   freelancer or company to implement multiplayer
  Hi.Is it difficult to set up a multiplayer gaming system recording stats etc... with 100 players at same time etc... A game like http://games.ea.com/smartypants/trivia.jspIs it a simple case of taking the game we have in AS3 and going online with a little php code and mysql and xml - with no particularly tricky bits?Smartfox: Is this a good socket?Basically I need to know what tricky bits exist and if its best to go with an experienced company in multiplayer or get a good freelancer.If its a company - can you name any?Cheers   
Quote:Original post by codeBeastHi.Is it difficult to set up a multiplayer gaming system recording stats etc... with 100 players at same time etc...Quote:Is it a simple case of taking the game we have in AS3 and going online with a little php code and mysql and xml - with no particularly tricky bits?Yes, if you know how. No, if you don't.Quote:Smartfox: Is this a good socket?It's a fairly popular server, that has been used for the purpose.Quote:Basically I need to know what tricky bits exist and if its best to go with an experienced company in multiplayer or get a good freelancer.It's a question of cost-benefit. How much would it cost to hire someone or outsource it vs. how much would it cost to do it by yourself.   ;  Thanks BUT I should rephrase my question with regards to getting a more precise answer. I mean that my freelancer is good at AS3, has used a little Red5 I think he said etc... He has just downloaded smartfox to check it out. Would you say this guy could put a trivia multiplayer game online or it there would be too much tricky stuff that most prgms come across or if its quite straight forward for a pgrm. I hope this clarifies.   ;  By the way, you say it could be outsourced - have you any names in mind or even your goodself?   ;  By the way, if I go even further. The freelancer has good AS3 skills. We know the little bit of pho code to speak to the server and add and get data from mysql and set up mysql - is this enough or does it get a lot tougher. In VB its so easy to get this going on a desktop app.   ;  If you have not done real network development, then network development will seem simple, but your system will be plagued by problems.If the AS3 code uploads scores to a web site/database, then you have to accept that users will likely cheat the system and upload fake scores, if scoring in the game is important enough to them that they care.;  You have lost me there big time. The student does not upload the scores. They are dynamically produced within flash to which the student has no access and sent out through php to mysql - HOW CAN THE STUDENT ACCESS ANY OF THESE and cheat???All files are on our server so students can definately NOT access them. Anyway, you have made me nervous as I'm not an expert. Is this true?   ;Quote:Original post by hplus0603If the AS3 code uploads scores to a web site/database, then you have to accept that users will likely cheat the system and upload fake scores, if scoring in the game is important enough to them that they care.It gets funnier if front end is in &#106avascript.One, surprisingly effective method, applicable especially to text entry, is to provide client with some heavy hash instead of straight answer. Client can then do one way instant validation, but their actual input is sent to server for authoritative checking.This works quite well (although crypto hashes in JS are not a thing of beauty), assuming that crypto hash is slightly better than CRC, and time is reasonably limited (less than a week per answer).Either way, security is overrated.P.S. Irony has an incredible sense of humor. Trying to look at google's first hit of same topic, I get the message:Quote:Your IP Range is BlockedThere is too much Bot and script kiddie activity originating from your IP range Exemptions to IP ban are available by request;Quote:Original post by codeBeastYou have lost me there big time. The student does not upload the scores. They are dynamically produced within flash to which the student has no access and sent out through php to mysql - HOW CAN THE STUDENT ACCESS ANY OF THESE and cheat???All files are on our server so students can definately NOT access them. Anyway, you have made me nervous as I'm not an expert. Is this true?The Flash SWF is downloaded before it is displayed in the browser and runs on the client computer, not the server, as such anyone who is able to play the game is able to modify it as they see fit as well.   ;  OK. But it's still an swf. They cant get into it can they? unless they decompile it ie: they have to be hackers.I'm just saying that a normal student is not going to know how to do this.   