seX_panTHeR
Smash Rookie
I am a 64 player mainly, though play melee from time to time, and I have noticed that lag online is a huge barrier to online play. I have an idea/experiment that I think could massively reduce lag. here it is:
Online play currently is limited to emulators. Im not sure exactly how the net play works on these but its not great.
Instead, people will be able to play online through their gamecube and gamecube controllers. NO MODIFICATION of the gamecube, melee itself or any of that. You hook up your controller, then hook up a box that has an internet connection and a controller output.
Now, how will this "box" be made? Im gonna cut the wire to a controller and analyze the signal moving back and forth with an arduino and some type of chipset on top of it that can process electric signals. Then, when an A is pressed, a certain signal passes through. When B is pressed a certain signal passes through. When B is released the signal changes again. With these recorded observations, the controller inputs can be manufactured by mimicking these signals with a computer program. Thus you could tell the computer (box) to press- A,B,z, R, L, left stick up, right stick down, etc. When someone is playing there is a string of these signals that travel down the controller wire into the gamecube.
However if they can be manufactured, then your friend who lives 50 miles away could set up a connection streaming bites over to your box, and then the box outputs them into the gamecube. the gamecube wouldn't know the difference and you would access this "net play" through the regular melee versus mode. Again, no modification of the gamecube or melee software would be necessary. Then at your friends house he has the same setup. He is player 2 though, and has a similar "box" at his house streaming all of the button inputs you are sending. basically this box would take your controller as input as well as an internet connection (ethernet or wireless), an output a gamecube controller signal. Ta da! you are playing online and you gamecube doesn't even know!
Now why would there be no lag - because the gamecube doesn't know the difference. Its just like multiplayer. even if the internet connection was lost the character would stand there because the gamecube wouldn't get controller input for him. However you don't have to deal with the reduction in fps that you would in an emulator. Additionally, sending the information needed to reproduce an electrical signal requires very little bandwidth. I don't think lost signals would be nearly as big of an issue as they would if the gamecube itself was trying to juggle packets from 4 different players and render them on the screen - as opposed to 4 player which we all know it can handle perfectly well.
SO, what do you think? does it sound feasible, necessary, interesting, intriguing, stupid, awesome,.......? I am a software dev and have worked with arduinos some (3d printers) but this would certainly be a research project. I am interested in any help or feedback you can give. Thanks!
Online play currently is limited to emulators. Im not sure exactly how the net play works on these but its not great.
Instead, people will be able to play online through their gamecube and gamecube controllers. NO MODIFICATION of the gamecube, melee itself or any of that. You hook up your controller, then hook up a box that has an internet connection and a controller output.
Now, how will this "box" be made? Im gonna cut the wire to a controller and analyze the signal moving back and forth with an arduino and some type of chipset on top of it that can process electric signals. Then, when an A is pressed, a certain signal passes through. When B is pressed a certain signal passes through. When B is released the signal changes again. With these recorded observations, the controller inputs can be manufactured by mimicking these signals with a computer program. Thus you could tell the computer (box) to press- A,B,z, R, L, left stick up, right stick down, etc. When someone is playing there is a string of these signals that travel down the controller wire into the gamecube.
However if they can be manufactured, then your friend who lives 50 miles away could set up a connection streaming bites over to your box, and then the box outputs them into the gamecube. the gamecube wouldn't know the difference and you would access this "net play" through the regular melee versus mode. Again, no modification of the gamecube or melee software would be necessary. Then at your friends house he has the same setup. He is player 2 though, and has a similar "box" at his house streaming all of the button inputs you are sending. basically this box would take your controller as input as well as an internet connection (ethernet or wireless), an output a gamecube controller signal. Ta da! you are playing online and you gamecube doesn't even know!
Now why would there be no lag - because the gamecube doesn't know the difference. Its just like multiplayer. even if the internet connection was lost the character would stand there because the gamecube wouldn't get controller input for him. However you don't have to deal with the reduction in fps that you would in an emulator. Additionally, sending the information needed to reproduce an electrical signal requires very little bandwidth. I don't think lost signals would be nearly as big of an issue as they would if the gamecube itself was trying to juggle packets from 4 different players and render them on the screen - as opposed to 4 player which we all know it can handle perfectly well.
SO, what do you think? does it sound feasible, necessary, interesting, intriguing, stupid, awesome,.......? I am a software dev and have worked with arduinos some (3d printers) but this would certainly be a research project. I am interested in any help or feedback you can give. Thanks!
