Introduction to Extend
Introduction
The Extend service add-on from AccelByte Gaming Services (AGS) is a robust solution that allows developers to enhance and customize AGS functionalities through tailored app templates known as Extend apps. You can modify these apps to meet your game's unique requirements, enabling you to create applications that integrate seamlessly with AGS.
Key Features of Extend apps
With Extend apps, you can:
- Write server-side code in the programming language of your choice. Extend apps support multiple languages, such as Go, C#, Java, and Python.
- Rely on AccelByte for hosting and operational support.
- Maintain comprehensive visibility into server health through observability options offered by AccelByte, such as Grafana. For more information, see Extend Observability.
Types of Extend apps
The Extend service allows you to create three distinct types of apps, each serving different customization needs: Override, Service Extension, and Event Handler.
You can create multiple Extend apps within your namespace, which will all be hosted on a dedicated virtual machine (VM). This means each namespace with Extend apps will have its own VM, as VMs cannot be shared between namespaces. For pricing details regarding the Extend service, refer to the Extend pricing page.
Override apps
With Extend Override, you can modify existing AGS service behavior by implementing your custom logic. For example, you might want to create a new matchmaking implementation or adjust how loot box odds are calculated. Check out the Extend Override guide to learn more.
Service Extension apps
Extend Service Extension apps allow you to build your own custom services hosted by AccelByte. These services provide RESTful endpoints that your game can call. For instance, you might want to create a service to calculate player skills and rankings based on match results using your unique algorithms, and store those values as statistics. Additionally, you can fetch player data from external sources. Check out the Extend Service Extension guide to learn more.
Event Handler apps
Extend Event Handler apps let you listen for AGS events and execute custom logic when those events are triggered. For example, you can automatically grant in-game entitlements at the end of a season. Check out the Extend Event Handler guide to learn more.
Extend SDK
The Extend SDK is an integral part of the Extend package, designed to seamlessly connect your Extend apps with AccelByte Gaming Services (AGS). It offers essential functionalities, such as validating user tokens and retrieving user IDs, which are crucial for ensuring secure and efficient interactions within your applications.
To explore the full capabilities of the Extend SDK, refer to the following guides on GitHub:
Next step
To get started with Extend, check out the Extend app development requirements and recommendations article. This guide will walk you through the Extend app development workflow and outline the steps necessary to prepare your environment for creating Extend apps.
You can also check out the Extend app performance testing guide for an outline on the main considerations for performance testing Extend apps within the AGS framework.