Rent Servers from PD?

[Earth]

Would you like the ability to rent servers from PD, sort of like PC gaming?

You pay the monthly fee and you get a 24/7 server that you get complete control over. You set the track, number of laps, permitted cars and any other rules. You can even set the server on a rotation of cars and tracks combos. Password protected or open to the world.

An official PD server will be very fast, and will be able to handle 16 international drivers with no lag. There is also no threat of disconnections.

Renting a server will also help with league races. You won't have to rely on anyone's connection. Perhaps PD can have options where the server can be be automated and automatically start at set times for leagues so the administrator doesnt have to be there. The server may also record all the stats of the practice, qualifying and race sessions and e-mail it and the replays to whoever is renting the server.

Just wanting to see if anyone thinks this is a good idea, because I remember alot of lag problems in GT5P with 16 player online races and I think the ability to rent out servers will help out online racing leagues ALOT.

 

[Killa Aaron]

No, they just need dedicated servers that is all.

 

[CoolColJ]

They will just have a whole bunch of dedicated servers in each major country, and you can start up a race as per usual, and a server get used
Just like all the other major PS3 first party games

 

[Earth]

They will just have a whole bunch of dedicated servers in each major country, and you can start up a race as per usual, and a server get used
Just like all the other major PS3 first party games

You hope they will have dedicated servers, GT5P didn't and theres nothing about whether GT5 will

 

[CoolColJ]

Killzone 2, LBP, and MAG had em so I don't see why not. GT5 is the face of the PS3!

 

[FLASH48]

I really hope that GT5 has its on servers. But if it doesn't, i'm will to pay for some!

 

[Kryz11]

You hope they will have dedicated servers, GT5P didn't and theres nothing about whether GT5 will

Kaz mentioned you can create dedicated servers aka private servers, set number of laps, location, players, etc...

also because you think you will pay for a server does not mean its lag free, lots of paid servers on PC games do have lag, dropouts and other problems..

do not worry, gt5 private racing is confirmed.

 

[Ascari_Gruppe]

Killzone 2, LBP, and MAG had em so I don't see why not. GT5 is the face of the PS3!

The biggest game in history, MW2 was p2p. I'd love to have them so I can race with the Euro trash but I'll put money on GT5 being peer to peer.

 

[Organ-Donor]

The biggest game in history, MW2 was p2p. I'd love to have them so I can race with the Euro trash but I'll put money on GT5 being peer to peer.

I would think we get peer to peer for custom private and custom public rooms. Then I would imagine there are a number of specific PD made rooms with a set of regulations and tracks that run 24/7. Like others have said, Sony published games usually have dedicated Sony servers. Just my opinion.

 

[Chadwicksracing]

I would consider buying the correct hardware to host my own server. 12 core I7 985 + 12 gig's of memory with dual gigabit Ethernet connections should do it.

Oh, don't forget the dedicated T1

 

[Devedander]

I think as long as they have configurable private lobbies, I wouldn't pay for dedicated servers...

And if they don't have private configurable lobbies, I will be pissed off.

On PCs rent servers are more common because on PCs it's common not to have the client double as a host. So SOMEONE has to run a server and they get control. Generally control is not handed out to public clients on servers in the PC world much due to logistics.

However on consoles the fact that the private lobbies are kind of the norm and either are provided free or facilitated by the fact the client is doubling as a server, the viabililty of paid servers is mostly nullified.

I don't put it past game companies to take this idea and run with it though, charginng for private configurable lobbies in the future just because they can...

 

[CoolColJ]

The biggest game in history, MW2 was p2p. I'd love to have them so I can race with the Euro trash but I'll put money on GT5 being peer to peer.

MW2 is not a first party Sony game, like the ones I mentioned

The people behind MW2 are tight arses, they make millions, and yet can't spare a few grand on servers?!

The games I mentioned, do allow you to create custom games on these dedicated servers as well
Killzone 2 has a ingame server browser, and you can also choose region locking or not

I'm expecting a car club system in GT5 similar to clans in Killzone 2

Being a console game, you normally wouldn’t be suspect of not having a server browsing system, but this just adds to the greatness of the game. Servers are created by you, the user, with all the options at your side, that is maps, gametypes, etc. Sadly the population drops quite a bit if you don’t have the downloadable extra maps, but there is always one or two healthy, large servers available even if you haven’t shelled out the PSN cash for them.

Along with servers is the inclusion of clans. The clan integration with the Killzone website is done well, and players can bet points on tournaments to see which clan will win. Not having participated in it myself, I can’t give proper judgment, but it sounds like a lottery (well, except for the fact that you can win).

 

[drivatar]

dedicated servers aka private servers,

I think some here mix up a lobby system and dedicated servers (=all game data is sent through the server). These two features are independent of each other.

P2P has the advantage of less lag because a lot of data doesn't have to make a detour to the server.

 

[SLAPHAPPYFRANKY]

I think I'll just stick with servers I dont have to pay for.

 

[NLxAROSA]

P2P has the advantage of less lag because a lot of data doesn't have to make a detour to the server.

That's not true. Dedicated servers usually have very fast uplinks with very low ping, as opposed to the crappy uplink most people have at home. They're also being used for a single purpose, as opposed to home connections, that are generally being used for more than one purpose (downloading, laptops, phones, etc.) at the same time. Go ask the PC players of MW2 how they feel about P2P as opposed to dedicated servers. I'll pick a dedicated server over P2P any time, even when it's located a distance away (and most games let you select one with low ping a.k.a. close by).

That said, GT5P was lagfree most of the time, despite being P2P.

 

[m00ndancer]

I think some here mix up a lobby system and dedicated servers (=all game data is sent through the server). These two features are independent of each other.

P2P has the advantage of less lag because a lot of data doesn't have to make a detour to the server.

The downsides with games that use a player hosted server (GT5P, MW2) is several. The ingame lobby system choose the fastest computer/connection and then that computer is the server for that session. And the lag is still really bad when you have people with different connections. Dedicated servers is the way to go. And you have to send most the same data to all the clients anyway. In rFactor we use 64+64 Kbit up/down for all our drivers and the dedicated server uses about 2.5+2.5 Mbit up/down for 40 players. P2P have the down side as well that it uses resources from all of the participating hosts and the host with the worst connection will make thing even more laggy. P2P is great for filetransfers but not for gaming. Besides that the PS3 is going to need all the processing power possible to render all the good stuff.

That's my take on the subject.

Maybe if you get the PSN Plus you can "rent" dedicated servers?

 

[drivatar]

@NLxAROSA
You've got some good points why a dedicated server can perform better than P2P. It all depends on the network conditions.
At least in theory P2P can offer lower latency. Data goes straight to the player without processing time on the server and a hop to the server (Think of ideal network conditions like an 'empty' LAN).

Excuse me? The server in MW2 is not P2P as afar as I know.

I haven't said anything about MW2.

 

[NLxAROSA]

Another bad thing about P2P is the zero-ping advantage for whoever is hosting. Not so much an issue with racing games, but very much an issue with shooters.

 

[Dan_]

No, I wouldn't pay for dedicated servers, but I'm quite sure PSN Plus members will get some kind of benefit or advantage when it comes to online events in GT5. The major racing game must leverage Sony's new moneymaker, the PSN Plus service.

 

[m00ndancer]

@NLxAROSA
You've got some good points why a dedicated server can perform better than P2P. It all depends on the network conditions.
At least in theory P2P can offer lower latency. Data goes straight to the player without processing time on the server and a hop to the server (Think of ideal network conditions like an 'empty' LAN).


I haven't said anything about MW2.

My mistake, pretend I didn't say that.

 

[PAPPACLART]

how realistic will it be for us to be able to have online leagues where by we cans et the times of each race etc?

 

[Owen.C93]

Thing with dedicated servers is some people can be disadvantaged. For instance Mag has bad lag in eastern Europe until the servers were setup. And people in China with uber fast internet have a half second advantage on America so they can kill you before you see them.

Although things like that may exist with p2p.

Interestingly wasn't Prologue done on servers and then switched to p2p after a year or so. Perhaps that points to GT5 being p2p.

 

[H20HYBRID_GT]

As funny it may sound, this is pretty much what I expect from a console game that big, but without paying extra fees, of course.

"and will be able to handle 16 international drivers with no lag"

Oh and I doubt that, before I've seen it on my screen.



Most likely it will be like all other games I played recently, first it will be awesome and with no lag, then they will make a "connectivity improvement - patch" and I'll be never able to play lagfree again.

 

[Kryz11]

I think there should be two questions. Would you rent a server, and andothe question should be would you want that there are dedicated rented servers just like on PC side.
It would be great to see 5 gtp servers exclusive for gtp members.

 

[drivatar]

Another bad thing about P2P is the zero-ping advantage for whoever is hosting.

A real P2P system has no host(=server) . The server of such a P2P system only does administrative tasks (bringing players together, statistics, ...).

What you mean would be a third scenario where one user is chosen as server.

 

[NLxAROSA]

What you mean would be a third scenario where one user is chosen as server.

Yep, and that's exactly how most online games work at the moment (unfortunately). If I recall correctly, GT5P supported both ways (It said so in the manual).

 

[II IVORBIGUN II]

Nothing wrong with P2P if the host has a fast enough upload connection and the people your racing against live in the same country. What you have to remember is your ping increases with distance. For example my ping to a server 50miles away is less than 20m/s but to a server on the E coast of America its around 100m/s.

I did start a thread many months ago explaining to UK members that their are ISPS that offer upload connections in excess of 1MB instead of the bog standard 448kbps but this unfortunately was ignored. The thing with P2P is its very bandwidth hungry which is why the host needs over 1mb upload connection to host 16 people.

I never suffered with any lag on GT5P but thats because I have a very fast upload connection and the majority of time I was selected as host. I often used to recieve messages from other racers saying how they wish all the hosts had the same connection as me.

I really can't be bothered to retype my previous thread. However I will say to UK members that they need to find an ISP that supplys ADSL+2 broadband i.e O2, Bethere, Sky. I don't think ADSLMax is going to be suitable if you wish to host large rooms. I would also avoid Virgin Media because if you breach the daily download limit your upload connection is throttled to dreadfully slow speeds.

Yep, and that's exactly how most online games work at the moment (unfortunately). If I recall correctly, GT5P supported both ways (It said so in the manual).

When racing on GT5P the host was selected based on their connection and then their PS3 console acted as a server.

 

[NLxAROSA]

When racing on GT5P the host was selected based on their connection and then their PS3 console acted as a server.

If you check the online manual (near the end in the online options), it says the game will select one of two different types of P2P:

- Star mesh: single host (and all players connect to the host, so essentially the host is acting like a server)

- Full mesh: no specific host and all players are connected to each other.

Though granted, I have never seen option two in effect.

 

[Spagetti69]

No

 

[nasanu]

An official PD server will be very fast, and will be able to handle 16 international drivers with no lag. There is also no threat of disconnections.

Well PD are good, but they are no gods. There will always be lag and there will always be disconnections. The laws of physics will remain and something somewhere will always happen to a phone line.

But aside from the obvious flaws in logic, no I don't see this as a good idea. Just open a room and leave your PS3 on for the same effect.