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.
