Karxel

Thanks to my prior knowledge in using the unity engine the basic mechanics behind the game were no real problem and all part of my regular routine. However, as soon as networking came into play I found myself in a completely new domain that required me both to learn new basics but also change up the way I have been thinking about game features. Suddenly new concerns like security, anti-cheat and client secrets came into play that forced me to completely rethink how I design features both on paper but also in code. As such I was now spending large amounts of my time reading through package and API documentations while also trying to learn about potential ways to architecture a game around networking aspects.

Syncing game states between players, working with server authority and making sure that no team-internal information accidentally leaks to the enemy are all parts of this new reality that never really played a role for my singleplayer game history but now became a daily routine.

All basic network functionalities are handled by the Mirror Networking package, a high level interface compatible with a variety of low level transports. In our first iteration, we decided on FizzySteamworks, a third-party relay build on the official Steamworks.NET API which would've allowed for the usage of Steam's lobby and friend system. However, with an increasingly difficult testing environment and mandatory access to steam on any hardware running the game we ultimately made the switch to Epic Online Services, still running all our testing versions to this date.

With most of the projects core functionalities already implemented I took this newly won freedom to further explore into different fields regarding both programming (Discord integration, server-based authentication and account systems...) but also completely different domains like refreshing my previously long dormant 3D-modelling skills using Blender.