2010-2011-Multi Pong

 

 

MultiPong Project

by Ralph Kiers and Elmer Jansema

MultiPong is a clone of the classic video game Pong which can be played by multiple players on the same computer. MultiPong uses multiple mice as control devices and the Java library JInput to read out these mice. The game can, in theory, be played by an infinite number of players, although in practice 1 to 8 players are preferred. When more players join, the board changes to a polygon with the number of sides equal to the number of players. In case of 1 or 2 players the board defaults to a square.

The game offers several features to help players locate their paddle and keep the overall gameplay exciting. When people join or leave it can be hard for the remaining players to relocate their paddle, that's why we are using a color system. Each new player gets a color assigned to them and this color stays his throughout the game until they leave. To give players extra time to find their colored paddle on the board a countdown is showing each time a player joins or leaves. Keeping the game exciting is achieved by dividing each paddle into several parts. These parts each use a different angle to bounce the ball back. Also the speed is altered depending on which part of the paddle is hit.