In this post I'll explain how data is distributed in realtime using WebSockets in a serverless application running in Azure. The context I'll be using is a multiplayer Advanced Dungeons & Dragons (ADnD) style game that is turn-based with realtime state updates. You'll learn.

Here at Ably one of our most recent additions has been to introduce beta support for Unity within our.NET SDK. This has been exciting for us: multiplayer functionalities are at the core of so many games these days, and we’re keen to better support and enable developers in creating these amazing experiences.

Data travels at the speed of light, which we cannot control (yet), so when you contact a server, the greater the distance from your location, the slower the network performance.

There’s unprecedented demand for multiplayer products. That is, products with features that support realtime, shared live and collaborative experiences between users. There’s been explosive growth in the unified communications and collaboration (UC&C) sector through the pandemic, but collaboration isn’t just about the Zooms and Slacks of the world.

Not so long ago, email was considered revolutionary. Being able to send a message to someone on the other side of the world and receive a reply in a matter of minutes was a game-changer. Today, however, email is the slow-moving dinosaur of the Internet. Now, users expect instantaneous feedback from their online interactions and to communicate with people and machines instantly.