Battleship Multiplayer

📚 Technical Documentation: View Javadoc Online

A Java-based multiplayer implementation of the classic Battleship game. This project features a robust Client-Server architecture using Java Sockets for real-time communication and Java Swing for a responsive graphical user interface.

🚀 Features

• Real-time Multiplayer: Play against another player over a network using TCP Sockets.
• Intuitive UI: Fully functional graphical interface built with Java Swing.
• Automated Placement Logic: Smart validation for ship placement, preventing overlaps or out-of-bounds errors.
• Turn-based Synchronization: Server-side logic manages player turns and game state synchronization.
• Modern Java Features: Utilizes Java Records for clean data modeling.

📂 Project Structure

src/com/alessiocascini/battleship/
├── client/
│   ├── event/   # ActionListeners & UI Handlers
│   ├── model/   # Data Records (Ship, Cell, ShipInfo)
│   └── ui/      # Swing Interfaces (PlacementUI, GameUI)
└── server/
    └── Server.java  # Game logic & Socket management

🛠️ Technical Stack

• Language: Java (JDK 17+).
• Networking: Java Sockets (TCP) for reliable data transmission.
• Concurrency: Multithreading to handle simultaneous client connections.
• GUI Framework: Java Swing / AWT.

🔌 Communication Protocol

The server is client-agnostic and uses Java Object Serialization over TCP. Any client can connect if it follows this sequence:

1. Identification: Send boolean (isFirstPlayer). Receive boolean (isYourTurn).
2. First Turn Sync: (Only for Player 2) Receive int[] (opponent move) and int[][] (result).
3. Game Loop:
   • Send int[] (your move coordinates {row, col}).
   • Receive int[][] (the move result).
   • Receive int[] (opponent's move) and int[][] (opponent's result).

🚦 Getting Started

Prerequisites

• Java Development Kit (JDK) 17 or higher.

Running the Game

1. Start the Server: Run Server.java.
2. Start the Clients: Run PlacementUI.java twice (once for each player).
3. Setup: Place all ships on the grid and click Confirm.
4. Play: Once both players are connected, the game starts automatically.

Note on Networking: By default, the client connects to localhost. To play across different networks, ensure the server's IP is correctly set in the client code and that port 5000 is open on the host's router.

🎮 Game Legend

Status	Color	Description
🌊 Water	Blue	Your shot missed the target.
🔥 Hit	Red	You successfully hit an opponent's ship.
💀 Sunk	Black	The entire ship has been destroyed.
🚢 Ship	Gray	Your own ship's position.

🔮 Future Improvements

• UI/UX Overhaul: Replacing Swing components with custom graphics and animations.
• Network Optimization: Exploring UDP for faster state updates.
• Code Refactoring: Moving the model records into a shared library to be used by both Client and Server.
• Media: Adding gameplay videos and screenshots once assets are implemented.

📦 Use as a Dependency

You can import the game models into your own Java project via GitHub Packages.

<dependencies>
    <dependency>
        <groupId>com.alessiocascini</groupId>
        <artifactId>battleship-multiplayer</artifactId>
        <version>1.0.0</version>
    </dependency>
</dependencies>

📄 License

This project is licensed under the MIT License. See the LICENSE file for more details.