Fireball

A Java Swing multiplayer game project created to learn Java Swing, networking, and multithreading concepts.

Running the Demo

Option 1: Run the Packaged JAR (Recommended)

Client

java -jar 'Fireball Client.jar'

Dedicated Server

java -jar 'Fireball Server.jar'

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Option 2: Run from IntelliJ IDEA

1. Open the Client project in IntelliJ IDEA.
2. Right-click the res directory.
3. Select Mark Directory As -> Resources Root.
4. Run Main.java.

Note: If the res folder is not marked as a Resources Root, image resources will not be found and the game will throw a NullPointerException when loading assets.

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Option 3: Compile and Run Manually

Windows (Git Bash)

javac -d out $(find src -name "*.java")
java -cp "out;res" main.Main

Linux / macOS

javac -d out src/**/*.java
java -cp "out:res" main.Main

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Overview

• Built using Java Swing.
• Designed as a multiplayer game with a dedicated server architecture.
• Client and server are packaged separately for convenience.
• The client can be launched and explored without a running server.
• Developed and tested using JDK 21.0.8.

Java Downloads:

https://www.oracle.com/java/technologies/downloads/#jdk21-windows

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Multiplayer Setup

When the game launches, players are prompted to enter a username.

The username is used to identify and route network packets between connected clients during gameplay.

Server Configuration

• Protocol: TCP
• Port: 6682

To host a dedicated server:

1. Launch the server application.
2. Configure port forwarding for TCP port 6682 on your router.
3. Determine the server machine's public IP address.
4. Have clients connect using that public IP and port 6682.

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Controls

Action	Control
Move	WASD
Shoot Fireball	Left Mouse Button
Open In-Game Menu	ESC
Navigate Menus	Left Mouse Button
Respawn	Left Mouse Button

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Gameplay Notes

Fireball Cooldown

Fireballs have a 0.5-second cooldown to reduce projectile spam and encourage more strategic multiplayer gameplay.

Projectile Collisions

Projectiles can collide with and destroy one another before detonating. Shooting an incoming fireball is therefore a viable defensive tactic.

Burning Ground

Exploding fireballs leave behind a burning area that deals damage over time. Standing directly in the flames increases the damage rate.

Health Display

Players have 100 health.

Health is represented visually using blood droplets that display health in 10-point increments, rounded down.

Examples:

Health	Droplets Displayed
100	10
30	3
29	2
9	0

This means a player may still be alive even when no droplets are displayed.

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Known Issues

Projectile Data Structures

Projectiles currently use ArrayList collections.

A ConcurrentHashMap-based approach would likely provide:

• Better collision lookup performance
• Improved thread safety
• Better scalability under heavier multiplayer loads

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Limited Server Authority

This project was developed while learning networking concepts and prioritizing functionality before implementing a fully authoritative server model.

As a result, some game logic remains client-side, including:

• Collision detection
• Damage calculations
• Position validation

Under higher network latency, clients may occasionally disagree on player state.

For example:

• One client may show a player as dead while another still shows them alive.
• Position updates can become temporarily desynchronized.

Workaround

If a desynchronization occurs:

1. Press ESC.
2. Return to the main menu.
3. Rejoin the game lobby.

This will resynchronize player state.

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Player Collision Teleportation

Because player collision handling is not fully server-authoritative, players may occasionally be repositioned unexpectedly when colliding with one another under higher latency conditions.

This behavior was implemented to prevent players from becoming permanently stuck inside one another but can sometimes result in visible teleportation.