128 player tests: Feedback and Observations

[KingKong.CCCP]

I would like to see tags being removed one day... like in about 5 years...
At this point, no tags is not a problem for the squad (if people stick to their kits, you can recognize them with ease), but talking to an unknown blue guy... in a 20 ppl blue mob... all looking the same...
- No not you, the guy behind you!
- That is me.
- Oh... I thought you were him.
- Who, me?

I just want to say, tags or no tags, if I could now play on the big 128 with some good SLs, and 90% of server on mumble, I would be soooo happy.

[Wicca]

Wonder if there will be face recognition. Like if you could paperclip your face to the front of the Bf2 soldiers head.

Would be interesting?

[centralhigh76]

Custom name tags on your ACUs like RL.

[RollingInTheHurt]

I would like to know what is the best server hardware for 128 player server?
- Fast Ghz, minimal cores?
- Slow Ghz, multiple cores?
- SSD vs Spinning Disks?
- Linux vs Windows?
- 32bit vs 64bit?

Thanks.

[KEIOS]

Battlefield 2: Project Reality Mod - 128 Spieler auf einem Server

Even one of the biggest german games magazine wrote about the testserver

[pfhatoa]

ha! cool

[killonsight95]

I would like to know what is the best server hardware for 128 player server?
- Fast Ghz, minimal cores
- Slow Ghz, multiple cores I'm guessing this one is usually the best but i am unsure.
- SSD Much quicker than a spinning disk and will tranfer information quicker.
- Linux vs Windows, Your preferance entirly although linux uses less resources but you may need to use another program to load up windows programs which will use up the RAM you saved from not using windows, but not sure about servers though since i've never run one.
- 64bit with 8+ GB of RAM

Thanks.

I tried to answer the best i could above however i'm not used to running a server this is just what a friend told me as he run his own server for his house which is pretty cool but non-theless he's my source on this.

More choppers = more pilots = less of a dream. They just need to respawn more quickly. We love logistics in PR, but in 4km maps it gets a little ridiculous that much of the team is dedicated to logistics, while only a squad or two on each side actually fights. Also, having vehicles respawn more quickly cuts down on the amount of vehicles in play, which makes vehicles more powerful (relative to other players), but infantry less hindered by mass amounts of vehicles (which makes most people happy).

This is a good idea however remember guys i don't think that shorttening them by anything more thna 5 mins will help the situation, jeeps need to be increased on maps like kashan even on 64 layout there shopuld be at least 2 jeeps for trans. Also I think more light vehicals should play a larger role in gameplay. For example BTR 60 and 80's should make more of an appearance on kashan etc. with fewer tanks, however tanks should be given a shorter re-spawn time i mean they're 10 mins now they should be taken down to 6-7 mins this'll make them more powerful but still in smaller numbers while still having the BTR's transporting inf and being covered by the BMP's.

Heli's are fine as they are as they are never all always busy anyway it's nice to learn how to wait for trans or crates as it adds mroe fun to gameplay and will also ask for more commanders to decide where the assets need to go.
/rant

[AquaticPenguin]

I would like to know what is the best server hardware for 128 player server?
- Fast Ghz, minimal cores
- Slow Ghz, multiple cores I'm guessing this one is usually the best but i am unsure.
- SSD Much quicker than a spinning disk and will tranfer information quicker.
- Linux vs Windows, Your preferance entirly although linux uses less resources but you may need to use another program to load up windows programs which will use up the RAM you saved from not using windows, but not sure about servers though since i've never run one.
- 64bit with 8+ GB of RAM

Thanks.

I would say that multiple cores isn't necessarily better. It depends a lot on how well multi-threaded the server is. There is a high level of inefficiency that comes with multiple cores so 2x cores doesn't translate into 2x speed. Processor speed is generally more reliable and scaleable.

SSD, as far as I am aware the seek speed on these is much faster than traditional hard disks which is where they get the performance boost. So yes, SSDs will be advantageous.

Definately 64-bit, you need the RAM

[Lugi]

I stopped playing PR for a while but I will when there is a 128 server.

Devs, don't forget to ask that magician about fastropez, +8 seats and other "hardcoded" stuff.

[killonsight95]

+8 seats

It'd be nice to have forum area where we can just talk about these kinds of things with the DEV's directly maybe linked into the DEV forum area so that people can pass up ideas and talk with the DEV's they seem to never comment on the suggestion forums or provide their point of veiw maybe by doing this it'll improve the responce count and allow the community to advance their own knowledge of the game coding and models allowing more suggestions that may work rather than re-suggestions?

[bummer]

Hi all
WOW!
Very exciting to see this finally happen. Don't know if you all remember or not but about 2 to 3 years ago PR helped us (RubberDuckyGaming) fill up a server to test 128 players, but I could never figure it out and gave up. You would think by now EA Dice would get off the source code, still waiting on BFV 1942 source code as well. Well anywho Some info I can pass on,, You will need about 16 mb/s upload to do 124 players. Also about the name tag bug,, you all might already know this and I have spent a lot of time trying to figure out why but if you play CoOp with more than 80 bots you will start to get the name tag bug with the bots as well. So that might help narrow down the problem.
I have always dreamed of finding and talking to the guy who wrote the .exe for BF2. If we could get a hold of that guy some how I bet it could be done easier. The problem they had back when BF2 come out was all OS were 32 bit. Now we have 64 bit. I was told once by a very smart computer dude that the reason why Bf2 was only 64 player because of the 32 bit OS He said something like it takes a half of a bit for each player. So with 64 bit OS now it sounds like it can be done.
Would really like to see this get all the bugs worked and working. I have spent at least 50 hours or more programing back in the day trying to figure out 128 player.

[soldier19919]

it was great, my fps a bit lower but still super cool, mutch more infantry combat and not just asset whores. you're stupid if you're not gonna keep the 128

[BloodBane611]

It'd be nice to have forum area where we can just talk about these kinds of things with the DEV's directly maybe linked into the DEV forum area so that people can pass up ideas and talk with the DEV's they seem to never comment on the suggestion forums or provide their point of veiw maybe by doing this it'll improve the responce count and allow the community to advance their own knowledge of the game coding and models allowing more suggestions that may work rather than re-suggestions?

Good ideas are often passed up to the DEVs by the MODs, testers, MAs, or noticed by the DEVs themselves. No comment doesn't mean no reading


As far as learning about coding, models etc: PR:BF2 Community Modding - Project Reality Forums

[Arnoldio]

You will need about 16 mb/s upload to do 124 players.

- This was allready tested and you need cca 9mb/s iirc, for 128.

I have always dreamed of finding and talking to the guy who wrote the .exe for BF2. If we could get a hold of that guy some how I bet it could be done easier.

- You cannot change the BF2.exe, illegal.

The problem they had back when BF2 come out was all OS were 32 bit. Now we have 64 bit. I was told once by a very smart computer dude that the reason why Bf2 was only 64 player because of the 32 bit OS He said something like it takes a half of a bit for each player. So with 64 bit OS now it sounds like it can be done.

- Im no supersmart computer dude but this sounds very bullsh*tty...

Notes in bold...

[Wicca]

Having servers and client servers that could handle 128 objects moving at the same time, pluss the additional explosions and veichles and destroyable objects. Not to mention all the undergrowth overgrowth sounds collision meshes, trees. ETC.

It was considerd that the gameplay on such servers ie 128 about 6 years ago, wasnt going to enjoyable due to the lack of computer power for the general "person".

And so they took it away.

This is from a guy who knows little of computers, but understands that every 18th month, the computer doubles its capabilities.

// Wicca out

[DeltaFart]

so how is this coming along? I been looking in here every so often. I think if this couold work I'd come back to 4km maps

[K4on]

Battlefield 2: Project Reality Mod - 128 Spieler auf einem Server

Even one of the biggest german games magazine wrote about the testserver

yes, i had sent them the article

[BloodyDeed]

I would like to know what is the best server hardware for 128 player server?
- Fast Ghz, minimal cores?
- Slow Ghz, multiple cores?
- SSD vs Spinning Disks?
- Linux vs Windows?
- 32bit vs 64bit?

Thanks.

There is no much difference between 128p and 64p Server except even more CPU, Memory and Traffic usage.
My recommendation:

- Fast GHZ, you dont need >2 Cores, cause BF2 server supports only 1.
But ofc multicore is better for multitasking
- SSD vs Spinning Disks? Doesnt matter, but ABSOLUTELY no need for an SSD with BF2, spinning disks are by far fast enough.
- I love linux but the most servers are windows
- Would always go 32 bit on a server (especially on linux) due to compatibility issues.

You will need about 16 mb/s upload to do 124 players.

we had about 8mb/sec traffic

I have always dreamed of finding and talking to the guy who wrote the .exe for BF2. If we could get a hold of that guy some how I bet it could be done easier.

There was for sure not a single guy who "wrote" the .exe

The problem they had back when BF2 come out was all OS were 32 bit. Now we have 64 bit. I was told once by a very smart computer dude that the reason why Bf2 was only 64 player because of the 32 bit OS He said something like it takes a half of a bit for each player. So with 64 bit OS now it sounds like it can be done.
Would really like to see this get all the bugs worked and working. I have spent at least 50 hours or more programing back in the day trying to figure out 128 player.

Sounds not plausible to me, im 100% sure this wasnt the problem

[ytman]

The respawn times could be shortend a little for ex. the Cobra instead of 20min spawn time make it 10min. But it might need to very by asset and map. Like with the Cobra if the map normally has 1 re spawning every 20min maybe make it 2 spawning every 20min. But for BTR a shortend spawn-time would be better instead of 2x the amount of them.

The whole reason you have a respawn time is to simulate getting resupplied/redistribution of force to the front lines. Reducing spawn time negates the largets benefit from an asset's destruction, the down time. I'd rather a 1.5x increase and a more realistic role of (personel carrier with some fire support) than lower spawn times.