Riptide Networking Documentation

Riptide Networking is a lightweight C# networking library designed for multiplayer games. It is compatible with Unity and other .NET environments (such as console applications).

It provides the low-level primitives for establishing connections and exchanging data, allowing developers full control over the data being sent and the timing of transmissions. This makes it suitable for developers who want to manage their own networking logic and understand the underlying communication flow.

Riptide Networking is a lightweight C# networking library designed for multiplayer games. It is compatible with Unity and other .NET environments (such as console applications).

The library focuses on providing the low-level functionality required to establish connections and exchange data, allowing developers full control over the data being sent and the timing of transmissions.

Riptide provides three message send modes via the Riptide.MessageSendMode enum. Choose a mode based on your requirements for delivery guarantee, ordering, feedback, and duplicate filtering.

The Server.AllowAutoMessageRelay property and shouldAutoRelay parameter have been removed to prevent unintended message relaying.

New Approach: To relay messages, assign a Riptide.MessageRelayFilter instance to the Server.RelayFilter property. The server will then automatically relay only the messages whose IDs are explicitly enabled in that filter.

Riptide supports several transport layers for moving data across the network. You can use built-in transports or third-party implementations depending on your requirements:

• UDP Transport: Built-in, typically used for high-performance, unreliable/ordered data in games.
• TCP Transport: Built-in, typically used for reliable, ordered data streams.
• Steam Transport: A third-party implementation available via SteamTransport.

Both Server and Client classes provide events to respond to network changes:

• Server Events: Use ClientConnected and ClientDisconnected to manage player spawning and despawning.
• Client Events: Use ConnectionFailed and Disconnected to handle connection errors or unexpected drops (e.g., returning to a main menu).

Riptide's compatibility depends on the transport layer used:

• Default Transport (UDP Sockets): Works on PC, Mac, Linux, iOS, and Android.
• Steam Transport: Works on platforms supported by Steam.
• Unsupported: There is currently no web transport, so Riptide does not work in browser-based games. VR and consoles have not been officially tested.
• Runtime: Since Riptide is not dependent on Unity, it can be used in any environment capable of running C# code, including .NET console applications, Flax Engine, and Godot.

To begin using Riptide, you should follow the official documentation for installation and initial configuration:

1. Installation: Follow the installation instructions.
2. Basic Setup: Follow the guide on setting up the basics.

To prepare a new release, update the assembly version in the RiptideNetworking.csproj file:

1. Increment the version number in the VersionPrefix tag using semantic versioning.
2. Update the version number in the PackageReleaseNotes tag to point to the new release notes link.
3. Commit the change with the message: Bump version number to <version here> (e.g., Bump version number to 2.1.0).

Riptide Networking is a lightweight C# networking library designed for multiplayer games in Unity or other .NET environments (like console applications). It provides the foundation for establishing connections and exchanging data, allowing developers full control over the data being sent and the timing of transmissions.

To begin using Riptide, follow these steps:

1. Follow the installation instructions.
2. Follow the guide on setting up the basics.

If you are upgrading from version 1.1.0, refer to the upgrade guides to ensure compatibility with newer versions.

If you cannot use the Package Manager, you can manually add the compiled DLL to your Unity project:

1. Download the RiptideNetworking.dll from the latest release or build it from the repository source.
2. Place RiptideNetworking.dll anywhere inside your Unity project's Assets folder.
3. Recommended: Also download and place RiptideNetworking.xml in the same folder to enable IDE intellisense for the API documentation.
4. Optional: For Unity-specific functionality, manually add the MessageExtensions.cs class to your project, as it is not included in the DLL.