Feature request: local 'multiplayer'

[EndeavourAccuracy]

This is a feature request.

Per the (experimental) "PoP1 Legacy Multiplayer Standard", Prince of Persia's LEVELS.DAT file may contain multiplayer information.

Multiple players can already be added to LEVELS.DAT with level editor apoplexy:

At some point, level editor RoomShaker may support this too.
Quoting from here: "I'll look into adding it into RoomShaker as a dialog to set the bytes."

A good starting place for multiplayer is to implement local 'multiplayer' - as in, non-networked. Command-line options P1 through P8, as specified by the user (player), could change the starting location of the in-game kid (prince). Then, while playing, keyboard keys 1 though 8 could allow the user to switch between kids. Implementation of such local 'multiplayer' would allow modders to create new kind of mods, e.g. where levels can be finished from 2+ starting locations. More advanced mods will be possible if inactive kids still impact gameplay, such as if they can keep raise buttons down.

Of course, another advantage of having local 'multiplayer' is that it should make it easier to implement networked multiplayer... one day.