How to use Parsec to play multiplayer games created in Progummy
Feb 16, 2021
Hello! 😊
In this article, I’ll show you how to play a game you’ve created in Progummy in multiplayer.
What is multiplayer
Multiplayer is the simultaneous participation and play of multiple users in a game, mainly in online and social games, or such similar settings.
(Quote: weblio dictionary)
You may often see the term “2P competition” in games. This indicates a multiplayer function. For example, playing Minecraft or Fortnite with your friends is a multiplayer experience 🎮
Progummy is a great way to collaborate with friends who are far away from you to create a game together. However, the current version does not currently support multiplayer.
Maybe if you create a game, you will want to play it with your friends too.
We looked into ways to play together in different locations and on different computers. We found some interesting tools available for multiplayer 👀✨ In this article, we’ll show you how to use a free service called Parsec to play multiplayer 😀
What is Parsec?
Parsec connects you and your friends to the games you love from anywhere, on any screen. All you need is a PC, some internet, and our free app. (Quote)
In a nutshell, one member (the host) runs the game on his/her PC. The other members (guests) access the host’s PC through Parsec allowing you to play together.
Precautions
There are two small speed bumps to be aware of when trying to use Parsec, so I will mention them here.
1. The host PC supports Windows only
When you access the Parsec download page, you will see icons for various operating systems.
I downloaded it to my Mac first, impressed by its ability to run on a variety of operating systems. Then I tried to invite someone as a host, but I couldn’t find the invite button. I found out that the host’s PC must be running Windows. The guest PC can run any other operating system, as shown in the image above.
2. Hardware Requirements For Hosting
The minimum/recommended specs for the host PC can be found here.
Minimum
- OS: Windows 8.1 / Server 2012 R2
- CPU: Core 2 Duo or better
- GPU: Intel HD 4200 / NVIDIA GTX 650 / AMD Radeon HD 7750 or better
- Memory: 4GB DDR3
Recommended
- OS: Windows 10 / Server 2016
- CPU: Intel Core i5 or better
- GPU: Intel HD 520 / NVIDIA GTX 950 / AMD Radeon RX 470 or better
- Memory: 8GB DDR3
For your reference, here is the environment we tried as a host PC.
Machine A(not working as host PC)
- OS: Windows 10 Home Edition
- CPU: AMD A10–5800K
- GPU: Radeon HD7660D
- Memory: 8GB DDR3
Machine B(acting as host PC)
- OS: Windows 10
- CPU: Intel Core i7–8700
- GPU: NVIDIA GTX 1660 Ti
- Memory: 32GB DDR4
The exact reason why machine A could not be used as a host is unknown. However, since the operation depends on the host PC, we recommend that you use the PC with the best specs among your group members as the host.
Although it took some time to prepare the host PC, the guest PC can run various other operating systems, including the web version. Joining as a guest is easy.
Actual multiplayer scene
The game we made
Here is the game made by the Progummy team using the collaborative editing of Progummy.
This is a game in which three characters fight for a moving apple.
When you start the game, an apple appears and runs away according to the distance and direction of the character. The closer the character is to the apple, the faster the apple will escape.
Points to consider when making
Characters have different keyboard assignments to avoid conflicting keyboard operations: ←↑↓→, w+a+s+d, i+j+k+l ⌨
In Parsec, the same operation cannot be performed simultaneously by the members who are accessing it. For example, if multiple members use the same keys or move the mouse at the same time, the operations will conflict and will not work.
As you can see, it is as if multiple people are using the keyboard and mouse of a single PC (through the Internet), but they each have individual control. Therefore, the keyboard operations of the characters are assigned differently to avoid conflicting operations.
The play
This is a gif video of three people actually playing with Parsec, in different locations, on different computers.
I made it into a gif, so it looks a little choppy, but in reality it was much smoother.
The Web version has a time lag
Guests joined in with both the downloadable version and the web version. The downloadable version showed almost no delay, but the web version had a little time lag.
If there is a time lag, it will inevitably make the operation more difficult, so you may need to be creative.
In this case, I changed the assigned movement of each member’s character and added a time lag to double the speed to give them an advantage💨 This customizability is one of the advantages of a game that you are programming and making yourself ⭐
Conclusion
If you want to make a game with your buddies, use Progummy! If you want to play a game with your friends, you can use Parsec and other tools to make it multiplayer 🎮
Why not try Progummy?
If you read this article and would like to try Progummy, please contact us at the email address below. Be the first to try it for free!
If you’re a programming teacher or just want to make games with your friends using visual programming, we’d love to hear from you!