Internet game: Shops

Blitz3D Forums/Blitz3D Programming/Internet game: Shops

I'm going to start working on a realtime internet game.
Players may "host" a town or join a pre-existing one.
players must buy shop items such as a "Ron's Ketchup" display.

I dont do internet games very often, So I ask: Is this possible

Yes, if you need a fast lib: look for BlitzPlay, it is very nice. Another way is to use HostNetGame/JoinNetGame.
It you need users to download files from internet (ie updates), try BlitzGet, it is a function that can download a file.

Thanks, I'll look for BlitzPlay. The other part of the game is more of a community thing: Players can "donate" a 3Dmodel of a new store item and i will put it in the game.

Will the lite version be good enough or do you have to buy it?

The light version works fine, however it is worth while checking Blitz's StartNetGame commands as well.

Will StartNetGame() run the game well enough?

If so, do you know any good tutorials on Blitz Networking?

StartNetGame works very nice, depending on how much speed you need. As I understood, there is TCP and UDP.
StartNetGame etc. = DirectPlay = TCP
BlitzPlay = UDP

(AFAIK:) TCP is some sort of wrapper around UDP. TCP checks if messages arrive, UDP don't. The advantage of using UDP is that you can send smaller packages and you can choose whether you check it or not.

Some good examples I found on the German BB sites, bitzbase. A quick search: http://www.blitzbase.de/befehle2d/joinnetgame.htm
A google search for "joinnetgame" gives also some good links.

EDIT:
	;-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------	
	;								DirectPlay example
	;-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------	
	;run this example twice, once as a server and once as a client.
	
	Graphics 800, 600, 0, 3
	SetBuffer BackBuffer()

	;start network game
	Select StartNetGame()
	Case 0
				End
	Case 1
				Print "Joined!"
	Case 2
				Print "Server!"
	End Select
	
	;create player
	player = CreateNetPlayer("Bram")
	
	x = Rand(400) + 200
	y = Rand(300) + 150

	;main loop	
	While Not KeyHit(1)
	
		Cls
		
		;cursor keys to move around		
		If KeyDown(203) Then x = x - 10
		If KeyDown(205) Then x = x + 10
		If KeyDown(200) Then y = y - 10
		If KeyDown(208) Then y = y + 10
		
		;send message
		io = MilliSecs() / 50
		If io > ioi Then 
			SendNetMsg 1, y + x * 800, player, 0, 1
			ioi = io
		End If
		
		;incoming messages
		If RecvNetMsg() Then
			msgType	  = NetMsgType()
			msgFrom   = NetMsgFrom()
			msgData   = NetMsgData$()
			a# = msgData   / 800
			b# = msgData Mod 800
		End If
			
		;draw player
		Color 255, 255, 0
		Oval x, y, 20, 20, True
		;draw player
		Color 255, 0, 0
		Oval a, b, 20, 20, True
		
		Flip
	
	Wend
	
End


thanks