Scratch

xyxzergames · 2007-05-22 17:14:15

Is it possible to do a Multi-Player Game on Scratch (not on same computer, over the internet)!
If not, this would be great for the next version of Scratch! big_smile

Last edited by xyxzergames (2007-05-22 17:17:23)

mungojelly · 2007-05-22 18:35:44

No, Scratch doesn't do anything over the net yet. I've been thinking about another kind of multiplayer Scratch game, though: A game where you write a sprite to compete in the game for you. Competitions between sprites would be right there on the homepage for anyone to watch, and if random statements were disallowed, then the competition would always go exactly the same way so everyone could see the same winner.

I haven't come up with any ideas yet for games that would be playable by sprites, but I'm going to keep thinking about it.

<3

jasonholm · 2007-05-22 20:11:12

Two thoughts:

One could be something like the firefighting robotics competitions - create a robot, put in the maze, the robot has to find its way through the maze without crossing over the walls, then it has to find the candle and blow it out.

Another might be like pokemon: program it like a rock/paper/scissors game "if the enmy hits you with a blast, then your next move should be a strike"

weissjd · 2007-05-22 20:35:53

I love this idea! It's basically like a robotics competition in Scratch. I think the hardest part would be to have enough ground rules that you wouldn't have robots that came up with ways to just blow away the competition. Ideally the host projectshould be able to enforce the rules so that you could do anything you wanted to with your sprite and the host project would deal with it.

tammy · 2007-05-23 17:40:04

Hi all,

These are great suggestions! We are actually currently working on a networked version of Scratch.

You can read more about it here:
http://web.media.mit.edu/~tstern/netscratch/

See this thread for more discussions about it:
http://scratch.mit.edu/forums/viewtopic.php?id=351#p1413

Are there other things would you want to do with a networked version of Scratch?

As for the sprite competition, that sounds like a good idea too! This can actually already be done by just importing sprites made by multiple users into a Scratch project. If you hammer out the details, we can feature a project inviting people to participate in a battle of the sprites smile

Thanks!
-Tammy

leaskn · 2007-05-23 21:11:05

Sounds like a good idea. I have been working on a few things where sprites are independent of the project they are imported into (eg: http://scratch.mit.edu/projects/leaskn/5153), and there are several limitations/issues.

Sprites do not seem to be able to interact with previously unknown sprites or objects - it can only be done by name, eg. "point towards <some_known_sprite_by_name>" or "distance to <some_known_sprite_by_name>" or "touching <some_known_sprite_by_name". It seems they could only "communicate" or interact in this way using global variables, which would require agreement on naming and variables to be used. It would also get complex if there were multiple objects interacting eg. a robot soccer type game.

Even the ability to turn a sprite in an arbitrary direction eg. "turn to variable_x_coordinate, variable_x_coordinate" does not exist, it can only be done by degrees.

A maze type game would be simpler, but probably less interesting, and would require defined colour and/or variable definition and agreements as well as defined objectives and rules etc.

I am very interested in designing more autonomous sprites, and would like to see more functionality added to make it more interesting.

Scratch

archived forums

#1 2007-05-22 17:14:15

Multiplayer Games (Not on same computer, over the internet)?

#2 2007-05-22 18:35:44

Re: Multiplayer Games (Not on same computer, over the internet)?

#3 2007-05-22 20:11:12

Re: Multiplayer Games (Not on same computer, over the internet)?

#4 2007-05-22 20:35:53

Re: Multiplayer Games (Not on same computer, over the internet)?

#5 2007-05-23 17:40:04

Re: Multiplayer Games (Not on same computer, over the internet)?

#6 2007-05-23 21:11:05

Re: Multiplayer Games (Not on same computer, over the internet)?

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