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====== OMF2097 Online play with Parsec and DosBox ======
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Parsec is a video/screen sharing program, that also can be setup to allow people connecting to your Parsec to use controllers or keyboard etc. This makes it very useful for playing multiplayer games that has no normal online options, typically games with "local multiplayer only". Like OMF2097.

Basic use:
  * Both players downloads the programs and make accounts, and friend each others in Parsec.
  * One setup as Host, and invite other player.
  * Guest player requests to join.
  * Host accepts.
  * Now Guest can see Host's entire screen,
  * Host can fire up Dosbox, and start OMF2097.
  * Setup controllers
    * If using gamepad/joystick might have to use another program to emulate keyboard buttons.
  * Play like you would in a normal 2 Player mode.

Parsec has specialised in making as efficient video sharing technology as possible and try to make it fast and with as little bandwidth footprint as they can. But it's still video share/streaming, so it will work better the faster and more reliable internet you got.

Some possible negatives:
  * Security: You should trust the guests you invite, or have enough control over your computer that you can handle if someone tries something. As if you give a Guest control over both Keyboard and Mouse, they could potentially try to do something malicious. It will be safest to just let them use a gamepad if you're worried about this.
  * Guest/Latency: The host will not have any latency since they're playing on their local computer. But the Guest will be getting any latency between the Host and their own location/network. This can lead to an unfair advantage depending on the situation/distance.
  * Network: Will struggle with low speed or poor internet stability. And the more it struggles, the more the controls will struggle with it.

Tweaks:
  * Can be worthwhile to reduce the video quality of the whole video sharing of the Host, as higher quality takes higher bandwidth, and thus can create more latency for the Guest. Also this game is natively 320x240, it isn't like it needs 1080p quality!
  * Naturally, try to disable, stop, or turn off other devices or programs that uses the bandwidth. Might not always affect things, but better safe than sorry. Other video streaming especially.

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===== Thoughts =====

I've tried Parsec once before with OMF2097 but as host, so I couldn't really tell the effect. But got to play in the WAR is WAR tournament using Parsec, and as a Guest, even from EU to US, it was very enjoyable. I'll be testing it more, but so far I'd say it's the most enjoyable way to play the game online for the vast majority of players.

Despite the latency difference for Host vs Guest, the sheer speed it can work with more than compensates. If you compare it to the IPX-Tunnelling system, that slows the game down to a crawl, that most players doesn't enjoy at all.

The optimal would likely be to setup a Parsec Host in the middle between two players, and have them both connect, so they would get a more "fair" latency. But I think that's more trouble than it's really worth for minor benefits.

Recommended!

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