Turning Freelancer into massive online game concept

    well there is possiblity to turn fl into massive game,
    it is possible to virtualy cluster servers and separate load,
    both network and processor load, it can be made quite seemless to
    players as well...


    i dont know if there is anyone wishing for such major try but its quite possible


    concept is basicaly this,
    every node in cluster would need to have all equip, ships, commodities in thair inis.
    but systems can b uniq
    using web interface player would b able to move from one cluster node to
    differed cluster node (ie superjumpgate into new universe)
    systems holded by one cluster node would b organised in logical group
    ie one box holds one house or so.
    since players r around moving around sirious in different ways
    someone is trading, someone is ambushing, someone is doing missions, someone is just camping...
    they are not in same system anyway



    concept is basicaly this
    shadowed directory structure on exported filesystem from main account holder server, web interface can easy run over scripts with positive match and excert ban on all except cluster nod where player wishes to go... (failsafe to structure of not having all in base, to prevent crushing box in malicious attempt)


    like this


    lets say 5 servers in cluster ...
    5 shadow accounts dir with exactly same accounts all exported and mounted on servers which r nodeds in cluster
    once player docks in 'exact station (superjumpgate)' he uses web interface to select which is new universe sector he wishes to trevel, script bans all except that node he selects, and changes docking point as exit station into new universe sector


    what would b benefits
    well since load massivly depends on number of systems and npcs, as well as on number of players per box, and hard coded limit of 128 by box running it, this would make possible to universe to grow into infinite number of systems coz files which would need to be on each node would actually need only whats shared between universes, thats: ships, weapons, commodities.
    any server can create universe in way they like it will put amasing ammount of creativity, coz u can conncentrate on making new stuff.


    what would b limits,
    still we cant brake through 128 players barrier so it would b that limit (per cluster node), per node, so max number of players which can interact in same time would b 128, but is also more then enough for single point in universe.
    also all nodes would need to agree on what would b weapons, ships, commodities coz they have to b uniq in all nodes.


    give some feed back on this, if theres anyone interested ...

    Sounds good but this requires VERY GOOD "teamwork"... and something which expands FL! I'm in however

    Quote

    it can be made quite seemless to
    players as well...


    I wouldnt call "please go to website xyz and select your character and select where you want to go, you will then be banned from this cluster, hf" seemless.

    u got it wrong wody
    same as u pick missions on ur box
    that way
    it only bans from NOT_node, and it removes ban from node, same way as u pick mission on hhc

    Yes. And that is not seemles at all.


    Almost seemless for me is if there is a simple kick if you switch the server cluster when entering a system not in the current server cluster which is also very possible.


    The second most important problem is simple: There are simply not enough players left to realize this ;)

    400 players online (average) playing on different servers with different mods, different settings, different tools, different rules, differents gameplay, different roleplay, different mentalities


    they are 100% incompatible to each other
    this idea/project was a failure long before it even started

    @OP-R8R you totaly failed to see the project objectivly
    knife has stated that the svrs would run the same mod/or vinilla, systems are shared out into the svr cluster, srvs could even make custom systems and use the auto updater to send the new files needed ( <!-- l --><a class="postlink-local" href="http://www.lancersreactor.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=145">viewtopic.php?f=21&t=145</a><!-- l --> ), but ya i guess player numbers are the key to this, other wise a great idea for multiplay. if i can help with some scrippting i will

    i doubt that i failed to see something objectivly
    but you can prove me wrong at any time by realizing this project and finding 2-3 vanilla servers which are willing to work together by sharing the very few players and running the servers with the same rules the same administration... keeping everything on the same standards


    but for now the main servers out there are modded ones with very different mods which are incompatible to each other... with servers that have different rules and different kinds of administration


    if you can prove me wrong... then ill agree that i failed to see something

    I think is better all the admin community make some mod for all the players, I think it will be better also then the freelancer gonna not die. If make one mod for everyone then the people gonna not borred and also more will join again freelancer.
    But i think must all admins must help for this.
    Because time to time the freelancer die must make something to keep the game alive.
    If someone can make as you said 3-4 servers run the same mod and also try one way to lan this 3-4 servers then it wil be the best.
    I Think now there are a lot of mods and servers and also the people are in different mods.
    Some admins maybe will say that i have people in my mod i dont care, i think is wrong people come and go and i think more go from freelancer and not any new join the game, because there are a lot other games.
    So every admin must do something. We must make one meeting and find one solution for this.
    Please we must do something quickly because everyday the people go from freelancer and we must do something to bring them back and also old people gonna join again the freelancer.
    Sorry for saying that but some people see the game for the money, i rent server in england and host one mod and i pay lot of money. i dont ask from anyone give me money for this, because i love this game and i want not to finish this game.
    The game has future if we do something if not then no one gonna join to the game and be only 100 players only online.


    Tell me your opinion about that and also i wpould like some admins tell something for that and also OP-R8R please you can arrange meeting more easy and also all the team in here.


    Thank you and sorry for my bad english.
    Best Regards
    Dias

    the opposite is the case
    one giant mod for all servers eliminates the diversity that the players love


    create a mod based on the FL story you will loose all those which like starwars, stargate or whatever
    not to mention that one mod alone is not possible to hold the features of the different mods


    not to mention:
    if one player does violate rules of one server then he automatically would b banned on ALL FL servers
    which means that you would ban ppl out of the FL community (maybe even because of misunderstandings or personal problems with one of the server admins)


    one big mod can not include such a diversity like many smaller ones do
    and that makes such a mod more boring
    not to mention that to code such a mod takes way too long... when its finished not much will be left of the FL community
    and i really doubt that server admins would give up their servers and their mods for that one


    1. we dont say giant mod if the mod have plus 40 systems it will be goona good, also we dont wanna lose the players from starwars, stargate because this mod will be with new factions and also new ships and also some old ships. As the other mod that be online now. but bigger


    2. if someone player make some mistake to cheat or do something wrong we gonna send him first in some prison for 1 week and if he do it again then he must be banned, i think the cheater must not have place in here. I play also one game warrock some people in there pay and there are some cheater and distroy the game and also lot of people left from there. I dont say in here must pay but the cheaters must be banned and go to another place to play. Also about the ban thay must speak the admins all together first and after they make the ban.


    3. About the smaller that you say are intresting i agree but if in the server have 200 people it will not be bored and also it will have more fun.


    4. i think we can give all the admins all the best they have not to try to make new from the start because as you say everyone gonna leave before we fix it.
    We gonna make some new things also but lot of planets, bases, ships, guns, commodities, music, and others we could pick the best for that mod. The dificult is to try to make this from the start not to make the mod if there are ready.
    So i think we must make one meeting all the admin and found one formula for this mod and also give lot of stufs we have for this mod.
    Other gonna have and other ideas for this so we must tell them and try to found something.
    Lot of people are in different mods and dont go to other mod not to start from the beggining because they will be weak against the others.
    If we try to make this mod and everyone start from the begining and also lot of servers we close them then the people gonna join and also will be happy for this.


    this is my opinion if i have wrong tell me please

    1+3. if there are only a few more systems and a few more features then you dont need several servers...
    today the hardware is able to run such mods very well with 128 -200 players on one server if neccessary
    there is simply no need for more than 1 server in that case


    2. many server admins will agree on this when i say that very often you need to react on violations of rules (and im not only talking about cheats) in a very short time
    there is no time for endless discussions with other admins sometimes



    this concept (and i was working on the same in 2007 already) leads to more problems than it is worth

    Variety is the way to go, at least in my opinion. Nobody likes to be herded and told what to do which is what would happen if we were forced to play one giant mod.


    Use the vanilla FL as an example. A lot of people when they were bored of the original game (me included) looked to modded servers for something new to do. That trend continues to this day. Why do you think mods like Discovery, Void, Crossfire and so on are so popular? It's not just the mod content but how the servers are run.


    The larger servers have the technology and connection to offer a large server environment, something that most "bedroom" servers cannot. As it happens i have a very good connection and server but that's because i've spent time buiding it and i pay for a good connection and am willing to put in the time to look after it.


    The key issue here is choice, if i want to play a star wars mod then i go there, if i want to play a stargate mod then i go there. I like many others go where i want to go, and i certainly won't be forced by anyone to only play in one place and one mod only.

    Personally, I think it's workable. Clusters running the same mod with "handshaking" and "handoffs" to handle other various (new) aspects, but still tied to the basic concept.


    A cluster of servers running concurrent/compatable mods is a necessary evil to enable Massively Multiplayer environments.


    Take for example, "Guild Wars". You go through a portal to a town or another explorable area. That is simply a "handoff" to another server that handles the next environment. Then only time you see many other players at the same time is when you're teamed up with a group OR you go into a town or outpost.


    In the Freelancer environment, you see other players whenever you're in the open space of the system they're also in. (that's the common ground where players meet and team up). It works for large population servers because there are many players in many different systems. The exact opposite of the Guild Wars environment where you see people (in this case Open Space = Explorable area = Town/Outpost)
    So, now instead of limiting all the systems to 1 single server, you're dividing all of them between many servers.


    If you want to open up the planetside/station environment for MM, that's an entirely different animal for coding and development.
    Each station would require a population limit whereas planets would be less restricted.
    Then, to open up planetside would require serious new editing to expand the limited environment that you already see in the planetscape, bars, traders & equipment dealers.


    If you want to do it, you better zip your fly and tighten your belt. There is massive coding involved. (not to mention wether or not the game engine will support it: which incidentally supports only the simulated "flight engine".

    actually getting a few servers to co-ordinate this isnt that difficult. the difficult part will be convincing people like yourself that it is do-able. I think this idea can work, but i'd like to see a couple of servers try it on test for a bit to get an actual idea of the way it will run.


    Show that and the battle is won. Having said that if i can help i will.

    well i kinda had been working on not a mod but a full on download for a diffrent kind of freelancer more based on being like an mmo but after a week of beta testing found that anybody can do any thing and at the same time not alot being that all ships direct you around where you go and how you make your money so to slove this problem i moved the ships (exapmle all the like fighters were all on manhatten) this soon ran into problems when still in the end every one was flying rehinland ships being that they were the strongest and very few players even left new york tho this lef to epic beautiful space battles (its something to watch some 15 fr 30 lf and 20 hf go to war for a small amount of boron) i giggled when i watched that but again when the highest reachable lvl is 75 and the ships stop at 20 players need something to fill the gap so i re priced the ships but that led to more problems the first being that players would ban together since the first cheapest ship was lvl 12 req to work one player into a fr and the rest would then piggy back as every player rode frs till lvl 70 then bought hf or lf only to smush the players who couldnt get there fast enought again this was another problem of putting all the ships all in one place sol i spred them all back out to seperate the rookies from the higher lvls but only ran into more problems when rookie pirates got assistance from a pro which they kept trading money to so speed up his lvling no polit stands a chance in a patroit vs a valkire so then 87% of the players suggested i make all the nations ships equal but that failed when again no one left new york and the players started an a gamer war over stations and trade lanes now that was something to see i let that play out for a month before a change had to be made no one want to be a pirate because he was forced to be cause 8 friends decided to keep for bush to them selfs so and only leaving the system to find there favorite ship and going right back to the fight then my players suggested make more ships so while im working on those ship ideas my idea is five of each ship type per nation and introducing the cruiser and battleships into the equation and i might be able to pull another surver and slide it into the rack if its nessary