I think that the multiplayer side of OFP should be the main priority for the game developers if OFP is going to become the classic we all know it can be.
People have accused the developers of inserting a multiplayer feature as an after thought to what was originally a single player project. I tend to disagree with this...the way that you can skin your face so that everyone can see it without having to download it into your games folder...the way that the squad page works...and the way that the squad logo and title appears on vehicles I feel are quite inovative and show that some thought has gone into making the game look attractive to multiplayer gamers.
All these things although very nice, are just the icing on the cake. I'm sure that all of us would willingly sacrifice all these features if the netcode permitted large numbers of players to play WITHOUT LAG.
A feature that has been mentioned which I also feel is important is the ability of being able to join a multiplayer game that is already running...It is unfortunate that the developers have already said that they will not be developing this feature in the near future...OFP games take much longer to play than say CS and TO...PEOPLE WILL JUST NOT BE WILLING TO WAIT HALF AN HOUR JUST TO PLAY A GAME. I will refer to the game that most people use as a benchmark in mp gaming, Tribes 2...In this game the servers can run in two modes..."public mode" where individuals just log on for mindless fragging and playing...and "Tournament mode" in which all the gamers must be available before the match starts (used for squad gaming). In one of the posts, one of the developers mentioned that ofp favours team gaming...you are probably right...T2 is also like that...but the reality is that most of the gaming in games like t2, etc. occurs in public open servers and that running around like a headless chicken, killing anything who's name appears in red on the screen is fun too...
The *GiB* squad are lucky. Not only do we have very powerful computers that can act as servers, but we also have full ethernet network access to our isp, so dedicated server lag should not occur. We still do not have the dedicated server patch, but I guarantee you that we will have ofp dedicated servers as soon as it becomes available to us...we will also persist with the game as we enjoy playing it immensely...and try to get the mp game to work well.
If the multiplayer problems continue however...we'll be forced to scrap the servers...and use our hardware for games that are playable...which is a pity because that would mean that we'd stop playing what is essentially a brilliant game. I know that mods and campaigns are cropping up but don't count on those to maintain the ofp community if they are not playable in mp mode.
If OFP is going to become a cult game, and a classic, its the multiplayer feature and its ease of use that needs to be sorted out.
