectivity implemented for ScummVM?

No.

Have been thinking that perhaps some (but not many?) of the games (and up to game engines) supported by ScummVM require some network channel for their certain features (like save-games online, multiplayer options, etc.) to fully function.

I am not aware of any. Can you name one?

[clone2727]

Have been thinking that perhaps some (but not many?) of the games (and up to game engines) supported by ScummVM require some network channel for their certain features (like save-games online, multiplayer options, etc.) to fully function.

I am not aware of any. Can you name one?

The only "online" ScummVM games that I'm aware of are Backyard Sports games (like Backyard Baseball 2001 and Backyard Football) and it's only used for multiplayer online.

[MeddlingMonk]

I definitely think ScummVM needs networking support. It's about time that the insult sword fighting deathmatch feature of The Secret of Monkey Island is playable again.

Or is that something I've only hallucinated?

[md5]

I'm sure that networking support will be very useful for Leisure Suit Larry 4

[GuyBristle]

Off-topic I may say that ScummVM seems like an interesting project with an active community, makes me want to test it out soon.

I believe you all with experience on ScummVM could continue the list by naming a game/feature benefiting of or requiring a support for networking. I only read about someone, who tried out ScummVM with some game on Wii (sorry for lack of details, will try to locate that post) and was asking for a chance to have a savegame repository on network instead of other media hot-plugged to the device.

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So far we seem to have ...

- Backyard Sports games (like Backyard Baseball 2001 and Backyard Football) / Online multiplayer
- The Secret of Monkey Island / Insult sword fighting deathmatch
- Leisure Suit Larry 4

...
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In addition to older games, are there possibly any new games with network-depending features coming up for the game engines supported by ScummVM?

[md5]

Leisure Suit Larry 4 was never released, it's meant as a joke.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leisure_Suit_Larry_4

The fourth installment of the Leisure Suit Larry series was officially Larry 5. The actual fourth part of the scenario was never made for various reasons, but it is jokingly referred to by both Sierra and fans under the subtitle of The Missing Floppies (or The Case of the Missing Floppies). Much gossip and rumor have spread to explain this: most believed that the original production floppies of the game were lost (some rumors jokingly claimed that Lowe's dog ate them) and the team would not remake it from scratch.

[Seldon]

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So far we seem to have ...

- Backyard Sports games (like Backyard Baseball 2001 and Backyard Football) / Online multiplayer
- The Secret of Monkey Island / Insult sword fighting deathmatch
- Leisure Suit Larry 4

...
-----

I suppose the Fate of Atlantis could be easily upgraded so you could play team path with a friend over Internet using this new feature. I vote for networking support in ScummVM.
But the usual problem appears - who will implement this functionality? The devs have their tasks and I'm affraid without someone willing to do the work it won't happen anytime soon.

[GuyBristle]

Leisure Suit Larry 4 was never released, it's meant as a joke.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leisure_Suit_Larry_4

The fourth installment of the Leisure Suit Larry series was officially Larry 5. The actual fourth part of the scenario was never made for various reasons, but it is jokingly referred to by both Sierra and fans under the subtitle of The Missing Floppies (or The Case of the Missing Floppies). Much gossip and rumor have spread to explain this: most believed that the original production floppies of the game were lost (some rumors jokingly claimed that Lowe's dog ate them) and the team would not remake it from scratch.

Hehe, I see!

[GuyBristle]

[/quote]
But the usual problem appears - who will implement this functionality? The devs have their tasks and I'm affraid without someone willing to do the work it won't happen anytime soon.[/quote]

All true.

It may need a few interested people, who either know ScummVM like the back of their hand or have enough time on their hands to study it ... so, in both cases, it takes a handyman or handywoman or two.

[fingolfin]

I suppose the Fate of Atlantis could be easily upgraded so you could play team path with a friend over Internet using this new feature.

I *hope* you were joking, but just in case you weren't: You supposed incorrectly.

I vote for networking support in ScummVM.
But the usual problem appears - who will implement this functionality? The devs have their tasks and I'm affraid without someone willing to do the work it won't happen anytime soon.

Yeah, no, it won't happen.

[Seldon]

I *hope* you were joking, but just in case you weren't: You supposed incorrectly.

I did

I just wanted to express (sorry for my straightforwardness) how stupid this idea is in my opinion.

[fingolfin]

So far we seem to have ...

- Backyard Sports games (like Backyard Baseball 2001 and Backyard Football) / Online multiplayer
- The Secret of Monkey Island / Insult sword fighting deathmatch
- Leisure Suit Larry 4

You managed to misunderstand two jokes here . Just like LSL4 does not exist, the "deathmatch" above does not exist either. This leaves you with the Backyard Sports games as the sole example˛ and those are not really adventure games and are only supported by ScummVM because they share most code with adventures made by the same manufacturer. As such, there is no reason for us to add code to support their more exotic & special features.

In addition to older games, are there possibly any new games with network-depending features coming up for the game engines supported by ScummVM?

No! Adventure games, by their very nature, are single player games.


You talked about network saving in the Wii port. *That* is something entirely different. It's something only the Wii backend would have to know about, and would not require any modifications to game engines. I think we actually have a feature request for that on our tracker (about adding SAMBA support to the Wii port, or so). Anyway, questions about that should be directed to the Wii subforum.

[Red_Breast]

Dhewg has already implemented samba in the Wii build.

It seems the person who started this thread doesn't really understand the nature of adventure games, the type ScummVM supports anyway. I know in the last few years it seems almost every new game has to have some multiplayer aspect but I hope you understand when I use the English saying "you're barking up the wrong tree here really".
The only thing similar to what you seem to be suggesting is Sarien net agi games which I've never tried myself.