🚀 go-pugleaf

Michael Byrne <byrn...@popmail.med.nyu.edu> wrote:

>Kevin Huber wrote:
>> 
>> Has anyone gotten duke3d to work well with Kali?  We were trying to set up
>> a 3 player game locally with a P133 as the server and weren't getting
>> it to work.  It kept looking for network players, then it hung on the
>> multiplayer init.  We're all running kaliduke over ppp; two of us are 28.8
>> and the other is 14.4.
>> 

>I have never gotten more than 2 players over kali but that is just my 
>experience.  I use a t1 connection so I cannot comment on the speeds of you 
>modems but I say forget the 14.4 guy he would be way to slow for a playable 
>game.  Here are some tips, use same version of Duke 3d (doh), use kali 1.2t 
>(with duke3d in kali.cfg) and use a mouse :).

I've played a few 3 player games with just a 28.8

Here's a little (yeah right!) help file I put together from mine and
others experiences (and bit of testing). I apologize for the lousy
formatting, but it was formatted to be read via edit.com while using
DOS Kali and I have neither the time nor inclination to reformat it
for this posting although I have added a few things in passing:

Notes on improving playability of Duke3d via Kali 
================================================================
NOTE: The below text assumes you are using Duke3d version 1.1, 
if you have version 1.0 then upgrade.  If any player is using a 
modified .con file that the other player or players aren't using 
this will cause sync problems also. So don't try to cheat: If you want
to play with a modified .con file, let your opponent(s) know and offer

it to them. Make sure they have backups of their original .cons first.

1) If you don't have it already, get KALI12T.EXE 
   and put it in your kali directory.

2) (optional) rename your old KALI.EXE to something else if you      
   wish to keep it.

3) Rename KALI12T.EXE as KALI.EXE  (note: this is the most recent    
   version of KALI as of this writing)

4) Add "DUKE3D" to your kali.cfg on the bottom line (without quotes)

5) Connect to a Kali server as you normally would.

6) go to kchat and find another player.   
   A low ping time is still better (although connects at 550-600ms or
more 
   are possible), and the fewer the players the better (I have managed
once 
   so far to play a lasting 3 player game when all 3 of us had pings
around 
   495ms without too much choppiness.) Lasting meaning about 45
minutes (when one of the players had to leave).
   Four player games might only be possible if one or more of the
players 
   has a direct internet connection... dunno!


7) Pick a socket and let your opponent(s) know what it is, preferably
by 
   private message.
   Example: /msg Vanth setup /F4, socket 12) if you don't want someone

   jumping into your game by stealing your slot or your opponents.  
   You should use your nickname from kchat in the game to prevent any 
   confusion also.

   Make sure your opponent(s) have Kali12t.exe and know the correct
steps 
   to follow.. (You can offer them this file to give your fingers a
rest) :)

8) /quit, CD to your duke directory

9) run Setup with the /f4 option i.e. 'Setup /f4' 
   (some people use /f2 but for me this seems to make the game 
   too slow and choppy and doesn't seem to fend off the 
   FATAL sync errors any better.)
   NOTE: There is also a /f1 option from what I've read, but this
might 
   be too slow for kali.


10) set # of players and set socket #

11) Launch Duke3d and 

    DO NOT HIT THE SPACEBAR TO SKIP THE INTRO SCREENS!!!

    I can't stress this enough.  DUKE seems to use the time during

    the intro's for syncronization so hitting the spacebar has the

    nasty habit of screwing up the sync.  Hopefully this will be      
    fixed in the full registered version!
    NOTE: by spacebar, I mean ANY KEY! Just let the intro's timeout 
    normally.

Note: connect shouldn't take much longer than a normal modem or LAN 
      connection.


If you get a FATAL sync error during the game, 
DON'T EXIT THE GAME RIGHT AWAY! 
hit 't'and let your opponent know that you're going to restart.  
Hit the escape key and choose new game.  
Most times you can get a good game going again this way. 
If you can't get a game going within 3 tries then you might want to
hang it 
up and search for an opponent (or 2) with lower ping times.
Sync errors can even occur modem-to-modem (it's happened to me) 
so don't be surprised when it happens to you.  
I have successfully played games lasting over an hour without this
occuring 
and have also had it occur within 5 minutes. 

Don't bother trying to play with the "sync error" message on the
screen since 
you and your friend(s) are now effectively in different dimensions  ;)
Try and arrange a meeting during a sync error and communicate your 
whereabouts and what you are doing to your opponent and have he/she do

the same. Occationally, you may be able to actually shoot your
opponent and
have it actually affect his end.. depends on how far out of sync the
game is.
Once a fatal sync error has occured I don't think the game even
attempts to 
sync things up anymore, so you're bound to drift further and further
out to 
the point that your opponent may report killing you on one side of the
level 
while you're on the opposite side and your killcounts will be totally
screwed.

You'll see what I mean... you may still be able to interact a bit
at first. Again: depends on how far out of sync the game has gotten.

This will work with people of up to 800ms pings, possibly higher
although 
God only knows for how long!  ;)  A 500-600ms ping from your opponent
is 
now acceptable to the game. Below 500 is optimal. A 440ms ping will
almost 
guarantee a real smooth game.


NOTE: Full mouse aiming does not work.  You won't be able to look up
and down 
with the mouse. I believe this has to do with the /f4 option at setup.

Mouse aiming might require a higher packet transmit rate for
multiplayer. 
Don't feel bad, I've heard that Dwango's interface doesn't allow full
mouse 
aiming either.

ALSO: If you or your opponent have altered the user.con, duke.con, or
def.con 
files then both of you should replace all of them with the originals.

Variances in con files will cause sync errors also.  
Or if you really want to play with altered cons just make sure you
each have 
IDENTICAL con files... i.e. alter yours for tripbombs or whatever and
then 
send that con to your opponent. I haven't tested it out yet, but
according to the docs you have to use the /o switch to play with
altered cons.

(BTW, I haven't been able to get tripbombs to work on version 1.1 so
you may
have to wait for the full version.)

Have fun,

Vanth
     @Earthlink.net