Persistent Universe via Server Distribution

While I doubt this would be feasible to consider/include into PA by production date as it is currently envisioned...with procedural planet/system/galaxy generation (not even really sure what scale has ultimately been decided on here) I was thinking that it would be very interesting to see something like this maybe implemented as a future DLC-type project:

A persistent 'universe', portions of which (probably a portion of a galaxy) lives on dedicated servers running this version of PA, where one could seamlessly (at least to the player) move across this web of servers - as in being able to play on multiple servers at once, and receiving only the information for those Systems/Planets that you are currently participating in.

The subset of the galaxy that you are currently in would be managed by the server that this subset lives on, subject to the limitations of active players that a server could handle - and if you were spread across two or three adjacent servers, those servers would communicate/sync details like resources, etc. but ultimately the galaxy would be one large persistent battlefield, so that you wouldn't be limited to say conquering the galaxy your game started on...but could move on an keep playing.

If this could be possible, the ability to create massive cooperative empires I think would be of interest to clans, each controlling their respective corners of the galaxy...new players could sign allegiance to an empire, and spawn in a controlled area, etc.

If the appetite for something of this nature and scale would not be feasible by the team, I think I would pursue something like this personally, mod wise. Point being that if the Devs at Uber could facilitate this into the code (some sort of API for servers to enable communication and 'transfer' of player information live, even if it lay unused for the time being), a project like this may just be possible in the future...

I don't know - I drank a lot of coffee this morning... am I alone in thinking this would be pretty sweet, not just from a playability standpoint, but from a technical/developmental standpoint?
/idealist rant

This actually sounds like a fantastic idea for large scale MMO type battles. I have no idea how it could be implemented but, a clever man I am not.

Should be implemented via a mod, and... quite frankly, I would never want to play on a such a system due to cheating.

Persistent stats/resources/abilities etc would be cool and make sense on "Sector" servers, or any number of Sector servers operated by any one group... but I would NOT want to see something like this done across untrusted servers.

Just read through your submission ghargoil, and kudos for the sector idea; You are absolutely correct in that untrusted servers would introduce all types of issues with cheating...

I too am leaning more towards a mod, as i think a project of this scale would just be way out of scope with the game as slated, but it would have to be implemented and controlled on a trusted network of servers - meaning no outside dedicated servers would be able to join in. Your sectors idea would I think be very complimentary here, with the seamless transfer between sectors graphically, handled by the client so users don't even really know they are moving off to another server.

I think you and I are on the same airwaves on this point

of course, this is all just preliminary musings at this point...but i really do think this engine could provide the catalyst needed to make a project like this successful

Hehe, glad you like it. I haven't heard anything from Uber on it, though I'd love to hear their feedback on that idea.

I envisioned Sector servers as a single dedicated machine (or at least, externally viewed as such). Between trusted sectors, you could do stuff like that, but overall I see a mod like this as being contained within a given Sector.... and all games hosted within it.

up until reading your post, i hadn't even thought running multiple server hosts on one dedicated server...but you are right, depending on the scope of the actual maps/gameplay that comes out, and resource utilization of a hosted instance ...its might be fully possible to run on one dedicated server with multiple sectors. That's how shared hosting is done for many games when you rent a server for use...why not run a bunch on your own, and tie them all together! brilliant!

The only issue I might forsee might be scope of the galaxy...it may not be enough! ha! In that case, I think complimentary to this idea, would be the use of a master server that would facilitate communication and synchronization of dedicated sector servers. Call it a quadrant server =P Maybe it would be the central repository for all user persistent data in the 'universe'.

I am getting way too excited over here

The new update has me all tingly inside =P

I would love a bit of insight into their design process behind this update, and how the devs will be approaching the Multiplayer galactic war, especially relating to the Clan Wars servers..

Will the galaxy be comprised of several servers that cover each sector of the galaxy? Will it run all on one? Will/Can it there be fluid movement between sectors of the galaxy? Will units and resource production persist in parts of the galaxy that you are not currently playing in?

So many questions!!! I think this will ultimately be the best thing for the longevity of the multi-player aspect of the game, as this will be a huge boon to clan play

well there will be obviously multiple galaxies on several servers.

for one, there would be local servers, that some play single player or in coop.

Then there could be several galaxies hosted by everyone who wants to. Like if there are a group of clans, e.g. 5 clans, that want to have a constant battle going. => they could make a server with each faction being one clan and fight for it.

But I also would like a biiig central server, which is maybe hosted officially by Uber and then there would be 2 or 3 factions fighting for control, with really massive battles with thousands of players on each side.

I guess everything would be possible, and time would tell which concepts work out and which wont.

This is pretty much exactly what I want.


My next questions is of practical gameplay relevance.

• How does a commander move between solar systems?

you mean how a commander "moves" on the galaxy map? I would say teleport, instantly.

Without space fleets, it does make you wonder how...

Perhaps you must rocket off an engineer that will build a teleportation portal

I imagine that how this will ultimately run, galaxy backend-wise, will determine how it will be done.

I just hope its not like a glorified server selection screen, just giving you a graphic representation that works the same as if you just went back to the lobby and joined a new server.

From where to where?

Are there any limitations on when this can occur?

Teleportation is one option. If you don't want to leave the 'interstellar nuke telefrag' plothole open, just say that only Commanders can be teleported, that teleportation is only possible at precise points of time to precise points of space, which would also explain why two Commanders are teleported in a new system at the exact same time.
They are immortal machines, so you can also have them coast from one system to another, with or without FTL transports, but I personally like teleportation more, easier to explain some details away.

More problematic is, how do you explain that an attacking Commander don't appear in a fully developed planet, greeted by a nuclear hailstorm?
You can choose to ignore it, of course. But that should be avoided as much as possible, IMHO.

A better solution would be that Commanders don't actually attack occupied systems this way. Instead, they both arrive at the same time (because teleportation was possible only at this precise moment) on the system, and both try to capture it.
Then, once they rooted all opposition, they turn said system into a giant battlestation factory, and go for another system.
Then you can have a new game mode where one team try to invade a fully developed system with fully developed battlestations arriving from outer space, while the other try to defend it and destroy/capture said battlestations.

Or the systems are let to themselves on automatic mode to bomb each-other until they are destroyed, and things continue as Commanders capture new systems. Lore-wise, the incentive would be to kill the others Commanders in addition to capture as much systems as possible. In game, it could be reflected by control zones in the galaxy, with each new map system being procedurally generated.

Captured systems could also be used to create a few new Commanders, lore-wise, to explain why everyone didn't kill each-other in a few millennia. Then, things could continue until they run out of systems in the galaxy, which would take a long time as there are hundreds of billions of systems in the Milky Way, and that they can always go to another galaxy once they're done with this one (and the Universe is at least several trillions of light-years wide, potentially bigger or even infinite, so there are lots of galaxies to play with).
You can also explain why one group didn't manage to conquer them all, because Commanders are fundamentally trying to be "the Last One standing", so any dominant group ends up fighting each-other, and things continue.

Very carefully?

LOL :lol:

I lol'ed.

I assume it's something you haven't yet decided upon then.