ADDING CO-OP CAPABILITIES TO FALLOUT 3
WHAT IT WOULD TAKE AND HOW TO GET THERE
By Troy

The first step would to create a program that would communicate over a LAN with the same program running on a different computer. This “program” would probably use the TCP/IP protocol stack to communicate with another one of these “programs”.

Once this has been accomplished, the second step would be to either create a new worldspace or just use the main FO3 worldspace as the place for co-op interaction.

The third step would be to create a script and/or plug-in so that when you load Fallout 3 and go to new game, it would take you to this worldspace (that was mentioned above) and to a waiting area while you wait for the second (or first) player to get there. Then the game would start. (Depending on the worldspace used, you will skip the vault story (if using the original FO3 worldspace) or any one player only parts, unless a two player version is released)

The fourth step would take on the task of properly give XP to both players and then creating a script that refreshes the inventory of traders/shopkeepers to keep up with the players' buying and selling to them. Example if the shopkeeper or trader has 50 rounds of ammunition and if one player buys it, it will remove it from the other players screen so it won't cause a crash of the system and it will show what the other player has sold in the other player's screen for the same above mentioned reason.

The fifth step would be to create a patching system that included functionality for FO:NV and future releases in the Fallout series. These patches would include the data from previous patches so if one person installed it and two months passed, the latest patch will update the program completely. There would be set limits to the patch file size . See Table 1.

The sixth step would be to add backwards and forwards capability. For example if some had New Vegas, they could play with someone who had Fallout 3 and vice versa.

The seventh step would be to create a server program and a probably large patch that would allow people playing New Vegas, Fallout 3, or any future installment of Fallout to play with each other via a LAN or over the internet and add a script that makes the enemies tougher for each player playing. See Table 2.




Table 1.
Patch: File Size: Allowed:

7.3 – 7.5 200 MB Yes

1.0 – 7.5 1.4 GB No

1.0 – 3.5 700 MB Yes

3.5 – 7.5 700 MB Yes


Figure 1. How the loader would be setup.
Mod Loader (FOMM or FalloutLoader.exe)
Fallout.esm
DLC1.esm
DLC2.esm
DLC3.esm
DLC4.esm
DLC5.esm
X Multiplayerworld.esm
X Multiplayer.esp


Table 2.
Number of players: Enemy strength: Bounty and XP:
1 Same Same
2 Double everything Doubled
3 Tripled Tripled
4 Quadrupled Quadrupled
100 Fatal System Crash N/A

The EIGHTH step would be to figure out how to deal with all the mods that people have installed. Many mods are dependent on resources that many people just do not have, and if you do not compensate for this, it will be a raging battle of the red exclamation marks due to people using equipment the other player has no resources for; not very fun.

The NINTH step would be to figure in some form of latency compensation. Connecting people's computers to play a multiplayer game is one thing; ensuring that the multiplayer experience is seamless is something completely different. Testament to this is the absolutely abhorring multiplayer of the Gears of War series.

The TENTH step would be to figure in the Leveled Lists. I'm quite certain that this game would have HUGE issues if a leveled list on one person's machine calls for generating content that doesn't even exist on the other player's machine, good-bye session, hello CTD.

The ELEVENTH step would be to figure in the fact that most player play on separate timescales ingame, and what would happen with said timescales getting de-synchronized

The list goes on and on and on.

Games as content-flexible as Bethesda's throw in a HUGE amount of variables to the multiplayer equation. Multiplayer is almost always based on a very rigid set of rules that must be followed to ensure the games stay properly synched, and often every one of those rules are hardcoded. Bethesda games have so many things that could throw games out of sync that IMHO, modding multiplayer isn't even worth the trouble.

Well, it was just an idea I wanted to put out there.

Good luck. You are the... 3rd? person to try. Just know the 2 before you failed.


And just for kicks, Ill throw in something.

Perhaps like Borderlands. You join someones game rather then trying to sync 2 games together. So all the game world info is based on what the host is running.

To be realistic, any multiplayer mod would be Vanilla compatible only. So this isn't really a problem.



Again, vanilla only. Also it′d probably be reasonable to have the "host" character be the one deciding what "level" they should be at. If we're gonna keep it simple, that is.



Again, vanilla only.





That much, however, is true. And I don't think there'll ever be any workeable multiplayer mod for any of these games.