Extending a Closed-Source Game with Multiplayer Functionality

Abstract

The process of adding additional functionality to closed-source applications is generally not well known. This thesis covers the motivation, tools and design for extending a game with multiplayer functionality. The purpose of this thesis is to introduce the background concepts and methods needed towards implementing functionality changes within any application.Since games attract a variety of fields relating to graphics, user interfaces, storage, artificial intelligence, networking, audio, etc. they are best suited to display the ability to add additional functionality. Games are also a great motivational tool towards developing extended functionality because the results can easily be shown to people that are not experts on the application.The game of Torchlight is chosen as a real-world target application for added functionality. Multiplayer functionality is added to the otherwise single-player, closed-source game. Multiplayer on the game of Torchlight is shown to be working.