Multiplayer Tank game
As part of the course Introduction to Coordination in Distributed Applications at DTU a distributed application using Tuple spaces should be implemented.
Our project, ’Battle Tank’, is an entirely Java-based game, inspired by the ongoing ’Tank Trouble’-series. In all its simplicity, the game is a ”deathmatch”-style, where the players attempt to shoot each other with their ricocheting shells flying all over the place.
The game hosts a game for two to four individual players, each one starting at specified places on the map. Using angles and corners, players can maneuver their position to angle their shells to hit others hiding around the corner. Further more, if a player realises they can not dodge an incoming shell, they can try shooting it out of the air as a last resort.
Each of the three maps currently implemented are a 25x25 tile 2D-map, with a desert theme. While possible, we decided on using static maps, instead of procedurally generated ones. This allowed us to create maps with a more fair distribution of obstacles, decorative foliage and stones, as well as an overall themes.
All communication and data transfer is handled using Tuples and Tuple spaces. These are implemented using the Java library, jSpace. The system utilises a server/client-based structure, where one of the players runs the server. Each of the connected players transmits their current action(s) to a server-based Space. The server simulates the ongoing map in real time, and sends updates on the current state of the game into another Space. The players listens for updates from this Space, and updates their local game accordingly.
Overall, the final product has only a few flaws, and functions very much the same as the original inspiration. Player and shell positions and directions are received and transmitted accordingly, leaving only very little jittering to be seen.
The official GitHub repository for the project is public for anyone interested. Do note that the pSpace-dependencies for Maven needs to be installed and functioning in order to run the project properly.
- Arvid K. Langsø
- Mads Stege
- Peter I. El-Habr
- Simon Engquist
- Troels Lund
The code can be found here.