Java EE (Java Enterprise Edition) General Discussion

Hi all Java folks!

Few questions about Java web development, please help! :)

I'm developing a simple entertainment applet for a company project web-page. This applet will be a little game, with a server side component for keeping a high-score list. The intention is that people surf to the page, use the applet's form for login, play and then submit their score to the server. The high-scores would be visible on the web page.

I understand the client must be an applet so it can be run on a browser. But should the server side program be a servlet (so the web host on whose computer the gameserver is run can set its privileges)? Or is it OK to offer a stand-alone program?

My questions:

1. Should the server side program be a servlet? (J2EE GenericServlet)

2. Does the host need Java Web Server or some other special software to run servlets?

3. How can I test-run my server? Do I need to setup a (mock) web server?

4. Can I make a GUI control panel for the servlet?

5. Is using sockets ok for client/server communication? Should I create the (server side) socket listening thread in the servlet init() method or where? What about Servlet.service()?

6. Security/cheating. How can I make certain the highscore packets received by the server are actual game highscore packets from the applet and not just constructed by 3rd party code? Considering that the client can be reverse-engineered with javap and the sort.

Thanks for taking the time to read! And please, keep the replies understandable as I'm quite new to applets and really n00b at servlets!
THANKS!

bevel