KSP Pass-the-save-file website

[planetx]

I'm a website developer by day, kerbalnaut by night. I've seen a lot of groups of people that pass around a single game save file as a pseudo-multiplayer game.

I'm contemplating developing a website that would allow you to create an account, then put yourself into the queue to receive the game save. You can post a mission agenda, and after you've been given the file you would carry out whatever you're wanting to carry out, then you upload the new game save along with mission results (imgur album, etc). The next person is automatically notified by the website.

There are a lot of places where this happens, but I think a website to organize and automate things could work. What do you all think?

UPDATE 5/13/2013

Registration is now open! Sign up free at http://www.kerbalmcc.com. A lot of work is still being done to the save file sharing system, but once work is completed (very, very soon) emails will go out to everyone who registered.

UPDATE 5/9/2013

The website is going to be www.kerbalmcc.com. Development of the back-end code is well underway.

Edited May 14, 2013 by planetx
updated information

[Holo]

Yes is all that needs to be said.

[Budgie]

I was once part of one of these efforts. Its a great idea, but school caught up with me, so I couldnt really participate in the end. The thing I suggest you make sure to add is a way to deal with unresponsive members, and skipping their turns. Maybe also include a save-master to moderate each coop game, and always have access to the most recent save.

Also, maybe support for mods? That would really draw me in, since I play with sooo many of them.

[tobjv]

Or you know... use dropbox. That is what me and my friends do.

[planetx]

I'm planning on having the "next up" person download only a copy of the master game save. They do their thing. If they don't upload the new one, or if the uploaded save file is broke, then the next one in line gets the original file. If they don't download the file and start doing their mission within a certain time window, they get skipped and re-inserted to the end of the queue. The goal would be for each person to take no more than 72 hours to perform the mission and submit the game save.

I'm also thinking it would be great to allow separate communities to exist on the website, so instead of having 100 people waiting in one queue for a particular game save, you could form your own smaller groups so you can perform missions faster.

[Holo]

Or you know... use dropbox. That is what me and my friends do.

That's harder and less secure.

[CalculusWarrior]

Maybe include different savegames for different overall goals. Perhaps one save could be all about recreating past and future NASA missions, another could be colonizing Duna, and yet another could include building a network of refueling stations?

[AffreuxLex]

All my thoughts/concerns have already been addressed by other posters so I'll just reply with a supportive "yes".

Yes!

[tfm]

It would be fairly trivial to automate the process for a Free/Not Free mode. A plug in or Game loader could check the website, detect if the game was "signed out" and if not, sign out the game, download and play. When you exit the game save it uploads the save and sets it free. Perhaps even the ability to add a "Hey stop hogging, I'm next" button to prod people into letting go.

Food for thought.

[Budgie]

Well, I think the website should allow the functions for a moderator or save-master to start a group, then allow other account-holders to join said group, allowing room for biiig community-wide pass-and-plays, or groups consisting of 2 or 3 friends (or more, if youre lucky enough to have that many KSP-friends). Id be more inclined to make a group with a few friends than join a massive group effort, because then you get more playtime with good buddies. Of course, you can showcase one or two all-inclusive groups on the front page, I guess, but allow for private games too

[planetx]

Here's how I see everything working at this point:

Create an account, then you can log in and join a "mission group". There will be public and private mission groups. Public mission groups will be listed in a directory, private mission groups will be unlisted.

Anyone can create a mission group. Each group will have a unique vanity url that can be shared for easy joining. Private groups can also be password-protected so even if the vanity url gets shared it won't fill up with players you don't want.

When you join a group, you'll be inserted at the end of the queue. The group creator (moderator) can require you to add mission details before you are able to download the game save, and then when you submit the new game save you can post a mission debriefing which will get saved forever. So as a group goes through the queue an ongoing mission log will build up, serving as a history of accomplishments for the entire group.

When it's your turn you will have (x hours, set by the moderator) to download the file before you get bumped by the next person in the queue, and you will have (x hours) to submit the new game save before you get skipped. If that happens, you will not be able to upload your game save as the next person is already playing the game save. The group creator/moderator can grant extension requests so if you need more time you can ask for more time and avoid being skipped and having to throw out your hard work.

Most of you should know this, but the file to be uploaded will have to be the entire game save directory. If you upload just the persistence file then the next person to play the game save will have the game auto-deleting all the ships. I'm hoping to have native support for directly uploading the folder, but it might be the case of having to zip the folder and then unzip to play. We'll see.

I am also thinking about some sort of competition method between groups.

[Budgie]

With this method of sharing the entire directory, will we have to worry about compatibility with Mac and PC, as IIRC, one is a .exe, which wont run on a mac. Also, will you even consider the handling of mods? Or does the system youve described lend itself to mod support already, as were gonna share the whoe directory (including the parts and plugins file, I assume)

A hopeful subscriber,

Budgie

[lucidLemon]

With this method of sharing the entire directory, will we have to worry about compatibility with Mac and PC, as IIRC, one is a .exe, which wont run on a mac. Also, will you even consider the handling of mods? Or does the system youve described lend itself to mod support already, as were gonna share the whoe directory (including the parts and plugins file, I assume)

A hopeful subscriber,

Budgie

Only the save file is passed, which should be compatible with current versions of KSP.

As for mods, I imagine each group would have a whitelist of parts, defaulting to the stock parts. If a group wants mod parts to be allowed, they simply need to add them to that whitelist.

[Budgie]

Oops, I was thinking of the wrong directory, I think. That puts me more at ease. Neeevermind

[Westo454]

I'm going to answer with a "Yes" but I would like to see something to implement a live "mission control" type thing, where one player pilots while the rest monitor him/her and organize the mission.

[musicpenguin]

Yes, Yes, YES I SAY YES!

[Budgie]

I'm going to answer with a "Yes" but I would like to see something to implement a live "mission control" type thing, where one player pilots while the rest monitor him/her and organize the mission.

Thats the other way of playing multiplayer KSP, and there are ways to facilitate this. Try looking up the Telemachus mod on the forums, but know that youll need to wait a bit as the author works out all the features he wants to include.

[planetx]

So what domain name are we thinking about? Personally I love kerbalmissioncontrol.com but anything using "kerbal" or "ksp" would most likely invoke the wrath of the copyright gods.

[tfm]

The Kerbal comic website uses Kerbal in their domain name.

[planetx]

The website is going to be www.kerbalmcc.com. Development of the back-end code is well underway.

[planetx]

Registration is now open! Sign up free at http://www.kerbalmcc.com. A lot of work is still being done to the save file sharing system, but once work is completed (very, very soon) emails will go out to everyone who registered.

[ROFLCopter64bit]

Isn't my Iridium designed to do this? It's almost fixed.

[bulletrhli]

Registered Can't wait!