how to: multiplayer game connecting to central server effectively?

[webmaster]

hi,
I struggle for some days about a "model" for a multiplayer game application.
I read so much from my enemy Google, i got lost by all that info and dont know which path i should chose.

a multiplayer game application, sending/receiving instantly every change in the game to a central webserver, http://www.xxxxx.com, probably via socket connection?

which system/module should i use for this contineous connection and where can i find a good tutorial, which a beginner like me can understand a bit? (i have read too many too complicated/technical artickles, but no nice tutorials).

i have tried and accompished an urllib connection, with get and post variabels, but that will be polling, with all the http-overhead for every poll. I think this is also to slow and no "real" updating of the game status.

Thanks in advance for any hint/tutorial i get

 

[John Gordon]

i have tried and accompished an urllib connection, with get and post
variabels, but that will be polling, with all the http-overhead for every
poll. I think this is also to slow and no "real" updating of the game status.

Http can still work, depending on what kind of game it is. For example
a game where only the current player can make decisions and the other
players just sit and watch (like Risk), or a game where each player submits
a move and the server applies the game rules to resolve the outcome (like
Rock-Scissors-Paper).

But a truly interactive game would probably require something more, like
an active socket connection.

 

[webmaster]

The idea is a risk game application and data collected and controlled by a gameserver, which happens to be a webserver too.
But for learning the principles, i want to start with tic-tac-toe multiplayer.


Thanks for your answers, I will read all your advices first now.