Can TNet do this?

[mudflap]

Hi,

As I understand from all the reading, TNet can host/serve a match on a local network and wait for people to join. Anyone on the local net with the app running will get the notifications. Or it can log into a dedicated server and the dedicated server will match people up and a match can be started.

However, if I don't have a dedicated server, there isn't a way for me to do matchmaking across the internet. Like GameCenter, correct?

If I use a solution like Photon to get people together in a room, can I also use TNet to do the game management (i.e. message passing)?

Thanks.

[ArenMook]

All networking solutions would require you to have some kind of a meeting hub where players can meet one another, whether it's Photon, TNet or uLink. If they are on the same LAN, this limitation can be avoided as it's possible to broadcast messages over LAN. You can't broadcast messages over the internet, however -- which is why you have to have a meeting place (lobby server). A dedicated server to host it is a must in this case.

Photon is the same -- but if you use Photon Cloud then you will have dedicated servers available for you to use already, which is convenient (but of course you share them with everyone else).

You could make a hybrid system where you use the photon cloud to meet people, then TNet for actual hosted games / multiplayer, but I would generally just recommend creating an Amazon EC2 instance to put your lobby server on. It's inexpensive (free for an entire year actually -- great for development), and will give you an idea of what you need.