RK Tactical multiplayer is up, and testers are needed

The RK Tactical Panel, the Companion and the multiplayer relay were all created by =rk=. He asked me to host it, and while I was doing that I decided to help out as well. I got the project onto GitHub, set the server up in on the same Kubernetes cluster that runs Hangar Addons, and built a simple server browser and a set of improvements on top of what he made. All credit for the idea and the original work goes to =rk=.

What is this?

The RK Tactical Panel adds tactical flying to Microsoft Flight Simulator. It gives your aircraft simulated weapons such as AIM-120 and AIM-9 missiles, guns, chaff and flares, plus missile warnings and a contact page showing nearby aircraft. Until now all of that stayed in your own simulator.

The RK Tactical Relay is what makes it multiplayer. It's a small server that sits in the middle and passes information between pilots: where everyone is, and what weapons and countermeasures they're using. When another pilot fires at you, your simulator gets the warning, and if it hits, your aircraft takes the damage. Everyone connected shares one worldwide room and sees each other as contacts.

Three pieces work together:

• The RK Tactical Panel (rk-tactical-panel-24-2.1.0.zip) runs inside MSFS, in the cockpit.
• The RK Tactical Companion (RKTacticalCompanion-1.5.3.zip) is a small Windows app that runs next to the simulator. It plays the missile warning sounds and connects your panel to the relay.
• The RK Tactical Relay is the server at rk.hangaraddons.com that connects all the Companions together.

You still need the panel and the Companion. The relay is the new part, and it's open to everyone.

Watch it live

Open rk.hangaraddons.com to see the server browser. It shows who is flying, where they are on a map, their aircraft, altitude and speed, and a log of recent flights. Positions are rounded to about a kilometre and only show while someone's Companion is connected.

How to join

1. Download the RK Tactical Companion 1.5.3 from the addon page.
2. Extract it somewhere you can write to, like your Documents. The server address is already filled in.
3. Start MSFS, load a flight with the RK Tactical Panel, then run RKTacticalCompanion.exe and leave it open while you fly. It asks for the name other pilots will see the first time.

The Companion works with MSFS 2020 and 2024.

What I added

• A server browser at rk.hangaraddons.com, with a live map and a log of recent flights.
• Unique pilot names. If someone is already using yours, you get a number added, like Maverick 2.
• The Companion can run on a different PC from MSFS, so you can take the load off your sim machine. The setup is in the readme in the download.
• Support for teams, including who can fight who and team tracking.
• Faster combat, because launches now leave the Companion within milliseconds.
• Automatic reconnects if the server restarts or your connection drops.
• An encrypted address, wss://rk.hangaraddons.com/ws, for networks that block the default port.
• The server runs as two copies inside the Hangar Addons cluster, so updates don't drop everyone.

Source code

The relay and the Companion are on GitHub, in case you want to look at how it works or help out: github.com: RK Tactical Relay

Things to know

This is an early release. The Companion isn't code signed yet, so Windows SmartScreen will warn you. Choose More info, then Run anyway. Pilots aren't authenticated yet, so treat the room as casual and public. I'd like to possibly in the future tie it to Hangar Addons accounts or SSO accounts such as discord, steam, etc.

If something breaks, tell me in the forum thread. I want to hear about it. 🔧