I currently have wrote some DPlay and now feel its time to figure out this lobby system. After reading the directX c++ documentation on it I am so confused. Is there a server? whats with LobbyApplication LobbyClient. Ive read everthing in the docs and nothing seems to make any sense. If someone could just explain how it works and if its really useful or not that would be super clutch. Thanks stragglerJ

There are 3 components here: the lobby server, the lobby client, and the game itself. GameSpy is a perfect example here. The GameSpy client is a freely-available Windows app that connects to a remote server (www.gamespy.com) and allows you to chat with your buddies, get the latest gaming news, and browse the available games for all the titles you have installed on your machine. Say you found an interesting ongoing game you want to join: simply double click on the desired server and the GameSpy client will launch the game for you and all the connection settings will be done for you; the game launches already connected to the server you have specified without having you type all the IP stuff. Very nice multiplayer experience.

The DirectPlay API can help you enhance the connection ability of your game (IDirectPlay8LobbiedApplication), and build the lobby client application (IDirectPlay8LobbyClient). There is, however, no support to connect the lobby client application to the lobby server; that was left open intentionally for 3rd party business reasons.

As you can imagine, having lobby support in your game is a great feature, but as long as you have a lobby server somewhere that is aware of your game title. That''s where MSN Game Zone and GameSpy make their money from... They provide the services and the tools to connect your game, but for a $$fee$$. That''s why indie development teams never bother with lobby stuff. But studios like 2015/EA (Medal of Honor) and Ensemble/MS (Age of Empire series) can''t claim to have an immersive multiplayer experience without it.

Hope this helps.

-cb

yeah that totally helps out, thanks very much, i think im going to can the lobby project and try to get voice over IP stuff working, it seems easier and i have already got hte server started correctly. Thanks again

~stragglerJ