Red Corona Game Client
The Game Client is a general purpose multiplayer gaming client, which is designed to connect to the Red Corona Game Server and allow you to play multiplayer games. Each game you wish to play comes as a plugin, which contains the features of that game, and should come with its own documentation or companion website.
The game client implements a lobby system, whereby games can be started and joined by multiple players who are in a room together. It has a relatively complex interface:
- At the top is a dropdown for the server you wish to connect to, and fields to enter your user name and password. The server we run at live.redcorona.com is preselected; if you want an account there, go to its registration page, sign up and wait for the game staff to activate it.
- Debug mode allows you to see the content of messages that are sent to you from the server; you shouldn't need to use this unless you are authoring a new plugin and trying to debug it.
- The text at the top right acts as a status field, displaying the progress of large messages (for example when downloading a new game type).
- At the top left is a list of games that are currently running. Green games are open (anyone may join), orange games are locked (a password is required to join) and red games are closed (no-one may join). Selecting a game fills the top right panel, Game Information, with information about that game.
- Between the two panels is the collection of controls for managing games. They have different purposes depending on what you select in the Game panel.
- If you have selected a game that you are not a member of, the top-left button (Join) sends a request to join that game. If it is a closed game, enter the password in the Game Password field.
- If you have selected a game you are in, but not the owner of, the top-left button (Leave) leaves the game. The top-right button (Ready/Not Ready) sets your status within the game. In most cases the owner cannot start the game unless all players are ready, although game types can change this behaviour.
- If you have selected a game you own, the top-left button (Kill) closes the game. The top-right button (Start) starts the game (there is usually a button or other mechanism within the game interface to perform this action). If you wish to have a password on the game, enter it in the field below and press Lock. If you check Close, no-one will be able to join the game.
- Below the buttons and the Game Information panel is a collection of controls to create a new game. Enter the name of the game (as it should appear in the Games list), the maximum number of players and the game type (see below), and press the Create Game button.
- The Requests panel and associated buttons allows you to micromanage who may enter your games. Each line in this panel is a request to join a game, either by you or for a game you own. Green lines are accepted, red lines are declined, black lines are waiting for the game owner to respond, and blue lines require your attention.
By default, Auto Accept is selected, which means that whenever someone attempts to join your game, they will be accepted as long as the basic conditions are met (i.e. the game is not closed, not full, and if it is locked they have provided the right password). If you uncheck Auto Accept, you will receive a request (in blue) in the Requests panel whenever someone applies to join your game, and you must press Accept or Deny to respond to them (and you may enter a reason in the text box). If you do this, you should make sure you are not so absorbed in your game you do not notice people applying to join!
- The bottom right panel is a list of all players currently on the server. Green is you, blue is other players.
- At the bottom is the chat panel, where you may talk to other players.
Game Types
The game client itself does not include any games. It includes all the infrastructure necessary to coordinate, start and manage players and games, but to play any games you will need to obtain game type plugins. The default download includes a copy of the game type Bridge.
If you attempt to join a game for which you do not have the game type installed, or if you have an older version, you will be prompted to download the new version directly from the server. If the server has the appropriate clientside plugin available, it will be downloaded and loaded immediately; you will just be able to rejoin the game normally once it has finished. For the live.redcorona.com server, any game types which come from Red Corona should be available for download through this mechanism.
If the game type is not available for download directly from the server, you should go to the provider's website to find a download link. Game type plugins should be placed in the GameTypes folder under where your game client is installed. Remember that you should only download and run software from providers you trust, and Red Corona isn't responsible for the content of any third party game types. (We can't totally guarantee our own, but we can guarantee good intentions on those!) You will need to close and restart the game client after downloading the new game type in order for it to be loaded.
Some game types, such as Abaria, will not allow you to start a game, because they are designed to connect to a serverside game. When you connect to a game, it will tell you if it is serverside or who the owner is; remember that the game owner completely controls the game, and while it is against the Terms of Service could be using a modified plugin to cheat. It is harder to cheat on a serverside game.
If you are interested in writing your own game types, please read this page.
Download
You can obtain the current version of the client here. The download also includes a plugin for the game type Bridge, a clientside game that replicates the card game of contract bridge.
richard@redcorona.com