How does a game server work?

[fir3w0rx]

For example, in a 1v1, when one player gives a command to one of it's tanks to MOVE, is that MOVE command transmitted to the server first, then from the server to the other player? Or is that MOVE command transmitted directly to the other player? Or does it go to both the server and the other player at the same time? Or something totally different.

I'm just curious.

[Myg]

It depends if its P2P or Relay server.

[fir3w0rx]

18 hours ago, Myg said:

It depends if its P2P or Relay server.

Ah ok. Which one is CnCNet?

[Myg]

Last time I used it, you could chose before you started the game.

Currently, "automatic" replaced relay, which I don't know exactly what it does.

[FunkyFr3sh]

The c&c games we support are all P2P, that means players normally send directly to each other.

But P2P connections are not always possible (NAT issues), thats why in some cases the data has to be send to a server and the server will forward it to the other player.

 

The "automatic" connection type will try to connect players P2P, if it fails it will use a server for the connection of the two players that can't connect while all other players are connecting P2P. Automatic can mix up P2P and multiple servers inside of 1 game, a connection test on all servers decides which server is going to be used (the one with the lowest round trip time wins)

That's how it works for c&c 1, Red Alert 1, Tiberian Sun and Dune 2000. Yuri's revenge is sending all data through servers (there is no P2P support atm)

[fir3w0rx]

Oh ok. So with the exception of YR, the games use a mixture of both relay and p2p connections, and in the same match if need be? Cool.