Servers beyond gameplay.
WHAT THEY PROVIDE
Accounts and authentication Player profiles and progression Leaderboards Inventories and purchases Matchmaking Analytics Live configuration
WHY PROGRESSION BELONGS SERVER-SIDE
Client-stored progression can be modified.
WHAT THAT MATTERS FOR
Anything purchased, competitive, or shared between players.
WHAT LEADERBOARDS REQUIRE
Server validation of scores Detection of impossible results Handling of the volume of submissions
WHY VALIDATION MATTERS
Unvalidated leaderboards fill with falsified scores immediately.
WHAT INVENTORY SYSTEMS REQUIRE
Server authority over what a player owns Transactional grant and consumption An audit trail
WHY THE AUDIT TRAIL
Disputes about lost items are common, and unanswerable without it.
WHAT TO PLAN
Cost, which scales with players and continues after purchase revenue stops.
WHAT TO CONSIDER
Managed game backend services, which remove most of the work.
WHAT THEY COST
Per-player charges, and dependence.
WHAT TO ESTABLISH
What happens to player data if you shut services down.
WHAT TO COMMUNICATE
Any planned shutdown, well in advance.
