Running Sins of a Solar Empire On a Dedicated Server?

Running SOASE without loading any graphics?

from Sins Forums
Hello there,

I was just wondering if there was a way to load up sin with out loading any graphics. .

I know that sounds kinda wierd but heres what im attempting to try and do (If Possible)

I have a dedicated server which i have loaded SOASE onto, however when i try to run the game it doesnt load up obviusly because the server has limted graphics.

All i want to do is set a game up on the server and then have me and a few friends connect to my server via the mutiplayer tab and then joining a game by typing in my servers IP and Port.
Perhaps running commands through a cmd console?


I hope you understand what im trying to do and i hope it is possible to do this. My internet connection can only handle about 4 people before the lag gets unbearable and defently wont be able to handle 8 people trying to connect to me especially while in battles.












technical
10,414 views 12 replies
Reply #1 from Sins Forums Top
This isn't possible. Sins is P2P, there is no client-server connection. Every computer simulates the entire game, the "host" just syncs the data, but he needs to run the full simulation as well.
Reply #2 from Sins Forums Top
No, there's no option to do that because the game does not use a client-server architecture. The game is peer-to-peer, with all machines running the entire game in parallel; the host only keeps them all synced, which uses minimal overhead compared to the game itself. As such, there would be no discernible benefit to a dedicated host anyway.
Multiplicity - Control multiple PCs using one keyboard and mouse
Reply #3 from Sins Forums Top
okey dokey thanks for the reply :)
Reply #4 from Sins Forums Top
a sins server would be really nice because the peer-to-peer net makes it hard to run larger games, once the host is gone it's over.
and that happens way too often...

i don't think p2p is a good net-architecture for such a game in multiplayer.

Reply #5 from Sins Forums Top
a sins server would be really nice because the peer-to-peer net makes it hard to run larger games, once the host is gone it's over.and that happens way too often...i don't think p2p is a good net-architecture for such a game in multiplayer.
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I believe it was decided pretty early on in development that there's way too much data to make a client-server architecture for the game.
Reply #6 from Sins Forums Top
I don't quite understand how the current p2p network architecture could be more efficient than a client-server one.

currently in a 8 player game every player has to receive and transmit data to 7 other players - so its 6 times more network traffic than if it was only 1 server and 8 clients.

sure the server has to handle combat, movement and economy of 8 players and up to 10.000 ships, but that's what servers are for ;-)

this would also greatly decrease the cpu-power needed for this game as large maps slow down even the fastest pc system currently available.
Reply #7 from Sins Forums Top
sirphoenix,

Maybe this well help you understand... ;) 


Each person runs the ENTIRE simulation locally on their own PC. The HOST in SINS is really a "host" in name only, and is there to SYNC all of the players together.

There is very little bandwidth required to perform this "sync-ing" so having a "dedicated" machine perform the "sync-ing" while everyone is still running the ENTIRE simulation locally is pointless.


thanks,

the Monk
Reply #8 from Sins Forums Top
No, there's no option to do that because the game does not use a client-server architecture. The game is peer-to-peer, with all machines running the entire game in parallel; the host only keeps them all synced, which uses minimal overhead compared to the game itself. As such, there would be no discernible benefit to a dedicated host anyway.
End of quote
If we're on the subject, could I ask a few questions about Sins net architecture? I'm very curious about this:

- When you say p2p and "host only keeps them all synced", how does the host do that without broadcasting its state to each and every node?
- Do the nodes pull or push information?
- What mechanism deals with packet loss?
- Does the host periodically or when it deems it required refresh all nodes with a clean snapshot of its state? (i.e non-incrementally)? Or does the whole architecture rely on each node remaining in sync based on following incremental changes?

I'm not trying to steal IC's IP or anything :) , I'm just curious about the architecture you're describing as this is the first time that I hear of a P2P network architecture for a real-time application and I'm quite intrigued.

Thanks anyway,
Amir.
Reply #9 from Sins Forums Top
[....] this is the first time that I hear of a P2P network architecture for a real-time application [.....]
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Not to be taken in an "offensive" manner......but you are only eighteen! hehe  ;p 


As to the rest of your queries...

Since I don't work for IC, anything I would surmise would be conjecture, however I can say that that's some level of curiousity you have there!  ;) 

Making assumptions of course, my guess would be it's likely that the host "broadcasts" it's initial state, and then the clients (since they're all running the entire sim locally) are "pushing" their updates back to the host. Certain MP-desync issues (which have now been resolved) seem to point to the "following of incremental changes" scenario as opposed to periodic clean-slate refresh.

Just my .02 cents......and again, I don't work for IC so this is all just guess-work on my part!

thanks,

the Monk
Reply #10 from Sins Forums Top
you are only eighteen!
End of quote
29, actually. But you were close.

Reply #11 from Sins Forums Top
you are only eighteen!

29, actually. But you were close.
End of quote




Damn, well then update your profile...your profile said 18!  ;p 
Reply #12 from Sins Forums Top
So I guess you prefer not to answer.. well I guess it's clear why you wouldn't want to discuss the details of Sins network architecture.

Just in case anyone finds this interesting, the following is an almost 10 years old Article that Tim Sweeney (The lead developer of the Unreal game engine and the founder of Epic Games) wrote about Unreal's network architecture. Although old it is still an interesting read. There is also a little comment about P2P in the last paragraph.

http://unreal.epicgames.com/Network.htm