SFS2X SpaceRace

gotoAndPlay selected A51 to design and develop an Adobe Air 2, multi–player gaming application to showcase some of the new features for their upcoming SmartFoxServer 2X product release. SmartFoxServer is the flagship product of Italy based gotoAndPlay, and is among the leading technologies for multi–user applications, MMOGs (massively multi–player Online Game) and virtual communities.

The Challenge

For their SmartFoxServer 2X product release, gotoAndPlay desired a working game that focused on the server’s new features and capabilities. A51 was commissioned to create a working sample application to be included in the SFS2X documentation and showcase the new UDP (User Datagram Protocol) capabilities. With our long history of working with SmartFoxServer products, A51 was honoured to have been chosen for this project.

The Solution

As we set out to create an Adobe Air 2 desktop application using SmartFoxServer 2X, we took two main things into consideration: we wanted to build an application that would demonstrate the unique features of the new SmartFoxServer product and we wanted gameplay to be fun and exciting in its own right. After discussion with gotoAndPlay, A51 decided to develop a space racing game for up to four players.

The concept is simple. It is a fast–paced, up–to–four–player, futuristic racing game with a top–down view and scrolling circuit that auto adjusts to the position of your vehicle. The Space Race showcases a particularly important feature enhancement of SmartFoxServer 2X — the User Datagram Protocol. UDP is a protocol that unlike TCP (Transmission Control Protocol), does not verify complete package transmission, making it far faster but less reliable than TCP. UDP should not be used for all client to server communications, however there are situations where UDP is far more suitable than TCP. UDP in the Space Race was used to broadcast and verify a player’s vehicle positioning. Since UDP is light weight and can be sent and received in rapid succession, this provides suitable mechanism for accurate, smooth gameplay.

The most significant challenge in developing multi-player applications, is overcoming the lag from quick, on–screen movements between players. Lag is especially evident in a top–town view, like that of the Space Race game. To overcome this, we deployed predictive and corrective positioning to ensure the vehicles move smoothly.

Finally, A51 created the full walk–through document illustrating the process behind creating and building the application.

The Results

The Space Race game is currently available on the SmartFoxServer website, as a demonstration of the new features SmartFoxServer 2X is capable of. Paolo Bassino, partner at gotoAndPlay, expressed his satisfaction with the Space Race, affirming, “I like the game a lot, good work indeed! My congratulations to you and your colleagues.” Developers from all over the world have downloaded and reviewed the code for educatioal purposes and the game has certainly helped make SmartFoxServer 2X the de facto multi-player gaming framework. Licensing for the game is available through gotoAndPlay and customization is available through A51.