Planet M.U.L.E.

I tried posting this question to my other thread, but someone has locked it:
I still cannot successfully play a game with someone else in my same household.  I am able to create a game on one computer and I can see the game appear in the list of games in the lobby (port forwarding is working).  But, even though I can see the game on the second computer and I can click join it does not connect.  The screen on the second computer says its connecting to my (our) IP address but it never does.  Is the problem that we are both trying to play from the same IP address?

Maybe I'm going about this all wrong, can anyone tell me how to play this game with someone else in the same room as you?  We can use 1,2,3,4 or however many computers it takes to make this work.  Please help me, thanks.

It would be nice to be able to have two players on a single computer using different key sets on the same keyboard.

Ok, so I just want to verify before moving on: there is NO way to play MULE against someone else who is in the same house as you (I'm assuming it is because you are using the same IP address).

If the problem is sharing a IP.  One can try to use a VPN service. If the problem is sharing the inbound port It may or not work.. but Is worth testing :-/

I Played With my brother using the same IP Address

But... ...i guess the game host was another one.

Ok, so the key is that two players from the same house (same IP) can only play each other if they both join a game hosted by another player?  I'll try it out...

I hosted the game with my brother and it was just us and two computers

If you just want to play local multiplayer why not use the original game on an Atari emulator?  With Kaillera, it works very well over a LAN, or you can use Joysticks to play on the same computer. 

Well I don't own a copy of the original game so I'd have to find one and buy one and even then that would technically be illegal.  Also, I'd like to be able to use the statistics tracking that this version of the game offers.  I just need to find a third person to play with who lives somewhere else who can host the game so that me and my wife can join.

The original MULE is abandonware.  It is not illegal to download it. You can download an Atari emulator from here:

http://a800win.atari-area.prv.pl/

The original MULE game ROM and Atari system ROMS can be downloaded from here:

http://classicgaming.gamespy.com/View.php?view=GameMuseum.Detail&id=114

You can even buy a classic Atari joystick to play it with from here:

http://www.legacyengineer.com/storefront/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=34&products_id=85&zenid=2tf6l60lm2kg230a47gkpfk2m0

I don't know on your country, but on mine (spain) is probably illegal.  Having a nice version like Planetmule, suggesting using a gray/or black version is a bad idea.  Planetmule is a better version on all, but balance and the intro tune (the C64 one is better).

It is not gray or black.  It is the original game.  It is legal to download, even if you live in Spain.  If you just want to play the original game on your own local network, this is how you do it.  For internet play, Planet Mule is much better.  But to say that Planet Mule is better overall.  I don't think so.  The original is still the best version.

Abandonware isn't technically legal, it's simply that the rights holders do not prosecute (or do not exist). If someone has bought the rights to the original M.U.L.E they would be in their rights to sue for copyright infringement. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abandonware

Does anyone know whether the original M.U.L.E was released into the public domain?

http://classicgaming.gamespy.com/View.php?view=GameMuseum.Detail&id=114

Gamespy doesn't host illegal content. It's public.

So is it safe to say at this point that there is no chance of ever being able to play a local multiplayer game on one computer?
One player uses the arrow keys and spacebar and the other uses the numeric keypad and 0? 

I applaud the worldwide social game that Planet MULE has brought, but I also miss the local, social game of two or so players in the same room on the same system.  Not everyone has two computers with internet capabilities in their home.

I played with a friend on the same computer like this:
http://filesmelt.com/dl/mule_2player_retarded_workaround.png

it's an extremely bad workaround and I wouldn't recommend it at all, but seriously the lack of same system multiplayer is retarded

We've played Mule with 4 players on one computer, 2 keyboards using a commodore emulater.  It is awkward, and we would prefer to find a way to play from various computers same house or remote locations. 

Local LAN play is possible, when you start the game, just startup in local mode without logging into the internet server, start a new game as host, and then the other computers on the lan can start up the same way and you use the join game option, and manually type the ip address of the host computer (e.g. say the host PC is running on IP address: 192.168.1.102, then all the other computers would have to type 192.168.0.102 in the join dialog.

You will have to type the address in manually, because since you aren't logged into the online game server, there won't be a game listing in the lobby.

@zero_koop

Local play is done WITHOUT port forwarding and without logging into the game server, using the method I described in my other message.

I am not sure how you can both host and have multiple computers on the same IP through the internet server, you either have to host, or turn off port forward and play as client (playing without port forward will allow up to three computers on the same IP to connect to an external host through the internet server)  My understanding of it may not be correct though.  The other possibility is that you only turned on the port forward for TCP protocol and left out the UDP protocol fowarding.  That mistake will allow you to create a game that others can see, enter, and chat in, but will not permit you to join.

Anyways, if you want to do it as local lan, doing it with portfoward off and without logging in, is the best way to do it.

I've played lots of times in my computer with other people in the same game, without being local.
You see:

Open 2 times the Planet M.U.L.E. app and then play in turns.
Put one window next to the other.
That's All!

Only problem is in the auctions........
You would need 2 keyboards.  ;)

Yeah, I know that man, but the ideal for a local lan game is the way I described.

You can play with others on the same IP so long as neither player sharing the same IP is HOSTING the game.

That is precisely correct Chuckie Chuck.

That is what we three humans here did to practice before we even registered any userids on this site.

The only downside is that you can't have any other avatar but humanoid until you create an ID.

The upside is that if the net is down, we still can play.

I think you have to change your ip address.

90% of games written for the 8 bit era are considered abandonware by the companies that released them, and free to download.  You are not ripping anyone off, no one is gonna prosecute you.  I only know of a few exceptions.  The company that owns the spy vs spy games still keeps a watchful eye on piraters.  While the Bunton family still holds it's rights to M.U.L.E. licenses, I haven't heard any whining about the free distribution of the original version, they have sanctioned this free online version, and all the other remakes currently on the market including the new upcoming board game are licensed under their license.

As for playing a local multiplayer, you don't even need to connect to the internet server, but you do have to have two computers and an NAT router.  You start a new game on one, and you join the lan address of that computer from the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th machines on the lan using Join Address in mule.  I have to use this method to play inside my own bot when I play from home, I can't connect to the public internet address, I have to connect within the lan due to an oddity of the modem my provider has provided me.

This should really be an option... I mean c'mon we want to play the game!!  >:( :'(

yes

Truly an inspiring discussion. These are the issues of our times! Let's hope.