9.2 Multiplayer Games Services Functionality
This section describes general MGS functionality protocols concepts, and provides background for the Multiplayer Games model of Microsoft Windows®.
A multiplayer application has these characteristics:
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Two or more individual users, each with a game client on their computer.
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Network links that enable the users' computers to communicate with each other, perhaps through a centralized server, but typically through peer-to-peer sessions. One peer computer becomes the host for the multiplayer game and the other peers become clients.
DirectPlay 8 provides a layer that primarily isolates a gaming application from the underlying network. Most gaming applications can use the DirectPlay protocols instead of TCP/IP. The DirectPlay 4 and DirectPlay 8 protocol documents describe the messages and responses sent back and forth over the network.
DirectPlay 8 provides features that simplify the process of implementing aspects of a multiplayer application, including:
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Creates and manages peer-to-peer and client/server sessions.
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Manages users and groups within a session.
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Manages messaging between the members of a session over different network links and varying network conditions.
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Enables applications to interact with lobbies.
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Enables users to communicate with each other by voice.
Section 9.4 of this document provides an example that illustrates the core protocols.
