Dedicated server and complex mission capabilities

Here’s a question for the mission builders out there, what are your findings regarding the capabilities of the dedicated server from the perspective of complexity of the mission and the impact on frame rate for players?

My question relates to a couple of key points from my own experience with the dedicated server:

- Load times for players seem to be directly related to the complexity of the mission (i.e. number of units, even if they’re just client aircraft slots that don’t get used). These don’t really feel any better

- Once loaded, frame rates on complex missions do seem to be better

For my own multiplayer missions, I’ve been deliberately keeping down the number of aircraft and other assets, so as to avoid excessive load times.

All the same, I’ve been trying a fairly complex open server run by a squadron recently, and whilst the load times are long enough to make a coffee during, once in, frame rates seem really good.

Just curious about other experiences, as I was wondering about the viability of running a more complex mission myself on my server, but with say a couple of hundred tanks and other vehicles involved.

Any thoughts?

stick a lot of ground vechs on the map in your current mission, run it on your server and see how it goes

stick a lot of ground vechs on the map in your current mission, run it on your server and see how it goes

That’s my plan, just curious about other fellow player experiences

more ground units on map = more load

more moving ground units = much higher load

What is your unit count ?

Dynamic spawning of stuff makes a difference

++++ Players current 2/4 max -+- ground = current 135/135 max -+- Ship = current 18/18 max -+- heli = current 8/8 max -+- planes = current 22/24 max ++++

I keep an eye on how much is active at any one time

I don’t have a current target for the number of units. More about understanding limitations such that I can then set finite limits on the viable complexity.

Watching this with interest as I am trying to make a very realistic mission for both single and multiplayer. I figure the initial mission will likely include ~10-12 blue AC with AWACS and one tanker.

Mission is PG with ~10-12 enemy AC and and 40-50 AA units so far. I'm setting up a base template to work several objective missions from.

Outside of the carrier group, I will probably not put much friendly AA in to minimize the issues discussed here.

Any thoughts on what some of the initial limits should be for well behaved multiplayer?

I'm running a dedicated server that ONLY runs large, umbrella style missions with several dozen smaller missions inside it that can be activated by an extensive multi-level radio menu by country/airbase/etc.

These missions have over 130 player slot AC on the map.

It runs FANTASTIC. Much better than it used to. I had problems with menus disappearing. No more.

I do agree that load times are longer, but I know that going in with such a high object count.

My conclusion is that the dedicated server is a massive, wholesale improvement in every regard.

I've just happily run a dedicated server with a small carrier fleet, probably 30+ aircraft slots and 140 moving armoured vehicles with absolutely NO issues.

Currently trying to up that to see what happens.

I too think the new dedicated server is working out very well though I do say it will have its limits and I have actually pushed my server to see how it handles things. With 400-500 ground units, I have noticed that after about 5-6 hours of the mission running it does start to get just a little bit laggy. And even more laggy when I add moving ground units like convoys to the mix. I actually think the more moving targets (not including the clients) the more stress is being added to the CPU.

All the same 400-500 is pretty damn good.

I added a couple of hundred logistics vehicles for the enemy, with seemingly no impact at all. Awesome. Gives me confidence that we can build far more creatively now.

Units with radars seemed to have more effect than units without radar