Standalone server solutions

[separatio1]

Hello everyone!

I’m trying to find a solution to have an MMO standalone server created, for a GUI text based game.
I’ve already seen UNet is deprecated, for example, and checked out uMMORPG asset.
While the asset might fit for my needs, I wanted to ask the forum’s opinion.

My technical background is in web development, for about 7 years now, hence my confusion when things didn’t go smoothly when talking about servers. I also imagine that REST or GraphQL is not the defacto standard in the gaming industry, and TCP/UDP connections are generally used, with some networking tools.

Does anyone have any experience/suggestions for standalone servers for Unity Multiplayer games?

Thank you in advance.

[LukeDawn]

SmartFox has a java standalone server. Zapnet is excellent and uses a Unity instance servers.

[separatio1]

@LukeDawn1

SmartFox has a java standalone server. Zapnet is excellent and uses a Unity instance servers.

Thanks! I will have a look sometime today.

[luke-unity]

There are plenty of options for creating standalone servers. These links provide comparisons between some of them:

Unity Blog

What are the pros and cons of available network solutions/assets

[EDIT 04/04/23] WARNING: This list hasn't been updated in a few years so a lot of information is missing and outdated. This is a simple list of the best solutions and assets and their pros and cons so that I (and others) can make the best choice for their multiplayer projects. Here's a link to a similar google doc where you can get more information on some of the solutions listed here, and general networking terms: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ufcl6_ylbzthfmzzZ7HPiwDLR0sr1N3UAunUG9r…

We also acquired MLAPI recently which will replace UNet as the new official networking solution in the near future. You can read more about that here.

[BetaMark]

And just so you know it – building a REST API client in Unity is pretty strait forward to get the basics done as I believe that all of the compile targets can talk http, and if you want an asset that covers a lot of the edge cases for client/server talking with a REST (or GraphQL) endpoints, there are some great options in the asset store.

I myself have tested Best HTTP/2 (currently on sale, btw) and WebAPI Kit.

With that said – using an async stateless protocol like REST over HTTP only works for some game designs. I’d liked to know more about what your core game loop looks before I’d say whether you’d need something that is real time like the Mirrors, Photons, and MLAPIs of the world.

[Vancete]

If you are a web developer, you will be feel at home with Socks. It has an independent server and communicates with JSON objects.

Check it out:

Socks - All in One Networking Solution

Socks is an All-in-One networking solution designed for Unity. It has been developed from scratch thinking on the requirements of little-to-mid size projects: it covers from the basics of networking functionalities, like realtime communication or RPCs to user management like user registering and login, inventories, currencies, etc. And even if it does not cover your needs, it's totally customizable, so you can make it perfectly fit all your needs. While it has been designed for Unity, it is …

[separatio1]

Thank you, everyone, for your time and careful suggestions!

I feel that DarkRift2 is specifically suited towards my needs.
I will definitely go use that, at the moment.

I’ll also make sure to bookmark this thread for future reference, as there is a lot of useful information to be found here.