BZFlag
| BZFlag | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Senior Developer | Tim Riker , Chris Schoeneman |
| Erstveröffent- lichung |
1992 |
| platform | Windows , Linux , macOS , BSD , Solaris |
| genre | Ego shooter |
| Game mode | Multiplayer |
| control | Keyboard , mouse |
| medium | Download |
| language | English |
| Current version | 2.4.10 (March 12, 2017) |
BZFlag (short for B attle Z one Capture the Flag ) is an open-source - Multiplayer - tanks - Game with OpenGL - 3D - graphics whose development is led by Tim Riker. The development of the game with the hosting of the source code and a bug tracker takes place on GitHub .
Originally developed for SGI Computer under IRIX , it has since been ported to Windows , Linux , macOS , BSD , Solaris and other operating systems. It is under version 2.1 of the LGPL license (previously under the GPL ).
In April 2004, BZFlag was presented as “Project of the Month” by the file hosting service SourceForge .
Gameplay
For a BZFlag game you choose a game world ( map ) that is hosted on a server. As a player, you move a tank in a first-person perspective and use various weapons and options to destroy enemy tanks. As far as a map has different weapons or special game functions such. As the stealth mode ( stealth features), these are activated by the inclusion of a white flag. A weapon or function change takes place by dropping this flag.
Most maps have a reduced field overview ( radar ) available to players .
A game world defines the goal of the game, the design of the field, the options for the mobility of the tanks, the type of weapons and other options. Various editors are available for creating and editing maps. There is a BZFlag plug-in for the 3D modeling and animation program Blender .
Game ideas
BZFlag-Maps are very diverse in their game ideas. In principle, individual groups or individual players are in competition and have to achieve a game goal. The respective game mode is determined by the map developer or the server administrator. Most maps implement one of three game modes.
The game mode “free for all” ( FFA for short ) is about destroying as many enemy tanks as possible.
The aim of the game mode "Capture the Flag" ( Capture the Flag , in short: CTF ) is to bring the enemy flag into their own team base. The basis is a small area in the respective team color.
In a "hare hunt " ( rabbit chase ) there is the group of hunters ( hunter ) and a hare ( rabbit ), which appears as a white tank. Which player takes on the role of the rabbit depends on the map or the setting of the server. Either the hunter who destroys the hare or the player with the highest score becomes the hare. The selection can also be made at random.
The openness and flexibility of the BZFlag game environment means that there are very individual maps in addition to the basic modes. There are game worlds that place a special emphasis on skill and in which there is e.g. B. is about reaching an elevated platform by jumping. Maps in the style of dodgeball are also implemented , in which a team must be the first to reach a certain area under fire.
Teams
In addition to the possible team colors red, purple, blue and green, there is a group of “villains” ( rogue ) in some maps . These players are not allied with each other, each fight for himself and are therefore allowed to destroy all other tanks. The villains are marked yellow in the radar view and appear as dark gray tanks from the first person perspective. Destroying the tank of another player ("teamkill") is usually punished. Depending on the server settings, excessive team killing will result in exclusion from the game. For a number of maps, the destruction of team members' tanks is disabled.
In addition to participating in a game in one of the four team colors or as a rogue, there is the possibility of watching a game passively as an observer. Then you move in the perspective of the player with the highest score without being able to control his tank. Observers are listed in the overview of the other players. The number and colors of the teams are determined by the respective map.
Server functions
Servers can host multiple games with different maps and game goals at the same time. With adjustable threshold values, players who z. B. attack their own team, are automatically removed. There is also the option of filtering the messages in the integrated chat client. To protect against cheaters , some anti-cheat functions are integrated into the game.
In principle, a map can be hosted on any server and thus also made available in a TCP / IP -based intranet. A data rate of 32 kbit / s to 64 kbit / s must be expected per player. Servers with modem connections can therefore allow a maximum of two external players to play at the same time.
Artificial intelligence
There are two methods of artificial intelligence in BZFlag:
- Autopilot : The player armor is guided by an autopilot.
- Robot ( robots ): In this case, some tanks are played by the server.
Admin
The so-called admin rights can be assigned by the server operator. This is done either via local or global logins. The server owner either directly determines the corresponding players with defined rights or uses globally registered groups. The latter option is used to provide trustworthy players with administrator rights on certain game servers in a simple manner. This significantly reduces the administrative effort for server owners.
Administrators can allow players who like rules such as B. not following the netiquette in the game chat, either for a short or long term from the game ( kick or ban ) and in extreme cases impose a ban on a player's name, an IP address or an IP address range.
history
BZFlag was originally developed in 1992 by Chris Schoeneman in the C programming language. The first publicly available version came out in 1993. It was based on the arcade game Battlezone . At first the game was called "bz", but renamed due to the similarity with a game by Chris Fouts. Both games have the original name and the game principle in common, but were developed completely independently of each other. BZFlag was originally a pure shoot-'em-up game. After Schöneman and his friend, who programmed the game with him from the very beginning, the game principle got boring, they invented the "capture the flag" mode. This mode made the game interesting in the long run due to the need for new strategies.
distribution
BZFlag is under the LGPL . It can be downloaded from the SourceForge website or from other places on the Internet.
The typical BZFlag release consists of three programs:
- BZFS - the server
- BZFlag - The game program
- BZAdmin - text-based administrator console
There are also Unix man pages, data files, and a configuration generator (written in HTML ) to configure a BZFS server. In the Windows release there are shortcuts to BZFS in the start menu to enable a simple server start with preconfigured standard options.
Translations
BZFlag has been translated from English into twelve other languages: Czech, Danish, Dutch, German, Leetspeak , Spanish, French, Italian, Congolese, Lithuanian, Portuguese, Redneck and Swedish.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Information about switching to Github ; accessed on May 8, 2017
- ↑ Project of the Month in April 2004 on SourceForge.net; accessed on May 8, 2017
- ^ SourceForge.net: Project of the Month. Retrieved October 3, 2013 .
- ↑ a b BZFlag FAQs (English); accessed on May 8, 2017