The Missing Link?

                        By Roy Sims

Adventure games and R.P.G.s are mainly a solo, one player
experience on computers. The only game I can think of off the top
of my head that allows simultaneous two player action is the old
Image Works game "Bloodwych" (which I didn't like).

However, simulations and arcade games can offer multi-player
options. Sometimes you might get simultaneous 2 player options via
a split screen display ("Evasive Action" from Mindscape is a
recent example), but the best two player games are those that
allow two (or more) machines to link together. The ST and Amiga
had a few - "Falcon" allowed head-to-head combat. Both pilots
would start opposite each other, some distance away.  You could
fire off a few missiles and then chase each other around the
skies. "Populous" also had a two player link, as did "Stunt Car
Racer" by Geoff Crammond.

For these old 16 bit games to work in multi-player mode, you
needed a null modem cable, which would connect up to the serial
port on the back of the respective machines. Playing against a
real human opponent added an extra dimension to the games. I can
remember hooking up "Stunt Car Racer" between two STs. The first
tactic my friend employed was to barge my racing car off the
track!

These days the main machine is the PC. There are a number of games
on the PC that allow multi-player linking, but the one that has
seen the most playing across the planet in recent months must be
"Doom" and its sequel ("Doom II"). This game is difficult to
describe to anyone who hasn't seen it already, so if you don't
know what "Doom" is, you'll just have to take my word for it that
in multi-player it's the best game I've ever played for getting
rid of your frustrations! It's like a much improved "Ultima
Underworld" 360 degree 3D engine where you have to run around and
shoot everything in an attempt to reach the exit to the next
level. (As a side issue, I don't like this kind of system in
RPGs. I prefer the 'single step' Dungeon Master style, or the
isometric viewpoint. However, an arcade action game like "Doom"
works well using this programming technology).

"Doom" can be played over a network. This allows up to 4 players
to run around a level at once, playing either together
(co-operative mode) or against each other (Deathmatch!). This
facility has caused the game to be banned from offices all over
the country, as people would end up playing the game morning, noon
and night. If you don't have a network, there are two other ways
of playing multi-player "Doom". The first option is down the
telephone line via a modem. You'll need a fast modem though, as
the minimum baud rate allowed is 9600.  You'll also need to know a
bit about initialisation strings, because for multi-player to work
down the phone, you need to set your modem up to turn error
correction and data compression off before you start. This will
allow the data to be passed between the two machines without any
delays. Once you've got that bit sussed (and it isn't easy - ever
tried to find a straight forward answer to a straight forward
question in a modem manual?), the rest is a piece of cake. Dial up
your friend via the appropriate menus in the game. Their machine
should be set up in the same way as yours, except that they will
be set up to answer and you will be set up to dial (or the other
way round). Once the two modems have spoken to each other, the
game will begin!

"Doom" is marvellous fun in two player, especially in
"Deathmatch". You can turn off all the monsters, so that the game
is just both of you exploring the level trying to hunt each other
down. The moment of panic when you run into each other in a dark
corridor is an experience you won't forget in a hurry! Thanks to
the various editors available in Shareware, numerous new levels
are available which cater specifically for deathmatch mode!
Co-operative mode also has its moments. You all have to work
together to reach the exit, but it is still possible to
'accidentally' shoot one of your own comrades whilst trying to
vanquish the monsters! (One other difference between the two ways
of playing a multi-player Doom is the way the auto-map feature
works. In co-operative you can see all the other players on the
map, but in Deathmatch you only see your own marker).

The other way of playing a multi-player game of "Doom" is via a
null modem cable. The only drawback is that both machines have to
be in the same room. With the ST and Amiga this wasn't so much of
a problem as they were (sort of) portable. PCs aren't! (unless
you have a nice flash laptop that can run "Doom"). If you're lucky
enough to have two machines in the same room, you're in business.
What you generally need is a 25 pin female to 25 pin female null
modem cable. The length of the cable won't cause any data loss, so
make sure you get one long enough for the job. You will connect
the serial (modem) port of one machine to the serial (modem) port
of the other.  Usually they will both use COM 2. The speed of the
link is determined automatically by the software. The PCs don't
have to be the same spec. However, if you run a slower machine
with full detail or a large graphic window, this will slow down
the performance of the faster machine it's connected to. To
prevent this, reduce the size of the window on the slower machine
and turn the detail to low. The lead machine will wait for the
other machine before it places both players in the level. From
then on, it's anything goes!

Other PC games with multi-player links include "Microprose F1
Grand Prix", "Indycar Racing" and "Magic Carpet". The latter
though is only available via a network system. Both "Grand Prix"
and "Indycar" can handle modem or null-modem links. As before,
they both need Data Compression and Error Correction to be turned
off if you plan to play them down the phone line.  "Grand Prix"
can handle 2400 baud, but "Indycar" (like "Doom") needs 9600 or
above. All the modem play games have the option to 'chat' to a
player. In the racing games, you can do this on the menu screens
before or after a race. In "Doom II" you can also pre-program up
to 10 different messages to be shown on screen during a game. "I
can see you!" and "Run away" are two that I use frequently! (The
PC version of "Populous" also allows players to chat during a
linked game, except that the game comes to a halt and the player
who receives the message has to acknowledge it before the game can
continue).

"Grand Prix" allows you to have a Quick Race with just the two
players cars on the circuit, or they can participate in a full
race with other computer controlled cars. The two car race is fun
for a while, but if one player gets far enough ahead of the other,
it can become a bit dull. Having all the other computer controlled
cars to battle with is much more challenging. "Grand Prix" also
has the bonus of not needing a really fast machine to run on, so
there's no obvious slowing down effect when you connect a low end
386 to a top end 486.  "Indycar Racing" needs a much more powerful
beast to run properly, so the lower machine has to have as much
detail turned off in the graphics as possible. The brand new
"NASCAR Racing" apparently has the same options available.

"Warcraft - Humans vs Orcs" is a new game released by Interplay.
It is a blatant "Dune 2" rip-off, but it has a two player link
option which sounds like it should be great fun! A few other
multi-link games I know about include "David Leadbetters Golf",
"Transport Tycoon" and "F15-III" all published by Microprose, and
"Wing Commander Academy" from Origin. No doubt there are many
more, especially in the flight sim market.

It would be great if an RPG could become multi-player, but I
imagine it would be very difficult to design so that it would be
playable in both solo and two player games. Maybe players could be
collected and left behind at Inns like in "Darklands"?  That way,
the game doesn't have to be specifically solo or multi-player. It
can be either at any time.

Playing against (or with) a real opponent can make all the
difference. Once you've had a go, you'll never want to play
against the CPU again. If you haven't tried one yet, you don't
know what you're missing! Maybe when BT make local weekend calls
free, the modem option will become standard in European developed
games (as it is in the U.S.). Here's hoping...








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