There are no links and no public evidence atm.

I could provide you with screenshot with 10000 people and "10000 clients!" in big red numbers, but what would that prove? That I can use photoshop, that's what.

We aren't ready to open a server up for everyone to test it and thus, until that stage, it's merely my word (and others) that 3DGS can do what it can. I know all too well the downfalls of putting up a sample that is not ready for prime time having been at that stage many times before.

Remember, I have no stock-options in Conitec and thus I have no vested interest in the software aside from what it can do for me. I too was pissed at the beginning of my development at Conitecs reticence at telling us what the engine can do. But now we have more people working with it and at least 3 people that independently claim, from independent efforts and independent code, that it can do what we claim it can. If it couldn't handle 50 people, I gah-ran-f'n-tee you I would be the first to post it on every game engine board from here to mongolia...but it does... so I don't.

Yes, it still remains to be seen if one server can handle 100 much less 1000, yet all signs (right now) point to yes. Unless there is some weird DX9 Dplay juju that breaks the way things are scaling (and if there are articles on this I would love to see them!), then with our proven 50 clients and 2% resource use, I have confidence that we can acheive 500 clients and keep resource use to under 50%... and 500 is my magic number that proves that 3DGS (and our system) is "MMO ready". We'll see, but I remain optimistic as ever...

Running the 3DGS Server apps:
2x Xeon Duo Core 3.2
2x Raid-0 SATA HD
2x Gigabit NICs
2x 4 gig RAM (8 gig total)
1x 256 MB Nvidia (forget model)

Running the MySql server:
2x Xeon 2.6
2x Raid-0 SATA HD
2x 10/100 NICs
2x 1 Gig Ram (2 gig total)
1x 128 MB ATI (forget model)

what i dont understand is what the framerate has to do at all with multiplayer, you dont get slower rendering, your dead-reckoning just makes all object continue to do the last task they were doing, so why is anybody mentioning fps at all?

1 fps is not a sane statement unless something is terribly wrong with your connection code that causes your program to freeze or your program code in general. 1 fps usually has more to do with a function run amock. Use F11 key running from SED and see where the real delay is at.

WELL... I for some reason beyond my understanding trust fastlane and locoweed. Despite the fact that there is no real evidence (this might make me an idiot) i must say locoweed has written a very good multiplayer script. Fastlane I'm sure you can answer this about your project, are you using a DLL or C-script.

A few DLLs to connect to the MySql server.
Everything else is in C-script.

If you are doing anything MMO-ish, I highly recommend you get familiar with MySql since an MMO nothing more than just a huge database backend with pretty graphics frontend. MySql is free, it's relatively easy, and it's fast.

In most cases multiplayer will improve the framerate of your game. No longer runs complex A.I routines, instead, your entities receive updates from the server instead. Unless of course, your system for smoothing out server updates is insanely complex.

I wouldn't rag on locoweeds tutorial, he uses a different method that really isn't meant for FPS games. I've a full fledged multiplayer game(without the fancy lobbies and chat yet...) but 8 players, racing, and battle mode with 16 weapons 2 functions each enabled. This includes targeting, particles, ect. The reason for 8 players is due to my own limit(level design). I'd like to think that beyond this is possible. Remember, if your seeing really bad lag, emit some more "smoke" to hide it. Check your smoothing systems.

I cannot provide a demo to prove this right now, as I'm not going to share the code(much to complex/large to learn from anyways). However, it's really not that hard to do yourself(if you understand c-script, pointers, ect.), read through the years of "Multiplayer forums", and look for a western demo somewhere on the forums, and theres another begginers tut on AUM.

when i was using 3dgs multiplayer i had 4 players and 60npcs running smooth with a dsl as host. i wouldnt say its impossible to make an mmorpg type game with a6 but unless youre some godlike coder it wont be possible and secure.
i released the code from my previous multiplayerproject right now, its commented pretty good you can find it at my homepage http://www.ackbytes.de under download.

Thank you for sharing Ulf

I made an account just to say this.

I run impulse gaming wich is a mmorpg network. We run servers for things such as ragnarok online or lineage 2.

As an example ragnarok online uses 3 threads to run the game (map/character/login) and a fourth thread wich is obviously mySQL.

EVEN ON A LOW END SYSTEM! We can get 400-500 players online. This is with a P4 2.0ghz and 1gb of ram.

A decent multiplayer system with a server like fastlanes used would easily hold 5000+ players.

I hope this puts it into perspective for some people. If the server was having problems with 20 people on a high end PC such as that then I would not count on getting more than the 32 people that populace claims to support.

On the other hand if 3Dgamestudio supports c++ .dll support than there shouldnt be a problem with making your game first and then later on creating your own network code with c++ when you feel ready.

@ D1NG0:

As of yet I have not tested A6-based multiplayer game with more than 4 people, because my version doesn't support more players. Anyway; I guess if someone has problems with more than 20 players its either A6 fault or mostly due to one or more of the following reasons:

1: The game was not designed with multiplayer gaming in mind, to many resources.
2: The server has to many windows-desktop like sth running, no real server.
3: The server hardware configuration is not balanced to act as a real server
4: The server/mp-game is running on a standard DSL connection.
5: Someone is tampering/hacking your insecure multiplayer game/server

On the forum I read people wanting to setup their own website, mysql, mp server on 1 and the same computer with XP running behind a homegrown DSL connection. That will not work, for funplay with your mates yes for serious no.

Anyway I think its fun to learn from creating a multiplayer game. Doing a mmorpg is a little above my head though. I'm thinking about purchase Populace if I can get enough information on howto use it.

Max. 20 players per server is enough for what I had in mind. To bad Conitec didn't allowed 4 players for A6 Extra and at least 8 for A6 Commercial, guess that would be fair as with Pro they said one can get virtualy any number of players online.

The server will not be run on any of my computers. The people can setup their own server on their simple dsl connection, therefore I don't need more players. The only thing I need is to let people who run the game, choose to which server they like to connect. Don't think that is possible with A6 Commercial alone.