NEW Unity Multiplayer Tools Are Here !
Today I like to announce that Netcode for GameObjects (NGO) 1.0.0, Unity Transport 1.0.0, and Multiplayer Tools 1.0.0 are now available and can be integrated with the new Multiplayer Solutions from Unity Game Services including Game Server Hosting (Multiplay), Matchmaker, Lobby, and Relay. There are also a variety of great examples from small multiplayer games to larger multiplayer games available via GitHub.
Like every other tool in Unity or any other engine there isn’t really a solution that will work with all game sizes which is why there are different options to consider when deciding what multiplayer stack to use today. Let’s dig deeper into some of these options:
Netcode for GameObjects (NGO) 1.0 is great for creating small scale cooperative games, P2P games that work great with Relay which connects players around the world and Lobby to empower players to play together, and NGO in its core adds networking capabilities to game objects and mono behaviors workflows.
More in depth capabilities in NGO include:
NetworkManager (central hub for all netcode settings)
NetworkObject (to sync object over the network)
NetworkTransform (to sync object transform in real-time)
NetworkAnimator (to sync animations over the network)
NetworkRigidbody (to sync physics kinematic to peers & simulated on the server)
NetworkVariable (to sync properties / variables over the network)
Messaging System such as:
Remote Procedure Calls (RPCs)
Custom Messages
Serialization of C# primitives, Unity primitives, Enum Types, and it can be extended by using INetworkSerializable for additional types.
Object Spawning and Object Pooling
Scene Management
Unity Transport Package (UTP)
In addition to NGO Netcode for Entities Is currently in development and placed at the the end of the multiplayer features roadmap and it is meant to handle scalable multiplayer worlds with more ambitious and large scale games. DOTS ECS is the Unity tech behind this but I will keep you informed as Unity releases new information in the coming months.
Multiplayer games are complex, the logic, the thinking behind it from a game developer or architect point of view is beyond a single player game, with that Unity is providing multiplayer tools which aim to help in finding potential issues during multiplayer game development such:
Runtime Network Stats Monitor With Boss Room Game Demo
Runtime Network Stats Monitor: (For NGO) which tracks network variables and RPC calls across the server and connected clients during game tests and in stand-alone builds.
Network Profiler: (For NGO) which allows you to see a detailed breakdown of network objects and messages sent across all connected players.
Debug Simulator: (Unity Transport) Included as part of the UTP Transport Package and allows you to manipulate network variables and simulate advanced networking scenarios for testing purposes.
For larger scale multiplayer requirements take a look at Photon Fusion + Unity Game Server Hosting (Multiplay) which is designed to consume less CPU, less bandwidth, and helps developers operate at 60Hz tick rate and up to 200 players, keep in mind that Unity Game Server Hosting supports up to 80 players with self serve settings but you can contact Unity to get up to 200 players.
This solution also offers AAA features such as player prediction & lag compensation.
To get an idea of the Photon solution with Unity Game Server Hosting, you must take a look at the advanced battle royale example which features
Deathmatch, elimination, and battle royale gameplay modes
Advanced Weapon systems: projectile, histcan, & throwable
Projectile systems: kinematic, ballistic arrow, and piecing projectiles
Pickups - static (ammo, health) dynamic (drops on kill)
Shrinking area, damage area, and moving platforms
Recoil patterns, input -> recoil compensation
Jeckpack: advanced Kinematic Character Controller example
This Photon’s battle royale example is integrated with Unity’s Game Server Hosting (Multiplay) using client-server topology and Matchmaker
To get you an idea on pricing:
You can use most of the unity features completely for FREE including Lobby, Relay, Matchmaking, and Unity Game Server Hosting (Multiplay w/ $800 USD valid for 6 months).
For more advanced use cases you will need to get a Fusion Photon Server which you can also get for FREE until you pass the following limits are hit:
Photon FREE version offers 20 CCU which as a rule of thumb 1 CCU is estimated to be 20 active users but they have additional plans to fit your production requirements.
To get started with Netcode for GameObjects today be sure to check out my tutorials in the “Unity Multiplayer With Netcode For GameObjects” playlist where I cover the core networking components in NGO and I will be updating all videos to version 1.0.0 in the next few weeks.
I hope you enjoy the new Unity Multiplayer Features !
Thank you
