Dedicated Servers/ Netcode

[Fenna 0]

Can someone please explain what these mean and the advantages of them. Preferably the Netcode.

[KWAiRT 0]

Having a dedicated server frees up a tonne of resources and cpu time on the host machine. In effect the max player count should double and you should have a more consistent connection with the server. Hopefully the way they have it setup will allow us to join a game in progress. I wouldn't hold my breath for a Linux port or anything but if the netcode is good who knows the game might take off.  As far as netcode goes though if it's done right there should be no warping, no bouncing vehicles, no worries that your shots are not doing damage, no clients desyncing etc. Everyone should be seeing the EXACT same thing all moving in a smooth and natural way. If the netcode is really good we may even have a whole slew of options to tweak our connections. Things like upload packet rate and download packetrate. Client side prediction ect. Hopefully it will be ALOT more forgiving with high ping connections and we can ALL play togeather =)

[ALDEGA 0]

let's hope that they'll use compression for sending and receiving of data (like in the 1.29f Q3A patch). It could significantly increase the number of players, while still having a low-lag game.

[aunclesam 0]

yeah-i agree with the compression thing-i have just installed and played 1.29beta f of quake 3 and played it on the net.I have a 56k modem and get a ping of bout 170-220.I noticed not much difference in ping-but alot more stability.

Also-being able to join a game in progress would rock-and also a built in server browser like in ut and q3

[Unl33t 0]

Some modems/ISP's have problems with data compression

[dazmorg 0]

So will game play improve dramatically on a 56K After the improvements? and are we less likely to get the boot from places like game spy??

[Fenna 0]

Hopefully we won't need to use gamespy, because they might utilize stuff like they have in Counter-Strike.

[Mister Frag 0]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">Quote: from ALDEGA on 10:34 pm on Aug. 16, 2001

let's hope that they'll use compression for sending and receiving of data (like in the 1.29f Q3A patch). It could significantly increase the number of players, while still having a low-lag game.

<span id='postcolor'>

We don't know whether they already compress the data they are sending.

I looked at the DirectX 8.0 DirectPlay APIs and was surprised that Microsoft supports compression for voice, but apparently not for data. Optional transparent data compression would have made so much sense to be included in DX8.

[Guest]

/me can not wait for the day

[SiRB 0]

i think dedicated servers have been explained ok but a few good points have ben missed.

at the moment: to play a multiplayer game one of the players computers in the game has to basically "run" the game as a server as well as play the game.

This computer could have anything from a fast (T1+) connection down to a 56k modem. The faster the connection the "host" has, the faster the game will be for everyone else. Unless the host has a fast computer, everyone will be slowed down as their computer not only has to play the game (which slows down a lot of computers itself) but also run as the server. So basically, the slower the computer and connection, the worse it will be for everyone else. That 1 player also has a lot of power, if he wants to quit he will more than likely just exit and cut everyone off, end of game for everyone.

when we have dedicated servers: an isp or anyone with a really fast computer/connection can set up a machine to do nothing but host games, they won't have to be playing the game and configuring everything, they just basically run the dedicated server client and walk away.

When you play most multiplayer games, thats whats happening, everyone is connecting to a permanent dedicated server that isn't a player in the game.

If an ISP or whatever in your area sets up a permanent dedicated server on a decent connection, you won't have to use gamespy, OFP can just connect to that server and off you go, fast low ping game.

Dedicated servers are a MUST. They will help a lot for LAN games as well, install it on the worst machine there and off you go. Dedicated servers usually don't take a lot of CPU power as they are not actually playing the game, they are just keeping track of what everyone else is doing, where everyone is, who's shooting, who's hit, who's dead etc etc and relaying that information to each computer connected to it. ISP's that run game servers often have multiple dedicated servers running on 1 fast machine.

So basically, they will be something that ISP's, hopefully BI or anyone with a fast connection can set up to allow other people to have fast games.

[Roach 0]

Just thought I'd mention a few things on top of what other have mentioned in this thread. One being the difference of peer-to-peer connection and a server/client based connection. (And since I don't know for sure exactly how OFP is sending information in multiplayer, the following is mostly theory)

In peer-to-peer connections like OFP uses now, machines are passing information back and forth between each other, more information then is needed. No one machine has control over what is going on in the game world. Instead, your machine is trying to tell all the other machines in the game what is going on in your game, while their machines are trying to send the same information to you.

Another problem that I've experienced in peer-to-peer style connections is information flooding. Unless there is a way to limit the amount of data broadband users send to 56k modem users, the 56k modem will be flooded with more information then it can handle at one time.

With a server/client based connection there is one machine that dictates what is really happening in the game, and that is the server. All the other client machines will send the players movements and actions to the server. The server tells the clients what the results are. In this method the client is only sending information back and forth between his computer and the server, which is much more efficient then sending that information to everyone connected.

That is my basic (but probably somewhat close to accurate) understanding of servers, clients and connection types. Netcode refers to the way in which data is sent between the connected machines. I don't know much about that stuff, like client side prediction etc.

[WReCK 0]

not really teh peer to peer is the same your comp does have control over the gaem and everyone plays to your machine . your machine has the "real" world on it andeveryone is just trying to keep up to yours.

[Vsog Wedge 0]

Have they mentioned at all if they will support a Linux port for a dedicated server? I remember seeing they weren't going to, but I hope they have seen that, that would be a mistake. Linux servers tend to be more reliable and run more efficient than Windows.

[BadRespawn 0]

net code:

the part of the game that makes multi player possible. it's in there already, obviously, but it could use some improvements. it seems BIS is/was working on that.

practical advantages of dedicated server:

-(usualy) those are up 24/7

-are on a network connection that can actualy handle a large number of players

-no trouble finding a server to play on (if the game is even remotely popular)

-it's more efficient because it is not -also- a client

games like Counter Strike, Unreal, Quake etc all use dedicated server for multiplay. there are literaly thousands upon thousands of those servers always available, just waiting for gamers to connect.

check www.theclq.com: for all fps/action games (including Tribes, etc) there are some half a million dedicated servers with over 10 million players. recently the theclq tracking system failed so these numbers are probably on the low side..

all im trying to say is that these days for this type of game you can't do without serious dedicated server support (that includes ded. server for linux..)

while i'm at it: we need more 'drop-in' / 'join game in progress' - games... Dont't want to wait half an hour for a game to 'open' so that i can actualy go and play it.

[Assassin 6 0]

Got most of what everyone was saying, but I have two questions. First will a cable connection be fast enough on a dedicated server. I saw mention of a T1+ connection but to my knowledge the next thing up is T3. Second I saw mention of linux, is it necessary to have server software on the computer you setup or can it be a non server cpu(windows ME) and setup to serve as didcated server. i know windows drains a lot from the CPU but just asking. Have no linux knowledge but am interested in purchasing a server for teh game, only if it is worht it. that is connection is fast enough

[Vsog Wedge 0]

On your cable connection question, most of the time it's not enough to host a lot of people. It really depends on your upload rate. Most of the time cable connections have great download, but the cable companies limit the upload rate. On your second question, you have to have the game software along with the OS.

[SiRB 0]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">Quote: from Assassin 6 on 8:22 am on Aug. 22, 2001

Got most of what everyone was saying, but I have two questions.  First will a cable connection be fast enough on a dedicated server.  I saw mention of a T1+ connection but to my knowledge the next thing up is T3.  Second I saw mention of linux, is it necessary to have server software on the computer you setup or can it be a non server cpu(windows ME) and setup to serve as didcated server.  i know windows drains a lot from the CPU but just asking.  Have no linux knowledge but am interested in purchasing a server for teh game, only if it is worht it.  that is connection is fast enough

<span id='postcolor'>

It was me talking about T1+, in reference to large scale games. To be able to run as a server, your connection will have to be able to both upload and download at a decent rate, for example my cable modem can only upload at 14k/s, which would not be enough to host a large game. At a guess, I could host a 4 player (modem) game smoothly I'd say but no more before there was some speed degredation.

There is no such thing as a "server cpu", a cpu is a cpu, the linux question is relating to the fact that many of the servers with fast connections around the world run linux as their operating system, which means that if BI only release a windows server, they won't be able to run it (easily). But yeah, your right when you say windows draws a few more ponies from the cpu than linux but not to the point of not being able to run a server.  A well written dedicated server client should run out of bandwidth before it runs out of CPU grunt on all but the most modest CPU's. (ISP's often run multiple dedicated servers at the same time for different games on one CPU).

[ALDEGA 0]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">Quote: from Unl33t on 12:44 pm on Aug. 17, 2001

Some modems/ISP's have problems with data compression

<span id='postcolor'>

The developers can implement compression in OF. It's not modem data compression.

[Fenna 0]

thank you people for replying, i no longer am dumb i nthe art of dedicated servers/netcode.

[Rax 0]

Any Americans who bought US version already knw how many people can join???