- last post: 01.01.0001 12:00 AM PDT
Okay, I've sorta seen it occasionally asked and skirted around in a few of the marathon threads, but i figured i'd try and consolidate all the info as well as prospective players looking to experience Marathon in a way never thought possible. You just haven't played Marathon until you've SPNK'ed your friends and Totz'ed them to charred and burned peices!
First, some information:
Marathon, in its original incarnation, was a LAN only MP game. This required(s) hooking up computers physically (in the modern days we'd use a hub and our ethernet ports, but back then, this could be through <gasp> serial ports!), turning on appletalk, and then going at it! Marathon featured replays so you can relive your and your opponents demise!
Today, that LAN feature hasn't much changed, except that Aleph One will also allow you to cross platform b/n other Aleph One users, no matter the OS. (see their network read me for details).
But Aleph One, after many, many years of hoping and praying eventually added in TCP/IP. This requires the host personally handing out his IP address to all the potential players(joiners) who all have to enter in the address into the IP field under the "Join Game" menu.
I myself have enjoyed a number of games with very little to no lag (check those damn firewalls!). I enjoy the fact that the host gives the map to all the players at the start of a game. This means you don't necessarily have to have the maps the host has.
The Catch is organizing a game; you have to find a willing host who can give all the joiners his IP address and the joiners must know when to join up. This can be accomplished by Phone, instant messengers, email, and Chapter websites.
My personal method comes from the Aleph One networking FAQ. In AIMS, go to File--> "Go to chat . . . " and type in "aleph one." You should find a hand ful of people who will be willing to let you join in.
If anyone has more information or questions, feel free to add to this thread. And if anyone is interested in playing Marathon MP, also feel free to add to this thread (i apoligize if this is more appropriate in the Classifieds), share your chapter that may have DB's devoted to Marathon MP, and in generally, throw yourself out there to be PM'ed and IM'ed for some matches.
You won't regret it!
[Edited on 7/23/2004 10:35:46 PM by Shishka]