Local multiplayer: prolong/pause autostart countdown?

[forum]

Is it possible to prolong or pause the autostart countdown in local multiplayer mode? Especially the kids need some more time to select the right names, karts, and track.

[benau]

local multiplayer == network (lan games?)

you need to find server_config.xml in .config/supertuxkart/config-0.10, and change <voting-timeout value="30" /> to more

[forum]

Thank you - this works nicely! And yes, I meant the local LAN mode (for playing with more than 2 players locally)

Please allow me asking the following question, as it is a little bit related to "Local multiplayer":
Why is the local LAN mode needed to play locally with more than 2 players? Is it difficult to have the (e.g. 4 players) split screen from the (local) LAN mode also for a non-LAN (4) multiplayer game? (i.e. all 4 players sitting in front of the same screen) Or in other words: Why is it necessary to use the local LAN mode and enable "splitscreen or handicap" to play with more than 2 players on one screen/device? Sorry, if this is too off-topic here. I could put that into a separate thread if this is of any help.

[benau]

Use splitscreen multiplayer button in main menu?

[forum]

Maybe I am misunderstanding something. Let me try to explain this better:

When I click on "Local Multiplayer" in the main menu, only 2 players can select karts (even when 4 controllers are connected) on the screen.
Only when I click on "Online" in the main menu and then on "Local networking", more than 2 players can select karts.

Sorry, if I am really overseeing or doing something wrong here. :blush:

[benau]

If you press select for all 4 players first you should see 4 karts for choosing?

[forum]

No, this only works for 2 players on local multiplayer game. Only on local LAN it is possible to select more than 2 players.

So I wondered if it could also be possible in a future version to play with more than 2 players without going via local LAN, i.e. instead directly via local multiplayer game.

If this should work already now (I am using git 11 May an Android/Fire TV), then maybe I do something wrong?

[benau]

Do you use identicial gamepads? (So you have a x2 name in gamepads setting)

[forum]

Yes, I have (A) x2 "unu controller" and (B) x2 "USB gamepad", i.e. the settings for the buttons can only be different for (A) and (B). But during gameplay, all 4 controllers work fine for 4 different players - with only 2 players/controllers in local multiplayer splitscreen mode and with 4 players/controllers in local LAN mode. I have not tested WAN mode but assume that it works as well.

Your hint is interesting. It might be that because locally, 2 and 2 controllers are not (entirely) differentiated, only 2 players can press A etc. on that multiplayer splitscreen. Is there anything that can be done about it? (besides buying yet another 2 different controllers )

[benau]

you need to wait before i have time to fix this...

[forum]

Oh, no worries! I know that you and others are doing this in your free time and never mean to push anything.

Is it maybe possible to read the controllers' device IDs and thus distinguish them, even if they are of the same make and same model?

If you need logs from me, e.g. when plugging the controllers in and out, please let me know.


Finally, I would like to use the opportunity to say a big THANK YOU to you and all the other developers and contributors, who make STK a really great game not just for kids. And yes, they also love it like I do.

[Alayan]

Yes, I have (A) x2 "unu controller" and (B) x2 "USB gamepad", i.e. the settings for the buttons can only be different for (A) and (B). But during gameplay, all 4 controllers work fine for 4 different players - with only 2 players/controllers in local multiplayer splitscreen mode and with 4 players/controllers in local LAN mode. I have not tested WAN mode but assume that it works as well.

Your hint is interesting. It might be that because locally, 2 and 2 controllers are not (entirely) differentiated, only 2 players can press A etc. on that multiplayer splitscreen. Is there anything that can be done about it? (besides buying yet another 2 different controllers )

That's definitely the root issue.

Local splitscreen supports up to 8 players, but each player "start" signal needs to be picked as independent. For example, with keyboards, each player needs to use different keys because otherwise the game can't differentiate the players. For gamepads, multiple players having the same model of gamepad and same button mapping is rather expected, but if the game fails to differentiate the devices in the kart selection screen it won't allow multiple players to use it this way.

[forum]

Is there a way to differentiate 2 controllers of the same model/make by reading their complete USB ID (or the complete IDs of the USB-BT dongles)?

[benau]

Not possible and they are the same too

[forum]

I do not understand, though, why 2 players can play with 2 identical controllers when selecting multiplayer/split screen, but 4 players using 2 identical "model A" controllers and 2 identical "model B" controllers cannot (but have to go via local LAN/splitscreen on the same(!) device. What makes the problem of identifying controllers of the same model/make different on multiplayer/splitscreen mode versus local LAN/splitscreen mode? Maybe I am not clearly describing what I mean. Hmm, how shall I described it better?

[benau]

Can u try this link (contain test build)?
https://play.google.com/apps/test/RQt-l ... jHU1Q912xU

[forum]

Hi benau!

As so often, the problem sat in front of the device, i.e. me. :blush: What shall I say? I was too stupid to do it right in the first place. We can play with 4 players also in the multiplayer/splitscreen mode (i.e. without local LAN). I am not sure why it did not work, but I guess that I told the kids to press the A buttons at the wrong time or something. I did not have to try your new test version (which is for Windows, by the way, whereas we usually play on Amazon's Fire TV). So for the Android version I can confirm that 4 controllers (2 each of the same model/make) work flawlessly also in the multiplayer/splitscreen mode. In the controller settings, they appear with (x2) and thus, controllers of the same model/make must have the same key/button allocations, but that is not a problem with 4 controllers in total, as each player has at least the choice to select from 2 different key/button allocations. In fact, all our 4 controllers have the same, so switching them after a match does not confuse anybody. I am really happy (as well as the kids) that this works and kindly ask everybody to accept my apologies for having created useless confusion and work (hopefully not too much). Have a great day!

[benau]

Nice, but would be to still test this build for the keyboard typing bug you were having...

[forum]

Yes, of course - might take until Friday, though, because I currently do not have that wireless keyboard here with me.

[forum]

Sorry, benau, I have not gotten back the wireless keyboard yet (hopefully this weekend) for further testing. Is that test version you offer via open testing on Google's Play Store very different than this one?

stk.kein.hk/hkpig/android-debug.apk
(from the other thread about the controller)

I observed that various versions all show slightly different behaviour regarding the displaying of controllers including keyboards, so I assume that there is currently lots of work in progress.

It's there anything specific that you would like to have tested and know as feedback? Is it sufficient to test the keyboard (and probably the controller) in the settings for menu navigation and entering text and then again on just one race? Or could there be different behaviour in different races/tracks or types of matches?

[benau]

just use that stk.kein.hk/hkpig/android-debug.apk version and see if typing with bluetooth keyboard work,,