Project Documentation: Distributed Tic-Tac-Toe System

1. Project Overview

This project is a Distributed Tic-Tac-Toe System developed in Java. It allows multiple players to connect and play the game in real time while communicating through a built-in chat feature. The system is designed with a client-server architecture, where the server manages player connections and game logic, while the clients provide a graphical user interface (GUI) for interaction.

The implementation supports either Java Sockets or Remote Method Invocation (RMI) for network communication.

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2. System Components

• Client (client.jar):

  • Provides a GUI for players to interact with the game.
  • Displays the Tic-Tac-Toe board and updates the game state in real-time.
  • Allows players to send chat messages to their opponent.
  • Handles user inputs, including making moves and quitting the game.

• Server (server.jar):

  • Manages all connected clients and assigns matches.
  • Updates game states and sends them to players after every move.
  • Determines game results (win, draw, or loss) and notifies clients.
  • Handles player disconnections and game session management.

• Log Files (client_log.txt & server_log.txt):

  • Store runtime logs for debugging and tracking system events.

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3. How to Run the System

Prerequisites

• Install Java 8+.
• Ensure the required JAR files (server.jar and client.jar) are in the same directory.

Step 1: Start the Server

Run the following command in the terminal or command prompt:

java -jar server.jar <ip_address> <port>

Example:

java -jar server.jar 127.0.0.1 5000

This will start the server on the specified IP and port.

Step 2: Start the Clients

Each player should run the client application using:

java -jar client.jar <username> <server_ip> <server_port>

Example:

java -jar client.jar player1 127.0.0.1 5000
java -jar client.jar player2 127.0.0.1 5000

• username: Unique name for the player.
• server_ip: The IP address where the server is running.
• server_port: The port number the server is listening on.

Step 3: Play the Game

• Once two players are connected, the game will begin.
• Players take turns making moves by clicking on the GUI board.
• The game will continue until a player wins or the match ends in a draw.
• Players can communicate through the chat window on the side.

Step 4: Ending the Game

• A message will be displayed when the game concludes.
• Players can choose to find a new match or exit the game using the quit option.

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4. Additional Features

• Timeout System: If a player does not make a move within 20 seconds, a random move is made automatically.
• Fault Tolerance: If a client crashes, the game pauses for 30 seconds, allowing a reconnection before declaring a draw.
• Ranking System: Players gain or lose points based on their performance, affecting their ranking.