RailsGame Feature Comparison

RailsGame Features

• Uses similar programming models for game and web content
• Allows playing directly on the web page with no custom client to download
• Avoids constant AJAX polling by using server-push technology

Advantages over Standard Browser Games

• Highly interactive and bidirectional
• Move more of the load to Ruby on Rails rather than JavaScript
• Easy to write database-backed and highly multiplayer scenarios

Disadvantages from Standard Browser Games

• Needs a more capable hosting service
• Requires more server-side resources
• More complex programming model with more languages and formats

Advantages over Flash

• Ruby and ActiveRecord rather than ActionScript
• Easy server-side dynamic content
• Easy connection to many other clients and to databases
• Free, open, well-documented components for authoring

Disadvantages from Flash

• More complex programming model with more languages and formats
• No standard freeform drawing APIs

Advantages over MUDs

• Richer content than telnet
• No custom client download for extra features
• Uses standard programming languages and formats
• More and better external libraries through Ruby
• Standardized components like Rails and Juggernaut

Disadvantages from MUDs

• More complex programming model with more languages and formats
• Harder to set up server
• No good protected scripting model (yet?)

More Details:

• Source Code and Downloads
• Architecture
• Protocol for Game Servers
• Security
• Game Server Design