Socket-server General Information

[jobemjobem]

Hi guys,

I noticed a couple of big threads regarding ElectroServer and/or just socket-servers in general. There were some people asking basic questions that didn't seem to get answered so I thought I'd post some really basic general info here. By the way, if anyone ever sees another ElectroServer thread where there are big questions then let me (jobe@electrotank.com) know since we at Electrotank developed it, we'll answer.

What is a socket-server?
A socket-server is a piece of software. Its an application that runs from a physical server. It does *not* sit in a cgi-bin. It is not similar to an ASP or PHP script. It is actually a program that must be started. That program will continue to run until it is instructed not to. It runs on the server sitting and waiting for individual users (client machines) to connect to it. In our case, people connect to it through a Flash chat or game. The server is smart enough to know all of the people that are connected to it and to route information to the correct people. When a person closes the Flash piece that is connected to the server the server knows that the person is gone.

Can I run a socket-server on my normal web hosting account?
No. Chances are very great that your ISP would not let you run this software. To run it you must install it. You most likely do not have enough access to the server to install this software. Typically you need a dedicated server in order to be granted that level of access. But don't worry too much, read the next Q/A.

What hope is there for a person who can't afford a dedicated server?
Without a dedicated server you pretty much have 2 choices to get a socket-server running:
1.) run it from your personal PC. You can tell people your IP address and they can connect to your PC to play games. Not a good solution but can be ok for small traffic. This is how Electrotank got its start.
2.) Go through a company that has a hosting plan already set up for stuff like this. I posted this a while ago:
http://www.webgamehost.com/account_features.html
Looks like you can get an account with them for about $20/month. They host ElectroServer there. The 5 user version is already up there for free. If you want more users you license the next tier and they install it for you.

What are the most popular socket-servers (not necessarily in any order)?
a.) ElectroServer by Electrotank. Its powerful, built specifically for Flash games and chats. Has been used in the most successfull multiplayer Flash environment on the web. Its not expensive. There are plenty of free games to come with it. There is a book to learn from. There is a premade ActionScript objec that makes development easy. http://www.electrotank.com/ElectroServer
b.) Unity by Colin Moock. Its cheap. There are examples. It may not be very powerful though (can't remember). I am pretty sure that there are some premade ActionScript objects to help with development. http://www.moock.org/unity
c.) Fortress by Xadra(?). Its very powerful, maybe too powerfull. While I think that you can do almost anything you want with it, from what I have heard there is an enormous learning curve. If you are building a humungous system then this may be the best for you. This is probably the most expensive server. http://www.xadra.com
d.) FlashComm. Its easy to use. May be a bit slow. Can do some cool stuff (video, audio, SharedObjects). Not very cheap. This isn't a normal socket-server (doesn't send/receive XML) but works in a similar fashion with a proprietary protocol. www.macromedia.com

Where can I learn about multiplayer gaming?
I wrote book that is about 1/3 devoted to this subject. Macromedia Flash MX Game Design Demystified, http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...books&n=507846

[jobemjobem]

Another piece of general information:

You can run a socket-server on your PC to easily build and test chats and games. So you can completely develop stuff without having access to any server on the web. This should be true of any socket-server. When I am developing a new multiplayer game I do it completely locally here on my PC. When I'm done I change the IP to point to the Electrotank socket-server and it becomes part of the website.

[Matthew W]

An excellent book too! Really is something special, id suggest that if any of you haven’t bought it, buy it! Regardless of how good you think you might be, your sure to learn from this book.

[bigczech]

Matthew,
you have forgot about one:
Comm byKD - Its a fairly new server created specifically for flash 5 and newer. Comes with optimized actionscript code. Runs as service so that flashwers don't have to go throught the hassle of installing the comm server on their machine or hassle their host. Development is FREE, to go live is $19/month (plus hosting - optional)

The learning curve is moderate, it has built in mySQL database support, live server uses a dynamically inserted key for extra security, and it has a bunch of commands (XML tags) that make developing wide range of multiuser applications fast and easy. Link is: http://www.livepros.com/devCenter
Sample of a site that runs using Comm byKD is: http://www.flashkit.com/board/showth...ht=multiplayer

Dan