Show HN: Real-time multiplayer games with cubes. Early feedback on dev docs?

Re:Show HN: Real-time multiplayer games with cubes. Early fe... by boogies on Thursday February 11, 2021 @07:44PM (#26109527)

Looks very similar to Minetest (https://www.minetest.net/) (Edit: but this is nonfree and hasn’t yet been ported to GNU/Linux, while Minetest has and also works on 3 BSDs). Although Minetest does not include built in tools for asset creation — most models, textures, and scripts seem to be made in Blender, GIMP, and standard text editors — there is a mod to convert in-game builds into models (edit: including textures in the future: https://content.minetest.net/packages/random_geek/meshport/ / https://github.com/random-geek/meshport) and mesecons’s (https://mesecons.net/) Luacontroller block allows you to type and run Lua in-game without restarting.

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Re:Show HN: Real-time multiplayer games with cubes. Early fe... by huachimingo on Friday February 12, 2021 @08:23AM (#26113332)

Minetest had a mod to fake spherical planets using a torus.

Main video: https://youtu.be/ztAg643gJBA More in depth: https://youtu.be/joFWr3JzBOI

The main problem with minetest it is that it seems not complete/done on the art assets and main game, and the devs always say that is intentionally not a Minecraft clone yet people come searching one on the subgames.

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Re:Show HN: Real-time multiplayer games with cubes. Early fe... by boogies on Friday February 12, 2021 @04:34PM (#26118812)

I think it intentionally doesn’t have a complete/done “main game”, minetest_game is just a base for mods — including complete games (like mineclone) — to be built on.

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Re:Show HN: Real-time multiplayer games with cubes. Early fe... by marcodiego on Thursday February 11, 2021 @08:09PM (#26109717)

Exactly. Is there any point where particubes is superior?

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Re:Show HN: Real-time multiplayer games with cubes. Early fe... by mlyle on Thursday February 11, 2021 @10:34PM (#26110486)

If it really ends up in browser and allows free-form code changes in one page, then there's a huge opportunity for education. I'd do this with my classes.

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Re:Show HN: Real-time multiplayer games with cubes. Early fe... by aduermael on Friday February 12, 2021 @05:08AM (#26112090)

Would you say not being in the browser is an important barrier for education? The app is super small (~30MB), runs on all mobile and desktop platforms natively, we even respect all sandboxing requirements to be present on the Mac AppStore. :p We’re also making sure the app runs well on ~4yo devices (including smartphones)

That being said, we agree supporting web browsers should be on the roadmap. But we’re a small team, it’s just not a priority currently.

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Re:Show HN: Real-time multiplayer games with cubes. Early fe... by CJefferson on Friday February 12, 2021 @07:46AM (#26113050)

Currently during lockdown, I like doing outreach events where kids can interact with me, and each other.

I've decided on not doing anything which isn't "open website X" -- it's far too hard to teach twenty 10 year olds, and their parents, how to install some program, set up account, etc. etc.

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Re:Show HN: Real-time multiplayer games with cubes. Early fe... by mlyle on Friday February 12, 2021 @12:18PM (#26115968)

Getting students to install anything-- and dealing with variation between devices-- is a huge hassle. Teachers don't have time to be tech support.

For something that would be used for 2-3 weeks for most of the class, getting 20 copies installed on student computers is harrowing. Our 6th graders are allowed to use Chromebooks, too, (7th-8th graders need a real computer) so not everyone has a full-fledged computer. If we go the phone route, many parents hold the app store passwords to control what apps the student installs... and some of the 6th graders don't have phones, anyways.

Computer labs aren't really used so much anymore (and can't be this year), but if we were to go there I'd still need to either beg facilities/IT to spend limited time installing it or go install it on 20 devices myself with credentials I'm really not supposed to know.

If browser isn't a near term priority, maybe don't say "coming next".

Just getting 2 copies of some robotics control software installed among all the students in my most recent class (picking the people with the most "normal" looking computers who were most eager to install something) chewed up a big portion of my attention for 2 class sessions, and we only meet 3 times per week...

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Re:Show HN: Real-time multiplayer games with cubes. Early fe... by yoz-y on Friday February 12, 2021 @06:35AM (#26112571)

From what I understand a lot of educational computers are chromebooks. Being in a browser is definitely a plus.

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Re:Show HN: Real-time multiplayer games with cubes. Early fe... by aduermael on Friday February 12, 2021 @07:44AM (#26113026)

Oh ok, that makes sense, thank you!

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Re:Show HN: Real-time multiplayer games with cubes. Early fe... by AnIdiotOnTheNet on Friday February 12, 2021 @09:36AM (#26114032)

It makes asset creation simple since everything is a block and is constructed like Lego. People like constructing things like Lego because they're a very straight-forward way to construct things. It's part of what made Minecraft so popular in the first place.

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Re:Show HN: Real-time multiplayer games with cubes. Early fe... by jaxx on Saturday February 13, 2021 @04:37PM (#26127191)

I play Minetest on Mac! :)

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