How will the game search for other online users and display a list of all users?

Question

I ask this question as a small part of my series of questions on game programming.

Submit this question as the main one.

Now suppose I want to develop a small board game on an iphone that is multi-player. since it will handle the number of users on the network and their display.

Suppose this is an online game in a multiplayer casino.

Then suppose that it should currently display tables and users on them.

So what can we do on iphone for this kind of thing.

Thanks.

Answer 1

Basically you ask what is called "matchmaking" in PC and console games.

The concept of displaying all online players or active matches is an early one in online multiplayer games, and I think he saw his time. Instead, try offering your players two options: Play with your friends or play against people of your skill level.

By showing someone a complete list of tens / hundreds or even thousands of games / players is just about to crush them. People are much more comfortable knowing that they play against people they know (and do not trust unsportsmanlike), or at least they play against someone of a comparable skill level. These 2 concepts are often called “friendships” (or friends lists) and “automatch” or skill-based weddings.

Unfortunately, from what I saw in the GameKit Framework , none of them are fully supported, at least until playing in non-LAN connections. You will either have to develop it yourself (and very few iPhone developers will have the resources to create and host it), or see if someone likes OpenFeint , ngmoco ( plusplus ), Chillingo ( Crystal ), etc. fit your needs. OpenFeint seems to be talking about matchmaking on its site, as well as the pros and cons in the plus. The OpenFeint registration process is the easiest and you immediately get access to your development SDK without prior approval.

Now here is one last thing to keep in mind: in small games there will be no player base in order to have enough simultaneous players so that everyone always finds the right match at any time of the day / week. Unless you have the encouragement and support of a publisher, or a tear-off blow, choosing a solution based on automatch is not the best choice and should not be your only way of dating. Ideally, your game should provide some step-by-step form of the game, so you can play asynchronously. This model did a great job for games like Words With Friends.

Answer 2

You need a server, you have the opportunity to bind it to get binding to a partner. This is a search related challenge (google to find out more).

I think there are OpenSource solutions for this (or at least the framework). But I do not know them. I know, however, exit the Neutron and Photon games and I think there are free licenses for private / educational use.