On the server, separate the network connection from the underlying creature it controls. Send an identify message to the client with the client's own creature id, so that the client knows which one to display differently.

Author: amitp

gameclient.as

@@ -67,7 +67,8 @@ package {
     // Map objects:
     public var items:Object = {};  // {loc.toString(): {sprite: obj:}}
     public var creatures:Object = {};  // {obj id: clientId: {sprite: bitmap: obj:}}
-    
+    public var myCreatureId:String = "";
+
     public var colorMap:Array = [];
     public var client:Client = new Client();
     public var pingTime:TextField = new TextField();
@@ -280,7 +281,7 @@ package {
 
       stage.addEventListener(KeyboardEvent.KEY_DOWN, onKeyDown);
 
-      client.sendMessage({type: 'identify', name: playerName, sprite_id: spriteId});
+      client.sendMessage({type: 'client_identify', name: playerName, sprite_id: spriteId});
       client.sendMessage({type: 'move', from: location, to: location});
       onEnterFrame(null);
     }
@@ -382,8 +383,10 @@ package {
     private var mapBlocks:Object = {};
     public function handleMessage(message:Object, binaryPayload:ByteArray):void {
       var bitmap:Bitmap;
-      
-      if (message.type == 'move_ok') {
+
+      if (message.type == 'server_identify') {
+        myCreatureId = message.id;
+      } else if (message.type == 'move_ok') {
         moving = false;
         location = message.loc;
 
@@ -442,12 +445,13 @@ package {
       } else if (message.type == 'creature_ins') {
         // HACK: until we separate server's player representation from connection
         message.obj.sprite_id = message.obj.sprite_id || message.obj.spriteId;
-        
+
         bitmap = new Bitmap(new BitmapData(playerBitmap.width, playerBitmap.height, true, 0x00000000));
         char_spritesheet.drawToBitmap(message.obj.sprite_id, bitmap.bitmapData, playerStyle);
         bitmap.x = mapScale * message.obj.loc[0] - playerStyle.padding;
         bitmap.y = mapScale * message.obj.loc[1] - playerStyle.padding;
         characterLayer.addChild(bitmap);
+        if (message.obj.id == myCreatureId) bitmap.visible = false;  // it's me!
         if (creatures[message.obj.id] != null) Debug.trace("ERROR: ins creature, already exists at ", message.obj.id);
         creatures[message.obj.id] = {sprite: bitmap, obj: message.obj};
       } else if (message.type == 'creature_del') {

gameserver.js

@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ function simblockLocationToId(blockX, blockY) {
         return blockX + blockY * span;
     } else {
         util.log("ERROR: simblockLocationToId(" + blockX + "," + blockY + ") span=" + span);
-        return -1;
+        return null;
     }
 }
 
@@ -185,18 +185,17 @@ function moveCreature(creature, to) {
 
 // Class to handle a single game client
 function Client(connectionId, log, sendMessage) {
-    this.id = connectionId;
+    this.creature = {id: connectionId, name: '??', sprite_id: null, loc: null};
     this.messages = [];
-    this.name = '??'
-    this.spriteId = null;
-    this.loc = null;
     this.subscribedTo = [];  // list of block ids
     this.eventIdPointer = eventId;  // this event and newer remain to be processed
 
-    
-    if (clients[this.id]) log('ERROR: client id already in clients map');
-    clients[this.id] = this;
+    if (clients[connectionId]) log('ERROR: client id already in clients map');
+    clients[connectionId] = this;
 
+    // Tell the client which of the creature ids is itself
+    sendMessage({type: 'server_identify', id: connectionId});
+    
     function sendChatToAll(chatMessage) {
         for (var clientId in clients) {
             clients[clientId].messages.push(chatMessage);
@@ -209,10 +208,6 @@ function Client(connectionId, log, sendMessage) {
             sendMessage({type: 'item_ins', obj: obj});
         });
         (creatures[blockId] || []).forEach(function (obj) {
-            // TODO: we currently mix up the player's character object
-            // and the connection object, so we're sending extra
-            // fields here like messages, eventIdPointer,
-            // etc. Separate the objects.
             sendMessage({type: 'creature_ins', obj: obj});
         });
     }
@@ -262,15 +257,15 @@ function Client(connectionId, log, sendMessage) {
 
 
     this.handleMessage = function(message, binaryMessage) {
-        if (message.type == 'identify') {
-            this.name = message.name;
-            this.spriteId = message.sprite_id;
-            moveCreature(this, clientDefaultLocation);
-            sendChatToAll({from: this.name, sprite_id: this.spriteId,
+        if (message.type == 'client_identify') {
+            this.creature.name = message.name;
+            this.creature.sprite_id = message.sprite_id;
+            moveCreature(this.creature, clientDefaultLocation);
+            sendChatToAll({from: this.creature.name, sprite_id: this.creature.sprite_id,
                            systemtext: " has connected.", usertext: ""});
         } else if (message.type == 'move') {
             // TODO: make sure that the move is valid
-            moveCreature(this, message.to);
+            moveCreature(this.creature, message.to);
 
             // NOTE: we must flush all events before subscribing to
             // new blocks, or we'll end up sending things twice. For
@@ -283,15 +278,15 @@ function Client(connectionId, log, sendMessage) {
             this.sendAllEvents();
 
             // The list of simblocks that the client should be subscribed to
-            var simblocks = simblocksSurroundingLocation(this.loc);
+            var simblocks = simblocksSurroundingLocation(this.creature.loc);
             // Compute the difference between the new list and the old list
             var inserted = setDifference(simblocks, this.subscribedTo);
             var deleted = setDifference(this.subscribedTo, simblocks);
             // Set the new list on the server side
             this.subscribedTo = simblocks;
 
             // The reply will tell the client where the player is now
-            var reply = {type: 'move_ok', loc: this.loc};
+            var reply = {type: 'move_ok', loc: this.creature.loc};
             // Set the new list on the client side
             if (inserted.length > 0) reply.simblocks_ins = inserted;
             if (deleted.length > 0) reply.simblocks_del = deleted;
@@ -332,20 +327,20 @@ function Client(connectionId, log, sendMessage) {
         } else if (message.type == 'message') {
             // TODO: handle special commands
             // TODO: handle empty messages (after spaces stripped)
-            sendChatToAll({from: this.name, sprite_id: this.spriteId,
+            sendChatToAll({from: this.creature.name, sprite_id: this.creature.sprite_id,
                            systemtext: " says: ", usertext: message.message});
         } else {
             log('  -- unknown message type');
         }
     }
 
     this.handleDisconnect = function() {
-        if (this.spriteId != null) {
-            sendChatToAll({from: this.name, sprite_id: this.spriteId,
+        if (this.creature.sprite_id != null) {
+            sendChatToAll({from: this.creature.name, sprite_id: this.creature.sprite_id,
                            systemtext: " has disconnected.", usertext: ""});
         }
-        moveCreature(this, null);
-        delete clients[this.id];
+        moveCreature(this.creature, null);
+        delete clients[connectionId];
     }
 }