3rd party addons and multiplayer

Something tells me this question has been asked before but the answer has eluded me... Is it possible to get addons not from or recognized on the download station, stuff jointed rail offers that isn't hosted by Auran as payware for example, to work in multilayer sessions?

The straight answer to that is no.

Here is a definition of what content must be used for multiplayer:

To use Multiplayer on a route/session, the content used must be built-in or available from the Download Station.

Shane

Had a feeling but wanted to make sure...Seems to me a method should be made to allow multiplayer support for stuff like this, especially payware...the primary reasons I don't go off site to find stuff is because I was almost (and now am) certain that it wouldn't work for use in multiplayer. I had given serious thought into adding to the available signals I have from jointed rail for use on my route, but sense it would render the route incapable of multiplayer support I've abandoned the idea.

The reason why it's like that is to allow users who are unable to use payware to enjoy multiplayer routes.

Also, assets that are not built-in and not on the Download Station cannot be updated in-game.

Shane

But jointed rail has plenty of freeware available, the signals I mentioned being among them. It's their policy not to redistribute it anywhere but their site that likely keeps it from being put on the download station. It sort of seems like with their reputation with Auran that stuff like that would be allowed some kind of coding deem it "built in".

I agree. Jointed Rail does have quite a bit of freeware.

The fact of the matter is that with Multiplayer, all systems that play that multiplayer session have to have the same content as the person who created the session, hence the requirement for the content to be built-in or on the Download Station. Same applies to the route.

Shane

Doing that could easily be done through a client side asset check to see if everything needed is present, then state if assets are missing that cannot be downloaded through the DLS.

Edit: the process could be done like so:

Attempting to connect to server...
Server connection established, checking required assets...
(insert KUID here) not found, checking download station...
Asset could not be downloaded (due to not being on the download station), terminating connection.

Have it be a multiple stage check, cross refrencing installed assets between client and server before attempting to find it on the download station.

Edit2: Also it's already a standard where assets not avalible on the DLS are refrenced to being obtainable somewhere else, even if someone has to ask the origional creator (I usualy find the applicable information in the asset description).

If you want to suggest that, use the Suggestion Boxcar forum.

Shane

Another thing that can go wrong with free/payware is synchronizing local modifications. If an asset registers faulty in your version of Trainz, you will want to modify it before you can use it. Unfortunately, the modifications vary between users and can cause synchronization problems with the server.

One way to get around this is if the client first downloads the server's copy of modified or missing assets into a temporary directory before launching the session, then deletes the temporary files and restores the local versions at the end of the multiplayer session.