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Multi Theft Auto
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Multi Theft Auto (MTA) is an open source mod ("modification") for the Microsoft Windows version of Rockstar North games Grand Theft Auto III, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas that adds an otherwise absent online multiplayer component.
ough often referred to as a modification, Multi Theft Auto is based on the trainer and code injection methods of manipulating the game through its own memory, and does not alter any original files supplied with the game itself.
Multi Theft Auto was once ranked as one of CSports.net's top online games, with statistics showing peaks of roughly one thousand players playing different versions of the mod on-line simultaneously.
The project has also been the subject in multiple articles in different media.
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Encyclopedia
Multi Theft Auto (MTA) is an open source mod ("modification") for the Microsoft Windows version of Rockstar North games Grand Theft Auto III, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas that adds an otherwise absent online multiplayer component.
Overview
Although often referred to as a modification, Multi Theft Auto is based on the trainer and code injection methods of manipulating the game through its own memory, and does not alter any original files supplied with the game itself.
Multi Theft Auto was once ranked as one of CSports.net's top online games, with statistics showing peaks of roughly one thousand players playing different versions of the mod on-line simultaneously.
The project has also been the subject in multiple articles in different media. The most prominent being a coverage on G4TV and an exclusive release for Fileplanet with coverage on its frontpage.
On Friday 21 November 2008, the project was relaunched as an open source project. The code was made available on Google Code.
MTA: San Andreas
The newest release of Multi Theft Auto is for Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas and is built upon a new engine which has been in development for several years. The engine represents a major shift in the modification's focus, as it provides users with all the tools they need to create their own game modes and leaving much of the game mode creation to third parties.
The initial "Race" version of MTA: San Andreas was unveiled on 22 January 2006, when the first playable content was released. This version featured a vehicle racing-only gamemode and a map editor that allowed users to create custom environments and races. The advanced nature of the underlying engine allowed the developers to place this sophisticated WYSIWYG editor for adding checkpoints, spawn points and power-ups. It also allows users to place extra models into the game such as ramps, roads, trees and exploding barrels.
The production of the "Deathmatch" version began shortly after the initial release of the "Race" version. Many attribute the delay to a lack of focus by the development team. Many new features were constantly being introduced, but the continuous introduction of new features delayed a stable, releasable version. This was acknowledged by the development team itself as a factor preventing release of the modification.
During the development phase of the "Deathmatch" version there have been various blog posts, including videos. However, the blog posts have become less frequent over time, leading many to believe that the progress of "Deathmatch" was slow or had ceased. Due to this mounting pressure, several on-line facilities were introduced to allow users to monitor the changes to the code repository. It illustrated any notable updates to the progress of the modification.
The initial version of MTA: San Andreas Deathmatch was introduced as a fully playable "Developer Preview" on the 2nd of January 2008 to promote the third-party development of custom content such as game modes and utilities, and was followed by a second "Developer Preview" introducing several new fixes and features.
As of Friday, 21st of November, Multi Theft Auto is an open-source project, under the GPL3 License.
Content delivery and development
The initial "Deathmatch" version and its underlying engine presented a series of relevant changes to the functionality of the modification as well as the introduction of an online community content delivery system. Through the use of this website, registered users (such as players, server administrators or developers) can accumulate in-game statistics whilst playing on servers or share custom created content with other users.
Third party content is made possible through the addition of Lua virtual machines in both the server hosting the game (e.g. providing functionality for a specific game mode), as well as the client playing the game (e.g. providing a graphical front end or user-specific local content to the game mode). Different scripts can then be run in parallel on either of these, communicating to each other through the use of events.
The custom created content is grouped into "resources" that are hosted server-side. This is a package based system that packs all script files, content (e.g. images or custom models and textures) and metadata files inside a single archive or directory. Specific content can then be marked to be uploaded to every connected player, to enable client-side execution of Lua code. This system allows for package dependency and inheritance of functions between different packages, easy management and distribution.
Feature summary
- Uses the freeware CEGUI system, replacing the original Grand Theft Auto GUI, allowing Multi Theft Auto to draw its own windows and widgets for any in-game user interaction such as the server-browser and allows scripting from any third-party resource.
- Multi Theft Auto uses a modular platform to separate several facilities such as the GUI, network, game and scripting code and loads these into the game instead of injecting code into its memory process. This improves stability, speed and allows a better file management.
- A versatile set of scripting functions. By building upon Grand Theft Auto's own class-based design, implementing this into the client and server and synchronizing between these two, a third-party developer can control almost any aspect of every player's game through the Lua virtual machine: native elements such as animations, explosions, particles, skins, weapons, vehicles, objects, players, etc. as well as new elements such as custom 3d models are controllable.
- Shared library loading support through C++ on the server, allowing complex functionality to be added.
Gang formation
Since the release of the very first version of Multi Theft Auto, gangs (commonly referred to as clans) have emerged to become the best in playing specific game modes. They operate very similarly to clans in other games, usually having their own servers and websites, advanced leadership and recruitment systems, and gang wars, or clan matches, with other gangs.
See also
External links
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- a documentation Wiki set up for Multi Theft Auto
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- site for downloading of resource packs (DM+)
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