When developing a game, how easy is it to start working on networking a game after the basic game is complete and is it easier to do this or encorporate networking into the game as you go? Im talking about somthing like a puzzle game. In this case, when I say networking I mean computer to computer gameplay.

As a general rule you''re better off starting with networking from the beginning.

My current project started off without networking up until the basic user interface was completed. Then the Winsock class was plugged in and things started getting moved server side.

I tend to add features purely client side (for instance the particle system) just for testing, then a plain text test command is added server side and client side only control is gone and finally a byte code message is implemented and tied into the game logic and the plain text test command is cut out if needed.

Ben


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KalvinB - (to Jessika) do you accept Jesus as your lord and savior

Jessika - Sure I can accept all forms of payment.

When I implament networking into my engine it''ll be later in the development. I think that it would be easier on me if I did since most of the stuff I''m doing now is going to be client side (display the stuff) and the networking will be there to tell it to and how to display that set stuff. And that will be very easy to do sence I''ll just have to set up a send class and edit the base class of all classes to have retrive. Then each child class will implament what they will do with that set information.

I should have talked less, but Meh.

~Ajarn

I''m going to agree with KalvinB here. For anyone that has written a game or a prototype for a game if they didn''t start with the network code in mind from the begining it was hell once they got to that point.

If your game is going to have Multiplayer or even peer to peer Networking - Networking must be planned and at the very least stubbed into a game at a very early stage.

Dave "Dak Lozar" Loeser

i want to be able to do networking, but to me it all looks to weird. i downloaded some tutors from gametutorials.com and im half way through them

btw nefound ajarn. would i be able to get a copy of that engine wen ur dun

well thanx for all the advice, it has had a critical effect on me and im going to begin talking with my programmer about integrating whatever is needed sooner instead of later.