Unofficial Server
An Unofficial Server License, for third party control and moderation support.
Hello.
I was wondering if anyone at VR could address questions about a server that is run by a third party.
In years gone by one of the things I miss is the servers for multiplayer games being run and operated by small communities of people. This allowed players to play in an area where there weas a strong moderation and oversight. Basically a moderation team that had little financial incentive to keep an open door to everyone. Or basically there was a low tolerance for trolls and bad actors and if you didn't like it you could play elsewhere.
Has anyone mulled the idea of allowing someone to finance the upkeep and operational cost of a server? I'm not asking about the technical aspects, just the discussion at VR about the cost and moderation pros and cons of having unofficial servers existing.
Dude. I'd really like that. Where you can be yourself, not get banned while knowing that we wouldn't take anything personal and that we keep an open mind that everyone should be treated with mutual respect and still have fun talking sheeit with friends >:) <3 I'm all about community!
I'm not a fan of "third party" servers out of the gate. Mostly because it would be mostly down-side with very little up-side for the Pantheon team. Anything and everything that goes wrong would be blamed on VR, even if it's due to mismanagement of the third-parter servers themselves. That said, maybe later when the "lifecycle" of the game is very old, sort of like the P99 project, that would be cool to keep the game alive.
StoneFish said:Unofficial Server
An Unofficial Server License, for third party control and moderation support.
This is one of the best ideas I've seen on this forum thus far. Allowing people to host the game on unofficial servers could allow for all kinds of creativity that could potentially be fed back into the official game.
As an aside, I'd like to host an unofficial server for multi-boxers. I know how viscious people can get over this topic, and I myself love to multi-box in MMORPGs so I'd love to make a place where that kind of playstyle would be welcomed and encouraged.
I have some background practical questions: 1. How much does it cost to run a server to host a MMO? 1a. It is calculated by time? 1b. is it calculated by population? more people= more cost? If not 1b then more people = less cost for a given time, if 1a is true. 2. is a server a one time permanent purchace? or can it be rented? 2a. if fixed cost, then there is mainetence and future cost. 2b. if rented how are the assets used and removed? does that take extra engineering time/cost?
-related: TIAA Creff field in Jacksonville FL. Everyone thought Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shad Khan was crazy building 4 pools in the stadium, 2 of which had clear panels that could see out over the field on one side of the pool (So if you had scuba you could go under, look out and watch the game). 50 people could purchase tickets to a pool at $250 a person <- those are the rules, unfortunately the image of one chubby fat-cat with a cigar sitting in a colorful floaty-inner-tube alone in a pool as a show of extravagance, is not possible. Oddly, all four have been sold out ever since. There is a waiting line. The stadium cams flash shots of people in bathing suits, sitting at the edge with their legs in the pool, with the game going on in the foreground. Oh, and those shots are shown on the largest jumbo-trons in the NFL- so far.
Random/buzz after the fact to create interest: charity server:for a week pay sub+2Xsub+donation for(cause). Celebs who will be playing:(list) but you wont know who they are because they have their own names- remember? MMO the original catfish venue-but VR publishes game names to celebs AFTER its over and total money generated for (cause). All agree to play for X hours on X days for X time- have fun!
Possible solution: depending on how game take off, additional servers with aditional rule-sets?
Possible fear: seperate servers being the evolution of....seperate dungeons, closed dungeons, shards, LDoN, the begining of the downfall, no open world, etc etc.?
This used to be common/standard for most games/software except maybe MMOs back in the day. Now everything is in the cloud with a sub. I really wonder what game preservation will look like in the future. For older games its basically a matter of someone saving and backing up a copy but with modern games someone has to collect all relevant data and then reverse engineer a server.
It makes me a little sad to think about it.
Just not gonna happen. So little use debating it really.
It won't fit the business model and would certainly damage the brand and the player base. Basically, zero positive aspects for VR. Not something they should do before they move on to a different project and let Pantheon go. Kinda like Project99, just without allowing it before the game is actually dead. ;-)
Manouk said:I have some background practical questions: 1. How much does it cost to run a server to host a MMO? 1a. It is calculated by time? 1b. is it calculated by population? more people= more cost? If not 1b then more people = less cost for a given time, if 1a is true. 2. is a server a one time permanent purchace? or can it be rented? 2a. if fixed cost, then there is mainetence and future cost. 2b. if rented how are the assets used and removed? does that take extra engineering time/cost?
I believe it has been stated that the servers will run on public cloud, so in therory possible (but only VR would know for sure)
Basically VR will own no hardware or maintenance of this, but would need to support the software, integration & data etc. Billing based on lots of things (power of servers, amountof data, what software , no players etc.) and you can rent by the hour or longer periods. This would mean that as long as they have are using all the capabilities, they shiuld be able to spin up / down servers in any georaphy within hours or days (dependent on how automated thier internal process is.). They should also be able to set the servers to auto scale down at low volume traffic.
As to if it is worth VR time, t my view is probably this would be a long way down the list - probably a good end of life plan.
The environment is the factor in wether an entity returns or avoids that environment in the future.
If that environment is full of detrimental actors I'll loose my desire to return. I am not an outlier.
Cost and contract can provide VR with exceptional control. Some of the arguments are assuming a wild west anything goes setup and then concludes a server like this could never happen. I agree with the simple assessment there. Avoid creating an obviously extreme application of an idea just to poo-poo something and instead consider the whole scope of the idea.
StoneFish said:The environment is the factor in wether an entity returns or avoids that environment in the future.
If that environment is full of detrimental actors I'll loose my desire to return. I am not an outlier.
Cost and contract can provide VR with exceptional control. Some of the arguments are assuming a wild west anything goes setup and then concludes a server like this could never happen. I agree with the simple assessment there. Avoid creating an obviously extreme application of an idea just to poo-poo something and instead consider the whole scope of the idea.
I mean, the way things are going and what I've seen happen a lot, is, there seems to be way too many variables into what plays into account when certain people take advantage of being detrimetal to the community the way people interact on the webs.
One thing I could advice the development team at VR... is, believe it or not.. the way a game is made and how certain types of systems work in an MMORPG where it gives the chance to people to take advantage and the opportunity to take the approach at being keyboard warriors in a toxic way. You might think the way a games' system is made wouldn't impact our community in a huge way would not reflect the community, but it does... I hope VR takes a pinned note and puts this on their priority list for this game, if they want less hassle with people complaining and people being bullies, then make the game a way that it punishes us or said bullies with a system that could decrease a certain advantage or like a negative faction hit, so that people would feel less inclined into being toxic or have the ability to do what they want with the way they interact with it... whether it's by desired gaming scores, gear, or experience level (even though this one goes hand in hand), or any type of system.
In all hopes this game doesn't go in a negative way of how the community interacts is.... don't even think about making certain systems to be viable for achievement purposes or anything that might unveil certain advantage than another player.
Just my 2 cents.
