Subject: Bolo Server: The Details From: megawatt2@hotmail.com (MegaWatt) Date: 1997/10/07
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I just spent a lot of time today explaining my idea of how the Bolo Server (BS) would work. Now I thought I would do it for the general RGB populace... comments are very welcome.
I do strongly encourage anyone reading this to read Stu's dissertation. It gives a lot of details on how the bolo protocol works.
The idea of the BS is that it works with the existing version of Bolo. No changes are needed to it. Im sure Im missing a lot of small details that would come up in programming, but I have spent a LOT of time mulling this program over in my mind and if someone mentions something, Im sure I will remember the details.
Here it is....
To start a game, one would start a game normally, except that the "Bolo Tracker" that is notified would be the BS.
The BS would then join the game, acting as another bolo player getting a download of the map.
As other players join, they will use the server as their target IP of joining, not the player that started the map.
The BS would give players a copy of the map as they join, then they would join in on the playing.
What the BS does for play:
The BS keeps an internal copy of the map (for new players for quick download) Since the BS gives itself as both the upstream and downstream IPs, the BS will receive the "Token" after each player is done with it and will pass said token to the next player in the list.
As the player has the token, said player will pass packets to the BS. The BS will redistribute the packets to all of the other players. Bolo passes the packet to the downstream IP after it is done with it. That will be the BS again. That is how it will know when a player has properly received the packet.
If a player doesn't receive the packet, the BS will handle resending ** Only to that one player **
After all players have received the packet, the BS will return the packet to the originating player, thus giving that player the OK that all players received the packet.
The BS can do a couple of different things for people that have problems receiving packets. depending on how it is configured. It could just drop the player (Same frame rate scenario), or it could send packet back to originator saying all is complete and queue up changes for problematic player (different frame rate per player scenario)
The BS can handle several different games (One per port)
A designated port can give back "Tracker" information on what games are on being played on it.
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