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IntroVersion , Chris, All uplink Gamers . please read.

Posted: Sat Aug 28, 2004 7:07 pm
by Mistick
Dear Uplink fellow's.

Ive had uplink for long time... i love it , and as much as i love it
ive stopped playing about 5-8 times... i have it for about 2+ years...
its a great game... one problem though.
in the Begining IntroVersion has worked to improve uplink , in the last 2 years.. pretty much since the last update: 1.31 September 2002.. you could see that since then the only things they have done related to uplink was: releasing bonus disks and DevCd.
the DevCd was a great , excllent idea.. but if it ment that IV will stop improving and working on Uplink , it was a huge mistake, for my thinking atleast... and i know 90% of you dont care what i have to say...
but i today after about 25 hours of Uplink this week.( when i had the time) found out that in IntroVersion Software "Server" in uplink
IV was intending to release uplink:2 .. and "Mission impossible:Uplink" , and for what it worth, they also wrote down in there that: The ultimate shape of Uplink is a Multiplayer with huge community of players....
i did saw the socalled "Nextgame" Darwania...
i belive IV should start working alot more on uplink. since for my opinion it 1 of the best games ever created.. atleast in my book its one of the best.. and i sure that in most of the registerd here and alot more, ppl think like me...

please IV , respond to this, i am truly sorry if i offended anyone,("pissed" anyone ) please..... everybody respond with related good answer , all will be appreciated... what i do want is an answer from IV , about what is thier Intentions after reading this. cause i for one , would love to have more patch's , more missions.... more gov sys.... anything related.. even if they will comeup with Uplink 2 or a beta for Uplink Multi.... ive been waiting for a patch to uplink since September 2002. :( now that i read some of the forum... i realised that IV stopped working on Uplink. which is very sad.

Posted: Sat Aug 28, 2004 7:19 pm
by Deepsmeg
the point of the devcd was so that more stuff could be added to uplink by the community.
People can, and do, group together and make lare modifications to the way uplink works. More than what IV could do.
Something written for a game by a gamer will be better than something written by the original developer, since the gamer knows from their perspective the way the game should go. The original developer knows the direction they want to go in, but this is not always what the players themselves wanted to see.

Posted: Sat Aug 28, 2004 9:02 pm
by Flamekebab
I'm curious why people do this, or how they think IV will suddenly abandon their latest project and work on an old game.

Sure, liking Uplink that much is admirable, but be realistic. If you want more stuff for Uplink, you are going to have to code it yourself. There are several mods in the works, why not make your own?

You only just realised they've stopped working on Uplink, heh?
Someone should keep an ear to the ground and try new mods, like neott's FBI mod.

Posted: Sat Aug 28, 2004 9:29 pm
by Mistick
i do understand that the "devCd" is the tool for ppl to create new things for uplink
but uplink must also keep exsistence by the Original Developer
ive read in the game in the IntroVersion Software server
that the original developer belive that the ultimate final shape of Uplink would be Multiplayer
now its been 2 years... and they didnt even started working or even planning on working one whatever they said they will
nor on Uplink2 and nor on the Multiplayer.. nothing
i wish they had.. i thought they will release more updates to uplink.. i belive that uplink is a game worth the time.. worth the work.. and it is my belive that if the game is good.. dont go for other games creation. only.... invest in this successfull game..
otherwise people get disappointed.... i know i did... i mean for 2 years , no new stuff... and i from the begging knew uplink destiny is to be a multiplayer game.. and my real intention beyond this topic is to know, weather IV arnt gonna create Uplink2 or atleast as the very least Uplink Multiplayer
....

Posted: Sat Aug 28, 2004 9:43 pm
by Deepsmeg
Plans change.

I've WANTED to have my own country estate... It's not feasable.
I've WANTED to have a pet fox... It's not feasible
IV WANTED to make Uplink multiplayer... It's not feasible.

Putting it simply, the existing uplink code is a mess. It'd take a major overhaul to make it multiplayer.

Posted: Sat Aug 28, 2004 9:52 pm
by Mistick
hmmm.. ok i got the point..
i wonder if there will be some group of uplink-fans who will decide eventually to create a multi based on about 80-90 % on Uplink
and i do also wonder, if IV will assist them by giving them source codes and little help... ( help doesnt mean money ) ... and maybe in the end there will be a free * * multiplayer game which will be the "Uplink Online"

if Chris or anyone else from IV Develop see this and can respond to the Q:
"Will IV help a group of developers to create a multi based on uplink. not by coding for them, not by giving them money , but in giving codes of uplink so it will be good. cuz uplink is great , and again uplink online , will be unbeliveable."

Posted: Sat Aug 28, 2004 10:23 pm
by Deepsmeg
Errm... that's what the devcd is...
the uplink source code...

Posted: Sat Aug 28, 2004 10:25 pm
by ODDin
Well, first of all, every now and then somebody pops up screaming "I R makin teh uplnik multyplaier!!! it rulz!!!"

Second of all, what Smeggy said - the DevCD is the source code. What else do you want, if not money or coding?..

Posted: Sun Aug 29, 2004 1:36 am
by NeoThermic
Deepsmeg wrote:Putting it simply, the existing uplink code is a mess. It'd take a major overhaul to make it multiplayer.


How understated is that?

The code isn't such a mess, more as is hacked in to make the game work. Superpig had worked out what might be one of the best things ever to be made from the code, which was an inter-mod colaberated save-game type, but I don't think we ever got further than general plans, and where to make the hooks for such code.

As for MP, it would require stripping Uplink back to the engine. Leave in sound, render, save game. And redshirt. Thats it. Everything else would require a re-write.
You would have to change the games mechanics to be client, and code from scratch a server. Include in that code anti-cheat/hacking (ironic at best) measures, work out a way for information to be bufferd effectivly, work out how to make the game state not saved in a local file, rather gatherd from a server as needed.
On top of that, you would have to logically change Uplink. No L4 log deleter, because its untraceable, you can't include it. How do other players interact? How do missions work? How do you prevent cheating? Its a logical mess to recode a SP game into MP.

It *can* be done, but not easilly. Either you need Chris like determination to go it for yourself and take 2 or 3 years, or you work with a team, and get it done in about a year. Still makes it *very* difficult, unless the team is a bunch of professional devs, or people with the skills and time.

IV said that they *might* make Uplink 2, but only if there was renewed intrest in the team to do so. You would be looking 2007 at best; with IV we know that equates to 2017 ;)

As an addum, anything that can be said about multiplayer has been said again and again. Most vets (2 years+) have discussed *everything* that can be done with MP Uplink. On top of that, we've seen all the posts from newbies who have `an idea`, which eventually was not unique, or was illogical.

As Flamekebab said, be realistic.

NeoThermic

Posted: Sun Aug 29, 2004 5:48 pm
by Disco Stuie_uplink
I think you've said it all, NeoThermic. For the benefit of Mistick, however, I would like to point out one thing about the in-game IV Software Server.

IT WAS IN THE GAME FROM THE BEGINNING. I.e. It was included while the game was being made, and so the latest update to the information on that server was whenever Uplink was released. Come to think of it, it may have been before that, at the beta stage. The information was in all probability as much as place for Chris to dump ideas as he had them, as an official easter egg. None of it has, to the best of my knowledge (forum vets, please correct me if necessary) ever been seriously considered by IV, except perhaps the multiplayer, and that in a very circumstancial way. To conclude, just because Chris muses on the existence of an Uplink 2: Missin Impossible, does not mean IV were ever *planning* to make it.

Posted: Sun Aug 29, 2004 7:25 pm
by Darkshine
It took you two years to find the Introversion server? :shock:

Posted: Tue Aug 31, 2004 10:40 pm
by WarBorg
Borg Online

Darkshine wrote:It took you two years to find the Introversion server? :shock:


lol lets not be mean here he may had no knowlage of that ester egg and Mistick I see u are really a true fan of Uplink and so am I and I did lived with the thought that the IV team will make Uplink 2 but it seems they are abandoned teh project since teh relese of the DevCD. Anyway there is a team which is making ... we can say "Uplink Online" but its actulay called Flashlink cause its beeing made in flash and it will resemble Uplink in most of teh gameplay. They are in beta stages right now and its looking good. Ill may get flamed for this but heres teh URL : www.flashlink.us althow ATT its currently down it will be up soon
Image
Borg Offline

Posted: Wed Sep 01, 2004 6:25 am
by menancer
well..
i have naught to say..
but in uplink, there is an irc from where you can connect to other players......but I think it dosen't work....can anyone tell me why?






Warborg...
Puncuation is I think necessary here..

(whatever everyone may say)

Posted: Wed Sep 01, 2004 12:57 pm
by Mas Tnega
menancer wrote:well..
i have naught to say..
but in uplink, there is an irc from where you can connect to other players......but I think it dosen't work....can anyone tell me why?






Warborg...
Puncuation is I think necessary here..

(whatever everyone may say)


THEN WHY DON'T YOU TRY PUTTING SOME IN?!

Also, IRC may not work if you haven't changed the server address, it's wolf[dot]uplinkcorp[dot]net. It also helps if you're cconnected to the internet.

Posted: Wed Sep 01, 2004 1:36 pm
by Darksun
And have WolfLord's IRC patch if you are on windows 9, or even if you're not.