ZeNP version 0.3b (working!) - ZSNES Easy NetPlay

[legolas558]

Download ZeNP v0.3b (command-line)

>Visit the Project home page for more.

For Linux:
Source code under reorganization

For Windows:
Bugfixing

> All files Downloads section

> my ZeNP Forum

Post here if you are experiencing troubles using it.

[FistOfFury]

Yet another ZSNES netplay connector? Is this actually any good, or is it just gonna fail like a week from now like all the other attempted ones? Honestly, don't people do research before they start a program like this up? There's already one successfull netplay connecter up (zbattle). The zsnes netplay community is so small, what is the use of fragmenting it further by adding yet another failed netplay program? You guys should stop wasting our time and gather together as ONE team to make ONE program, not a million different zbattle clones. Jeeze. Zbattle could use the help of some programmers too, since the original programmer (Ian) left and isn't likely to come back.

[adventure_of_link]

nice use of anti-hotlinking ownage buddy

[Mike]

Crap! It's going to be a failure, zbattle is the one to go to if you want to netplay with snes.

[xamenus]

The problem with zBattle is that it is closed source--no source code means that no one can improve it except the original author, who appears to have stopped working on it.

Hopefully this project will be open source.

[Mike]

The problem with zBattle is that it is closed source--no source code means that no one can improve it except the original author, who appears to have stopped working on it.

Hopefully this project will be open source.

Yeah that's exactly what I was thinking. I didn't know the author stopped working on it though. Yeah, hopefully it will be open source soon.

[Mark57Raider]

So.... what exactly does ZeNP do????

[legolas558]

Yet another ZSNES netplay connector? Is this actually any good, or is it just gonna fail like a week from now like all the other attempted ones? Honestly, don't people do research before they start a program like this up? There's already one successfull netplay connecter up (zbattle). The zsnes netplay community is so small, what is the use of fragmenting it further by adding yet another failed netplay program? You guys should stop wasting our time and gather together as ONE team to make ONE program, not a million different zbattle clones. Jeeze. Zbattle could use the help of some programmers too, since the original programmer (Ian) left and isn't likely to come back.

Sorry for the late replies, I didn't receive the notification emails.

I already noticed the presence of the very good zbattle, I didn't want to fragment the community, my intent was to have a really easy automatized way to play. Looks like you didn't see the basic idea behind it.

Plus, Zbattle needs a dedicated server, I have designed mine relying on simple HTTP requests.

[legolas558]

Crap! It's going to be a failure, zbattle is the one to go to if you want to netplay with snes.

Nice comments. I would have given a look before making them, anyway.

I did not say "I am going to replace zbattle" but I did say "please help me debugging out so that I can bring it to the release stage".

It is crap, until somebody helps me testing it out.

So.... what exactly does ZeNP do????

It allows playing with your friend given the nicknames, or with an unknown player if he flagged himself as public.

For those who wants to give a hand and criticize, use PMs

For those who wants to criticize, use this forum thread

[FistOfFury]

The problem with zBattle is that it is closed source--no source code means that no one can improve it except the original author, who appears to have stopped working on it.

Hopefully this project will be open source.

Yeah that's exactly what I was thinking. I didn't know the author stopped working on it though. Yeah, hopefully it will be open source soon.

Well, we don't really know if Ian has stopped, but that is what we must assume under the context of the info that the public posesses.

I already noticed the presence of the very good zbattle, I didn't want to fragment the community, my intent was to have a really easy automatized way to play. Looks like you didn't see the basic idea behind it.

Plus, Zbattle needs a dedicated server, I have designed mine relying on simple HTTP requests.

"Easy Netplay" says it all, what more does one have to see? It's all the same; it's yet another program that does the same general idea, so it doesn't really matter if it's doing it's own twist on the original concept. zbattle just uses a different method and has extra bells and whistles.

And yes, imo, it's fragmenting the community, however little it might be.
Because any new netplay program/tool/whatever is potentially taking away from the userbase of an already existing one that, IMO, would really benefit from a gain in popularity.

I'm sorry if I came off a little harsh, but I'm just growing tired of what seems to be the fad of creating a zsnes netplay prog, and tired of the infantile animosity and ego from other programmers that think they can offer something different/better then zbattle, when zbattle is already easy to use and offers the basics, and which has the added advantage of popularity. It would just be more productive and cooler to combine forces and create one awesome kickass online zsnes netplay community. There wouldn't really be a need to use the old closed source, a new cooperative project could be created. Yes, opinions might differ and stuff, but at least the snes emulation community would have something cool to interact with, where they could say, hey we got something unique and kickass here. zbattle has the potential to be this avenue, it could be more great then it already is. It has the network resources to do so I think, and has an administration who really do care (if they didn't zbattle would be long gone by now despite all the problems it's gone through...), but unfortunately it's just sitting in cyberspace stagnation because the original programmer who created the frontend appears to have left (and at a really bad time to, just when it was starting to gain in popularity and sorely needs improvements to the code/features). IMO, it's a shame really, not for just zbattle, but for the general snes emulation scene. But I digress.

[legolas558]

"Easy Netplay" says it all, what more does one have to see? It's all the same; it's yet another program that does the same general idea, so it doesn't really matter if it's doing it's own twist on the original concept. zbattle just uses a different method and has extra bells and whistles.

No, sorry, this is not my case. I have not been developing a zbattle clone, I would not judge the program without having understood what it really does. Don't be superficial with me, I have not been while designing the program and programming it. And, if you want to know, I have not started it before looking what was available.

And yes, imo, it's fragmenting the community, however little it might be.

It cannot fragment the community since it does not replace zbattle functionalities

Because any new netplay program/tool/whatever is potentially taking away from the userbase of an already existing one that, IMO, would really benefit from a gain in popularity.

Again, my intent was to make something different from zbattle, I did it and I just need some more testing to have it perfectly working.

I'm sorry if I came off a little harsh, but I'm just growing tired of what seems to be the fad of creating a zsnes netplay prog, and tired of the infantile animosity and ego from other programmers that think they can offer something different/better then zbattle, when zbattle is already easy to use and offers the basics, and which has the added advantage of popularity. It would just be more productive and cooler to combine forces and create one awesome kickass online zsnes netplay community. There wouldn't really be a need to use the old closed source, a new cooperative project could be created. Yes, opinions might differ and stuff, but at least the snes emulation community would have something cool to interact with, where they could say, hey we got something unique and kickass here. zbattle has the potential to be this avenue, it could be more great then it already is. It has the network resources to do so I think, and has an administration who really do care (if they didn't zbattle would be long gone by now despite all the problems it's gone through...), but unfortunately it's just sitting in cyberspace stagnation because the original programmer who created the frontend appears to have left (and at a really bad time to, just when it was starting to gain in popularity and sorely needs improvements to the code/features). IMO, it's a shame really, not for just zbattle, but for the general snes emulation scene. But I digress.

I did not need to read zbattle sources to write my program, which is based on a different concept, but I searched the net for them without any results. Is it still closed source? I agree with you about joining efforts to make only one program, but this is a separate thing from ZeNP.

For those who have not yet catched the difference, please do not look at the win32 frontend but at the command line tool:

ZeNP wants to ease netplay mostly between two players who have already taken a date to play. It is not a community based multiplayer tool even if it theorically allows such use. ZeNP also do not rely on any specific server and can work with normal HTTP servers

At this point I cannot understand why we should work on zbattle if it is not open source. If we cannot make a good deal with zbattle, we can extend the ZeNP frontend to recreate its features (but, I repeat, it was not on the orginal purposes plan). My project is open-source. But looks like you have some hate against it so I will not insist. I guess you'll continue to think that I have reinvented the wheel etc.

[Joe Camacho]

I invite FistOfFury to *not* use a program if he doesn't like it.

And with his logic, we couldn't have more than one emulator, or one OS. "Because it will split the community". I used to think like that, but hell, if this guy's program does a better job than zbattle, or any other program for that matter, well good for him and for the community because they will have a better option, or an option that suits their particular situation.

If it doesn't, then there is no big deal. There is no need to be afraid of new things.

[FistOfFury]

LoL

Okay, first of all, I have loaded up the program and have looked through the read me file so you can stop with your assumptions.

Second, why are you so defensive of the community part of it? What evil scheme are you planning, huh? LoL comon man, don't be a smartass with me. You can dress ZeNP with all the fancy coloring and dressing you want, but the fact is, it's yet another ZSNES netplay connecter prog/tool/whatever the hell else you want to subjectively label it with, designed to "easily" connect 2 people. It doesn't matter how it does it, the end result is the same. This is my main point. And "easy" or "better" is really just a subjective word. Some people don't want to bother with archiac command line tools, they would rather load up a graphical frontend.

In addition to the "Easy Netplay" connection ability to connect 2 people, ZeNP also has the capability of a public list:

"It allows also to play with public servers retrieving players from a public list."

"A random player will be picked from the public server list. If you want to play with a specific player specify your identifier and the challeneger identifier."

Shit, there's even a a 'note' field, which you can configure in options to say "games you'd like to play, meeting dates etc."

Whatever for could all of the above be used for? Oh, gee, I don't know, maybe community capabilities of some sort? Hmm...what other program out there already has "easy" 2 player connection capability, with additional community capabilities of some sort? Oh that's right, zbattle! ZeNP's optional "theoretical" community feature might not be the same exact method as zbattle's, but it's there, even if it is "theoretical" as you're trying to pass it off as by saying it's BETA and to not pay attention to the front end file. What you mean not to look at the frontend tool? I mean, it's right there in front of me in the 0.2 zip file, lol.

I didn't want to fragment the community

it theorically allows such use.

It should allow playing with your friend given the nicknames, or with an unknown player if he has flagged himself as public.

can work with normal HTTP servers

we can extend the ZeNP frontend to recreate it's features

I didn't want to fragment the community

So now what after this thing comes out of BETA, people need to hunt down a gazillion HTTP servers if they want to search for random ZeNP users? When they could instead just log onto zbattle. That sounds like fragmentation to me, theoretically speaking.

[Mark57Raider]

I think I'm gonna try this thing out to see how it works. I hope it doesn't jepordize my netplay experience. *knock on wood* ..... Well it's new and it needs adjusting to. I would have to play around with it alittle bit before i got the gist of how to use it.... Anybody else support legola's application?

[FistOfFury]

Um, good luck mark. I'm trying to test it out myself, but I keep getting access violations. LoL

[adventure_of_link]

If this does work with HTTP servers, I'd be glad to throw my server into the list for ZeNP.

Provided that:

1. It works with Apache 2.0.5x
and 2. there's a linux build.

[Mark57Raider]

Good luck with actually getting a release to actually work. even though I'm connect to the internet, I can't choose any of my roms to play; although I've transferred my roms folder to the specified path at which they are supposed to be in the ROMS excutable.... If you know what I mean.

[FistOfFury]

I can't specify which rom to use either.

legolas, check your PM's.

[legolas558]

LoL

Okay, first of all, I have loaded up the program and have looked through the read me file so you can stop with your assumptions.

Having loaded it after having commented it may lead you not to drop previous assumptions, couldn't be?

Second, why are you so defensive of the community part of it? What evil scheme are you planning, huh?

Sorry I don't get it I'd like the community to partecipate to it, I also like your good/bad comments, my initial intent was to ease the whole netplaying. I really think I am near to create it, but if nobody helps me testing I cannot continue.

LoL comon man, don't be a smartass with me. You can dress ZeNP with all the fancy coloring and dressing you want, but the fact is, it's yet another ZSNES netplay connecter prog/tool/whatever the hell else you want to subjectively label it with, designed to "easily" connect 2 people. It doesn't matter how it does it, the end result is the same. This is my main point. And "easy" or "better" is really just a subjective word. Some people don't want to bother with archiac command line tools, they would rather load up a graphical frontend.

I am not going to dress ZeNP anyway, I used the term better because you don't need to register, you can start from the command line (that is not archaic, see linux users' point of view) and any server can be setup to work with HTTP requests (see below for more about this) and other concept improvements that I simply cannot remember at the time of writing (now).

In addition to the "Easy Netplay" connection ability to connect 2 people, ZeNP also has the capability of a public list:

"It allows also to play with public servers retrieving players from a public list."

"A random player will be picked from the public server list. If you want to play with a specific player specify your identifier and the challeneger identifier."

Shit, there's even a a 'note' field, which you can configure in options to say "games you'd like to play, meeting dates etc."

Whatever for could all of the above be used for? Oh, gee, I don't know, maybe community capabilities of some sort? Hmm...what other program out there already has "easy" 2 player connection capability, with additional community capabilities of some sort? Oh that's right, zbattle! ZeNP's optional "theoretical" community feature might not be the same exact method as zbattle's, but it's there, even if it is "theoretical" as you're trying to pass it off as by saying it's BETA and to not pay attention to the front end file. What you mean not to look at the frontend tool? I mean, it's right there in front of me in the 0.2 zip file, lol.

All the community features where added later, when I realized it was easy to implement them. I couldn't find zbattle sources as I said before, so it was dead for me.

I didn't want to fragment the community

it theorically allows such use.

It should allow playing with your friend given the nicknames, or with an unknown player if he has flagged himself as public.

can work with normal HTTP servers

we can extend the ZeNP frontend to recreate it's features

I didn't want to fragment the community

Don't report pieces of conversation out of context, there is no contradiction since I am saying: "it started as a different thing, but I added some community features". And when I added them, I didn't do it in zbattle's way, but through a STANDARD IRC. (And they're still incomplete of course)

So now what after this thing comes out of BETA, people need to hunt down a gazillion HTTP servers if they want to search for random ZeNP users? When they could instead just log onto zbattle. That sounds like fragmentation to me, theoretically speaking.

Eheh..perhaps you missed it. I will install the only server on sourceforge.net's website. As soon as a good guy asks me to administrate it I will give him access, so that if I die the project can go on.

As I said before, everything will be open-source. The server and the client have already been written, I just need some kind guys to test the program and make it really work (I think it is simply not working atm), then we can start using it on sourceforge.net's server. Obviously everybody else could install his ZeNP server (it is made up of just some small php scripts) but I hope that - using the sf.net server since the beginning, and compiling the program bound to that - people will not go to alternatives. This is not the main problem btw, since 1. the program is not yet finished 2. we can simply not release the server code for a while, to "centralize" the usage on the official one[/list]

[legolas558]

Good luck with actually getting a release to actually work. even though I'm connect to the internet, I can't choose any of my roms to play; although I've transferred my roms folder to the specified path at which they are supposed to be in the ROMS excutable.... If you know what I mean.

Apologies,apologies,apologies. I'd have to upload a better version. Unfortunately I'll be back in 3-4 hours and I cannot do it now. Can we meet on IRC? If you help me I promise to remove most of the bugs you help me find out. Send me some PMs

FirstOfFury: I'll better read the msg (and answer) when I come back, but I think I agree!

[legolas558]

If this does work with HTTP servers, I'd be glad to throw my server into the list for ZeNP.

Provided that:

1. It works with Apache 2.0.5x
and 2. there's a linux build.

1. of course! everywhere PHP (no database) can be run
2. being written in PHP, linux/windofs doesnt matter

I originally thought to have only the zenp.sourceforge.net (currently empty) domain as base, but maybe we can use it as a "server rotator", more research needed

[adventure_of_link]

1. of course! everywhere PHP (no database) can be run
2. being written in PHP, linux/windofs doesnt matter

Nice.

[FistOfFury]

Okay, lets just agree to disagree, lol.....

Anyway, here is a report for the frontend (I aint touching the command line tool, heh well at least not for now lol), although I'm not sure if 'bug' report are the right words:

1. Under the network tab, is it supposed to be reporting my Lan IP? It wont let me type my real IP, and I get "access violation at address 00000000. Read of address 00000000" error when i try to click on the remote radio button. Then it gives me another error ""access violation at address 00000063 Read of address 00000063"

2. Under network tab, what the heck is the "Can I host a server?" button do? I click it and it turns from an exclamation mark to a green checkmark.

3. Under options tab, it wont let me type the rom i want to use

4. Under options tab, it wont let me type in the "additional command line parameters" input field.

5. Under the chat tab, it shows "username has join" inside the username list on the right side, whenever someone enters the channel.

6. The maximize button should maximize the window...otherwise take it off? lol

[legolas558]

Okay, lets just agree to disagree, lol.....

Anyway, here is a report for the frontend (I aint touching the command line tool, heh well at least not for now lol), although I'm not sure if 'bug' report are the right words:

1. Under the network tab, is it supposed to be reporting my Lan IP? It wont let me type my real IP, and I get "access violation at address 00000000. Read of address 00000000" error when i try to click on the remote radio button. Then it gives me another error ""access violation at address 00000063 Read of address 00000063"

Gonna fix it

2. Under network tab, what the heck is the "Can I host a server?" button do? I click it and it turns from an exclamation mark to a green checkmark.

It should check if it is possible to locally open the port (makes a simple echo connection)

3. Under options tab, it wont let me type the rom i want to use

Double click the textbox. Do you think typing the rom filename is worth?

4. Under options tab, it wont let me type in the "additional command line parameters" input field.

Red fields are currently disabled because not yet supported. I'll enable them in the next version.

5. Under the chat tab, it shows "username has join" inside the username list on the right side, whenever someone enters the channel.

Doh! The IRC implementation needs LOTS of work, I'll give a look

6. The maximize button should maximize the window...otherwise take it off? lol

Windows does not allow me to...

[FistOfFury]

It should check if it is possible to locally open the port (makes a simple echo connection)

Which ports is it using? People have to port forward?

Double click the textbox. Do you think typing the rom filename is worth?

I think it might be a pain for some people if they have a ton of roms. An option to use a dialogue popup window would be nice, imo. That way a user can pick what they want to do - either type it in, or use dialogue.