Multiplayer PHP game, real time..

[ertaboy356b]

Is it possible to make a PHP multiplayer game that responds to the player's commands in real time.. If I say real time, I mean that whatever the screen display on one of the players is similar to other players as well at atleast 90% real time..

I'm planning on trying out different in PHP.. I'm planning on building a semi-complex TCG game...

I did some research and seen some options:

1. xml-php-mysql socket server
2. AJAX
3. Flash (I don't know flash.. Never used it before)

 

[phyrex1an]

>Is it possible to make a PHP multiplayer game that responds to the player's commands in real time..

Yes. But don't do it over http. And if you don't do it over http then there is really no reason to choose php.

 

[ertaboy356b]

>Is it possible to make a PHP multiplayer game that responds to the player's commands in real time..

Yes. But don't do it over http. And if you don't do it over http then there is really no reason to choose php.

What do you mean don't do it over http??

 

[phyrex1an]

That you shouldn't use it to make real time applications. It's not made for it and doesn't work well with it. Flash or a java applet might let you open a socket to the server in which case it's a much better alternative than javascript.

 

[ertaboy356b]

Ah ok.. Guess I'll better start learning Flash.. But still I'll give php a try since the game will definitely be turn based..

You better look at this one.. Found this over google http://www.fantasy-cards.net/

Uhmm, another question.. What is Web 2.0?? and how do I do that??

 

[phyrex1an]

You better look at this one.. Found this over google http://www.fantasy-cards.net/

They made the client poll the server several times per second for updates. This means two things:
1. It isn't real time.
2. Your server will be put under a much greater load than a real real time solution.

Now for this game real time isn't needed and it doesn't seems as it is that for your game either so this solution might work for you.

>What is Web 2.0??
http://www.sitepoint.com/article/application-fluff-hot-air

 

[TFlan]

Phyrex1an you're are very blunt... should be nicer and try to help

If you seriously want to use PHP for a real time game. Look into how websites wrote online instant messaging systems.

http://www.php-development.ru/software/instant-messenger.php

Download that file, look through the program and learn from it, heck even use some of it to build your game.

----

Overall a RT RPG game will be much like an instant messenger, but will have graphics (in your case cards) and a middle man (your game script) that will decide what happens and displays it.

Good Luck!

 

[phyrex1an]

The chat you linked to isn't made in php, it does have a php front end though. The chat is also closed source so everything you can learn from it is summarized in my first post here. YABP (Yet Another Blunt Post).

 

[TFlan]

eh I just googled for a php instant chat system and thats what I saw, should of looked into it more, my bad.

 

[Rad]

If you seriously want to use PHP for a real time game. Look into how websites wrote online instant messaging systems.

This was the key in your post Player11, telling him to use an example. Not nearly as 'blunt' as that uncatchy acronym Phrexr1an created

In either case, although this thread is a bit old... Ertaboy, in your third post you say the game "will definitely be turn based". Thats the opposite of realtime, in gaming anyway. I don't know what TCG stands for, but PHP can still be an option, especially for turn based games.

 

[ertaboy356b]

TCG = Trading Card Game

In either case, although this thread is a bit old... Ertaboy, in your third post you say the game "will definitely be turn based". Thats the opposite of realtime, in gaming anyway. I don't know what TCG stands for, but PHP can still be an option, especially for turn based games.

It will be turn based at the same time real time at the sense that it needs actual multiplayer interaction.. Your not playing with a computer in this game, your playing with another player.. And the game, most of the time, will not last 5 minutes.. Just like when your playing yugioh, mtg, and pokemon..

 

[markasoftware]

It is very possible to make a real-time multiplayer game in PHP, even through http. I'm doing it. A php script can run for an indefinite amount of time (assuming you set_time_limit(0); at the beginning of the script), which makes it possible to have a text file on the server recording all the actions that the players make and a php script that checks for changes to that file. When a change is found, the php script returns the changes. The script is then reopened. Using this strategy, you can have a real-time game with a delay of <100 milliseconds per action, much less if you have a fast server (by that, I mean <50 milliseconds). I don't know if this works with flash, but it should.

 

[TFlan]

Interesting, this would not be viable on a typical web host though. This requires, depending on your server (windows || linux), access to system files - IIS 5 has a default timeout of 120 seconds. Most browsers also have an imposed HTTP timeout as well.

The option markasoftware suggested is only feasible if you own your own server or have a dedicated server that you have system file access to - If you pursued this option, you would need to check whenever this script is terminated - it WILL be terminated one way or another, by the user or the server. PHP is not built for this type of work, but it is possible. I suggest learning Python 2.7 to execute the back-end real-time calculations and just use PHP for the front-end

 

[markasoftware]

Interesting, this would not be viable on a typical web host though. This requires, depending on your server (windows || linux), access to system files - IIS 5 has a default timeout of 120 seconds. Most browsers also have an imposed HTTP timeout as well.

The option markasoftware suggested is only feasible if you own your own server or have a dedicated server that you have system file access to - If you pursued this option, you would need to check whenever this script is terminated - it WILL be terminated one way or another, by the user or the server. PHP is not built for this type of work, but it is possible. I suggest learning Python 2.7 to execute the back-end real-time calculations and just use PHP for the front-end

I was able to get this idea up and running on a shared host. I never made a full-fledged game with it, but I still was able to make a simple chat system with this and it worked smoothly.

 

[TFlan]

With a continuous open socket?

 

[markasoftware]

With a continuous open socket?

I am not exactly sure what you mean, but I got a php script that checks a file for changes. When the file changes, it returns the file contents to the client. Whenever it returns, the client reopens a new connection. (I had to do this because PHP is not exactly comet-friendly). Also, if for some reason the connection did close it would be simple to make the client automatically open a new connection to the server.