Multiplayer Games: Pitfalls and Solutions

Multiplayer gaming has become increasingly popular in recent years due to several reasons. Firstly, it allows players to interact and compete with other players worldwide, creating a sense of community and social interaction that is not present in single-player games. Secondly, multiplayer games provide an ongoing challenge that is not present in single-player games, as players compete against other human players who are unpredictable and constantly evolving their skills.

The multiplayer gaming experience differs from the single-player one in several ways. In a single-player game, the player typically plays against the game's AI, which is programmed to follow a set of rules and patterns. In contrast, multiplayer games allow players to compete against other human players, who can adopt unique strategies and tactics that AI cannot replicate. Multiplayer games also provide a more dynamic and ever-changing experience. Unlike a single-player game, which usually follows a set storyline or campaign, each match is different and unpredictable. Finally, multiplayer games offer a more social experience, as players can chat and interact with other players, forming friendships and communities that can last beyond the game itself.

To overcome a multiplayer game's challenges, game developers need to plan and execute their development processes carefully, utilizing best practices and seeking expert guidance when necessary.

Developing a multiplayer game poses the challenge of balancing the distribution of business logic between the client and server backend to ensure optimal client performance and minimize cheating. The game developers must carefully consider which game logic should be handled by the client and which by the server. Implementing measures such as server-side validation and periodic integrity checks can help prevent cheating.

Ensuring a seamless multiplayer experience is another challenge in game development, as it is fundamental to retaining players and ensuring long-term success. A strong net code is a key component of achieving this, as it must be capable of handling the demands of a multiplayer environment. To achieve a smooth and enjoyable experience for players, the net code must be fast and reliable, with minimal latency.

What brings you to a connected moment – the required hardware load. In order to support multiple players, a game requires servers that can manage numerous connections simultaneously, and the hardware must be scalable as the number of players grows. To make the game accessible from anywhere worldwide, expertise with cloud platforms such as AWS is essential. Such platforms enable quick and easy scalability, ensuring seamless game access for players worldwide.

A profound comprehension of how the logic is written is crucial in multiplayer game development to ensure the optimal usage of servers. Insufficient experience in this area may lead to suboptimal server utilization, resulting in unnecessary cost escalation, regardless of whether one opts for premium services such as AWS or more economical alternatives.

Understanding your game's goals is crucial when planning multiplayer development. A casual game with a small player count requires a different multiplayer solution than a competitive game with thousands of players worldwide.

Using pre-built, out-of-the-box solutions can benefit initial multiplayer tasks such as integrating basic functionality or creating a simple game. These solutions provide pre-made tools and code to aid a quick start. However, customizing these solutions to fulfill specific game requirements is frequently required. It can be costly and time-consuming, especially when dealing with challenging-to-modify legacy code.

Moreover, it is important to note that pre-built solutions may fall short of meeting the specific demands of your project. The functionality offered by such tools may not align with your game mechanics or may not provide adequate scalability for extensive projects. These shortcomings can potentially compromise the overall quality of your game and impact the overall player experience.

Custom development, on the other hand, offers game developers the utmost flexibility and control in multiplayer game development. It allows them to create a tailored solution that caters to the specific requirements of their project. In some instances, a custom solution may be the only feasible option for games with intricate mechanics or large-scale projects. This approach provides a solid foundation for multiplayer gameplay, which can be optimized for scalability and performance. With custom development, game developers can guarantee that their multiplayer experience is not restricted by pre-built tools or code, delivering a distinctive and immersive experience to their players.

While custom development may entail a greater initial investment of time and resources, it can result in time and cost savings in the long run. A custom solution can be planned and built with future updates and expansion in mind, making it adaptable to the changing needs of your game.

There is no universal solution for multiplayer gaming. Pre-built solutions can suffice for simple games or adding multiplayer to an existing game. But custom solutions are often superior for larger-scale or complex games. Knowing your game's goals is vital to determine the optimal approach to multiplayer development.

With a multitude of options available, game developers need to choose a server that provides the necessary performance, reliability, and scalability to meet the needs of their players without breaking the bank.

Microsoft's Azure and AWS

Microsoft's Azure and Amazon Web Services (AWS) dominate the server market. Although they provide excellent performance and reliability, they can be costly, especially for small-scale multiplayer games. Nonetheless, some less popular alternatives offer a more budget-friendly option.

Game developers should consider their budget, game mechanics, and the number of concurrent players when selecting a server for multiplayer games, as these factors impact the server's running costs.

Azure is a suitable option for game developers familiar with the Microsoft ecosystem, offering a range of tools and services to deploy, scale, and manage online multiplayer games. However, its pay-as-you-go pricing model can make it expensive for smaller game studios.

AWS another comparable option that provides similar functionalities to Azure. Nonetheless, AWS is generally considered more complex to configure and maintain, making it a more suitable choice for larger studios with sufficient infrastructure deployment and management resources.

Alternatives

For smaller studios, there are several lesser-known alternatives to consider, such as Digital Ocean and Vultr. These cloud hosting providers offer scalable and affordable solutions for hosting game servers. They provide virtual private servers (VPS) that can be customized to meet the requirements of the game, including CPU, RAM, storage, and bandwidth.

Both providers offer easy-to-use interfaces and APIs for managing and scaling the infrastructure, as well as a variety of pre-built images and templates for deploying game servers quickly. Additionally, they offer competitive pricing that is suitable for small to medium-sized game studios.

Out of the other providers, Alibaba Cloud and Oracle Corporation would be suitable for multiplayer game development due to their extensive cloud computing services and infrastructure. Both companies offer scalable solutions with high-performance capabilities, which are crucial for hosting and managing multiplayer games requiring many concurrent players. Additionally, Alibaba Cloud and Oracle Corporation have experience working with game developers and offer services specifically designed for gaming, such as game hosting and management tools.

When choosing a server, game developers need to consider the game mechanics required. Functions such as physics calculations and collisions require high CPU power, whereas rendering and streaming audio require high GPU power. To optimize server costs, game developers must determine which functions to run on the client side and which to run on the server side, striking a balance between server and client-side processing.

Relevant Experience

Developing a successful multiplayer game is a challenging task that demands expertise and experience, along with an aptitude for adapting to evolving technologies and user preferences. Therefore, having a team of skilled professionals with relevant experience is essential for creating a successful multiplayer game.

It is important to remember that a successful multiplayer game requires a distinct skill set different from creating a single-player game. Multiplayer games are more intricate and demand expertise in network programming, server infrastructure, and real-time synchronization. As a result, developers who have only worked on single-player games may lack the necessary skills to develop a successful multiplayer game.

Additionally, veteran multiplayer game developers are likely to be acquainted with the most recent tools and technologies in the industry, allowing them to design innovative and functional games. They can also assist in ensuring that the game is optimized for various platforms and devices, including mobile, PC, and consoles.

In the end, hiring experienced multiplayer game developers can guarantee the triumph of your project and make your game stand out in a competitive market. Therefore, it is crucial to find dependable outsourcing studios with a proven track record to transform your ideas into reality.

Multiplayer games are significantly more complex than single-player games, requiring network programming, server infrastructure, and real-time synchronization knowledge. Game developers must ensure that the game provides players with a seamless experience regardless of location or internet connection. They also need to balance gameplay and prevent cheating, which requires experience in cloud service operations.

Given the complexity of multiplayer game development, outsourcing the development process to an experienced studio can be a winning solution. Outsourcing allows game developers to focus on their core competencies while leaving the complex and challenging multiplayer game development process to experts.

In conclusion, the popularity of multiplayer games is growing, and the development process requires vast experience in game development and cloud services operations. By outsourcing the development process to an experienced studio, game developers can ensure the success of their projects and provide players with an outstanding gaming experience.

At Argentics, we excel at designing and developing multiplayer games that offer players an uninterrupted experience, regardless of their location or internet connection. With our technical knowledge and expertise, we can ensure optimized performance, fair gameplay, and effective anti-cheating measures.

Choose Argentics as your trusted partner for developing your next multiplayer game. We're committed to providing you with the experience, skills, and dedication necessary to bring your vision to life. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation with our experts and start your journey toward creating a great game.