Travel Overview

• A user or users traveling to a destination within an app
• A user receiving an invite and successfully arriving at a destination in an app

• The travel concept and how it enhances user experiences in your app
• How implementing travel enables smooth multiplayer party experiences
• Which Meta Platform features work together to enable travel for your app
• How users can group and travel to a destination in a party

1. Open Meta Horizon Developer Center.
2. Select your app.
3. Click Engagement > Destinations.
4. Click either Create Multiple Destinations or Create a Single Destination.

• Alice A launches the app.
  • When the application is launched normally and not in response to an invitation, an event sets the user’s group presence information.
    • The destination API name to the default destination “Lobby” and map.
    • Since Alice is going to the lobby and she doesn’t yet have her session lobby ID set yet, a new random ID is created. For this example will use “Lobby_123”. The match session ID is cleared.
  • The next step is to establish the transport layer using Photon. We simply join-or-create a room with the same name as her lobby session ID: “Lobby_123”. In this case since we just created this new name, she will be the first one in the room and it is created for her.
  • Now at the UE4 level, since she is the master client of her Photon room, she starts hosting the UE4 server on her headset.
• Alice sends an invite to Bob to come join her in lobby_123.
  • Bob receives the invite, whether in game or in Horizon Home.
  • When Bob accepts the invitation, the application is launched with a deeplink containing Alice’s group presence, complete with her current destination “Lobby”, lobby session “Lobby_123”, and no match ID.
  • Bob’s group presence is updated to use that same destination. Since this is an invitation to join a lobby, we also update Bob’s lobby ID to be the same as Alice’s.
  • At the Photon level, the exact same flow is followed by Bob: he tries to create-or-join a room called “Lobby_123”. Since it already exists, he simply joins it as a normal client.
  • At the Unreal Engine level, the application connects him to Alice (the current Photon room master client) as a normal client.

• Bob walks into the blue room.
  • His match ID is set to the blue room’s ID. This private room ID is derived from the lobby it is attached to, for example, BlueRoom_for_lobby_123.
    • The blue room is a private room associated with Alice’s lobby, lobby_123.
    • People in a specific lobby can join any attached private rooms. 1. Bob joins the room, which creates or joins the Photon room named after his match session ID. 2. Being the first person in that room, a Photon room is created for him, and that makes him the current master client, so he is the one who hosts the corresponding UE4 server on his headset. (UE4) specific 3. Starts the server, and becomes the first client of server. Finds the starter position.
• Alice walks into the blue room.
  • Her match ID is set to the blue room’s ID BlueRoom_for_lobby_123.
  • She connects to Bob’s server because Bob is now the host. (UE4)
  • She is now copresent with Bob.
  • They share the same lobby ID lobby_123 and match ID BlueRoom_for_lobby_123.

• In the blue room, Alice opens the roster.
  • She and Bob are represented on the same team, because they have the same lobby ID lobby_123.
• Alice clicks on the invite button at the bottom of the Roster panel, which opens the invite panel.
• She then selects Charlie from the Invite panel.
• Charlie receives and accepts the invitation from anywhere in the Meta Quest headset.
  • A GroupPresenceJoinIntent is received that is used to set Destination API name, lobby ID, and match ID based on the invite.
  • This raises the NetworkLaunch custom event. Because this launch was started thanks to an invitation, it uses a deeplink message with information about the “Blue Room” destination, lobby lobby_123, and match BlueRoom_for_lobby_123 Information.
  • Since this is an invitation to a match, Charlie’s group presence is updated with the destination and lobby information.
  • However Charlie’s lobby session ID is not changed. He keeps the one he already has, and if he doesn’t have one already, a new random one is generated. His lobby session is therefore different than the one shared by Bob and Alice (e.g. “Lobby_456”).
  • By connecting to the Photon room named BlueRoom_for_Lobby_123, Charlie is notified that Bob is the host. Charlie connects to Bob.
  • Alice, Bob, and Charlie are copresent in the blue room.

• They leave the blue room and return to the lobby.
  • Their match IDs are set to null.
  • Alice and Bob return to Alice’s lobby with the shared lobby ID lobby_123.
  • Charlie returns to his unique lobby ID lobby_456 alone.
• Alice sends an invite to Charlie from her lobby. She wants them to travel together across multiple matches, and return to the same lobby.
  • Charlie accepts the invite.
  • A GroupPresenceJoinIntent is received that is used to set group presence information.
    • The destination API name, lobby ID lobby_123, and match ID based on the invite deep link message.
    • This updates Bob’s group presence lobby ID to Alice’s lobby ID lobby_123.
    • This associates him with the Photon room.
  • Charlie’s group presence is now updated so that his lobby ID matches hers and Bob’s.
  • Alice, Bob, and Charlie are copresent in the lobby, and can now join matches together and return to the same lobby afterward.

• Alice sees that Bob is currently in a game lobby via his group presence reporting his current destination on the friend’s list
• Bob is currently in a game state that is not joinable, so his group presence is_joinable is set to false
  • Because Bob’s is joinable is set to false, Alice cannot join Bob at his current destination and Alice.
• If Bob is in a destination that can be joined while a match or session is in progress, his is_joinable can remain set to true
  • When Alice attempts to join a GroupPresenceJoinIntent is received for Bob’s current destination
    • Bob’s current game session is paused and he and any additional party members are sent back to their lobby
    • Alice joins the room and her lobby ID is set to match Bob’s lobby ID
  • Alice is now copresent with Bob and any other members in the lobby
  • Alice and Bob can now proceed with a game or app experience together as a group