Servers

[Vitriol]

Xenimus I think has suffered because of EJ's monopoly on the server code. Wouldnt it be a good idea to distribute the server and just maintain a master server that keeps a list of server IPs and gives that list to clients? (Think Half-Life style server list)

Of course it should be possible to protect a server by password or registration. (so if someone wants to make a pay server they can)
Characters should be stored server side of course.

[thadiusofx3]

Personally, I don't think distributing a server would be a good idea.
My main points against it are:
1. Would split up the community because everyone would be split between a dozen servers instead of 1-2 main ones.
2. Would not be fair if someone started a server and made people pay because they didn't do all of the hard work to code it, model, etc.

[Vitriol]

noted. I still think it would be good for the community because we could distribute load and prevent overcrowding. With few enough people, it wouldnt be necessary to charge people to play.

[thadiusofx3]

If the slots on a server become full, then a new server could be opened.

Another idea that would be harder to implement would be having several servers that share the load between them to make one large server, but like i said this would be more difficult.

[Karl G.]

The point at which distributed servers is a good idea is when a game becomes very, very popular. However, at that point, pay-to-play becomes a good idea, and the money from that can be used to buy commercial servers anyway. I've successfully hosted 16-player games on code I've written on the internet from my old PC without lag (I have a fiber optic connection at home), so I think that would be suitable for the mean time.

[Vitriol]

Karl what do you think about disributing the server?

[Karl G.]

Do you mean server source-code or the server programs?

[Eiffel]

can you just make one big bum server to hold every one. make it pk.

[Karl G.]

Yes, that would be what happens first.

[Eiffel]

i also read a "xenimus hardcore" idead i liked. like one server just like xencon with ultimate drops and all that just for fun. =)

[Vitriol]

Do you mean server source-code or the server programs?

the program, not the source code.

[Karl G.]

It's possible that the server program could be distributed. The only issues would be version compatibility.

[Eiffel]

annnnd, ya lost me.

[Karl G.]

Let's say someone downloads version 1.43 of PV, and tries to connect to a server running 1.44. Let's say 1.44 introduced a brand new monster that isn't in 1.43. When someone goes into an area with that monster that doesn't exist in their version of the client, stuff breaks.

[thadiusofx3]

simple version checking on the part of the server would prevent that, like EJ has, if your client version does not match the server version it won't let you play

[Eiffel]

is there a way of making it so you cant play on v 1.43 unless you download v 1.44. if you realeased the update that is.

[Karl G.]

Yeah, but then I'd have to keep multiple clients and servers hosted, and things might get confusing.

[Eiffel]

ahh, so something like a message once we log into the game like:

User presses "Log in"

and a message will come up that says, download the latest update before continue play. or something... =p