JavaScript or Flash for multiplayer webgame?

I was recom开发者_JAVA百科mended these two languages as a good option for multiplayer web game development, but I don't know what are restrictions of these languages in terms of game development. I personally like JavaScript, but I'm not sure about client-server communication and security.

Game is going to be 2D turn based strategy.

Shortest answer: Flash.

Short answer: Flash is your best option at the moment, but it's entirely possible to make a good quality game with javascript, there's libraries out there that make the drawing part really easy.

Long answer: For action heavy games, such as a fast paced platformer or a fighting game, Flash is your best option. Flash is also the only option if you want to be able to sell your game to various portals, since they have not yet opened up the ability to license HTML5/Javascript games.

However, Javascript is a viable game development language. Angry Birds on Google+ (and in the chrome store) uses Javascript, and only uses Flash for audio. In fact, audio is currently the biggest challenge, and there's slowly more solutions to that as well. Combine that with stuff like socket.io and the emerging WebGL, and you've achieved parity with most Flash and Unity games.

That said, there are drawbacks to Javascript. Namely, it is much harder to protect the code from being stolen or hacked, and depending on various factors, you're cutting out a subset of users who might be running IE8 and below. There are solutions to these problems, and there is one major drawback of Flash (doesn't work on iOS), but generally, these should be pointed out.

if to be short, it's too hard to draw via javascript. So if you game deals with graphics or animation, it better to use actionscript. IMHO, actionscript is the best if you want to design browser game, javascript will be needed to deal with browser only (if that'll be needed).

UPD: take a look at Haxe. It's multi-platform language. You can target both flash and JS on Haxe.

I would recommend Flash, unless you care about the iOS audience. Having a socket running in your multiplayer game is extremely valuable, and easy to accomplish. Meanwhile, unless you want to demand a specific browser from your users, the never ending headache of browser/platform incompatibility, especially in something as javascript intensive as a multiplayer game, makes Flash the obvious choice. And of course, performing animations is what flash is best at. Achieving similar results in HTML is in many cases impossible, but in all cases MUCH more work.

Oh, and welcome to Stack! :)

Go javascript. But you should look at http://socket.io/ if you go the javascript route