Sun Jun 08, 2003 4:29 pm
++ clarification on new patch effects ++
From a server administrator standpoint, this is what the new patch really appears to be designed to accomplish. Keep in mind as you read this it is 99% my opinion, but a very informed mature one at that.
First of all, some definitions...
MODS
Not all mods are created equal. Some mods do very little in the way of altering the original game design. Some revamp the entire game. If you're using a mod that changes the original game design very little then chances are it won't have much of an impact on serever stability (skin mods don't seem to be that bad). If you're using a mod that allows guns to have a range of 6000 clicks then that has a tremendous effect on server stability since it takes so much to render that in packets.
CHEATS
Not all cheats are created equal, but all seem to have a detrimental effect on server stability. A warping cheat is not in the original design thus it hurts the server stability. A money cheat, although not as severe on server stability the patch appears to be designed specifically to look for that and will kick you off the server. Other cheats may still be able to slip under the radar, but they all adversely affect server stability...period
On clean servers this patch is the PERFECT solution. The patch greatly increases the stability of these servers. A clean server that has a modders or cheater log on will be brought to it's knees in most cases because so much of the CPU is being used for that ONE person it affects everyone else on the server. This patch was designed to help the clean servers. Modding and cheating are fine (and highly encouraged!), but ONLY on your own servers, not the big public ones or the smaller ones trying to keep it clean. Nobody in their right mind would ever demand people consider these ideas when playing FL. But me posting this information is to educate the community of the effects of mods and cheats on a server, that is all.
Digital Anvil is VERY impressed with the FL community's talent for modding the game (blown away might be a more accurate word here). But they designed the server to run clean...period. Anything "altered" is out of their control (and apparently beyond their ability help...WAY WAY WAY to many variables to consider). That's why this latest patch was DESIGNED for those servers that run a clean ship and enables admins to retain this cleanliness.
Digital Anvil has always maintained this simple concept. Private persistent servers is what this game is wrapped around from a MP standpoint. They are catering to the bigger servers (and smaller ones that adopt this idea) that want to maintain the original concept of how the game was designed. Anything over and above that the customer is taking the risk of having an unstable server (duh). DA reps have been quoted many many times in the past that this game was not designed to be played on anything more than private persistent servers. Thus the 128 limit and the fact that is not a massive multilpayer game at all.
So here's the bottom line....
If you have a big server and want to keep it clean and stable then this patch just became your best friend. If you have a small server and you want to keep it clean this patch is your best friend. If you're experimenting with mods and cheats, then it would be in your best interest to use them on your OWN private persistent server. If you can't or won't do that (and I'm sure there are many out there that fall into this category) and you insist on jumping on other servers to spread your wings with your cheats/mods on that server using this patch you're a marked pilot. Chances are you'll be demanding more than the average Joe from the CPU and needing a massive amount of packets to play the game. That's why servers become unstable everyone.
Server Admins who run the big servers appear to want to keep them clean, that seems to be the general concensus. Why? Because they want pilots to enjoy a L E V E L playing field. This patch enables them to do that.
disclaimer: I do not work for Digital Anvil, but I've been keeping tabs on Freelancers development for years and was one of the most involved beta tester's when it came to the MP portion of the game. My memory of the facts are pretty darn accurate (since I dearly love to play this game) and this is as close as I've seen anyone come to explaining the inner working of Freelancer.
(flame on)
Rob "Stinger" Lordier
Moderator - Lancers Reactor
Creator Privateer FAQ
no good deed will ever go unpunished
First of all, some definitions...
MODS
Not all mods are created equal. Some mods do very little in the way of altering the original game design. Some revamp the entire game. If you're using a mod that changes the original game design very little then chances are it won't have much of an impact on serever stability (skin mods don't seem to be that bad). If you're using a mod that allows guns to have a range of 6000 clicks then that has a tremendous effect on server stability since it takes so much to render that in packets.
CHEATS
Not all cheats are created equal, but all seem to have a detrimental effect on server stability. A warping cheat is not in the original design thus it hurts the server stability. A money cheat, although not as severe on server stability the patch appears to be designed specifically to look for that and will kick you off the server. Other cheats may still be able to slip under the radar, but they all adversely affect server stability...period
On clean servers this patch is the PERFECT solution. The patch greatly increases the stability of these servers. A clean server that has a modders or cheater log on will be brought to it's knees in most cases because so much of the CPU is being used for that ONE person it affects everyone else on the server. This patch was designed to help the clean servers. Modding and cheating are fine (and highly encouraged!), but ONLY on your own servers, not the big public ones or the smaller ones trying to keep it clean. Nobody in their right mind would ever demand people consider these ideas when playing FL. But me posting this information is to educate the community of the effects of mods and cheats on a server, that is all.
Digital Anvil is VERY impressed with the FL community's talent for modding the game (blown away might be a more accurate word here). But they designed the server to run clean...period. Anything "altered" is out of their control (and apparently beyond their ability help...WAY WAY WAY to many variables to consider). That's why this latest patch was DESIGNED for those servers that run a clean ship and enables admins to retain this cleanliness.
Digital Anvil has always maintained this simple concept. Private persistent servers is what this game is wrapped around from a MP standpoint. They are catering to the bigger servers (and smaller ones that adopt this idea) that want to maintain the original concept of how the game was designed. Anything over and above that the customer is taking the risk of having an unstable server (duh). DA reps have been quoted many many times in the past that this game was not designed to be played on anything more than private persistent servers. Thus the 128 limit and the fact that is not a massive multilpayer game at all.
So here's the bottom line....
If you have a big server and want to keep it clean and stable then this patch just became your best friend. If you have a small server and you want to keep it clean this patch is your best friend. If you're experimenting with mods and cheats, then it would be in your best interest to use them on your OWN private persistent server. If you can't or won't do that (and I'm sure there are many out there that fall into this category) and you insist on jumping on other servers to spread your wings with your cheats/mods on that server using this patch you're a marked pilot. Chances are you'll be demanding more than the average Joe from the CPU and needing a massive amount of packets to play the game. That's why servers become unstable everyone.
Server Admins who run the big servers appear to want to keep them clean, that seems to be the general concensus. Why? Because they want pilots to enjoy a L E V E L playing field. This patch enables them to do that.
disclaimer: I do not work for Digital Anvil, but I've been keeping tabs on Freelancers development for years and was one of the most involved beta tester's when it came to the MP portion of the game. My memory of the facts are pretty darn accurate (since I dearly love to play this game) and this is as close as I've seen anyone come to explaining the inner working of Freelancer.
(flame on)
Rob "Stinger" Lordier
Moderator - Lancers Reactor
Creator Privateer FAQ
no good deed will ever go unpunished
