I am suuuuper lost trying to setup multiplayer in UE 5.3
A few years back, in 4.22, I setup (relatively easily, with blueprint only, no C++ or compiling) multiplayer using the steam subsystem.
I am now using 5.3, and trying to get a very simple multiplayer setup and was not able to do what I did before to get the Steam Subsystem to work.
I have watched tutorials, videos, overviews, read through documentation etc. and cannot figure things out. And to make things worse, it is even more confusing trying to sort out EOS information and the new Online Services information.
I am simply trying to Create a session on a listen server, find and join that listen server from a client using the standalone player in editor like I did before on my 4.22 project.
If I can do this, I can start testing the multiplayer functionality. It was easy with the Steam Subsystem, but now from info I find, I now have to use visual studio and do some compiling to be able to do what I did before.
I am a solo dev, and I am tryigng to get a working prototype to get a kickstarter started or some form of funding so I can then pay programmers to do things proper, and I don’t have time to delve into learning or implementing C++, and need blueprint only.
Is this not impossible in 5.3 with Online Services? I know the backend is free, I know there are EOS Marketplace solutions (expensive) and I know there isRedpoint EOS Free Version (Which still requires an account with them, going through some license manager etc.) which i would much prefer to avoid, not to mention I would STILL need to purchase the blueprint version.
These solutions might/should be a viable option if my project goes into full production and not a prototype. My project is also EXTREMELY simple, does not require complex online game mechanics (Simply spawning actors to represent players, allow players to have a camera in the world, and allow the host to mov actors in world etc. Very simple stuff. No Complex Network communication. (The project is a Table-Top RPG tool for game master to use like some of the free 2d versions available, but in 3d and in Unreal Engine instead).
It seems to me, now with Online Services, logins are required etc. which I have not had to deal with before. My friends could login to steam, find my session and join easily. On my code side, all I had to do was setup a user interface to create a session and find/join a session. I cannot do that now unless it seems I recompile engine to be able to use the steam subsystem like I did before.
Am I missing something here? Should I be able to setup my product, client, sandbox, groups etc. in the Dev Portal, and then be able to Create, Find and Join without C++ or compiling? And be able to test multiplayer code using PIE or Standalone to test a listen server? Or would I need 2 PCs and 2 EOS accounts?