Multi Theft Auto
Encyclopedia
Multi Theft Auto is a multiplayer mod
("modification software") 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 online multiplayer component.
computer and video game developed
by DMA Design (now Rockstar North
) represented the first 3D
title in the Grand Theft Auto (GTA) series
. Despite its success, it was the first Grand Theft Auto game to ship without the network gameplay features that were present in earlier titles, which allowed players to connect through a computer network
and play the game with others.
The first version of Multi Theft Auto, dubbed Grand Theft Auto III: Alternative Multiplayer, attempted to fill in this gap by extending an already existing cheating tool with functionality that allowed the game to be played with a very crude form of two-player racing over a computer network purely as a proof of concept
, similar to how the now-defunct XBAND
service worked by manipulating game memory in order to add online multiplayer functionality. Newer versions of Multi Theft Auto with increasingly better gameplay and other improvements were released based on the same concept of game manipulation, by a small team of developers.
With the introduction of successor Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, it became clear that this computer game title also lacked any form of network gameplay. The Multi Theft Auto software was subsequently extended to include support for this title, and eventually shifted its entire focus towards this title and the concept of a new software framework
dubbed Blue. As the original concept (of game manipulation by memory) was prone to various problems with performance and stability that often resulted in application crashes
, this new framework was created as a successor and laid the foundation of all future Multi Theft Auto software.
and hooking
techniques whereby the game is manipulated without altering any original files supplied with the game. The software functions as a game engine
that installs itself as an extension of the original game, adding core functionality such as networking and GUI rendering
while exposing the original game's engine functionality through a scripting language
.
The project has also been the subject in multiple articles in different media. The most prominent being a coverage on G4 TV
, an exclusive release for Fileplanet
with coverage on its frontpage, and features in published magazines such as PC Gamer
and Total PC Gaming
.
The Multi Theft Auto: San Andreas project was revised and relaunched as an open source
project, leaving all prior versions behind. The source code
was licensed under the GPLv3 license and made available on Google Code
and GitHub
.
that has been in development for several years and is the only project that is still actively maintained. The engine provides users with all the necessary tools they need to create their own game modes
and maps
by exposing a large part of the original game functionality through a Lua scripting machine.
The initial version of the software was dubbed "Race" and unveiled on Sunday 22 January 2006, when the first playable content was released. This version featured a networked vehicle racing game mode
and a map editor that allowed users to create custom environments and races. The advanced nature of the engine's early incarnation allowed the developers to develop a sophisticated integrated WYSIWYG
editor for adding gameplay elements such as checkpoints, spawn points
, power-up
s and various objects ranging from ramps to exploding barrels.
The successor release, dubbed "Deathmatch", was designed to improve upon "Race" by providing minimal sandbox style gameplay that could be extended by users and developers. The production on this release started shortly after the initial release, but stagnated due to what is seen as a lack of focus by the development team. As many new features were being introduced, the continuous introduction of these features delayed a stable and final version of the modification. Instead, several on-line facilities were introduced during the development phase to allow visitors to track the development process of the software as changes were made to the code repository, illustrating any notable updates to the progress of the modification.
The first "Deathmatch" successor was introduced as a fully playable version on the 2nd of January 2008 and tagged as "Developer Preview" to promote the third-party development of custom gameplay content and utilities. This version was followed by a second "Developer Preview" that introduced several new features and fixes and was subsequently followed by a period of major code restructuring that led to the open source relaunch on Friday, 21 November 2008 under the GPLv3 License.
On Saturday, 22 August, Multi Theft Auto: San Andreas v1.0 was officially distributed as the first open source release. This release abandoned the now obsolete "Deathmatch" tag in the product name to emphasize on the versatility of the software. Gameplay functionality is solely provided by the scripting language, so users can choose or develop their own combination of scripts and other contents to customize and host their own type of game.
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 the Lua scripting language 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, custom content (e.g. image
s, 3D models
, textures
and collision files
) 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.
Mod (computer gaming)
Mod or modification is a term generally applied to personal computer games , especially first-person shooters, role-playing games and real-time strategy games. Mods are made by the general public or a developer, and can be entirely new games in themselves, but mods are not standalone software and...
("modification software") for the Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
version of Rockstar North
Rockstar North
Rockstar North is a British video game developer based in Edinburgh, Scotland, best known for creating the Grand Theft Auto and Lemmings franchises in its earlier guise as DMA....
games Grand Theft Auto III
Grand Theft Auto III
Grand Theft Auto III is a 2001 open world action computer and video game developed by DMA Design in the United Kingdom, and published by Rockstar Games. It is the first 3D title in the Grand Theft Auto series. It was released in October 2001 for the PlayStation 2, May 2002 for Microsoft Windows,...
, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City is a 2002 open world action computer and video game developed by British games developer Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games. It is the second 3D game in the Grand Theft Auto video game franchise and sixth original title overall...
and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is a 2004 open world action video game developed by British games developer Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games. It is the third 3D game in the Grand Theft Auto video game franchise, the fifth original console release and eighth game overall...
that adds an online multiplayer component.
Background
The release of Grand Theft Auto III, a critically acclaimed sandbox-style action-adventureAction-adventure game
An action-adventure game is a video game that combines elements of the adventure game genre with various action game elements. It is perhaps the broadest and most diverse genre in gaming, and can include many games which might better be categorized under narrow genres...
computer and video game developed
Video game developer
A video game developer is a software developer that creates video games. A developer may specialize in a certain video game console, such as Nintendo's Wii, Microsoft's Xbox 360, Sony's PlayStation 3, or may develop for a variety of systems, including personal computers.Most developers also...
by DMA Design (now Rockstar North
Rockstar North
Rockstar North is a British video game developer based in Edinburgh, Scotland, best known for creating the Grand Theft Auto and Lemmings franchises in its earlier guise as DMA....
) represented the first 3D
3D computer graphics
3D computer graphics are graphics that use a three-dimensional representation of geometric data that is stored in the computer for the purposes of performing calculations and rendering 2D images...
title in the Grand Theft Auto (GTA) series
Grand Theft Auto (series)
Grand Theft Auto is a multi-award-winning British video game series created in the United Kingdom by Dave Jones, then later by brothers Dan Houser and Sam Houser, and game designer Zachary Clarke. It is primarily developed by Edinburgh based Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games...
. Despite its success, it was the first Grand Theft Auto game to ship without the network gameplay features that were present in earlier titles, which allowed players to connect through a computer network
Computer network
A computer network, often simply referred to as a network, is a collection of hardware components and computers interconnected by communication channels that allow sharing of resources and information....
and play the game with others.
The first version of Multi Theft Auto, dubbed Grand Theft Auto III: Alternative Multiplayer, attempted to fill in this gap by extending an already existing cheating tool with functionality that allowed the game to be played with a very crude form of two-player racing over a computer network purely as a proof of concept
Proof of concept
A proof of concept or a proof of principle is a realization of a certain method or idea to demonstrate its feasibility, or a demonstration in principle, whose purpose is to verify that some concept or theory that has the potential of being used...
, similar to how the now-defunct XBAND
XBAND
XBAND was an early online console gaming network for SNES and Sega Genesis systems. It was produced by Catapult Entertainment, a Cupertino, California based software company, and made its debut in various areas of the United States in late 1994 and 1995...
service worked by manipulating game memory in order to add online multiplayer functionality. Newer versions of Multi Theft Auto with increasingly better gameplay and other improvements were released based on the same concept of game manipulation, by a small team of developers.
With the introduction of successor Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, it became clear that this computer game title also lacked any form of network gameplay. The Multi Theft Auto software was subsequently extended to include support for this title, and eventually shifted its entire focus towards this title and the concept of a new software framework
Software framework
In computer programming, a software framework is an abstraction in which software providing generic functionality can be selectively changed by user code, thus providing application specific software...
dubbed Blue. As the original concept (of game manipulation by memory) was prone to various problems with performance and stability that often resulted in application crashes
Crash (computing)
A crash in computing is a condition where a computer or a program, either an application or part of the operating system, ceases to function properly, often exiting after encountering errors. Often the offending program may appear to freeze or hang until a crash reporting service documents...
, this new framework was created as a successor and laid the foundation of all future Multi Theft Auto software.
Overview
The latest Multi Theft Auto software is based on code injectionCode injection
Code injection is the exploitation of a computer bug that is caused by processing invalid data. Code injection can be used by an attacker to introduce code into a computer program to change the course of execution. The results of a code injection attack can be disastrous...
and hooking
Hooking
In computer programming, the term hooking covers a range of techniques used to alter or augment the behavior of an operating system, of applications, or of other software components by intercepting function calls or messages or events passed between software components...
techniques whereby the game is manipulated without altering any original files supplied with the game. The software functions as a game engine
Game engine
A game engine is a system designed for the creation and development of video games. There are many game engines that are designed to work on video game consoles and personal computers...
that installs itself as an extension of the original game, adding core functionality such as networking and GUI rendering
Graphical user interface
In computing, a graphical user interface is a type of user interface that allows users to interact with electronic devices with images rather than text commands. GUIs can be used in computers, hand-held devices such as MP3 players, portable media players or gaming devices, household appliances and...
while exposing the original game's engine functionality through a scripting language
Scripting language
A scripting language, script language, or extension language is a programming language that allows control of one or more applications. "Scripts" are distinct from the core code of the application, as they are usually written in a different language and are often created or at least modified by the...
.
The project has also been the subject in multiple articles in different media. The most prominent being a coverage on G4 TV
G4 (TV channel)
G4, also known as G4 TV, is an American cable- and satellite-television channel originally geared primarily toward young adult viewers, originally based on the world of video games...
, an exclusive release for Fileplanet
FilePlanet
FilePlanet is a video game download service that provides demos, patches, mods and other gaming media and other gaming media downloads to its users. FilePlanet was launched, and is run by, GameSpy, which is now a subsidiary of IGN, and is one of the most used video game download sites on the...
with coverage on its frontpage, and features in published magazines such as PC Gamer
PC Gamer
PC Gamer is a magazine founded in Britain in 1993 devoted to PC gaming and published monthly by Future Publishing. The magazine has several regional editions, with the UK and US editions becoming the best selling PC games magazines in their respective countries...
and Total PC Gaming
Total PC Gaming
Total PC Gaming was a monthly magazine published by Imagine Publishing, launched in 2007 it ran until March 2010. The magazine featured videogame industry news, game reviews, hardware reviews, and sections dedicated to fans of retro gaming and Massively multiplayer online games.-Staff:The staff...
.
The Multi Theft Auto: San Andreas project was revised and relaunched as an open source
Open source
The term open source describes practices in production and development that promote access to the end product's source materials. Some consider open source a philosophy, others consider it a pragmatic methodology...
project, leaving all prior versions behind. The source code
Source code
In computer science, source code is text written using the format and syntax of the programming language that it is being written in. Such a language is specially designed to facilitate the work of computer programmers, who specify the actions to be performed by a computer mostly by writing source...
was licensed under the GPLv3 license and made available on Google Code
Google Code
Google Code is Google's site for developer tools, APIs and technical resources. The site contains documentation on using Google developer tools and APIs—including discussion groups and blogs for developers using Google's developer products....
and GitHub
Github
GitHub is a web-based hosting service for software development projects that use the Git revision control system. GitHub offers both commercial plans and free accounts for open source projects...
.
Versions
| Release | Version | Date | GTA III | GTA Vice City | GTA San Andreas |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GTA3:AM | 0.1 | February 9, 2003 | |||
| GTA3:MTA | 0.2a | February 28, 2003 | |||
| 0.3b | May 29, 2003 | ||||
| MTA:VC | 0.1 | August 2, 2003 | |||
| 0.2 | September 20, 2003 | ||||
| 0.3 | December 25, 2003 | ||||
| 0.3r2 | January 1, 2004 | ||||
| MTA | 0.4 | July 27, 2004 | |||
| 0.5 | January 31, 2005 | ||||
| MTA:SA Race | 1.0 | January 22, 2006 | |||
| 1.1 | March 16, 2006 | ||||
| MTA:SA DM | 1.0 | January 10, 2008 | |||
| MTA:SA | 1.0 | August 21, 2009 | |||
| 1.0.1 | October 2, 2009 | ||||
| 1.0.2 | October 24, 2009 | ||||
| 1.0.3 | December 17, 2009 | ||||
| 1.0.4 | June 10, 2010 | ||||
| 1.0.5 | March 28, 2011 | ||||
| 1.1 | August 25, 2011 | ||||
| 1.1.1 | September 19, 2011 | ||||
| 1.1.2 (development) | - |
Multi Theft Auto: San Andreas
Multi Theft Auto's latest release is for the game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas and is built upon a now open source game engineGame engine
A game engine is a system designed for the creation and development of video games. There are many game engines that are designed to work on video game consoles and personal computers...
that has been in development for several years and is the only project that is still actively maintained. The engine provides users with all the necessary tools they need to create their own game modes
Gameplay
Gameplay is the specific way in which players interact with a game, and in particular with video games. Gameplay is the pattern defined through the game rules, connection between player and the game, challenges and overcoming them, plot and player's connection with it...
and maps
Level (video gaming)
A level, map, area, or world in a video game is the total space available to the player during the course of completing a discrete objective...
by exposing a large part of the original game functionality through a Lua scripting machine.
The initial version of the software was dubbed "Race" and unveiled on Sunday 22 January 2006, when the first playable content was released. This version featured a networked vehicle racing game mode
Racing game
A racing video game is a genre of video games, either in the first-person or third-person perspective, in which the player partakes in a racing competition with any type of land, air, or sea vehicles. They may be based on anything from real-world racing leagues to entirely fantastical settings...
and a map editor that allowed users to create custom environments and races. The advanced nature of the engine's early incarnation allowed the developers to develop a sophisticated integrated WYSIWYG
WYSIWYG
WYSIWYG is an acronym for What You See Is What You Get. The term is used in computing to describe a system in which content displayed onscreen during editing appears in a form closely corresponding to its appearance when printed or displayed as a finished product...
editor for adding gameplay elements such as checkpoints, spawn points
Spawning (computer gaming)
In video games, spawning is the live creation of a character or item. Respawning is the recreation of an entity after its death or destruction....
, power-up
Power-up
In computer and video games, power-ups are objects that instantly benefit or add extra abilities to the game character as a game mechanic. This is in contrast to an item, which may or may not have a benefit and can be used at a time chosen by the player...
s and various objects ranging from ramps to exploding barrels.
The successor release, dubbed "Deathmatch", was designed to improve upon "Race" by providing minimal sandbox style gameplay that could be extended by users and developers. The production on this release started shortly after the initial release, but stagnated due to what is seen as a lack of focus by the development team. As many new features were being introduced, the continuous introduction of these features delayed a stable and final version of the modification. Instead, several on-line facilities were introduced during the development phase to allow visitors to track the development process of the software as changes were made to the code repository, illustrating any notable updates to the progress of the modification.
The first "Deathmatch" successor was introduced as a fully playable version on the 2nd of January 2008 and tagged as "Developer Preview" to promote the third-party development of custom gameplay content and utilities. This version was followed by a second "Developer Preview" that introduced several new features and fixes and was subsequently followed by a period of major code restructuring that led to the open source relaunch on Friday, 21 November 2008 under the GPLv3 License.
On Saturday, 22 August, Multi Theft Auto: San Andreas v1.0 was officially distributed as the first open source release. This release abandoned the now obsolete "Deathmatch" tag in the product name to emphasize on the versatility of the software. Gameplay functionality is solely provided by the scripting language, so users can choose or develop their own combination of scripts and other contents to customize and host their own type of game.
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 deliveryContent delivery
Content delivery describes the delivery of media content such as audio, video, computer software and video games over a delivery medium such as broadcasting or the Internet.Content delivery has two parts:...
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 the Lua scripting language 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
Scripting language
A scripting language, script language, or extension language is a programming language that allows control of one or more applications. "Scripts" are distinct from the core code of the application, as they are usually written in a different language and are often created or at least modified by the...
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
Package management system
In software, a package management system, also called package manager, is a collection of software tools to automate the process of installing, upgrading, configuring, and removing software packages for a computer's operating system in a consistent manner...
that packs all script files, custom content (e.g. image
Image
An image is an artifact, for example a two-dimensional picture, that has a similar appearance to some subject—usually a physical object or a person.-Characteristics:...
s, 3D models
3D modeling
In 3D computer graphics, 3D modeling is the process of developing a mathematical representation of any three-dimensional surface of object via specialized software. The product is called a 3D model...
, textures
Texture mapping
Texture mapping is a method for adding detail, surface texture , or color to a computer-generated graphic or 3D model. Its application to 3D graphics was pioneered by Dr Edwin Catmull in his Ph.D. thesis of 1974.-Texture mapping:...
and collision files
Collision detection
Collision detection typically refers to the computational problem of detecting the intersection of two or more objects. While the topic is most often associated with its use in video games and other physical simulations, it also has applications in robotics...
) and metadata
Metadata
The term metadata is an ambiguous term which is used for two fundamentally different concepts . Although the expression "data about data" is often used, it does not apply to both in the same way. Structural metadata, the design and specification of data structures, cannot be about data, because at...
files inside a single archive
Archive file
An archive file is a file that is composed of one or more files along with metadata that can include source volume and medium information, file directory structure, error detection and recovery information, file comments, and usually employs some form of lossless compression. Archive files may be...
or directory. Specific content can then be marked to be uploaded to every connected player, to enable client-side
Client-side
Client-side refers to operations that are performed by the client in a client–server relationship in a computer network.Typically, a client is a computer application, such as a web browser, that runs on a user's local computer or workstation and connects to a server as necessary...
execution of Lua code. This system allows for package dependency and inheritance of functions between different packages, easy management and distribution.
Feature summary
- 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.
- Uses the freeware CEGUICEGUICrazy Eddie's GUI system is a graphical user interface C++ library. It is designed particularly for the needs of videogames, but the library is usable for non-game tasks...
system, replacing the original Grand Theft Auto GUI, allowing Multi Theft Auto to draw its own widgetsWidget (computing)In computer programming, a widget is an element of a graphical user interface that displays an information arrangement changeable by the user, such as a window or a text box. The defining characteristic of a widget is to provide a single interaction point for the direct manipulation of a given...
for any in-game user interaction such as the server-browser and allows scripting from any third-party resource. - A versatile set of scripting functions. By building upon Grand Theft Auto's own class-based designClass (computer science)In object-oriented programming, a class is a construct that is used as a blueprint to create instances of itself – referred to as class instances, class objects, instance objects or simply objects. A class defines constituent members which enable these class instances to have state and behavior...
, 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 by means of the Lua scripting language: native elementsEntityAn entity is something that has a distinct, separate existence, although it need not be a material existence. In particular, abstractions and legal fictions are usually regarded as entities. In general, there is also no presumption that an entity is animate.An entity could be viewed as a set...
such as animations, explosions, particles, skins, weapons, vehicles, objects and players, as well as new elements such as custom 3D models are controllable.
Gameplay
Deathmatch and race gameplay options are available. Some gameplay elements include checkpoints, spawn points, power-ups, weapons and various objects ranging from ramps to exploding barrels. Many online servers contain custom gamemodes which use the scripting engine supplied with Multi Theft Auto.See also
- Grand Theft AutoGrand Theft Auto (series)Grand Theft Auto is a multi-award-winning British video game series created in the United Kingdom by Dave Jones, then later by brothers Dan Houser and Sam Houser, and game designer Zachary Clarke. It is primarily developed by Edinburgh based Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games...
- Multiplayer gameMultiplayer gameA multiplayer video game is one which more than one person can play in the same game environment at the same time. Unlike most other games, computer and video games are often single-player activities that put the player against preprogrammed challenges and/or AI-controlled opponents, which often...
- Lua Scripting
- Third-person shooterThird-person shooterThird-person shooter is a genre of 3D action games in which the player character is visible on-screen, and the gameplay consists primarily of shooting.-Definition:...
External links
- Official Multi Theft Auto website
- Multi Theft Auto wiki a documentation wiki for Multi Theft Auto
- Multi Theft Auto source code repository on Google CodeGoogle CodeGoogle Code is Google's site for developer tools, APIs and technical resources. The site contains documentation on using Google developer tools and APIs—including discussion groups and blogs for developers using Google's developer products....
- Multi Theft Auto community website for downloading user-created gameplay content
- Multi Theft Auto nightly releases for the latest development buildsNeutral buildIn software development, a neutral build is a build that reflects the current state of the source code checked into the source code version control system by the developers and done in a neutral environment, that is in an environment not used for development....