I am assessing networking solutions for a new Unity multi-user development and I am impressed with both uLink and Photon. I wondered what experiences people have had with support from both the company and the community with these products? I was about to go with uLink, but I’ve posted two forum posts and sent two requests for licensing information to MuchDifferent, both well before Christmas and had zero replies to either, so I’m a little concerned.
I am just starting working with uLink. It works and what info I can dig up on it looks like it is a very efficient and robust middleware. I have no problem with the price tag if it functions as proposed but the big problem I have is a total lack of implementation examples. The handful of tutorials and examples given don’t really give examples of uLink specifics just general “Hey look what we did with uLink”. This is very unfortunate because once I fought through the lack of documentation (Aside from the reference manual that is not downloadable but runs off the site…) it really seems to have potential. Like yourself I am worried about support for it.
Photon looks like it has a lot of support. Great service offerings and very reasonable pricing packages. Problem I had was I am now writting and supporting yet another technology. uLink is a network layer that uses Unity as the server. That is a big pro in my books. Maybe I dont understand Photon/SmartFox but it looks like you are written your server appis for their technology.
Anyways I bit the bullet and went with uLink. I have designed/written master servers before and just last night actually got MySQL functioning inside my Unity Login Master Server fully authoritatve with uLink.
I truely wish Much Different made more of an effort to promote uLink in the community as it looks like such a powerful and efficient network layer. My goal is to have a proof of concept for my game running by the end of Feb so I’ll post in the forums here is I run into any deal breakers but for the last week it’s been a good experience. Just be prepared to actually read alot of the reference materials.
PS: Oh yeah and if anyone knows how to download that reference resource from the MuchDifferent site please let me know 
PPS: Anyone know why uLink is no longer on the asset store?
Thanks,
Mark
Thanks Mark - that helps.