Dev Blog 2 – Steps 8-17: Setting up Networking

Date: December 22, 2025

Article: Dev-02

TLDR

• Completed Milestone 1 (M1) with a working networked setup (host + clients + GM console).
• Finished the first version of the Player HUD, wired into the live game state.
• Stabilized performance in test scenes while pushing toward high, consistent framerates.
• Currently realigning the scenes in Unity so each one has a clear role: Host, Player Client, and GM Console.
• Milestone 2 (spatial mapping) is still postponed until I can get the required headset and spatial cameras

Milestones from Steps 8-17

These steps have been all about turning the early prototype into a proper, network-aware foundation that players can eventually stand on.

Here’s what’s been completed:

• Telemetry integrated for this phase
  The logging backbone set up in M0 is now connected into the new networked flow. The host can track key runtime stats during a test session, which will later help with balancing, AI “director” behavior, and overall performance tuning.
• Performance and stability tests at high frame rates
  I’ve run repeated tests to keep the prototype scene stable at high FPS targets on my dev machine. The exact numbers will evolve with hardware, but the focus is clear: keep things smooth enough that attacks, enemy movement, and hit detection feel responsive.
• Networking system set up for a local host
  A basic host/clients model is now in place. One machine runs as the authoritative host, and player clients connect into it. This is the backbone for fair, synchronized multiplayer in Shattered Bounds: Battlegrounds.
• Functioning GM console connected to the host
  The Game Master (GM) console can now talk to the host, monitor what’s happening, and trigger key controls like Emergency Stop. This is critical for safety when real people are in the arena.
• First-pass Player HUD completed
  The initial Player HUD is now up and running. It hooks into the networked game state so players can see essential information (like their status and session context) while they play. This will evolve, but the basic “player-facing layer” is finally there.
• Successful tests with Host + GM + two test players
  I’ve run end-to-end tests with:
  • One host,
  • One GM console,
  • Two player clients.
    These are still internal tests, but it’s the first time the full loop—host, GM oversight, and multiple players—has been exercised together.

Where Things Stand Right Now

With Milestone 1 finished, SB: Battlegrounds now has:

• An authoritative host managing the game state,
• A GM console plugged into that host for safety and control,
• Player clients that can join, play, and be monitored,
• A first version of the Player HUD that makes the experience legible from the player’s point of view.

The current focus is on realigning scenes into their proper roles. During early experimentation, it was easy to let everything live in one “does-it-all” scene. Now I’m:

• Separating the Host scene (game state, enemy control, telemetry).
• Cleaning up the Player Client scene (what an individual player actually loads and sees).
• Isolating the GM Console scene (tools and overlays for overseeing a session).

This cleanup is not glamorous work, but it’s important. Clear boundaries now mean less pain later when I start layering in more systems, more players, and eventually more arenas.

Meanwhile, Milestone 2 (spatial mapping) is still on hold. To meaningfully move forward on mapping real spaces and testing in mixed reality, I need to secure:

• A mixed reality headset,
• Two spatial cameras.

Until those are in place, I’m focusing on everything I can build and polish on the current hardware: networking, HUD/UI, GM tools, and the underlying logic.

Current Challenges (Technical and Personal)

Two big constraints continue to shape the pace of development:

• Budget
  There’s still a funding gap for:
  • The first mixed reality headset,
  • Spatial cameras,
  • Weapon controller prototyping.
    Those are all essential for the next major jump (spatial mapping + real-world playtests), but they’re not in reach yet.
• Time
  Family comes first, which means development happens in the gaps—nights, weekends, and the odd quiet pocket of time. Free time fluctuates, and so does progress speed, but the project keeps moving forward step by step.

Even so, Steps 8–17 have been a meaningful turning point:
SB: Battlegrounds has moved from “single-machine sandbox” to a small, networked environment with real roles—host, GM, and players—and a HUD that actually shows something worth looking at.

Next up: finish the scene realignment, refine the Player HUD as testing continues, and keep preparing the codebase so that when hardware arrives, the shift into spatial mapping and controller integration is as smooth as possible.