WarGames Chat Terminal

Retro-styled NORAD terminal that marries a socket-based group chat with tongue-in-cheek WOPR game simulations. Clients connect through a CRT-inspired UI, exchange messages in real time, watch fellow operatives light up a world map, and drop into mini games (including a cinematic GLOBAL THERMONUCLEAR WAR sequence) without ever leaving the terminal prompt.

Features

• Global chat with presence – Socket.IO keeps everyone synced, announces link activity, and auto-assigns USER-XXXX call signs.
• Geo-visualization – Each client is geolocated through ipapi.co, plotted as a pulsing Leaflet marker, and summarized in the ACTIVE LINKS counter.
• In-terminal command palette – Slash commands control the experience: bootstrapping, listing scenarios, toggling DEFCON levels, and entering games.
• Scenario loader – Each game lives in /comps/<scenario>/game.js as an ES module that plugs into shared helpers (board renderer, card formatting, missile animations, etc.).
• Mini games – Tic-Tac-Toe (with selectable AI), Chess, Checkers, Blackjack, Solitaire/Klondike, and the fully animated GLOBAL THERMONUCLEAR WAR sequence.
• Missile simulation – GTW uses arced Leaflet polylines, radar overlay, and DEFCON theming for an immersive launch/retaliation visualization.

Tech Stack

• Node + Express serves the static front-end, hosts the Socket.IO server, and proxies module bundles.
• Socket.IO powers bi-directional chat/state updates.
• Axios fetches IP geodata from https://ipapi.co/<ip>/json/.
• Leaflet renders the map, markers, and missile animations in the browser.
• Vanilla JS modules implement the terminal client and the self-contained game engines.

Requirements

• Node.js 18+ (Socket.IO v4 expects a current Node runtime).
• npm 9+ (matches the generated package-lock.json format).
• Internet access for:
  • ipapi.co geolocation lookups (falls back to UNKNOWN on failure).
  • Unpkg-hosted Leaflet CSS/JS.
  • Carto dark tile layer.

Quick Start

git clone <repo>
cd wargames
npm install
npm start

The server binds to http://0.0.0.0:4000. Visit that URL from a browser; additional devices on your LAN can join if the port is exposed.

Development Tips

• The server auto-serves /public/index.html plus the /comps directory, so rebuilding is only needed when you edit source files.
• Restart npm start after changing server.js; front-end changes hot-reload via the browser.
• When developing offline, stub the lookupGeo helper in server.js to avoid external HTTP calls.

Using the Terminal

Once the UI boots, type commands or chat messages directly into the prompt.

Slash Commands

Command	Description
/help	List all supported commands.
/chat	Re-enter broadcast chat mode after using commands/games.
/games	Show every scenario the WOPR can launch.
/settings	Placeholder for future terminal customization hooks.
/defcon <1-5>	Change the simulated DEFCON (affects theme + map tint).
/launch <name>	Load a scenario (aliases like /launch tic are supported).

Messages that do not start with / are broadcast to all connected users as chat.

Scenario Catalog

Scenario	Path	Highlights
Tic-Tac-Toe	comps/ttt/game.js	ASCII grid, easy/hard AI via minimax, PLAY/EXIT controls.
Chess	comps/chess/game.js	Board rendered through createBoardElement, optional AI, SAN-like move inputs (e.g., E2 E4).
Checkers	comps/checkers/game.js	Basic draughts with jump logic and move prompts.
Blackjack	comps/blackjack/game.js	Multi-hand shoe, card rendering helpers, commands such as HIT, STAND, DOUBLE.
Solitaire	comps/solitare/game.js	Klondike rules, tableau/foundation commands (MOVE T1 T3, MOVE WASTE FHEART), auto-complete once stock/tableau are clear.
Global Thermonuclear War	comps/gtw/game.js	Narrative sequence: confirm participation, choose USA/USSR, lock a target or random pick, then watch missile volleys with DEFCON drop and concluding lesson.

Each module exports createGame(context) and consumes shared helpers like appendLine, createBoardElement, animateMissilePath, or exitToTerminal. Use exitToTerminal() within a scenario to hand control back to the main CLI.

Project Structure

wargames/
├── public/               # Static assets (index.html with terminal UI)
├── comps/                # Scenario modules, ES modules fetched on demand
│   ├── blackjack/
│   ├── chess/
│   ├── checkers/
│   ├── gtw/
│   ├── solitare/
│   └── ttt/
├── server.js             # Express + Socket.IO server, IP geolocation helper
├── package.json
├── package-lock.json
└── node_modules/

Configuration & Customization

• Port – Update PORT in server.js if you need something other than 4000.
• Geolocation – lookupGeo() currently calls ipapi.co anonymously. Swap in an API key or different provider as needed; local/private IPs already map to a DEV ENV placeholder.
• Static assets – Additional terminal panels or sounds can live in public/. Reference them from index.html.
• Scenarios – Add new folders under comps/, export createGame(context), and add the loader to the gameLoaders, gameLabels, and scenarioAliases dictionaries in public/index.html.

Testing & Troubleshooting

• There is no formal test suite (npm test exits by design). Exercise features manually via the browser.
• Use multiple browser windows or devices to validate chat presence, map marker syncing, and missile visualizations.
• If Leaflet tiles or ipapi calls fail (e.g., offline development), the client gracefully falls back to blank tiles and UNKNOWN locations; check the browser console for network warnings.

Credits & Inspiration

This interface pays homage to the WarGames (1983) depiction of NORAD terminals and the WOPR. All cities, missile arcs, and messages are purely illustrative; keep it fun and fictional.