Split Screen Linux Games

Anything gaming related that is not red and gooey goes in here.

Moderator: General Discussion Moderators

Post Reply
benfelts70
Rat
Posts: 2
Joined: Sat Mar 06, 2010 01:09 am
Location: U.S.A
Contact:

Split Screen Linux Games

Post by benfelts70 »

Hello I want to start a project called "The Linux Split Screen Project ".

The goal of the project would be to edit the source code of free Linux games and make them function in a two player split screen modes.

My hope for the project is to start small and convert with permission a few games to split screen like Urban Terror, Nexuiz,Cube fps etc...

After the conversion it'd be nice to put the split screen games into their own distribution that contained tv out, much like the Mythbuntu.

I feel that this idea is different from other game Linux front ends because it would allow two people to play on the screen at one time; like the xbox or PS2.

Do you know anyone who would be interested in working as a team to edit the open source code of existing Linux GPL games?

Two Linux Games that are already split screen are Torc racing simulator and Battle tanks. I am interested in how they managed to code split screen two player into their games but can't find the creators email addresses.
User avatar
DustyStyx
2D Artist
Posts: 2038
Joined: Wed Aug 11, 2004 02:12 am
Location: Salt Lake
Contact:

Post by DustyStyx »

First, welcome to the forums.

Transfusion is based on the DarkPlaces engine (as is Nexuiz), so it might be a good idea to talk with the DarkPlaces developers to see if it's something that they consider time worthy.

I got the impression that it wasn't practical when I proposed a similar feature to emulate the Cristal Ball power up for Transfusion Bloodbath. But that was years ago and opinions may have changed... it may have already been implemented, you'd have to check.

Probably the best way to contact the DP developers would be to jump on their IRC channel irc.anynet.org/#DarkPlaces

Good luck with your project.
leileilol

o^_^o

Posts: 548
Joined: Fri Sep 10, 2004 11:33 pm

Post by leileilol »

with console nexuiz around the corner, the need for splitscreen in DarkPlaces would be inevitable IMO. I dream for a 4 way split, with complete transparency between the 4 local clients, gamepads assigned to each client with same or unique bindings, etc. DP already has more advanced joystick support than ioq3 and cube, so it would go on like bread and butter

OpenArena is planned to have engine-side splitscreen. problem is i'm too idiot to implement that idea. I'm a technical art director, not a coder.

By the way for the GPL games, you don't need permission but for games with data in a seperate license you may have to ask. Some games are decievingly marked under the GPL such as Urban Terror for example. In reality, only the engine used for that is GPL, the data and game code is closed and non-Free, and infact illegal (violates q3sdk eula for sdk-based qvms in a non-q3 mod alone) but FrozenSand intends to risk that in the name of popularity, so...

As for the crystal ball, Darkplaces's csqc supports multiple viewports IIRC, so you can pull that off now finally. I recommend tfn to go csqc totally anyway, you can take advantage from the benefit of the skeletal features finally now. among other things is motion blur for brinkofdeath/shrooms and the new decal system for clipped blood and staining models with blood
User avatar
DustyStyx
2D Artist
Posts: 2038
Joined: Wed Aug 11, 2004 02:12 am
Location: Salt Lake
Contact:

Post by DustyStyx »

Thanks for the tips leileilol, I've been pinning for CSQC if only for the better multiplayer experience. I might try my hand at it soon, I'm going through a "Teach Yourself C" book, but I'm only on Chapter 2. Yes I know C and CSQC isn't a 1:1 comparison, but I was looking at our QC code the other day and it kinda sorta made sense, so who knows.
benfelts70
Rat
Posts: 2
Joined: Sat Mar 06, 2010 01:09 am
Location: U.S.A
Contact:

Split Screen Linux

Post by benfelts70 »

That's for the information and I am glad to see that the idea is not totally crazy and scoffed at. I was talking to Terrox over at legendsthegame.net and he was saying that I might also be able to run some game twice on the same machine and accomplish the goal.

I think what I will do is start with a simple game engine. I'll have to research free to edit games with primitive doom type engines and try to figure out how to run them with high frame rates in two separate multi-player sessions on one screen.

Maybe I should go into programming in college because it's things like this that are exciting to me :_( LOL
Post Reply