Engine-agnostic

Networking Overview

martini-kit is transport-agnostic - your game logic works with any networking backend. This guide helps you choose the right transport and understand networking concepts.

Transport Options

LocalTransport (Development)

Best for: Local testing, development, CI/CD

import { LocalTransport } from '@martini-kit/transport-local';

const transport = new LocalTransport({
  roomId: 'test-room',
  isHost: true
});

Pros:

✅ No server needed
✅ Test multiplayer in multiple tabs
✅ Fast iteration

Cons:

❌ Only works on same machine
❌ Not for production

Learn more →

TrysteroTransport (P2P Production)

Best for: Casual games, 2-8 players, no server costs

import { TrysteroTransport } from '@martini-kit/transport-trystero';

const transport = new TrysteroTransport({
  appId: 'my-game-v1',
  roomId: getRoomCode(),
  isHost: determineIfHost()
});

Pros:

✅ No server costs
✅ Low latency (direct P2P)
✅ Easy deployment (static hosting)

Cons:

❌ NAT traversal issues (some networks block P2P)
❌ Host has all power (cheating concerns)
❌ Host migration complexity

Learn more →

WebSocket Server (Client-Server)

Best for: Competitive games, 10+ players, anti-cheat

// Custom WebSocket transport
const transport = new WebSocketTransport({
  url: 'wss://your-server.com',
  roomId: 'game-123'
});

Pros:

✅ Server-authoritative (anti-cheat)
✅ Reliable connections
✅ Host never disconnects
✅ Scales to many players

Cons:

❌ Server hosting costs
❌ Requires backend infrastructure
❌ Latency depends on server location

Learn more →

IframeBridge (IDE Integration)

Best for: Embedded games, IDE previews

import { IframeBridgeTransport } from '@martini-kit/transport-iframe-bridge';

const transport = new IframeBridgeTransport({
  isHost: window.parent !== window
});

Learn more →

Choosing a Transport

Decision Tree

Do you need production deployment?
├─ No → LocalTransport
└─ Yes
   ├─ Is it a casual game (2-8 players)?
   │  └─ Yes → TrysteroTransport (P2P)
   └─ Is it competitive or 10+ players?
      └─ Yes → WebSocket Server

Comparison Table

Feature	Local	Trystero (P2P)	WebSocket
Cost	Free	Free	$$ (server)
Latency	0ms	Low (direct)	Medium (server hop)
Players	2-4	2-8	10+
Anti-cheat	❌	❌	✅
NAT issues	❌	⚠️ Sometimes	❌
Setup	Easy	Easy	Complex

Detailed comparison →

Key Concepts

Host vs Client

Host: Runs the authoritative game simulation
Client: Receives state updates, mirrors host

The transport layer handles identifying who is the host.

Room Codes

Most transports use room codes to group players:

// Generate room code
const roomId = Math.random().toString(36).substring(2, 8).toUpperCase();

// Share with other players
const shareableLink = `${window.location.origin}?room=${roomId}`;

State Synchronization

martini-kit automatically syncs state via the transport:

Host: state change → transport.send(diff) → Client: apply diff

You never call transport.send() directly - martini-kit handles it.

Next Steps

Choosing a Transport → - Detailed comparison
Local Testing → - Development workflow
Security → - Best practices for production