Chapter 7.  Creating Multiplayer Gameplay

In the previous chapter, we explored the concept of gameplay and how gameplay is created in Lumberyard. Our exploration included an in-depth look at a sample game. We also became familiar with the Flow Graph system, Lumberyard's visual scripting system. We used Lumberyard's Flow Graph system to view, edit, and create gameplay.

In this chapter, we will examine the requirements for creating a multiplayer game in Lumberyard. We will also explore Amazon GameLift.

After reading this chapter, you will:

• Understand some of the major multiplayer gameplay considerations

• Understand the need for game servers

• Establish your business or personal Amazon Web Services (AWS) account

• Examine multiplayer game considerations

• Create a multiplayer game using GameLift

Multiplayer gameplay considerations

Multiplayer games are among the most difficult to develop. This is due to the complexities involved in networking and game servers, and frankly the number of things that can go wrong. You likely have played a lot of multiplayer games. Some of the common things that can go wrong include:

• Latency/lag

• Crashes/disconnects

• Slow loading

• Delayed spawning

• Players having different game versions

• Maps not available

So, you are familiar with some or all of these problems. There are also design considerations that must be designed and developed. Here are a few:

• Server-side programming (game servers)

• Rooms and lobbies

• Battle system balance

• Team and cooperative modes

• Creating battle arenas

• AI and Non-player Characters (NPC) behaviors

You'll create your game in Lumberyard and not worry too much about server-side programming, because Amazon GameLift will take care of this for you. GameLift works in concert with multiplayer games developed with Lumberyard.

The need for game servers

One...

Understanding AWS

Amazon Web Services, also referred to as AWS, is a cloud platform that offers a multitude of scalable services. You can learn about the various services offered by AWS at aws.amazon.com. We are going to concentrate on Amazon GameLift. First, you must create an AWS account. You can get started with a free account. Here are the steps to create your account:

1. Point your browser to https://aws.amazon.com.

2. Click the Create an AWS Account button. It will be located in the upper-right corner of the screen. Alternatively, you can select the Create a Free Account button.

   Note

   Due to the rapidly changing nature of AWS, the web page you see might differ slightly from what is presented here.

   

3. Enter your e-mail address or mobile number and select the I am a new user. option:

   

4. Next, you will click the Sign in using our secure server button:

   

5. Next, you will fill in your name, e-mail address, and password for this account. As with any account, you should ensure you have a strong password and...

Summary

In this chapter, we examined multiplayer games in the context of creating them with Amazon Lumberyard. We started with a review of multiplayer game design and development considerations and challenges. You were introduced to AWS and Amazon GameLift. You gained hands-on experience creating a multiplayer game session using GameLift.

In the next chapter, we will dive back into Lumberyard and review how audio and sound effects can be used to bring your games to life. You will learn about audio architecture and gain hands-on experience adding background audio and sound effects to your games. You will also learn how to import audio assets and how to use the Audio Controls Editor.