HoboQuest

A persistent browser MMORPG built on a custom-engineered isomorphic game engine — no Unity, no Godot, no game framework. Everything from the physics and collision system to the multiplayer protocol was written from scratch.

Custom isomorphic compile pipeline. All game logic lives in a single shared.js file containing conditional compilation blocks (/*IF_SERVER*/.../*IF_END*/). A custom compiler.js transforms it into server.js and public/client.js — the same physics, entity, and world state logic runs on both sides, preventing desyncs by design. MD5 change detection skips unnecessary recompiles.

Source Engine-style lag compensation. Real-time multiplayer uses client-side prediction with server reconciliation — the same methodology used in Counter-Strike and Valve’s Source Engine. Movement and combat feel instant for the player while the server remains authoritative over all state.

Multi-instance server architecture. A server-master.js orchestrator spawns four independent game-server processes (ports 9000–9003), each running a different map with its own ruleset:

• Default world — PvP enabled, player building enabled
• Central city — social hub with vendors; PvP disabled
• Farm island — resource farming; PvP enabled, building disabled
• Ship minigame — dedicated activity instance

Canvas 2D rendering engine. Built a custom Canvas 2D rendering layer (lib/c2d.js) with a full 2D separating-axis theorem (SAT) collision detection system, polygon/circle collision, voronoi region edge detection, and frame-accurate hit resolution — no third-party physics library.

Open-world survival systems. Tile-based 512×512 open world with:

• Building: place and upgrade walls, doors, beds, tool cupboards, campfires, barbed wire
• Combat: melee knockback, ranged pistol, arrows with ballistic gravity arc, NPC aggro with patrol/attack telegraph/hit flash
• Skills: Woodcutting, Mining, Herbology, Attack, and more — persistent per player
• Economy: inventory, crafting recipes, equipment slots, bank system, bus system for zone travel

In-game casino. Scratch card and slot machine minigames with a credit balance system, SoundManager 2 audio integration, and server-validated game state.

Cross-platform input. Mobile touch controls overlay (tap/joystick buttons) with runtime touch detection, plus gamepad detection with a controller configuration UI. Desktop WASD + mouse.

Integrated with HoboStreamer. The game is embedded live in the streaming platform — viewers watch and play simultaneously, with chat bridged between the game and the stream.

The collaborative pixel canvas is a separate 512×512 real-time art board for territory battles and group art, also accessible from hobo.quest.