User:Jamestheprogrammer/RakNet
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About RakNet
RakNet is a cross-platform, open-source, object-oriented networking library for C++ created by RakkarSoft. It is specialized for game development, and is available under three different licenses. It uses UDP for network communications, and supports Client/Server and P2P systems. Anyone can obtain a copy of RakNet under the GNU General Public License for free. However, linking it into your own source code, even with a static library or a DLL, would force your source code to be released under the GNU GPL, you can apply for a free Shareware or Commercial license. It is a very easy process to obtain a license. Simply fill out an easy-to-find form on the RakkarSoft website, and you'll probably receive a license sometime during the next few weeks.
Advantages Over DirectPlay
RakNet has many advantages over Microsoft's DirectPlay, the largest two being that RakNet is open-source, and that RakNet is cross-platform. However, it has a much nicer API as well. It generally takes less than an hour to integrate RakNet into a project. All you have to do is use the RakNetworkFactory class to create a RakServerInterface object in your server application, and a RakClientInterface object in your client application. If you want to use P2P, use RakPeerInterface. Looking back to DirectPlay, you have to deal with COM to create the basic interface, and then handle some mysterious structures buried deep within the DirectX SDK. And, of course, with DirectPlay, you're stuck with Windows. That would be fine for your game's client, but Linux would be a better server platform for most games, especially an MMORPG.