XVEN (eXtensible Virtual ENvironment)

XVEN is a platform for interactive fiction where the community shapes the narrative and mechanics through extensive modularity and personalization.

Vision

• AI-Driven Gameplay: Sophisticated AI characters offer unique challenges and interactions.
• Player Interactions: Collaborative quests and shared exploration enhance community engagement.
• Extensible Design: Modular architecture allows users to extend and modify the game dynamically.
• Open Source & Free: Accessible to everyone, promoting a culture of sharing and innovation.

Current Multiplayer Online Game Features

• WebSocket-Based Multiplayer: The game uses WebSockets to maintain a real-time connection between the server and clients, allowing players to interact and see each other within the same game world.

• Player Movement: Players can move their character using arrow keys or on-screen buttons. Their facing direction and animation frames are updated accordingly.

• Map Data Loading: The game retrieves map data from the server, organized into a grid layout, containing different tile types to represent walkable and non-walkable areas.

• Player Registration and Tracking: Each player receives a unique ID. The server tracks their position, character index, facing direction, and animation frame. New players' data is broadcasted to all connected clients.

• Character Selection: Players can choose their character sprite from multiple options. The selection is saved locally and sent to the server for synchronization.

• Collision Detection: The game prevents characters from passing through non-walkable tiles or overlapping with other players.

• Map Transitions: When reaching the map's edge, players transition to a new map using server-provided transition data.

• Client-Server Communication: Various message types enable player registration, movement updates, character selection, map data retrieval, and player position synchronization.

• Player Interpolation and Extrapolation: The game smooths out latency by interpolating and extrapolating player movements.

• Responsive Design: The game canvas adjusts to different screen resolutions and aspect ratios for a consistent experience.

• Connection Handling: WebSocket connection establishment, reconnection attempts, and closed connections are all handled gracefully.

• Loading Screen: A loading screen is displayed to ensure smooth asset loading.

Requirements

• PHP ^8.1
• MySQL

Installation

Follow these steps to set up the game server:

1. Run composer install to install Ratchet and other dependencies.

2. Create a MySQL database and import the database.sql file to set up the required tables.

3. Update the Game.php class to connect to your MySQL database with the appropriate credentials.

4. Start the server by running php server.php in your command line.

5. Update the game.js file to connect to your server instance. Make sure the WebSocket URL matches your server configuration.

Additional Information

Ensure your PHP and MySQL environments are set up correctly before beginning the installation. Check your PHP version by running php -v in your terminal. If you encounter any issues, verify your installation steps and connection parameters.

Created by Lance.