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MultiTheftAuto Development Continues
MultiTheftAuto Team writes "Today, MultiTheftAuto have released the first information about their new core technology that will be deployed in future versions of MultiTheftAuto. The new core technology, codenamed 'blue', offers many of the features that have been requested by the software's users over the last year and a half, these include: Support for boats, support for firing from vehicles, support for drive-bys, and support for planes. As well as supporting all these features, the new core will introduce a revolutionary new way of writing modifications for Vice City, combining the existing methods with a fully integrated C++ add-on system, giving anyone who wishes to the ability to create complex and exciting mods, far beyond the possibilities of 'traditional' methods."
MTA uses the ASE protocol, so The All Seeing Eye supports it just fine. Much better than GameSpy anyway (imho).
I haven't been keeping up to date with SA but is it going to have multiplayer support? And anyway, each games' style is completely different and I think I'd find myself playing Vice City even when SA is out because I like it so much. As you said, the soundtrack is great and one of the best elements of the game.
I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work.
But with GTA:San Andreas around the corner, is it worth it?
Of course, since SA won't be released on the PC until may
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I loved GTA3 and I loved GTA:VC. And I really do understand the many, many reasons to release the next one, San Andreas, on the PS2. But it should be released on the PC.
And this article is why.
Multi-theft Auto basically takes the GTA franchise "all the way." I wouldn't dare suggest that GTA:VC wasn't worth the purchase price, and the developers reasons for not finishing the multiplayer portions (they didn't think they could do it to their own satisfaction, or that of other gamers) are totally understandable.
But that's what mod communities and dedicated fan-bases are for. I loved GTA:VC and having that experience multiplayer is just exciting. I'm confident San Andreas will be fantastic, but it will never be the game GTA3 or GTA:VC have become, because there won't be a "rename the cars to their real names" mod, or a mod that adds new and interesting vehicles, or a mod that creates a multiplayer, or text files where the physics engine can be toyed with...
Yeah, I know, their target audience doesn't give two shakes for neat-o physics engines. But I am sure ten years from now, those things will allow GTA:VC to stand out as a classic while San Andreas stands as another "merely good" game.
Unless we get a PC port...!
Get a free computer. No joke.
their site isn't slashdotted, and if you're not willing to spend tim ereading the blurb,why spend it writing questions (i know why, but hey, in a perfect world...) Multitheft auto lets you play GTA:3 and Vice city with multiplayer, so you have a server (which i think can run on linux) and clients. i believe you still need a full copy of whichever flavor of GTA you're using, though.
Don't worry - its just stigmata. Pass me a napkin and don't you dare tell my mother.
MultiTheft Auto adds multiplayer to GTA3 and GTA: Vice City
Didn't look like it's /.'ed to me, and I'm having problems with my Internet connection. However, in case any more newbies complain, here's the text of the link in the article:
Introducing blue
blue is the codename of the new, revolutionary, core technology from MultiTheftAuto, built from the ground up over the last year. Below, we've outlined some of the amazing new features of blue and how this will affect you. We've listened to all your suggestions, and we've tried to implement as many of them as feasible into blue. We hope you like what you see; if you have any comments, questions or suggestions please use the forum here.
We'll be using this area to keep you up-to-date on the progress of blue.
Fully Integrated
blue is fully integrated into Vice City, this means that there is no longer an external program required to launch MultiTheftAuto. MultiTheftAuto now includes an integrated server browser, allowing you to choose which server to connect to without leaving Vice City. blue also contains a fully featured console, allowing you to change settings and bind keys to any command you choose as well as executing configurations scripts on demand.
Right: blue includes an integrated server browser
Smooth Gameplay
Due to the substantially improved methods we employ in blue, your game will now run much smoother and faster, with vehicles and players moving almost as smoothly as you'd expect in single player. And unlike previous MTA versions, bullets are now fully synchronized and 100% accurate, which means even more fun!
Left: blue makes it possible to use boats
Stable
By writing blue from the ground up we've been able to eliminate the crashes and errors that occurred with the previous core technology, by eliminating the use of the scm (Vice City's mission scripting system) entirely, we've produced a core that can be easily be fixed if errors arise. blue's new netcode is considerably more reliable and secure than the previous core and is very flexible, allowing us to reduce the bandwidth required per player.
Right: Cleanly integrated cursor driven menus makes blue a breeze to use
Feature full
blue supports almost every single Vice City feature, including every weapon type (even rocket launchers and snipers), vehicle can shoot, boats, planes, synchronized pickups and drive-bys. These are the features that you've been asking for ever since version 0.1, and they're here at last!
Left: Testing out the projectiles
Fully moddable
You've been asking for it forever, at last, blue supports modifications. You can now play you favourite modifications, such as GTA: Liberty City. blue pushes the boundaries of mods by allowing you to write game modes and extra features, giving you full control over blue and vice city, all through C++. This includes the ability to use common DirectX features and call any SCM functions you wish. We'll be providing an SDK and full documentation, plus tutorials on developing addons and learning the relevant c++, when blue is released. We will also be allowing some developers pre-release access so that they can help us iron out any bugs (contact us if you wish to apply). In short, blue addons offer all the functionality of the SCM (can be as long as you like!), plus hundreds more features offering you total control over the presentation of your modification.
Right: A simple particle engine is easy to implement in an addon
Improved Server
The new server for blue, codename "spearhead" handles much more information, this is vital for server addons, that are the root of gamemodes, providing important control over the creation of vehicles and other objects as well as controlling rounds (if required) and almost anything else. Server addons, used in conjunction with blue addons give you all the power you need to produce the most complex of game modes.
Left: Part of the code from a server addon
Get In
I still wonder why there is no existing collaborating forces to develop an open game of the same type as GTA.
The hardest and most delicate task is to build the main engine. Then everyone on the net could offer what they can to the game... models, textures, missions, whatever fits with the engine.
Except maybe slow developement, what do I forget about game developping that the FOSS community can't afford?
Actually. There is a mod for Battlefield 1942 called Interstate 1982 (I believe). Guess what it is? That's right, just driving... mostly. You still have idiots that like to shoot each other, but it's all about the cars and driving.
Wheel in the sky keeps on turnin'.
Thing is (and in no way am I trying to belittle their achievement; this is a true hack) these guys where only able to get MTA working thanks to the code stubs Rockstar left in the game when they abbandonned multiplayer due to it being too time intensive to get done on time.
Funny part is, they said that about GTA 3. They're about to release the second sequel to that game, and there's still no word on official multiplayer support. Either they figured the PS2 couldn't handle multi or they just don't care to add it any more.
Browsing games on Gamespy 'for free' ; That is, if you can endure the 10 second banners that you HAVE to watch every X minutes on Gamespy.
On your point of ASE not being free : it -is- , you are never forced to buy the software, but it sometimes gives you slack about 'not having enough resources' which most of the time is quickly fixed by refreshing the gamelist again.