Hack20.Play Multiplayer Games


Hack 20. Play Multiplayer Games

Looking for more of a challenge in your mobile gaming? Try playing against another person for that extra edge.

Multiplayer Palm games provide several different ways to connect with opponents. The basic connection methods are infrared (IR), direct Bluetooth connection, and using the Internet. Multiplayer games may only support one or two of these methodsa few support all three.

3.4.1. Infrared

For an infrared connection, you can only connect to one person at a time. You need to be fairly close together, depending on the strength of the IR transmitters in both Palm devices. Pacific Neo-Tek, the maker of OmniRemote, has some notes on effective transmitting ranges for various devices (http://www.pacificneotek.com/range.htm).

You need to keep the devices pointed at each other while you play. To test the IR connection, first try beaming a memo back and forth. Test both ways to check the range on each of the transmitters. If the range isn't sufficient, then you can look at getting a more powerful add-on IR transmitter [Hack #41].

Starting an infrared game is straightforward. Both players start the game on their Palm devices. One player initiates an IR game (details vary depending on the game). The other player then connects to the IR game.

3.4.2. Direct Bluetooth Connection

If you are using Bluetooth to connect to the Internet, then that is treated as Internet gaming. A game using a direct Bluetooth connection allows two or more people (depending on the game) to play together. For a direct Bluetooth game, all of the players must be within Bluetooth range. So you can use Bluetooth to play across the room but not across the country.

If you want to use a direct Bluetooth connection, but you are using Bluetooth for Internet access [Hack #34], then you may need to disable your Internet access while you are gaming.

All of the players should start the game, and then one person initiates a session. The other players join that player's game.

3.4.3. Internet

If you are connected to the Internet [Hack #34], and the game you are playing supports it, then you can use the Internet to play with other people. Some games have specific servers that you have to connect to. Other games let you run servers on your own desktop machine. Either way, you will most likely need the IP address of a server for Internet gaming. Some games may be able to locate servers on their own.

If you have a choice of multiplayer connection types, what should you choose? For a local gaming group, you can use IR or Bluetooth. Otherwise (or if you want to try your skills on a wider audience), you can use an Internet connection.

3.4.4. Multiplayer Games

There are various types of games which support multiple players. Implementations of traditional board and card games, such as chess and poker, sometimes have multiplayer modes. Shooting games and real-time strategy games also occasionally support multiplayer mode.

Following are some games that support multiple players. You can find more multiplayer games by going to a Palm directory site and searching for multiplayer, Bluetooth, infrared, or Internet.


RifleSLUGs-W (http://www.palm-games.penreader.com/rifleslugs-II/)

RifleSLUGs (see Figure 3-18) is a strategy game for one or two players. You play an army of slugs that is trying to defeat the other army. RifleSLUGs supports multiple players through IR, Bluetooth, or an Internet connection.


ChessGenius (http://www.chessgenius.com)

ChessGenius (Figure 3-19) supports infrared play against another person who is armed with their own copy of ChessGenius.

Figure 3-18. RifleSLUGs startup screen


Figure 3-19. ChessGenius



Multiplayer Championship PokerTexas Hold'em (http://www.realdice.com)

Multiplayer Championship PokerTexas Hold'em supports multiple players through both IR and Bluetooth. You can see a human player versus multiple computer players in Figure 3-20.

There are many other games that have multiplayer support. You can also play web-based games with a browser [Hack #37]. For example, play Blackjack (http://blackjack.fon.ungames.com/index.php) with nothing more than a standard web browserno extra plug-ins are required. Note that Flash is not supported by most Palm browsers (although some devices, such as some Clié models, do support Flash), so you will not be able to play Flash-based web games.

Figure 3-20. Playing Multiplayer Championship PokerTexas Hold'em





Palm and Treo Hacks
Palm and Treo Hacks: Tips & Tools for Mastering Your Handheld
ISBN: 059610054X
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2006
Pages: 115

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