Multiplayer is only available in A.I.M. and A.I.M. Racing. A.I.M. has LAN-only option, however it is possible to emulate internet multiplayer using third-party tools. There are special sectors for multiplayer parties; Backslope, Limit, Seep and Spinescent. A.I.M. Racing has fully-working IP-based server that can be used to play all over the World.
Hosting a game (LAN only)[]
If you want to play with your friends, one of you will have to be the host (usualy the one with the best PC) while others are clients. In order to host a game click the Network button in the main menu. If no active game is found, an interface will pop up asking what map do you want to play on. Simply select a map and the game will start. Now other players can also click Network, which will connect them to your game.
Be careful when hosting a game, there's a good chance that Windows Firewall dialogue will pop-up in the background without you noticing. You will have to minimize the game and press "allow", or else other people will not see your game.
Joining a game (LAN only)[]
Joining a game is very similar to hosting it. After making sure that someone on your LAN is hosting a game, simply click Network and you will be automaticaly connected. Again, it may be required to press "allow" in a Firewall dialogue that pops out in background.
Playing over the internet[]
If you want to play with someone that is not directly connected to your LAN, the you will have to use VPN software such as Hamachi, Tunngle or Evolve. Then follow the steps provided with that software to establish a connection with all players. It is strongly recommended for all players to disable their firewalls temporarily while playing, because the game was not intended for this kind of gameplay. When you are sure that everything works, then you can simply proceed as you were playing via LAN. However playing like this will increase your ping and may cause instability and in extreme cases even dropping some player's connections.
VPN services Evolve and Tunngle were shut down in 2018 because of implementation of the European GDPR law.
Game rules[]
Interestingly, rules of the multiplayer game depend on the map you are playing on. Usualy when you join a session, you will be able to pick a name. Then you will spawn inside a Charge Platform with some starting money. When you are happy with you equipment, you can leave the Charge Platform and hunt for other players. If you destroy someone, instead of a mechmind he will drop a container of crystals (the amount depends on how much crystal he himself had). You can then use those crystals to buy even better equipment. There are always two Charge platforms per map, with their selection being a bit different.
Configuration file[]
This is the default state of mmserv.ini, which is a configuration file located in the AIM game directory:
[MMSERV] DefaultTCP=1 MaxPlayers=16 Visible=1 CloseString=Close
The only usable setting is "MaxPlayers", which can be changed to allow more than default 16 players in a single game. Altering other settings simply makes your game not-joinable by other players (except "CloseString", which does not have any effect at anything).
Trivia[]
- Feature called energy-for-mechanoid is probably taken from LAN multiplayer in A.I.M. which grants energy to player when opponent is destroyed, in A.I.M. 2 Clan Wars mechminds must have transpoted to bilding;
- Multiplayer maps Backslope and Seep were added after the 1.00 release in Russian, this version doesn't have it. These two maps were hypothetically first seen in the 1.03 Baltics release;
- There was originall also the 5th multiplayer map, the Net Arena which was cut. All that's left of it is the preview image and information it had at least one Charge platform and red lamps before the ceiling were glowing.