Another long-term development idea

[sergei.kazantsev]

2009 is coming, crisis, etc - seems to encourage innovative thinking;))

What do you think (honoured development team first of all) about migrating this fantastic game on enterprise platform, say, web service allowing to play simutrans using unlimited centralized server resources via thin clients;))))

This might provide lots of opportunities:
1. Easier installation - more players
2. Centralized software upgrade opportunities
3. Ease multiplayer in huge real-like worlds - sounds like a dream;)
4. Better ability to support developers team & infrustructure financially;)))))

and I am sure lots and lots more.
It still can be open source, but I would say more convenient to use and support/develop.

I am sure you were thinking about this before....))

[marioxcc]

This is a joke?.

[IgorEliezer]

This is a joke?.

No. That is an idea.

Please, explain us why Sergei's idea seems to be a joke.

[prissi]

Becuase, unlike of certain real time graphic games simutrans has more objects and the client, to calculate their movement is exactly the current simutrans. Although, the current simutrans is slim (compared to todays games) thus why try to slim it down more.

Multiplayer will come, albeit only maximum 14 player and one supervisor.

And simutrans is open source ... and any derived work will it be too.

[vilvoh]

3. Ease multiplayer in huge real-like worlds - sounds like a dream;)

You mean to turn Simutrans into a MMOTSG (Masive Multiplayer Online Transport Simulator Game)??  :-\....It seems quite complex. The main problem is where do you get all stuff needed to give support for all those features. You need at least a dedicated server, and a depth knowledge of distributed systems...pfff...I don't know if it's worth the effort. As I see it, Simutrans is not focused on massive collaborative gameplay, as RPG's. You can cooperate with other players, to save money, but there's not a must. Therefore, in that sense Simutrans it's more stand alone gameplay oriented (it's my point of view)

It sounds good, but it's really difficult to achieve....

4. Better ability to support developers team & infrustructure financially;)))))

That was discussed in the thread Should the simutrans project accept donations? and the poll result was not yet, although almost all people would be ready to make some donations.

[Combuijs]

Multiplayer will come, albeit only maximum 14 player and one supervisor.

Only 14!  : Sounds great to me. Can't have 32 transporting companies competing on a map, can you? Out of curiousity, why 16-1 (and currently 8-1)? Is the one remaining necessary internally?

[prissi]

Because currently there is a 4-Bit-field for the player nummer and player 15 and player 1 are reserved ... But in principle the main limitation is that there are only 14 player colors available ...

[z9999]

Is it really possible with 14 players ?
I don't test recent versions, but when I tested in old versions before recent change of AI code, max was 6 because of "sint8 besitzer_n:4".
When I build road or build hq, simutrans crashed in old versions.

[prissi]

New patch for 14 is already in its final stage. A preliminarey version in under simutrans/simutrans/patches in the svn ... But towmorrow I might check it in.

[marioxcc]

Please, explain us why Sergei's idea seems to be a joke.

The main server will be too expensive, it will need a low latency conection, who is also too expensive.
Who will pay this?, nobody.
As far as i know, the old simutrans's server was kidnapped and taked as hostage until Isaac pay the debt of the conection.

[VS]

Heh... no. It was simply too expensive. And due to some other (unrelated) problems, backup could not be made. That's how I heard it.