Should I open two connections in my game, one UDP and one TCP? For now I''ve just been using UDP. I would use UDP to send urgent messages that need low ping (player coordinates, shooting etc.) And TCP to send chat messages, world data (e.g. someone builds a new building in the world). And for downloading maps and new graphics from sever, I would use TCP. I''m just asking that does this make any sense? Do I get smaller bandwitch when using TCP (since it''s a stream and no headers are needed..? ) or should I just do everything with UDP, even file transfer?

TCP is a *logical* stream. The actual packets on the wire will still have headers - in fact TCP headers are bigger than UDP headers.

However, there''s nothing wrong with using TCP if that makes it easier for you. Especially for something like bulk file transfer where you''re would have to manually do all the resends/inorder recieves/etc that TCP does for you.

-Mike

> If the sequence number is greater then one more then the last number. You missed a packet. Ask for it again.

If this occurs a lot is it really quicker than TCP? How big should UDP packages be. For half life for example are you sending all player positions and actions at once or spreading them out in a bunch of smaller packages?

quote: Original post by Spyder

> If the sequence number is greater then one more then the last number. You missed a packet. Ask for it again.

If this occurs a lot is it really quicker than TCP? How big should UDP packages be. For half life for example are you sending all player positions and actions at once or spreading them out in a bunch of smaller packages?

I just know I''m going to offend someone here. Isn''t life sad?

The fact that you asked that question proves that you don''t know enough about TCP/UDP to actually know if these people are being helpful, or if they''re talking bullshit.

Go to the library. Read a few books about how internet protocols and network protocols work. Go to a search engine or 6, and try looking up some tutorials on the net - after all, I think it''s safe to assume the internet will have some information on internet protocls.

Eventually you''ll actually understand what''s going on.

Then not only will the answers make sense, you won''t even need to ask this question.

(It''s been asked over and over and over and over and over. People won''t stop asking it. When the world finally ends, people will still be desperately begging to be told if TCP or UDP is better. It''s a pity none of the people asking actually have the ability to understand anything.)

If you don''t understand what''s going on, how to you expect to actually make use of answers that you don''t understand?


No, I''m not calling you stupid. I''m simply pointing out that you actually need to learn this stuff for yourself if you ever want to actually write a real game that runs over the internet.

Alternatively, you can wait five minutes, until someone else asks the same pointless question.

(PS: an intelligent question to ask would be "can someone point me to some useful pages about how network protocols work?" That at least demonstrates a willingness to learn, and also that you realise it takes more than a 3 line post to explain TCP & UDP.)

Thanks for the replies (except for that second AP, whose reply was quite useless).
I''ve already implemented an UDP winsock server/client system that takes care of packetloss, but I was just wondering if TCP uses less bandwitch for same amount of data. Hmm.. I''m not still sure about the answer though.

But I''ll check out what Directplay8 offers so I can implement those myself (or switch to DPlay8 if it seems fast enough).

AP, why don''t you answer the question instead of wasting bandwidth?

As for me, I just use DirectPlay and don''t worry about it.