How a Client Connects to a World

From Multiverse

It is important to understand how the Multiverse client interacts with the Multiverse Network and connects to a world.

Login process

When the Multiverse client starts, it:

1. Updates itself. The client checks with the Multiverse update server to see if the client has the latest platform updates. If it does not, the client updates itself and restarts. This ensures that end-users always have the latest client platform updates. Run the client with the --no_update_client command-line option to prevent it from updating itself.
2. Checks for a world settings file, client_home\Config\world_settings.xml (by default c:\Documents and Settings\username\Multiverse World Browser\Config\world_settings.xml). NOTE: the world settings file is deprected except when you need to work offline.
   • If the client finds a world settings file , it reads the following information from it:
     • URL of the world's asset repository, whence the client will download and update assets for the gameworld.
     • URL of the patcher page, a web page that the client displays while it is downloading the world assets. You can customize your patcher with your own look and feel including logo and images.
     • Hostname/IP address and port number for world's login server.
   • Otherwise
     • If you used a --world command-line option (typical for development), then the client connects to the Multiverse master server and prompts for username and password; the master server returns the asset repository URL, patcher page URL, and world hostname/port number for the specified world, and the client attempts to connect to it.
     • If there is no --world option (typical for deployment), the client connects to the Multiverse master server and displays the login page. The login page prompts for a Multiverse Network username and password and displays a list of public games in The Multiverse Network. The user selects a world, and the master server returns the corresponding asset repository URL, patcher page URL, and world hostname/port number.
3. Downloads required world assets^*. During this process, the Client displays the media patcher page. The client fetches a manifest file, mv.patch, from the asset repository that contains:
   • The patch version.
   • List of files that are available (including a digest). The client downloads all assets that it doesn't already have.
   • List of files or directories to ignore.
4. Connects to the world server, and the user enters the gameworld. Run the client with the --standalone command-line option to use a local configuration script instead of connecting to a server.

^*Run the client with the --no_update_media command-line option to prevent it from downloading assets. For more information on command-line options, see Running the Client from the Command-Line.

Graphical displays during login

You can control what the Client displays while it is connecting to a world:

• Media patcher page, displayed while the Client downloads assets from the world's asset repository.
• Load screen: a simple image that the Client displays while connecting to the world server.

Media patcher page

When the Client is downloading assets for a world, which can take a while, it displays the media patcher page. This is an HTML page that you can customize with your world and company logo, Flash animations, and so on.

Load screen

When the Client connects to a world server, it immediately displays the image in the \Textures\loadscreen.bmp file. This occurs before initialization of the graphics engine, which takes a few seconds. After initialization, the Client replaces this bitmap imgage with \Textures\loadscreen.dds. In general, these two files should contain the same image so the Client dispalys the same image continuously.

NOTE: In release 1.1, the client displays only loadscreen.dds.

Registering a world with the master server

Register your world ID with the Multiverse Master Server to be able to connect to it remotely. The world ID is a unique string that identifies your world, for example "mv_social".

Once your world is ready for public consumption, you can request that it be listed in the public worlds list in the default login page.

Client login process

Please contact LuckyWolf19 for any changes to these technical process flows:

Client asset update process

World settings for connection

The diagram at left illutrates the relationship of the client world settings and parameters versus the Server properties. This becomes important when trying to understand how to connect to your local version of a world. Please contact LightninBoySnook with any updates to the picture: