4 replies to this topic

[Jiggidy]

So I was curious how one would make a server for their game that hundreds of people could be on at once, it being running most all the time, and how much it would cost.

thanks

[millzyman]

Well you would make it either using 39dll in GM, but more realistically in C++. How much it would cost would depend on whether you got a server hoster (which is quite expensive especially as it is your own game) or hosted it yourself which would use all your data allowance.

The end result without high or "Unlimited" Bandwidth from your internet service provider the cost is going to be very high and for a GM game (unless revenue is been accquired) the loss from it would be too high to consider.

Edit: there is another method, of which is similar to that of Modern Warfare 2 where when the host leaves, the next best host takes over. This could be used as a method where the best client could control a different room (assuming that you are using more than one room), you could even split the room into regions... Then any regions that couldn't be hosted by anyone (e.g. lack of uPnP enabled or port forwarding... your host would control), this would reduce the bandwidth used but would annoy some players (of course you could have an option to turn it off).

In the end that would be very hard to do and would required some real... not skilled but efficent coding to do so.

Edited by millzyman, 22 April 2011 - 03:41 AM.

[Jiggidy]

thanks for the fast reply, so i guess hosting the huge server is out of my ability, due to cost.

For your second idea, are you suggesting different hosts will host different parts of the game? My game will be free-roam, with different cities. So one host would control one city and if he leaves, the next available host would control it?

How would that work?

[millzyman]

To be honest, it is a concept i have come up with in theory and not practically.

My concept was that any player that was able to host a server (normally) would be able to host part of the server. The concept that it is similar too (in MW2) is called 'host migration', where the servers settings and players settings would be transferred from one server to another.

So the concept is not host migration, but rather host spreading. Where you allocate certain parts of a server to a player with good internet connection and let their client work the data aspect. Any parts that couldn't be done you'd have to do. When a player leaves a certain region, the player will notify your server, which will then find the next best player in that region to host the region and place it in their control (not admin terms, but rather data terms).

So in code (which is even then difficult...), at the beginning you would make each player listen on a certain port DIFFERENT to that of your master server. Then as you enter a region, you could try to connect to each players server until an available player could host it. Then in the case that it couldn't be done, they'd connect to your server on that same port (e.g. two servers).

To be honest, i have never tried this before... i could have a small go, however I am working on a commerical project with a deadline... therefore time is limited.

[one337]

You can always buy a cheap vps and when you get more players then you can ask for donation to get a better server or if you only need php, mysql and to host files then you can get cheap shared hosting from http://www.hostgator.com/ or http://www.spacenets.com/ which offer shared hosting for $3.95. But they dont allow you to run your own apps like .exe for that you need dedicated or vps.