https://github.com/houraiteahouse/hourainetworking

Transport level library for peer-to-peer networking with multiple backends for the Unity.
https://github.com/houraiteahouse/hourainetworking

peer-to-peer relay-networks transport unity

Last synced: 2 months ago
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Transport level library for peer-to-peer networking with multiple backends for the Unity.

• Host: GitHub
• URL: https://github.com/houraiteahouse/hourainetworking
• Owner: HouraiTeahouse
• License: mit
• Created: 2019-10-16T03:56:22.000Z (over 5 years ago)
• Default Branch: master
• Last Pushed: 2021-06-04T08:34:01.000Z (over 3 years ago)
• Last Synced: 2024-11-10T20:37:22.404Z (3 months ago)
• Topics: peer-to-peer, relay-networks, transport, unity
• Language: C#
• Homepage:
• Size: 122 KB
• Stars: 100
• Watchers: 9
• Forks: 16
• Open Issues: 6
• Metadata Files:
  • Readme: README.md
  • Changelog: CHANGELOG.md
  • License: LICENSE

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README

        
# Hourai Networking

Platform based P2P networking with multiple backends.

## Features

 * Lobby based peer-to-peer transport, with pluggable backends. See below for

   more details.

 * Abstracts platform level constructs like matchmaking and relay networks into

   generic interfaces.

 * High performance message serialization with next to zero garbage collection

   pressure.

 * Premade network topologies for faster iteration: Host-Client, Full Mesh

 * IL2CPP Compatible - All integrations should work in IL2CPP out of the box

## Supported Backends

Hourai Networking acts as a wrapper around these backends to provide support.

Some features may not be uniform across all platforms.

|Feature|Steam|Discord|Direct UDP|Epic Games|

|:------|:---:|:-----:|:--------:|:--------:|

|Implemenation|✔️|✔️|Planned|Planned|

|Lobbies|✔️|✔️|❌|?|

|Matchmaking|✔️|✔️|❌|?|

|Custom Metadata|✔️|✔️|?|?|

|Host Migration|✔️|✔️|?|?|

|Windows Support|✔️|✔️|?|?|

|MacOS Support|✔️|✔️|?|?|

|Linux Support|✔️|✔️|?|?|

## Installation

Backroll is most easily installable via Unity Package Manager. In Unity 2018.3+,

add the following to your `Packages/manifest.json`:

```json

{

  "dependencies": {

    "com.houraiteahouse.networking": "0.1.1"

  },

  "scopedRegistries": [

    {

      "name": "Hourai Teahouse",

      "url": "https://upm.houraiteahouse.net",

      "scopes": ["com.houraiteahouse"]

    }

  ]

}

```

## FAQ:

**Q: Why peer-to-peer? Almost everyone uses client-server nowadays!**

There are notable issues with peer-to-peer networking:

 * Inconsistent connections - need to use NAT traversals, low connection

   quality, etc.

 * Lack of authority - cheaters can easily attack P2P game systems with

   alterred clients or malicous abuse of the protocols used.

 * Difficulty to game scale - realtime games with a signifigant number of

   players (think MMOs, battle royales) have difficulty scaling up to that

   size.

These are notable issues commonly seen, which is why the majority of the game

industry nowadays aims for an authoritative client-server model of netplay.

However, the main argument against this model, espeically for low-budget games

that want netplay, is cost. Running a fleet of servers 24/7, and paying

operators to maintain those servers is simply impossible for most small

developers.

Peer-to-peer netwroking only requires multiple players to share the

same game version and an internet connection. No dedicated servers are required

on the developer's end.

**Q: Why use proprietary networks like Steam and Discord?**

One of the aforementioned issues with peer-to-peer networking is the

inconsistent connection issues. Modern consumer home networks are almost always

behind NATs (network address translation), which makes normal socket based

connections almost impossible without a whole host of hacks and workarounds

(i.e. UPnP, libjingle, STUN, etc.), none of which are perfect. The only true way

to ensure connections complete is to have a relay server network, with well

known public IPs. This returns to the issues of servers and cost. Luckily,

Steam and Discord, now some of the largest companies in PC gaming, offer free

access their relay networks to developers willing to integrate with their

systems: allowing for more consistent netplay experience in exchange for some

vendor lock-in. One of the goals of HouraiNetworking is to help allievate that

vendor lock-in by abstracting platform level differences away.

One other benefit to these solutions is use of relay services often incorproates

IP masking and encryption to help maintian player privacy.