BZoo: Network Gaming with Blender

BZoo is a network game template to use with Blender.

Last year, I had spoken about it in this thread. By that time, it only was a basic 3D chat application.

As explained here, lots of new features was added to this network game template:

* Dual mode view
* Shooting system
* Synchronized and "collectable" objects handling
* Multi scene support
* Network saved inventory system
* Dialog with NPC
* Multi player connections handling
* Player authentication system
* Avatar selection screen
* Interoperability with IRC
* Flexible file organization for collaborative works
* Extensible player properties system

As it is now, BZoo makes it possible to create multi-user 3D waltk-throughs, network Player versus Player games as well as simple Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games, without a single line of code …

If you want to give BZoo a try, make sure you have python installed on your system and follow the procedure below:

  • Download the BZoo Archive from here.
  • Unpack it in the directory of your choice.
  • Open the BZooClient.blend file
  • Press P
  • Press Del , enter your login and press Enter
  • Choose your avatar with arrow keys and validate by pressing Enter

You should now be in the main game scene

  • Use arrow keys to change point of view
  • F1 to get a menu
  • F2 to use use “in game” chat
  • F3 to connect to IRC chat
  • Right click to throw a bomb
  • Left click to shoot bullets
  • Space to open door (you’ll need to have the key in your inventory to do that)

To catch an object from the scene, collide with it.
To start dialog with NPC, get in touch with the character.
To teleport to an other scene, collide with the teleporter.

BZoo is a complete suite for creating, publishing and hosting virtual worlds.
It can be used in a wide range of applications such as multi-user 3D walk through, 3D IRC client, network Player Versus Player games, Multi Player On line Role Playing Games or even Persistent Virtual Worlds.

BZoo is designed so that no programming skills is required to create network applications (just by following the user documentation (that is still under writing) ).
However, developers are provided with a fully documented Python API allowing to access high level services dedicated to real time multi-user networked applications.

Bzoo is composed of:

  • a set of .blend files containing pre-made graphical user interfaces
  • a set of Python scripts to use and which
  • A game oriented middleware written in python including code for both server and client

Being directly usable from Blender 3D modeler, it is likely to be one of the most efficient solution for either quick game prototyping or half-professional level game creation.

Comments are highly welcomed.

Jean-Baptiste PERIN

I’m not really interested in multiplayer at the moment. But I do want to take a peak at using this tool.

Moving this to the Resources forum as it’s more of a resource than a game.

I was waiting for this to pop up in the Game engine forum :). I dont think people realize how much great potential a network library like this has.

yeah, this is amazing for blenders GE. BlenderLife will be using this i believe, see my sig for more details. I suppose even more ppl will be coming to make a MMORPG, but somehow i think the amount of MMORPGs made with blender will not increase.

Amen to that lol

I can’t agree with you more.

I’m encountering two difficulties with explaining BZoo:

  • The concept is somewhat new and it is very difficult to explain that BZoo is not a game but a tool a create network games.
  • BZoo contains lots of features … and it is hard to let people know how how the whole stuff works.

I try to first struggle with the first issue … before addressing the second one.

But my English is poor … it really doesn’t help.

If you have any advice … Let me know.

Yes sorry, it definitely is a better place for it .

We need a sticky on the GE WIP forum.
Like ‘Need models, scripts? Visit the Resources sub-forum’.

I don’t have any experience with writing documentation. Not sure if this is easy, but if you’re able to document all the functions and explain how they correlate with the bigger picture, and how us the users can simple modify it to suit our own needs for multiplayer, I’m sure it’ll be used and widely accepted.

Your networking application for blender is definitely a beast (loads of features). But most users at first glance will get intimidated because they’ll have no idea what is what inside all the code and functions. Proper documentation will definitely have more people using this.

Jason Lin

yea!

lets stickie this, we get someone asking about multiplayer games almost every day here.

I volunteer to help with the documentation. I seem to have a talent for explaining technical things in simple terms.
Primarily because I read documentation and note where I get lost and have questions. So if I tend to get lost at those points then I know that the non technically verse person probably will also.

If muliplayer games are often asked, a sticky thread would be a must.

I would love that BZoo appears in a sticky thread about network multiplayer game resources.

I can imagine a post giving all the material currently available in this field.

OldJim’s WSAG:
http://www.gameblender.org/viewtopic.php?id=7
IzE multiplayer script:
http://blenderartists.org/forum/showthread.php?t=104390
Morgade’s DeathMatch:
http://blenderartists.org/forum/showthread.php?t=101312
http://blenderartists.org/forum/showthread.php?t=100770

Bzoo (the best one currently :D):
http://blenderartists.org/forum/showthread.php?t=109123

Are you able to create sticky thread Mmph ?

Two important news:

BZoo is really nice, but it needs some of interpolation code in clients for quit the chopped movement of the players. Actually i dont have a comp to work, but i wish give a hand to this project. I made a client/server aplication with interpolation in BlitzBasic much time ago. The forums from the Bzoo page isnt work ?

Some time ago I was playing around with Bzoo, one of the older versions. I found it quite simple, even for custom modification. Almost instantly a cool original game concept poped up in my mind. Things I wouldnt dare to dream of, like making online multiplayer supported games.

It was really easy to change the scene letting the multiplayer wizardry still functioning. Also a year or so ago… we all remember the Crescent Dawn Online project that shared much enthusiasm! The developers where pioneers in implementing network for BGE. And I supose that making a fun multiplayer network game is a dream for every game developer. So let us make all MMORPGs and online cooperative multiplayers and the like, to make Bzoo the atention it deserves! :slight_smile:

I know another project that is being developed with Bzoo, Moonkiroe. I am also developing some sketches for a online game. A space combat simulation with bots and players.

Are there some other projects with Bzoo?

Thank you very much Gaby for your comment.

Your proposition is highly interesting. An interpolation algorithm would really increase the playability of BZoo. It would be great that you join the project. If you’re interested … register on the site projects.blender.org and let me know…

The forum on the BZoo page doesn’t work …

There are forums available here (that are not very used for now).

Thanks you very much gg7 !!!

I’m setting up a collaborative environment to give birth to such a project (a bzoo demo world). There remains some details to address and I’ll soon communicate about it.

Would you be interested in contributing ? PM me.

Some people say that they are working on a world … I saw a very nice stuff made by LsBlend …
OTO the cleaner is working on an amazing scene.

Otherwise, for now, the only collaborative project that I heard from and that will probably use BZoo is BlendLife.

EDIT: It also seems to me that chuzzy06’s team is planning to use it as well …

Hi! With no time and no pc , i finish the interpolated movement. Now the movement of another players will not be chopped anymore. (no more lag effect, hehehe) Isnt practice for a fps game, but looks sufficient for me. I cant upload anything to the bzoo development site, i uploaded it to here:

http://rapidshare.com/files/72118998/bzoo_tween_mov_gs.zip.html

Now i will for the problem with the keyboard simbols. Nice day to all.

Thank you very much Gaby, I’m going to have an interested look at it…

Do you have SVN on your PC? it is the tool to use to modify the source on projects.blender.org

We really have to address this issue.