Online play
Here, we'll take a look at one type of online play: asynchronous turn-based play. Just like in video games, this style appears in real life. Consider playing football versus playing chess. In football, everyone on the field is playing simultaneously; there is no waiting involved, except between plays, when everyone is waiting. This is synchronous play. Conversely, in chess, after you make a decision and move a piece on the board, you cannot do so again until your opponent has done the same. You can survey the board and devise your strategy, but until it is your turn once again, you cannot play. This is asynchronous play. Using our newfound knowledge of networking, let's use GameMaker to simulate some turn-based play.
Setting up asynchronous play for a turn-based game