LE Skyrim Co-op (Possible Design for the Mod)

[HaveFaithQ8]

Hello everyone,

 

Being a new member in the forums, I would really like to help out in regards to an extremely desired mod - a multiplayer feature for skyrim (2 players preferably, to simplify things). I would like to suggest a possible software design for such a mod, albeit a really simple one at that. This design is not to include a rewriting of the game engine, which is tedious and pointless - even skyrim online still didn't incorporate trading etc...

 

Network design -

 

Now, first of all - there will be a host, and a client which connect via a VPN (virtual private network) through the software Hamachi. Where will the world they both play in you ask? Simple - the host's world.

 

Managing synchronization -

 

What I was thinking was more on the lines of editing the client's save data to match exactly the host's save data except in regards to the character. Make it so that when the multi-player software launches, they both are at the same time, positions (collision detection will probably make it so they are distanced) etc... Unfortunately I have no knowledge in synchronizing animations, but since they are in the same world it should be somehow easier and plausible; some people said that Skyrim's engine simply doesn't allow for multi-player if both players are in another world or whatnot, but this may just work. Trading can be done via database(s), which changes both players save data in real time. Since the client is in the host's world, the host's quests will be the one in action - no need to over-complicate matters.

 

Possible limitations -

1 - Bugs will occur, what if player 1 uses the wait function etc? unless it is planned to synchronize time, or eliminate such bugs as they appear.

2 - How will difficulty scale? It will get too easy at the end I believe, unless more monsters are spawned somehow... which I don't think is recommended considering this design. An even harder difficulty might break immersion too.

3 - Client's quest doesn't get completed if it is done on the host's world.

4 - 2 players are preferable, unless if you find it equally hard/easy to add more players then good luck. Hamachi can support up to 5 people I believe (including the host).

5 - If the client takes an item in the host's world, should it be lost forever? Basically managing save datas.

6 - Probably not easy modifying, or creating save datas for skyrim. Personally, I didn't try.

 

 

In my humble opinion, any working co-op for Skyrim would be a great Idea (no need to be bug free). Since I am taking beginner courses related to databases/networking, I would really love to help, but I pretty much lost my love of programming thanks to my university and how my major pretty much doesn't have a future where I live... so I didn't program for a long time now. Well, maybe I still do like programming since I am talking about this mod :tongue:

 

What do you guys think? And please do not give up, if this doesn't work we can always find another solution. This is not a complicated MMORPG; that is simply unnecessary. A co-op in Skyrim would be wonderful, and would not ruin immersion in my opinion (co-op is a choice so its fine).

[StevoHaraKiri]

Yeah Skyrim needs Co-op at least for 2 players. I will give a try to TES Online but I don't like it.

[Gryphex]

It's hard because there are a ton of mods for Skyrim and there are also custom animations that need be synchronized.

[HaveFaithQ8]

 

Yeah Skyrim needs Co-op at least for 2 players. I will give a try to TES Online but I don't like it.

 

Definitely, I think atleast a petition should be done for such a feature. It will take a long time until a new Elder Scrolls would be released; that is if they aren't working on the latest fallout now.

 

 

It's hard because there are a ton of mods for Skyrim and there are also custom animations that need be synchronized.

 

The custom animations are definitely a problem, but perhaps there is a systematic way to synchronize all animations? I wouldn't know. Either way atleast the vanilla animations need to be synchronized, and then make it so that any mod with extra animations... not be compatible :/ Other types of mods would still work, even weapon mods since the animations don't change though :)

Edited September 21, 2013 by HaveFaithQ8

[Bozzz123]

Its called skyrim online. http://forums.skyrim-online.com/

[HaveFaithQ8]

Its called skyrim online. http://forums.skyrim-online.com/

 

If you failed to notice, i mentioned an MMORPG being pretty much extremely hard and pointless. This project has been going on for years and it is still not done (trading, animations etc..), and it has restrictions like only making it work via steam. This design is much easier than re-coding the engine (if it works); and is focused on a more isolated experience between few players (1-5). However managing synchronization is still a living hell. Unfortunately, not everyone wants an MMORPG when the elder scrolls online is coming up, as wonderful as an idea it may seem. Titanis (don't remember his exact name) is striving for a more co-op experience, but i believe if everyone works as a team this is possible (rather than an even harder MMORPG version of Skyrim).

[cronosnake]

As the game stands, it would still be a pretty difficult endeavor, if realistically possible without budget. One mod that I think would be interesting to see would be one that makes menus not pause time (inventory, quest, map, etc.). Crafting and speech remains unaffected, which makes it seem like it could be easier than oblivion. Without making all menus not pause, though, wouldn't the game pause for each person and/or freeze?

 

It's also a matter of transferring data at certain benchmarks over the internet, and I don't know how many people could enjoy that experience. Balance, of course, is it's own issue. The largest issue would likely be synchronization and all that, of course. That Skyrim online link is the closest (as far as I know) to what is being done towards this type of modification, and last I saw of it, the synchronization made it look basically unplayable.

 

I really don't mean to bash the idea of course; I think that it would add a lot to the game if there was a co-op feature. However, I think it would work best if the single player was isolated from the multiplayer; each person would need to start a new game together to play the game, or maybe they could take a follower (like alternate actors) to control. I think this could also be neat if you played the game in a dead-is-dead style too, maybe with a true game over if/when the Dragonborn dies.

[TomGunn]

Why can't player 2 just be treated as a follower. Honestly if I were playing player 2 i could live without being able to initiate quests.

 

The only thing I would want is inventory management and leveling management. (being able to pick up items, select perks etc.)

 

And to get around that gosh darned networking thing, why not just make the game support a splitscreen mode and keybind human controls to the second player (follower). Experimenting in Skyrims console makes this seem viable because I can alternate controls from my player to an NPC. They would both use the same PC and the second player uses a usb game controller.

[dernachtwolf]

Here's an issues you would run into:

 

the game is designed with functions that pertain to the user's character. They do not specify who, so adding another person would result in the guest player receiving the same values. An example of this is when you are a vampire. Another is follower count.

[Effthapoleese]

The way to simplify this experience, is to make the mod so that the host, is the one

who implements the mods, custom animations, etc., and the client, will be a follower,

so you can only equip, use, whatever mods and equipment the host has loaded.

So no, you both wouldn't be able to use your uber-mega-ultimate dovahkiin, but the host could,

and the follower could be set to have whatever the host decided to make the defaults, or simply set the scaling of the follower to be equal to that of the host.

You can both get dragon souls or shouts, that's not a hard mod to implement, or use some clever command line codes.

The save data will be stored on the hosts machine only, the client would not be able to transfer the data between the accounts.

This means no power leveling, or getting sweet gear on your new account but honestly folks, its been a few years since Skyrim came out,

if you can't figure this game out at this point just throw in the towel and use some command line to get what you are missing.

 

The best you will get, in terms of quality, playability, and feasibility is the Host-Client VPN system, but it will either be as a follower for the host,

continuing of of their existing profile, or both of you create new characters, where one will still be the host, and the data will be stored on one

machine, not shared between. It would work, via a lengthy bit of the scripting, but not overly difficult. The only thing to consider would be system

capabilities between the two players. Obviously me playing on my crappy laptop will not be able to fully utilize the super sweet mods my friend on

his custom tower will have. This will again have to be decided by the host, and compatible mods between systems worked out ahead of time.