Using FishNet Networking Evolved in Unity

FishNet Networking Evolved is a powerful and flexible networking solution for the Unity game engine. By offering high performance and ease of use for modern games, FishNet is suitable for both small and large scale projects. In this article, we will explain the key features of FishNet and how to use it with Unity.

What is FishNet Networking?

FishNet Networking is a networking library used for developing multiplayer games using a client-server model in Unity projects. Unlike other popular libraries, FishNet is performance-oriented and provides low-latency network communication.

Main Advantages of FishNet

• Performance: Latency is minimized thanks to optimized network communication.
• Ease of Use: You can develop multiplayer projects quickly with its simple and intuitive APIs.
• Flexibility: It has an extensible structure for adding custom network logic or advanced features.

FishNet Installation

You can follow the steps below to add FishNet to your Unity project:

1. Download FishNet from GitHub.
2. Copy it into the Assets folder of your Unity project.
3. Check the FishNet Manager component in Unity Editor to verify the installation.

Simple FishNet Usage in Unity

You can review the code example below to establish a basic network connection using FishNet:

using FishNet.Connection;
using FishNet.Object;
using UnityEngine;

public class PlayerController : NetworkBehaviour
{
    public float moveSpeed = 5f;

    private void Update()
    {
        if (!IsOwner)
            return;

        float moveX = Input.GetAxis("Horizontal") * moveSpeed * Time.deltaTime;
        float moveY = Input.GetAxis("Vertical") * moveSpeed * Time.deltaTime;

        transform.Translate(new Vector3(moveX, moveY, 0));
    }

    [ServerRpc]
    public void ServerPrintMessage(string message)
    {
        Debug.Log("Message from server: " + message);
    }
}

What Is Happening in This Code?

• IsOwner Check: Used to process only the local player's inputs.
• ServerRpc: Used to send data from client to server.

Advanced Features

Some advanced features offered by FishNet are:

• Scene Management: Synchronizing players' scene loading states.
• Predictions: Client-side movement prediction to reduce network latency.
• Custom Serialization: Support for custom serialization for more complex data types.

Things to Consider

1. Performance Testing: Test and optimize network performance.
2. Scenarios: Ensure every scene and scenario works properly.
3. Proper Usage: Pay attention to use ServerRpc and ClientRpc methods in the correct context.

Developing multiplayer games with FishNet Networking Evolved has never been this easy! With its convenience for starter projects and a strong infrastructure powerful enough to be used in professional games.