Multiplayer - The Big Question

Hullo folks,

I'd like to start a discussion about Multiplayer. I know it may sound weird, but I am mostly an online player. At the moment, I spend pretty much all my Mustang flight hours offline. I practise taking off (pretty much got that covered at that point) and landing (getting there slowly, but I find it much harder for some reason beyond my understanding).

It's been pretty much the same thing with Cliffs of Dover. Know how to fly your aircraft without crashing offline, and once you got that figured out, take it online and let the real fun begin. Cliffs of Dover currently supports dozens (if not about a 100 if I'm not mistaken) players flying at the same time, in the same server. My experience online on the ATAG server is kinda smooth and a real blast. Formation flying with other players is just one thing you HAVE to experience if you're into flight sims. I'm a bit embarrassed to admit that I've very rarely flown any DCS module online because the learning curve is even steeper.

The point of this topic is: What is your experience with current DCS World multiplayer? Is it stable? How many players does it support? ? Are there issues? What are they? What do you think could be done to address these issues? Will DCS WWII attempt to address current issues or is the ball strictly in Eagle Dynamic's camp (who currently develop the new engine)?

Personally, I've heard second-hand impressions of people saying "netcode is really bad" or "very few people fly online" or "it's super-laggy at times" or "no dedicated servers". I haven't really verified for myself (which is the point of this thread). By all means, let's keep this constructive and interesting.

I think it's a discussion we'll have to have sooner or later. Might as well start it sooner :pilotfly:. We know that MP is currently not the focus of DCS WWII, but I think a solid MP will make or break the game's reputation on release.

There are entire threads about nearly every question in your post.

ED Forums » English » Digital Combat Simulator » DCS World » Bugs and Problems » Multiplayer Issues

http://forums.eagle.ru/forumdisplay.php?f=197

"The point of this topic is: What is your experience with current DCS World multiplayer? Is it stable? How many players does it support? ? Are there issues? What are they? What do you think could be done to address these issues? Will DCS WWII attempt to address current issues or is the ball strictly in Eagle Dynamic's camp (who currently develop the new engine)?"

Am interested in this part, not yet read/found any confirmation about this, is there any more info? thanks.

Cheers Dakpilot

I'm normally a 100% MP guy.

At the moment MP (with P-51D) in DCS is a big pain!! No dedicated servers. To little players online. To little players on one server. And the biggest problem is: Big lags and very low fps if more than one aircraft is shooting.

DCS World multiplayer is currently a disaster. It used to be slightly better with 1.2.4, but now we're warping all over the place again, even with just two or three players on the server. It's nigh unplayable, and its only saving grace is that I'm not CTD'ing anymore like I used to.

Luthier has said Oleg has big plans for MP, i look forward to hearing about them.

There are entire threads about nearly every question in your post.

 

ED Forums » English » Digital Combat Simulator » DCS World » Bugs and Problems » Multiplayer Issues

 

http://forums.eagle.ru/forumdisplay.php?f=197

Useful post ...

Oh where do I start on the issues with MP at the moment.

1.2.6 is a very unstable patch regarding MP and although we ID'd the problem that in the main that is causing it nothing has been done about it.

1.2.4 was a very stable release for DCS, I could run the VA server for at least a week with no reboot or restart needed.

In 1.2.6 I think its a good day if it only restarts every 2 hours...

The problems with DCS:W MP Will not be fixed by any module, they are for ED to fix and to correct bugs.

Although RRG may have some good ideas for what to do with MP, they cant fix the underlying problems that are in the client

Pman

Luthier has said Oleg has big plans for MP, i look forward to hearing about them.

They always have big plans! :smilewink:

They do not make the EDGE engine. They only use it.

Useful post ...

 

Oh where do I start on the issues with MP at the moment.

 

1.2.6 is a very unstable patch regarding MP and although we ID'd the problem that in the main that is causing it nothing has been done about it.

 

1.2.4 was a very stable release for DCS, I could run the VA server for at least a week with no reboot or restart needed.

 

In 1.2.6 I think its a good day if it only restarts every 2 hours...

 

The problems with DCS:W MP Will not be fixed by any module, they are for ED to fix and to correct bugs.

 

Although RRG may have some good ideas for what to do with MP, they cant fix the underlying problems that are in the client

 

Pman

So RRG cant just make thier own dedi server/client MP from scratch just for DCS44?

So RRG cant just make thier own dedi server/client MP from scratch just for DCS44?

No!

No!

Well they must be working very closely with ED(?) i would imagine to get whats needed, this must already be planned out after listening to Luthier, i wouldn't worry too much yet, very early days.

So RRG cant just make thier own dedi server/client MP from scratch just for DCS44?

No cant be done :(

They use the engine, they do not write the engine.

That said I have it on good authority that there will be a dedicated server programme for EDGE, how good it will be remains to be seen

@ cichlidfan

Thanks for the link. I thought it was a good idea to start a topic to voice our concerns specifically for this game and the P-51 Mustang.

@ everyone else:

Any ideas on how high fixing (or improving) Multiplayer is on ED's list of priorities?

@ cichlidfan

 

Thanks for the link. I thought it was a good idea to start a topic to voice our concerns specifically for this game and the P-51 Mustang.

 

@ everyone else:

 

Any ideas on how high fixing (or improving) Multiplayer is on ED's list of priorities?

Matt has said that there is a micro patch on the way with a view to fixing some of the instability problems.

I have also heard a few noises behind the scenes which are encouraging.

Not time to put this dog down yet ;)

I'm normally a 100% MP guy.

 

At the moment MP (with P-51D) in DCS is a big pain!! No dedicated servers. To little players online. To little players on one server. And the biggest problem is: Big lags and very low fps if more than one aircraft is shooting.

hearing this gives me no hope for DCS WW2 - seems it's just not a priority - and for me, as OP stated, I would spend most my time wanting to fly online - and even further, online with large numbers flying campaigns.

Flying against AI has no to little appeal to me whatsoever

A step further, I actually was excited thinking of building on this engine, but this engine is not the one that would be good to build off of.

Ironically, the current best WW2 engine available is CloD Team Fusion.

What a clusterF* we have here.

A step further, I actually was excited thinking of building on this engine, but this engine is not the one that would be good to build off of.

 

Ironically, the current best WW2 engine available is CloD Team Fusion.

 

What a clusterF* we have here.

Hey, don't you think they'd be aware of that and can direct the necessary changes until Sept 2014?

MAC

Hey, don't you think they'd be aware of that and can direct the necessary changes until Sept 2014?

 

MAC

I *want* to believe, truly. I like ED, I like Maddox.

$150k in one year isn't much money to support all the things needed with a development team for a year. I think they will need more funding as they go. Then maybe so.

SiTHSpawn - honestly, I don't know much about DCS World right now. Some of AKA flies it that are into the jets. I bought the p51 recently.

You have a good point, my biggest concern would be no dedicated server (and game finder). Is DCS World the right place to ask about this ?

I *want* to believe, truly. I like ED, I like Maddox.

 

$150k in one year isn't much money to support all the things needed with a development team for a year. I think they will need more funding as they go. Then maybe so.

 

SiTHSpawn - honestly, I don't know much about DCS World right now. Some of AKA flies it that are into the jets. I bought the p51 recently.

 

You have a good point, my biggest concern would be no dedicated server (and game finder). Is DCS World the right place to ask about this ?

The Kickstarter money is not the only source of funding if that is what you were suggesting.

I see rumors and speculation around non-ED members in the forum. I see Wags post on 'EDGE' - which was vague. We've seen EDGE in videos.

I haven't seen any indication that EDGE will contain a dedicated server. I haven't seen anything that says multiplayer will have any emphasis. Actually I see more that shows it's more on the back burner ?

I see more conversation on new planes and new maps, and SDK, but nothing on multiplayer.

And in this case, by the time it has this doesn't sound like initial launch. So much of me wonders if it's best to wait to see what is delivered and if it has multiplayer, then buy into it.

To me, this time period right now is the 'marketing' piece. This is where Luthier (and Oleg, who I haven't seen anything from him besides his fireside chat in a video) and his team need to sell us.

This could mean things like 'ok, we will start a second kickstarter to cover adding multiplayer dedicated server support' - that would be something. But I don't see anything right now that makes me think next fall it will be available.

Actually, I'm always surprised I don't hear more, I think I read these forums and comment more than the people creating this software do :)

I see rumors and speculation around non-ED members in the forum. I see Wags post on 'EDGE' - which was vague. We've seen EDGE in videos.

 

I haven't seen any indication that EDGE will contain a dedicated server. I haven't seen anything that says multiplayer will have any emphasis. Actually I see more that shows it's more on the back burner ?

 

I see more conversation on new planes and new maps, and SDK, but nothing on multiplayer.

 

And in this case, by the time it has this doesn't sound like initial launch. So much of me wonders if it's best to wait to see what is delivered and if it has multiplayer, then buy into it.

 

To me, this time period right now is the 'marketing' piece. This is where Luthier (and Oleg, who I haven't seen anything from him besides his fireside chat in a video) and his team need to sell us.

 

This could mean things like 'ok, we will start a second kickstarter to cover adding multiplayer dedicated server support' - that would be something. But I don't see anything right now that makes me think next fall it will be available.

 

Actually, I'm always surprised I don't hear more, I think I read these forums and comment more than the people creating this software do :)

To be quite frank I dont care if you believe me or not but here is the bottom line.

The dedicated programme is nothing to do with RRG and they couldnt make one even if they wanted to.

That is ED's job and Matt has confirmed that there is a dedicated programme in the works and that it will be tied in with EDGE.

So there is absolutely no point in discussing in the RRG section of the forums about dedicated server software solutions for DCS, much less things like a second kickstarter....

In case you havent noticed I run the probably the busiest server in DCS and no one is waiting for the dedicated more than me.

To be quite frank I dont care if you believe me or not but here is the bottom line.

 

The dedicated programme is nothing to do with RRG and they couldnt make one even if they wanted to.

 

That is ED's job and Matt has confirmed that there is a dedicated programme in the works and that it will be tied in with EDGE.

 

So there is absolutely no point in discussing in the RRG section of the forums about dedicated server software solutions for DCS, much less things like a second kickstarter....

 

In case you havent noticed I run the probably the busiest server in DCS and no one is waiting for the dedicated more than me.

Hi Pman,

I don't want to step on your toes, so I'm going to go full on speculation mode for a sec:

But I honestly believe the folks at RRG studios will directly be helping the ED folks with MP coding and programming. Not only has Ilya talked about the importance of MP and netcode in flight sims, but he has also mentioned the fact they had even thought about some sort of kickstarter stretch goal just dedicated to getting MP up to snuff.

There was also a recent post by Ilya talking about MP and the work they will be doing (much better news than the earlier statement of it may not get released/worked on right off the bat).

That, coupled with the fact RRG studios appear to be working hand in hand within the same office as other people from ED tells me they will have a direct influence on many things, including MP.

And this makes perfect sense to me. The original IL2, and even IL2COD, have bar none, the best netcode in any sort of fidelity sim of today and yesteryear. They practically wrote the book on dedicated servers for flight simming. IL2 handles well over 90 players in missions with all sorts of objects etc., placed in the mission. IL2COD handles well over 100+ players with the same objects count / AI etc.

Besides some subscription based flight sims that have their own internal server where all players connect to, nothing else comes close to the amount of players, objects, etc., you can have in the MP world.

So again, pure speculation, but if I were ED, I think I would be most definitely using that skill set to improve upon the DCS World as a whole. And based on the videos I've seen and Ilya's own comments concerning MP, I would imagine they have a hand in on it, if not a very big one.

At least I sure as heck hope so :D

And to quote Ilya:

"Finally, we have huge plans for the game’s multiplayer component. They are outside the listed kickstarter goals because they are a bit too ambitious to fit into the kickstarter timeframe, and because they also stretch to other products in the DCS line. We feel that multiplayer is a huge part of any flight sim’s success, and with Oleg Maddox and some of his former teammates, we have an incredible team that can both design a great comprehensive approach to multiplayer on paper, and implement it into robust, exciting gameplay.

 

 

Ultimately, we are building a robust multiplayer module that covers all aspects of the spectrum from gratuitous free-for-all to rigid historically realistic cooperative, both centrally- and community-run, with persistent online record-keeping and many other features that keep the online war current and exciting for years to come."

thanks for the information guys, I'm holding on and hoping for the best after hearing this.

in the end, we don't support these efforts and commit to it, the genre will die