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I have done my research, but I am having a hard time understanding why someone would want to use these types of servers (Photon, SmartFox, etc.) for game programming, when they are already provided with things like the .Net framework.

It seems to escape my understanding as to the benefits of using one of these expensive servers over rolling your own. Isn't most of the work in coding the game networking going to be something you have to do either way?

I want to create a multiplayer Server/Client game, but I have heard from professionals here on StackOverflow that something like Photon is not worth paying for because he could "create something similar for his game in a day or two". My usage would be a game that is both singleplayer, multiplayer COOP (client to client), and possibly MMO if it sells well or I get kickstarter funding exclusively for the feature (Server/Client architecture). Although most likely, I will program the game like Valve does and have even singleplayer be a Server/Client architecture, with the "server" being on the client's offline system.

What are the benefits of using Photon, over making your own game server using C# .Net?

user2948630
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  • I am especially hoping for people with experience working with Photon and the .Net framework. I'd love to know the differences in "feel" (practical differences, not claimed differences), and what they think of Photon. – user2948630 Nov 04 '13 at 12:46
  • I have no experience here, I am in the same position as you. The main benefit of eg photon from what I can tell is you don't have to roll your own. You are basically paying for a shortcut in the development process. I have personally decided to roll my own for educational reasons. Although I imagine there's a lot of complexity to getting efficient comms code in a realtime game, problems that frameworks like photon would have very likely already solved better than I could do. – Weyland Yutani Nov 04 '13 at 12:52
  • Use lidgren if you want to create your own server. – Felix K. Nov 04 '13 at 13:14
  • @FelixK. Why lidgren? – user2948630 Nov 04 '13 at 16:17
  • @user2948630 Its a fast udp protocoll. – Felix K. Nov 04 '13 at 16:26
  • @FelixK. What makes it faster than the .net framework? – user2948630 Nov 04 '13 at 22:43
  • @user2948630 Dude its a protocoll which is implemented in C#. Why don't you take a look at it? – Felix K. Nov 05 '13 at 08:11
  • @FelixK. So you don't know, got it. – user2948630 Nov 19 '13 at 04:06
  • @user2948630 Really? You know its just using .NET components. So it has exactly the same speed as the .NET components. – Felix K. Nov 19 '13 at 09:23
  • @FelixK. Now that wasn't very hard. Thanks. +1 not lazy. Way faster for you to simply type that tiny sentence than for someone else to look it up. 1 second compared to anywhere from 10 seconds to 10 hours, just saying the answer is ALWAYS faster. No trolls here ftw! – user2948630 Nov 20 '13 at 08:32

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The best idea is to make your game servers ability to be cross-platform and cross-language, Which means use default types of most useful languages to code your game. I recommend you to code protocols for your client, and use bytes and bytearrays for the client. Most of languages can return bytes to your client. You don't really need to think about Photon or other web hosts, You can for start make a client and a server that sends bytes to clients. This allows you to go cross-platform and write your server softwares in any languages. Minecraft is currently using byte style servers, Which allows peoples to code their own server software easily on any language. While you have the base protocols for sending to clients, your client can be written in other languages easily after the release. Servers hold clients and their webclient on them, And send packets each time.

111WARLOCK111
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  • That is an informative answer, however i feel it skips the crux of the question. what are the pros and cons of building your own vs photon? is there anything that photon offers that would take weeks of the dev time? – TarunG Jan 19 '14 at 21:00