Grapple (network layer)
Encyclopedia
Grapple is a free software
package for adding multiplayer support to computer games and applications
. It uses Internet protocols
, supporting both TCP/IP
and UDP/IP
. It is intended to be simple enough that multiplayer
features can be added to a game "as little as a dozen lines of code",
but also offers advanced features if desired.
Grapple takes care of creating, monitoring and closing connections to a server, and supports multiple servers. It is a message-oriented system, with clients and servers each having a message queue; it can also relay messages from client to client. It also provides a fully functional lobby system.
The package was created in 2006 by Michael Simms
of Linux Game Publishing
.
It is released under the GNU LGPL
.
Free software
Free software, software libre or libre software is software that can be used, studied, and modified without restriction, and which can be copied and redistributed in modified or unmodified form either without restriction, or with restrictions that only ensure that further recipients can also do...
package for adding multiplayer support to computer games and applications
Application software
Application software, also known as an application or an "app", is computer software designed to help the user to perform specific tasks. Examples include enterprise software, accounting software, office suites, graphics software and media players. Many application programs deal principally with...
. It uses Internet protocols
Internet protocol suite
The Internet protocol suite is the set of communications protocols used for the Internet and other similar networks. It is commonly known as TCP/IP from its most important protocols: Transmission Control Protocol and Internet Protocol , which were the first networking protocols defined in this...
, supporting both TCP/IP
Transmission Control Protocol
The Transmission Control Protocol is one of the core protocols of the Internet Protocol Suite. TCP is one of the two original components of the suite, complementing the Internet Protocol , and therefore the entire suite is commonly referred to as TCP/IP...
and UDP/IP
User Datagram Protocol
The User Datagram Protocol is one of the core members of the Internet Protocol Suite, the set of network protocols used for the Internet. With UDP, computer applications can send messages, in this case referred to as datagrams, to other hosts on an Internet Protocol network without requiring...
. It is intended to be simple enough that multiplayer
features can be added to a game "as little as a dozen lines of code",
but also offers advanced features if desired.
Grapple takes care of creating, monitoring and closing connections to a server, and supports multiple servers. It is a message-oriented system, with clients and servers each having a message queue; it can also relay messages from client to client. It also provides a fully functional lobby system.
The package was created in 2006 by Michael Simms
Michael Simms (software developer)
Michael Simms is the creator of the Tux Games website and the founder of Linux Game Publishing.- Biography :Simms began using Linux when he was at university in 1992. From 2000 — 2001 he worked at Wcities as Lead product architect....
of Linux Game Publishing
Linux Game Publishing
Linux Game Publishing is a software company based in Nottingham in England. It ports, publishes and sells video games running on Linux operating systems. As well as porting games, LGP also sponsors the development of Grapple, a free software network library for games...
.
It is released under the GNU LGPL
GNU Lesser General Public License
The GNU Lesser General Public License or LGPL is a free software license published by the Free Software Foundation . It was designed as a compromise between the strong-copyleft GNU General Public License or GPL and permissive licenses such as the BSD licenses and the MIT License...
.
Features
The features grapple supports at this time is:- Simple client-server networking
- Keeps all clients aware of all other clients
- Network messaging by either a push or a pull model, or a mixture of both
- Unlimited connections to multiple servers.
- Multiple methods of querying users
- Data transfer via TCP, UDP, or reliable UDP
- Passworded servers
- User Groups for client bandwidth saving
- Server security - server can disconnect any client
- Network load reacting data transmission and retransmission
- Background pinging to monitor network states
- A fully functional lobby system
- Server failover
- NATNetwork address translationIn computer networking, network address translation is the process of modifying IP address information in IP packet headers while in transit across a traffic routing device....
traversal using STUNSTUNSTUN is a standardized set of methods, including a network protocol, used in NAT traversal for applications of real-time voice, video, messaging, and other interactive IP communications....
Games using Grapple
- Ballistics (Linux Version) by Linux Game PublishingLinux Game PublishingLinux Game Publishing is a software company based in Nottingham in England. It ports, publishes and sells video games running on Linux operating systems. As well as porting games, LGP also sponsors the development of Grapple, a free software network library for games...
- Candy Cruncher (Linux Version) by Linux Game PublishingLinux Game PublishingLinux Game Publishing is a software company based in Nottingham in England. It ports, publishes and sells video games running on Linux operating systems. As well as porting games, LGP also sponsors the development of Grapple, a free software network library for games...
- Jets'n'GunsJets'n'GunsJets'n'Guns is a 2D, side-scrolling shoot 'em up computer game released in late 2004 for Microsoft Windows by RakeInGrass software. In April 2006, a version for Mac OS X was released. In December 2006 an expansion, Jets'n'Guns Gold, was released...
(Linux Version) by Linux Game PublishingLinux Game PublishingLinux Game Publishing is a software company based in Nottingham in England. It ports, publishes and sells video games running on Linux operating systems. As well as porting games, LGP also sponsors the development of Grapple, a free software network library for games... - Knights and Merchants: The Shattered KingdomKnights and Merchants: The Shattered KingdomKnights and Merchants: The Shattered Kingdom is a medieval-time based Real-time strategy game.It was developed by Joymania Entertainment and published by TopWare Interactive in 1998. The player takes the role of the captain of the palace guards and leads the soldiers and citizens to victory...
(Linux Version) by Linux Game PublishingLinux Game PublishingLinux Game Publishing is a software company based in Nottingham in England. It ports, publishes and sells video games running on Linux operating systems. As well as porting games, LGP also sponsors the development of Grapple, a free software network library for games... - Majesty: Gold EditionMajesty: The Fantasy Kingdom Sim-External links:**...
(Linux Version) by Linux Game PublishingLinux Game PublishingLinux Game Publishing is a software company based in Nottingham in England. It ports, publishes and sells video games running on Linux operating systems. As well as porting games, LGP also sponsors the development of Grapple, a free software network library for games... - Sacred: Gold (Linux Version) by Linux Game PublishingLinux Game PublishingLinux Game Publishing is a software company based in Nottingham in England. It ports, publishes and sells video games running on Linux operating systems. As well as porting games, LGP also sponsors the development of Grapple, a free software network library for games...