Ever since the Multi Theft Auto team brought multiplayer Grand Theft Auto to GTA3 and Vice City, other coders have taken interest in making their own multiplayer modifications. With a few weeks having passed since the release of SanAn on PC, progress has been made in making a multiplayer San Andreas modification.
Our own team, San Andreas Multiplayer, has merged with GTA Connection, and has managed to put together an almost complete package. With beta tests already taking place, syncing is already complete. Apparently the San Andreas engine uses a different way to move cars which makes them jitter at high speeds, so this is yet to be overcome. Game modes are also being planned out, and the team have announced that a full-functioning multiplayer conversion should be out in another 1-2 months.
The Multi Theft Auto team have a video and a pair of screenshots up at their Multi Theft Auto: San Andreas website. “The Multi Theft Auto Team has put together a short video showcasing the early stages of vehicle synchronization. It was captured while testing the race mod that is currently under construction. The video features a variety of vehicles and locations with a varying number of testers.” A public release is still some time off, however; “Although a lot of work has been completed throughout all areas of the mod and the core itself, we still have many features to complete before we have a version suitable for release.”
A third team, the GTA Tournament team, has a few videos of beta testing up. The videos look like the netcode is in place, but the vehicles are plagued with the jittering that the other teams have been trying to avoid, and the tests seem to have only been shot with 2 players connected. Nevertheless, the team says they have basic car and player synchronisation complete.
Finally, one team that received a lot of coverage in the last week is the San Andreas 2-Player modification. Not a full multiplayer mod, but it lets you mess around San Andreas with your friend. Contrary to what was reported earlier, their official site is now online. Their official site is down at this point, but from what I’ve seen they have implemented the multiplayer very efficiently. The chat dialog shows up in the fashion the in-game messages do in single player, and the second player is indicated with a red arrow.
Stay tuned for further news and information on the first public multiplayer modification.