Checkers-Drafts Game: Creation of Drafts-Checkers Game in Blazor with LAN multiplayer suppor


Initial steps for creating an online Drafts (or Checkers) game using Blazor, with support for remote dual player play.

Commits

  • Initial Blazor Service project
  • Add project files.
  • First game!
  • Can play over 2 computers locally
  • V1.0.0 Works on local network

“First game!” Commit

What the app could do (user-visible)

  • Display a playable drafts/checkers board in the browser.
  • Allow a single user to select pieces and make legal moves (basic move and capture rules).
  • Enforce turn-taking and basic promotion to king.
  • Provide minimal UI for creating/joining games (single‑instance play).

Developer notes (implementation)

  • Core game UI and logic introduced (component: Components/DraftsGame.razor).
  • Initial game state model and move validation implemented (service: Services/DraftsService.cs or equivalent).
  • Local-only behavior: game state stored in memory; no network/multi-client support yet.
  • Useful for rapid iteration and validating rules/UI interaction.

Testing / verification

  • Verify selection, move validation, captures and promotions on the local page.
  • Confirm UI shows current turn and selection messages.

login
Login

Player page
Player Page

  • A player can either [Start a new Game]
  • … or Select a game that is already started by another player and waiting for a second player to join and then [Join game]
  • A player can also Chat with everyone logged into the game and still in The Lobby
    • They can also clear the Lobby Chat.
  • A player can select a voice to use when talking another player when in a game.

“Can play over 2 computers locally” Commit

What the app could do (user-visible)

  • Two players can play against each other from two different machines on the same LAN.
  • Creation of a shareable JoinLink (URL) and ability to copy/open it in a second window to join a running game.
  • Each client sees the same board state; moves from one client are reflected on the other.
  • UI shows player number (Player 1 / Player 2) and connection status.

Developer notes (implementation)

  • Introduced multi-client synchronization: a singleton game service (in-memory) that holds games and raises updates (e.g., GameUpdated event).
  • TryJoinGame API that assigns player numbers and prevents over-joining.
  • Joined-client flow: CreateGame → Navigate to /drafts?gameId=... → BeginJoin(server assigns player).
  • Defensive changes to prevent the local browser from occupying both slots (fixed double‑join race).
  • Added simple client helpers: “Copy join link” and “Open in new window”.

Testing / verification

  • Create a game on machine A, open the JoinLink on machine B (use incognito/private to avoid session reuse) and confirm Player 2 joins.
  • Confirm moves on A appear on B and vice versa.
  • Check server logs for TryJoinGame assignments and GameUpdated events.

“V1.0.0 Works on local network” Commit

What the app could do (user-visible)

  • Stable LAN multiplayer baseline suitable for local network play (release-quality for dev/test).
  • Reliable join flow and basic diagnostics when join fails (clear “Unable to join” messages).
  • Copy/open join link UI, and improved feedback when moves are invalid.
  • Better visual pieces (filled discs, kings show crown) and accessible button UI (non-animated, good contrast if applied).

Developer notes (implementation / ops)

  • Tagged/stabilized as v1.0.0 baseline — key fixes and polish merged: logging, click diagnostics, join flow hardening.
  • Server logging (ILogger) added to trace CreateGame, GetGame, TryJoinGame, MakeMove — helps diagnosing join/move problems.
  • Guidance and optional changes included to run Kestrel on non‑localhost (e.g., ListenAnyIP or --urls "http://0.0.0.0:5000") and firewall tip for LAN testing.
  • Temporary client-side click logging added to confirm events reach the browser; recommended removal after verification.

Testing / verification

  • Confirm v1.0.0 behavior across two machines on the LAN: creation, join, synchronized moves, and promotion.
  • Inspect server logs for join assignments and move application lines.
  • Test LAN URL access and firewall rules (HTTP recommended for local dev).

Comments

  • Initially was able to play a game in different tabs in same browser,
  • Later became an issue when games were user oriented.
  • Could then run one player in broswer and second in
    • Incognito/private window … this was bit problemaric
    • Was simpler to run one player in Edge and second in Chrome on same desktop
  • Later ran the service via Kestral and then could have both player in same network on different machines (LAN).
    • E.g. Two desktops or desktop plus (Android) phone!
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