Network Games - Master Server

Questions & Answers
1

Hello,

I’m attempting to finally understand how online networking games work, and how to set on up. I just have a question about the Master Server?

I know the master server is a ‘meeting place’ for clients, but where does the Master Server run? Where is it? Is it something that runs locally on a players computer (host), or is it a dedicated server that Unity3D have stored away somewhere?

Because from my understanding, online game corporations require big, expensive servers to run their games. Such as EA, they have server farms all over the globe, is this the equivalent to a master server?

If not, then what is? Why do our games not require server farms?

Thanks

2

i dont know if im right, and correct me if im not, but EA probably has millions of players connected every second, and that is more than what a computer can handle. so they need to have server farms to keep up with it, if your game has 64 - 100 all the time that can probably be handled by a desktop, so it depends on the amount of players online and game complexity, the tipe of hardware you need so it can keep up.(im sure i might have tons of errors plz forgive me if i do)