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Creating multiplayer mechanics for horror games

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HG

HorrorGameDev_2024

Posted on August 5, 2024 • Advanced

👻 Need help with multiplayer horror game mechanics

Hi everyone! I’m developing an asymmetrical horror game called NIGHTMARE REALM. It’s designed to be a multiplayer experience where one player takes the role of a monster and the other players must survive and escape.

I have the basic gameplay mechanics working (monster abilities, survivor mechanics, items, objectives) but I’m struggling with implementing the multiplayer aspect. How can I synchronize player positions, actions, and game state between multiple players?

Any guidance on cloud variables, player coordination, or multiplayer architecture would be incredibly helpful! 🙏

MP

MultiplayerMaster_Pro

Replied 2 hours later • ⭐ Best Answer

Awesome project concept @HorrorGameDev_2024! Multiplayer horror games are challenging but incredibly rewarding. Here’s a comprehensive guide to implementing multiplayer mechanics in Scratch:

👻 Multiplayer Horror Game Architecture

Here’s how a multiplayer horror game system works:

flowchart TD A[🚩 Game Start] --> B[🔗 Connect to Server] B --> C[👤 Player Role Assignment] C --> D{🎭 Player Role?} D -->|Monster| E[👹 Monster Player] D -->|Survivor| F[🏃 Survivor Player] E --> G[🔄 Monster Main Loop] G --> H[👁️ Hunt Survivors] H --> I[☁️ Update Monster Position] I --> J[⚡ Use Monster Abilities] J --> K[🔍 Check Survivor Catches] F --> L[🔄 Survivor Main Loop] L --> M[🏃 Move & Hide] M --> N[☁️ Update Survivor Position] N --> O[🔧 Complete Objectives] O --> P[🤝 Help Other Survivors] K --> Q{👹 Caught Survivor?} Q -->|Yes| R[💀 Eliminate Survivor] Q -->|No| S[⏱️ Continue Hunt] P --> T{🎯 All Objectives Done?} T -->|Yes| U[🚪 Escape Available] T -->|No| V[📋 Continue Objectives] R --> W[☁️ Update Game State] S --> X[☁️ Sync All Players] U --> Y[🏆 Survivors Win] V --> X W --> Z{👥 Survivors Left?} Z -->|None| AA[👹 Monster Wins] Z -->|Some| BB[🔄 Continue Game] X --> CC[📡 Network Sync] CC --> DD[🔄 Update All Clients] DD --> EE{🎮 Game Over?} EE -->|No| FF[⏱️ Wait Next Frame] EE -->|Yes| GG[🏁 End Game] FF --> G FF --> L subgraph "Cloud Variables" HH["☁️ Player Positions"] II["☁️ Game State"] JJ["☁️ Player Roles"] KK["☁️ Objectives Status"] LL["☁️ Monster Abilities"] end subgraph "Game Mechanics" MM["👁️ Line of Sight"] NN["🔊 Proximity Audio"] OO["💡 Lighting System"] PP["🎯 Objective System"] QQ["⚡ Special Abilities"] end style A fill:#e1f5fe style E fill:#ffcdd2 style F fill:#c8e6c9 style Y fill:#e8f5e8 style AA fill:#ffebee style CC fill:#fff3e0

☁️ Step 1: Cloud Variables Setup

First, create the essential cloud variables for player synchronization:

    // Essential cloud variables (☁ = cloud variable)
when flag clicked
set [☁ Player1_X v] to [0]
set [☁ Player1_Y v] to [0]
set [☁ Player1_State v] to [alive]
set [☁ Player2_X v] to [0]
set [☁ Player2_Y v] to [0]
set [☁ Player2_State v] to [alive]
set [☁ Monster_X v] to [0]
set [☁ Monster_Y v] to [0]
set [☁ Game_State v] to [waiting]
set [☁ Player_Count v] to [0]

🎮 Step 2: Player Connection System

Handle player joining and role assignment:

    when flag clicked
change [☁ Player_Count v] by [1]
if <(☁ Player_Count) = [1]> then
set [My Role v] to [Monster]
broadcast [Setup Monster v]
else
set [My Role v] to [Survivor]
set [My Player ID v] to (☁ Player_Count)
broadcast [Setup Survivor v]
end

// Limit players
if <(☁ Player_Count) > [5]> then
say [Game is full!] for [3] seconds
stop [all v]
end

📡 Step 3: Position Synchronization

Sync player positions across all clients:

    // For the current player
when flag clicked
forever
if <(My Role) = [Monster]> then
set [☁ Monster_X v] to (x position)
set [☁ Monster_Y v] to (y position)
else
if <(My Player ID) = [2]> then
set [☁ Player2_X v] to (x position)
set [☁ Player2_Y v] to (y position)
end
end
wait [0.1] seconds // Avoid cloud variable rate limits
end

// For other players (create clones)
when flag clicked
forever
if <not <(My Role) = [Monster]>> then
go to x: (☁ Monster_X) y: (☁ Monster_Y)
end
if <not <(My Player ID) = [2]>> then
go to x: (☁ Player2_X) y: (☁ Player2_Y)
end
end

🎯 Step 4: Game State Management

Coordinate game events and states:

    // Game state controller
when flag clicked
forever
if <(☁ Game_State) = [starting]> then
broadcast [Game Start v]
set [☁ Game_State v] to [playing]
end
if <(☁ Game_State) = [monster_win]> then
broadcast [Monster Wins v]
wait [5] seconds
set [☁ Game_State v] to [waiting]
end
if <(☁ Game_State) = [survivors_win]> then
broadcast [Survivors Win v]
wait [5] seconds
set [☁ Game_State v] to [waiting]
end
end

⚡ Step 5: Action Broadcasting

Handle player actions and interactions:

    // Monster attack system
when [space v] key pressed
if <(My Role) = [Monster]> then
set [☁ Monster_Action v] to [attack]
wait [0.5] seconds
set [☁ Monster_Action v] to [idle]
end

// Survivor interaction
when [e v] key pressed
if <(My Role) = [Survivor]> then
if <touching [Door v]?> then
set [☁ Door_State v] to [opening]
end
if <touching [Item v]?> then
set [☁ Item_Collected v] to (My Player ID)
end
end

🔧 Step 6: Data Encoding for Complex States

Use encoding to store multiple values in one cloud variable:

    // Encode player state: X,Y,Health,Action
define encode player state
set [Encoded State v] to (join (join (join (x position) [,]) (join (y position) [,])) (join (join (Health) [,]) (Current Action)))
set [☁ Player_Data v] to (Encoded State)

// Decode player state
define decode player state (data)
set [Temp List v] to []
set [Current Char v] to [1]
repeat (length of (data))
if <(letter (Current Char) of (data)) = [,]> then
// Process the accumulated value
else
set [Current Value v] to (join (Current Value) (letter (Current Char) of (data)))
end
change [Current Char v] by [1]
end

⚠️ Important Considerations:

  • Cloud Variable Limits: Only 10 cloud variables per project, 256 characters each
  • Update Rate: Maximum 1 update per 0.1 seconds per variable
  • Player Limit: Keep it reasonable (2-5 players) for better performance
  • Error Handling: Always check for disconnected players and invalid states
  • Synchronization: Use timestamps or sequence numbers for critical events

This should give you a solid foundation for your multiplayer horror game! The key is to keep the data flow simple and handle edge cases gracefully. 🎮

HG

HorrorGameDev_2024

Replied 1 hour later

@MultiplayerMaster_Pro This is absolutely incredible! Thank you so much! 🎉

The encoding system for complex states is exactly what I needed. I’m already implementing the player connection system and it’s working great. One question - how do I handle lag compensation for fast-paced interactions?

NT

NetworkTech_Expert

Replied 30 minutes later

@HorrorGameDev_2024 Great question about lag compensation! Here are some techniques:

    // Client-side prediction
when [arrow key v] pressed
// Move immediately for responsive feel
change x by [5]
// Then sync with server
set [☁ My_X v] to (x position)

// Lag compensation for attacks
when [attack v] key pressed
set [Attack Time v] to (timer)
set [☁ Attack_Data v] to (join (Attack Time) (join [,] (x position)))
// Other players check if they were in range at that time

Also consider using interpolation for smoother movement between updates!

VB

Vibelf_Community

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