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Prerequisite Knowledge

Foundational concepts for working with GameFlow.

Dedicated Game Servers​

A dedicated game server is the authoritative source of game state in multiplayer games. The server simulates the game world, processes player input, and transmits state updates to all connected clients.

Players connect with separate client programs to see and interact with the game. This architecture provides better security, reduced cheating, consistent game state, and the ability to handle more players compared to peer-to-peer connections.

Matchmaking​

In multiplayer games, matchmaking is the process of connecting players together for online play sessions. For competitive games this means placing players into balanced teams using the following factors:

  • Skill Rating: Player ability for competitive balance
  • Latency: Optimal network performance
  • Party Size: Accommodate groups
  • Wait Time: Balance quality with speed
  • Game Mode: Match player preferences

GameFlow provides out-of-the-box skill rating models and support for deploying your own models.

Game Engine​

A game engine is a software framework primarily designed for video game development, which may include specialized software libraries and packages for developing different game experiences.

GameFlow provides out-of-the-box tutorials for the three most popular engines:

  • Unity
  • Godot
  • Unreal