L++: Networked multiplayer Lemmings

[Simon]

Hi folks,

L++ Lix is a game similar to Lemmings that features networked multiplayer games. I've deleoped it during the past years in my free time, and did a lot of bugfixing for it in the past weeks. It is free software and cross-platform.

Download for Windows
Source on github (should build on Windows, Linux, Mac, others)

I'm eager to play it with you here. :-D I believe it's most fun with four players at once.

To play a multiplayer game, try to connect to the central game server via the top button in the multiplayer menu.

Contact/IRC: irc.quakenet.org #lix, chat in your browser. Or post on this board. Or send email to eiderdaus at the gmail.com.

-- Simon

[chaos_defrost]

I've played around a bit with your level editor -- I slightly prefer Lemmix so far, but the ability to make and play new multiplayer levels is an exciting new feature. I've designed a pretty bare-bones 2 player level, and if time allows I'm going to try making some 4 player levels.

Playing 4 players is so much fun -- there's so much to keep track of and you really have to have a plan to prevent everyone else from reaching the exit.

Overall this is probably the best multi-player Lemmings app out there, zero lag + some of the "new" features (a few Lemmings 2 skills, and a few interesting mechanics -- such as bombers sending all Lemmings in a certain radius -- including blockers -- flying) makes this an incredibly fun experience. Geoo and I got 2 player working with Hamachi.

[Minim]

Well, I have downloaded the game and got everything sorted out, but the problem is I can't find anyone online. Maybe we should just keep sending private messages to everyone saying "do you want to play online with me at some point?".

Because there aren't so many users around I need to think of a specific time of the day when we can play online lemmings. I can't wait for the excitement to happen!

[Simon]

Try again looking for me now.

I live in Germany and the university semester has started, so I'd propose something that is in the later evening for me. That should fit for Americans as well. 22:00 UTC maybe, this is 00:00 local time and 23:00 local time after daylight savings are over.

I can host a game then, so there aren't any problems with closed ports. My IP address usually changes once a day. Try to connect with L++ to 79.200.183.66 at exactly 22:00 UTC today, i.e. in under half an hour. :-)

If nobody comes, I will open again at 22:30 and 23:00 UTC. After that I will probably go to bed and we'll try tomorrow.

-- Simon

[Minim]

Try again looking for me now.
79.200.183.66 at exactly 22:00 UTC today, i.e. in under half an hour. :-)

22:00 UTC, which is where I live at the moment, should be 23:00 (But the clocks are going back soon...)

I'm sorry Simon, but that is a little too late for me, as I may be sleeping at this time. I would like to play 2 hours earlier than that. We will try again tomorrow.

[Clam]

I'd like to give this a try sometime - possibly right now. I've never played an online game before, except for a couple of minutes on Burnout Paradise (which hardly counts), so this is going to be a completely new experience for me.

I've downloaded the game and got it to run. Now what?

[Simon]

Insane Steve:
Thanks for the accolade. :-D If you use Lemmix, you just have to make sure that the entrance hatch order in the LVL file is the same as the order of the corresponding exits.

minimac:
Yep, 20:00 UTC should work. If I've got time then, I'll post the IP.

Clam Spammer:
If you use either Jabber or ICQ, just write me anytime and we'll set up a game.

Otherwise, we could agree upon a time via forum posts here or PM. Tomorrow (October 20th) at 20:00 UTC is a time that would fit minimac as well, would that work?

L++ networking mode goes like this: One player is the server (or host), he clicks on "start server" in the L++ networking menu and then waits for other players. Everybody else is a client who is going to connect to the server, these players enter the server's IP address in the networking menu and hit "connect to".

Most computers are behind a NAT router when they access the internet, so they cannot be a server unless the router is configured to forward L++'s traffic to them. I have done this on my router, so I can be the server in a game between us. If you're a client, you do not have to change anything on your router.

-- Simon

[Clam]

Clam Spammer:
If you use either Jabber or ICQ

Nope and nope.  I do have Messenger though.


I think the time you suggested (20:00)  is a bit too early for me, although I'm not sure exactly what time that corresponds to here in New Zealand (I checked a couple of world time websites before, and they didn't seem to match up with what you said). Anyway, I think that's 7am here.

[Simon]

Heh, 7 a.m. isn't the best option either. I'll drop you a PM so we can find out a nice time.

-- Simon

[DragonsLover]

Wow! That' really cool!

I'm living in Quebec, so it's UTC -4 for me (6 PM if it's 10 PM for you). But I'm wondering if I'll have to set an IP address or something... How should I configure L++?

Also, I was thinking if Co-op games could be available too. FFA is nice, but I guess it could also be interesting to be working in teams as well, like 2 vs 2 or 3 vs 3 and have maps specially for that. Some other mods would be nice as well like CTF, racing, tagging or whatever...

[Clam]

I notice this game supports cylindrical and toroidal world wrapping. This could make for some awesome custom levels (bottomless pits, anyone? )

[Minim]

I notice this game supports cylindrical and toroidal world wrapping. This could make for some awesome custom levels (bottomless pits, anyone? )

Yes I have noticed that too, similar to Lemmings Revolution, and for lemmings who love to take an infinity fall as well, and they'll probably splat when they hit something.

[chaos_defrost]

I'm up for anyone who wants to play.

I made a 2p custom with both wrappings. It's so simple but so complex at the same time 

[chaos_defrost]

bump

geoo and I tested our 2p customs playing against each other. Combined we managed to make 5 levels which I feel are much better than anything in the "official" games.

Geoo's levels were very tactical. There was one which is basically a 2 player version of Fun 3, which while it sounds simple is really not at all. The other is an exercise in skill conservation, something the original levels didn't do at all really. Both of these were quite different than any 2p levels we played so far, and thus an incredibly fun experience.

My levels were a lot more "brute-force" style. One in particular required you to think about both a upper and a lower route at once; if you just ignore the upper route as "impossible" you may find your opponent saving a lot mroe lemmings than you'd like! Another is basically a solid wall with both wrapping enabled -- I might try and replicate this on 4p because it's so hectic to figure out. The other is basically "get down as fast as possible without floaters" -- still solid but the weakest of my levels in my opinion.

Custom 2p mode is ridiculously fun. I highly suggest, after you play some multiplayer stages, that you think about making your own levels. Both geoo's and my initial attempts were incredibly fun to play.

[GigaLem]

I kinda have problems with the game and sprites
But can you please show us more videos