Photon Engine

In the current gaming landscape, multiplayer gaming reigns supreme. The appeal of solo gaming has been eclipsed by the thrilling prospect of connecting with friends for an exhilarating gaming tournament. Recognizing this trend, game developers have made multiplayer games a primary focus. Enter Photon game development, one of ServReality's premier solutions.

Realtime

Realtime aims to resolve issues with low-latency games. It's a cross-platform solution compatible with a variety of popular games today. Whether you're an individual developer or a large-scale gaming studio, Realtime lets you develop and launch different types of games globally. It comes with features like custom code webhooks and support for diverse gameplay types (both synchronous and asynchronous).

Pun

PUN is a highly valued package for multiplayer games. It offers critical components for high-speed servers, optimal rooms, and more, and it's compatible with all platforms supported by Unity. Available in both PUN free and PUN plus variants, the free package includes a variety of demos, reference documentation, and scripts. This gives you a fantastic opportunity to test it out.

PUN Plus offers all the features of PUN free, along with a user plan for the Cloud.

Several other Photon products also enjoy popularity. The choice depends on your team's specific needs and requirements. Quantum and Fusion are frequently selected for Photon mobile development. Rest assured, at ServReality, we're well equipped to handle it for you. Let's delve deeper.

Fusion

Let's start with Fusion. This is a networking library designed for Unity, offering a single API that supports diverse architectures like client-hosted, dedicated server, and shared authority.

Fusion is expertly crafted for seamless integration with Unity, but it doesn't stop there. It also offers additional features such as:

• Client-side prediction.
• Data compression.
• Lag compensation and more.

Fusion employs a robust tick and snapshot-based simulation system with integrated synchronization, facilitating smooth operations with various libraries, including Unity. It supports a cloud-based mode (where everyone can access objects) and several other configurations, such as

1. Player-as-host.
2. Client/Server setup.

Next, let's take a closer look at Quantum.

Quantum is an entity component system, specifically designed for multiplayer games built with Unity. The key here is the rollback/predictive approach, which is ideal for latency-sensitive games. The technology stack of Quantum is impressive, boasting:

• Stateless deterministic libraries: a full suite is provided.
• Easy integration with the Unity editor and use of various tools.
• A server-driven prediction/rollback modeling engine.
• A comprehensive API that ensures easy and direct access to information by pointers.

These are just a few advantages, but there are many more to explore. But what about the Photon server and cloud? We haven't touched on those yet!

PHOTON SERVER

Whether you're an individual developer or a seasoned studio, Photon Server is an excellent choice. This server game development app is widely recognized as one of the best solutions available and supports various platforms. It facilitates the creation of a wide variety of games with intriguing features. However, if you're inexperienced, it's advisable to entrust such tasks to professionals.

PHOTON CLOUD

The Photon Cloud serves as the connector between your computer and the server that runs your game. In simpler terms, it's your game's hosting service but at an affordable cost. The best part is that you get to configure the server settings yourself.

ROOM

Rooms are special spaces where players gather. You can set a limit to the number of players in a room and more. A list of available rooms can be found in the lobby. You can join a room of your choice, maybe to link up with friends, or choose a random one to test your skills.

LOBBY

In the lobby, room numbers are stored. A lobby isn't compulsory; you can connect to any room if you know its number.

ROOMS: HOW MANY PLAYERS ARE THERE?

Typically, a room accommodates anywhere from two to sixteen players. But that's just a general trend; some rooms can host much larger numbers. Rooms with 30-70 players aren't uncommon, and some can even accommodate hundreds of users.

The possibilities might seem limitless, but there is indeed a limit on the number of messages one can send per second. Excessive messaging can lead to performance issues. Fast-paced games should avoid too many players as it may require additional measures. Turn-based games, on the other hand, work well with a higher number of players.