Web-based game in Python + Django and client browser polling
- by ty
I am creating a text-based game that implements a basic model in which multiple (10+) players interact with data and one moderator watches them and sets certain environmental statistics that affect gameplay.
Recently I have begun to familiarize myself with Django. It seems to me that it would be an excellent tool for creating a game quickly, particularly because the nature of my game depends largely on sets of data (which lends itself quite well to a database).
I am wondering how to "push" changes made by the game moderator to the players (for example, the moderator can decide to display an image to all players). The game is turn-based, not real-time, but certain messages need to be pushed out in roughly real-time.
My thoughts: I could have each player's browser poll a status periodically (say, every 30 seconds) to see if there is a message from a moderator. But this forces a lag and means different players might receive it at different times. And reducing this interval to <10 seems like a bad idea for the server.
Is there a better way to inform clients of changes? Would you suggest something other than using a web framework like Django?
Thanks!
