A Flexible Client For Multiplayer On One Screen Entertainment System (MOOSES): A Scripted Client Solution

Abstract

This master thesis presents an approach to make the MOOSES platform more flexible and dynamic. MOOSES is a platform that allows people to play video games on a large screen using their mobile phones. A server runs the game on the large screen, and mobile phones are used as controllers for the game. The client controller is an application written in Java 2 Micro Edition (J2ME), which has to be downloaded to the mobile phones. The game server communicates with the client controllers through bluetooth. The MOOSES prototype was developed during our depth study at NTNU fall 2006 based on ideas from us and Alf Inge Wang. During the development of the MOOSES framework we encountered some technical limitations that constrained the MOOSES platform. One of these problems was tied to maintenance of the platform which makes adding and removing of games to a bothersome job. Most mobile phones support the J2ME platform, and there has been developed a couple of script solutions that run on top of this platform. Scripts provide for the J2ME application programming interface (API) to be more powerful by elevating the abstraction level. It also makes it easier to provide a domain specific set of instructions, making development easier. The MOOSES prototype requires manipulation of the source code when adding new games. As a consequence of this, a new client has to be distributed to all the users of the system every time new games are added. A more dynamic client will provide for the MOOSES system to be passive in the addition of new games because the games will not interfere directly with the backbone of MOOSES, but are loaded dynamically on runtime. We will also focus on making development of game clients more tailored to the MOOSES concept. When we are using a scripting platform to develop game clients, it will provide an API that is completely tied to the MOOSES platform. Such an API will have both pros and cons. It makes the API easier to follow and provides a better overview, but it constrains the freedom of creativity. We will have a look at different scripting solutions that may replace or stand as an alternative to our current solution for development of game clients. We will also develop a prototype to test the feasibility of such a solution. A client for the game developed in the depth study will be rewritten to suit the scripted client prototype. This client will be tested at our presentation of MOOSES at the Kosmorama film festival 2007 [1]. The content of this thesis is confidential and should not be given or shown to any other person than the external examiner, Alf Inge Wang, Morten Versvik, Sverre Morka or Aleksander Spro without permission granted by Alf Inge Wang, Morten Versvik, Sverre Morka and Aleksander Spro.