That could be quite interesting. Though it would require a 3rd party production of a new ''game'' world that interfaces all of the other games attributes. It would be VERY hard to do. You could always just have it as a kind of layer (like DX) that figured out what game was sending data, convert it to a standard, send it to the multi-games server and then it sends the info out to everyone, the layer converts the data into whatever game the client is running and the game caries on like this.
Problems? It would be hell slow having to do this with each packet. This could be forgotten once connections get a bit faster.. Also, where the hell does the level data come from? Or is it created with the 3rd party extension of the game? Ie, does the world data come from a specific game map, or does it come from the interface that joins the games?
The map data would have to come from the program that joins the games, unless you wanted to create a standard map format for games like that, which would limit the way a level could be developed. The latter could be remedied by having level format upgrades when game developers continue to develop the level features. I think that it would be better just to have the games support a second map format that the game can run along with it''s native map format. The second map format would be the multi-game format, which would be used by the joining program and the players would be able to play in it. Some new character, weapon, item, etc. formats could be developed and then supported by these games (along with the native game format) so that the players could play against each other with different games online. The developer could merely convert their format to the multi-game format and have it compatible with the other games.
There was a thread on this a little while ago, SDG Shared Data Games. We were looking at it as a way of smaller developers being able to create larger game worlds in more easily developed chunks. The mini game concept, separately they work but they also link together. This discussion is very big picture, the old thread was more along the lines of, A whole cop game contains, a shooting range game, a driving game, an interrogation game, separate parts making a bigger whole.
As Mr Cup always says, ''''I pretend to work. They pretend to pay me.''''
As Mr Cup always says,''I pretend to work. They pretend to pay me.''
