Should I write a small client-server game on node without express?

Question

Node.js

I decided to take up nodejs, figured out most of it, and now I want to practice writing a small client-server game for 10 people connected at the same time. Turn-based strategy or something like that.
But I ran into such a thing as express and its widespread use. It got to the point that people on the forums wrote they say: " That node without an express is fucking not needed, why is it needed at all then ?! ".
Is it true that everything is so bad and you need to learn express in order to start writing fully in nodejs?

Answer 1

There are a lot of alternatives, for example here with the nodeframework.com list or here https://github.com/sindresorhus/awesome-nodejs#web... , and express is a very controversial tool, for example habrahabr.ru/post/243945 and my habrahabr comment .ru/post/243945/#comment_8141311 And writing on a clean node for simple and highly optimized tasks is still the most efficient, but you need to prepare for the fact that there will be nothing of their box, you need to program with your head and hands.

Answer 2

On express, the light did not converge like a wedge, but like any other framework, it solves typical problems and allows you to organize the code. EMNIP, there are only 900 lines of code - not such an overhead that there was something to raise fuss about.
If you break the code correctly, then you can transfer it to a project without a framework (read: a project with a custom framework) without any problems.
Following the logic of such comrades, there is nothing to do in puff without symphony, in python without janga, and in ruby ​​without rails. Oh well.