If the virtual world has 30,000 players, do I need to send 30,000 transformation and collision messages to all 30,000 players?
When designing the backend, it’s possible to filter out unnecessary messages and retain only the relevant ones — for example, you might want to hear what your friends are saying, but not random strangers in distant parts of the world.
However, if we stick to a fixed “300-people-per-room” structure, social interaction can become difficult. Say you have three friends, but each of them is in a different room — which room should you join when you log in? If your current room is full and your friend wants to play with you, would both of you need to switch to another room? And what about your friend’s friends?
Facebook’s design allows social circles to easily connect and expand — people can discover mutual friends and build networks. What we’re building works in a similar way. By allowing rooms to scale infinitely, there’s no need to break up social connections. Everyone can stay together in the same world.