Doom3 & Quake4...peer to peer?!?

[Baby Arm]

Hey I was reading something about D3 & Q4 and I don't remember it being discussed here. They are going to use a peer to peer system to play online rather than the client/server way we're used too. This means you won't be able to hop around from server to server joining games in progress. You'll have to assemble all of the players and go in at once. If you get disconnected, well too bad.

I'm not sure but I think this may suck. Why would they change something like this? I guess it works for some games like warcraft but how will this ever work for games where there may be 32 or more people playing?

http://firingsquad.gamers.com/news/newsarticle.asp?searchid=5370

[gibsinep]

Well that is stupid, Dedicated servers are a must for FPS.

Maybe p2p works for smaller rts games where you only need like 4 guys to play.

[Baby Arm]

I used to play games at the MS gaming zone, and wating in launch rooms for people to show up was such a beating. Plus, I believe there was a host and others joined in, which gave the host computer an advantage with less lag etc.

I think this could be a disaster. I'm surprised there's not more being said about this.

[bob05]

Originally posted by Baby Arm
I used to play games at the MS gaming zone, and wating in launch rooms for people to show up was such a beating. Plus, I believe there was a host and others joined in, which gave the host computer an advantage with less lag etc.

I think this could be a disaster. I'm surprised there's not more being said about this.

When I first read the link, I thought they meant that I would have to isntant message random people to arrange a game. :eek: But if it's going to be like the Zone, it wouldn't be that bad. They might do it like Rouge Spear is set up, where you start with X number of people and people who join have to wait until the game is over before they would start playing. But then again, that only really works with tactical shooters (I.E. Rainbow 6/Rouge Spear) unless the game has a time limit (i.e. Delta Force). But like I said, a Zone-like setup wouldn't be too bad. :cool:

[Bigjakkstaffa]

I reckon, that due to the load Doom 3/ Quake 4 are gonna place on systems, we're not gonna see 32 player Multiplayer games, i think if this P2P thing does come about, its gonna be so in order to keep game sizes to say half a dozen players and limit the strain on systems and prevents the server suddenly becoming overloaded mid-game

Just a bit of (il)logical thinkign there

--Jakk:t

[Dreamwalker]

I thought the specs for Doom 3 were pretty low??? They won't put that much load on systems will they?

[Bigjakkstaffa]

P3 733Mhz
256mb RAM
Gf2

sumink like that, if you consider though that many gamers are still on P3's and riva TNT2's then it kinda puts tings into perspective. Also, minimum specs are oftne misleading, just because you meet minimum specs doesnt mean the games actually gonna be playable on your machine (ie it'll prolly be as chuggy as a chain-smoking Thomas the tank engine)

--Jakk:t

[Baby Arm]

I can't imagine deathmatches with only 6 or 10 people. That would be completely lame. This would be moving the genre in the wrong direction. The last time I played anything with 6 people on a server was years ago on a 33k modem. noo noo never again!

I'm assuming it will be something like the zone..some kind of front end meeting place. Waiting for a full game sucks. People coming in and out, impatient players cussing the host to hurry up and start the game. Hosts that would screw up the launch of the game and disconnect everyone, leaving them to wait in another room to do it all over again. Sometimes it went smoothly, but usually there was alot of wasted time.

Besides, if ID wanted to limit the number of player on a server all they would have to do is code it that way. Heck there aren't any servers in a peer to peer setup anyway right? The load will be on the host machine and everyone else will be affected by that I think. When I played motocross madness on the zone that's how it was. If some fool with a **** computer decided to be the host the game was unplayable. Lag, players warping here and there it was sad. That was a few years ago so maybe Carmack has found a way around this sort of thing. Hope so.

[iceblue]

Originally posted by Bigjakkstaffa

sumink like that, if you consider though that many gamers are still on P3's and riva TNT2's...
that's me :D just happily cruizin along..)-|

[NJEnviroguy]

I count my blessings that I don't play JDII a lot. I used the zone for that and what a pain in the ****. Just as you said Baby Arm, probably 8 out of 10 times there was an issue. I hate to say it, but I use to cuss somewhat in those rooms waiting....and waiting...... and waiting. Stupid host...."Oh, we'll just wait for one more" Then they spam the general chat room and everyone gets pissed off at him/her and no one joins the room.

[tasty danish]

thats why we have online games like halo, and ut2004 coming out, so that lame-ness such as this will not put too much of a damper on our online day

[Baby Arm]

Don't forget half life 2.... :)

[tasty danish]

yeah, i dont see why half life 2 wont be good online, but then again i loved the original half life but i didnt like to play it online, cs or dod however is awesome. maybe the new engine will be better suited to online play, and if not, i am sure that the cs equivalent for hl2 will kick major @r$e.

[Bigjakkstaffa]

Yeah the original HL engine felt a bit slow and clunk for online play i felt...its well suited to the crouch and snipe tactics of CS, but as an engine its physics and weapons arent really up the the 'jump around' mayhem of the likes of UT and Q3a

--Jakk:t

[tasty danish]

my point exactly

[Baby Arm]

Oh I don't know I spent alot of time playing half life and especially team fortress online. I loved it. CS is one of those things to me that I will never understand...I despise it. Horray lets all be snipers and shoot anyone who's not a sniper yeah and if that doesn't work I'll just cheat a bit and shoot through walls!. I suppose there was more to it but that's about all I got out of it. I've hated campers as long as I can remember, and snipings about the same to me. I do unstand the value of snipers in a game like bf1942 though. There don't seem to be many of them though.

I havent played ut2003 or q3 in ages. They have little appeal ever since bf1942 came out. None of those run-on-the-ground-always type games ever will again. Gotta have a variety of vehicles and stuff to drive around in. Does cs have vehicles? Seems like the last time I payed attention to it that was a new thing that would be on the next release.

Hehe I'd forgotten about playing jk and jk2 ant he zone...that was much worse that motocross madness. Thanks for making me remember the suffering :(

[Bigjakkstaffa]

TFC is the greatest online game ever, alongside Quake 3, i'll give you that ;)

Much better than that over-hyped CS thingamabob:p

--Jakk:t

[bob05]

Baby Arm is correct, I hate CS. They will be 4 hackers in any given game, and thousands of snipers. That's why I love the original HL. Just a simple futuristic shooter ;). But I don't think I will be picking up HL 2 either, I'd rather get Deus Ex 2 or Homeworld 2. Now to upgrade the ole' Geforce 2 MX :p.

[tasty danish]

but hl2 is gonna be the badgers nadgers!!!:p

[Bigjakkstaffa]

Indeed, i think its safe to say it'll be the mutts nutts ;)

--Jakk:t

[tasty danish]

LOL!!! i love it! how many of these do you have???

[Bigjakkstaffa]

Theres all sorts of phrases like that, you just gotta stop in England for a few months and you'll pick up all sorts of bizzare slang and colloquialisms

Have a look at this place for some starter stuff

http://www.peevish.co.uk/slang/

--Jakk:t

[tasty danish]

wow, reading that site, has made me go away with the mixer this fine avvy in awe and amazement. its safe to say that im as happy as a pig in $h1t. it makes sounding like a brit downright lemon-squeezy. definately going on the favorites list, old chap.:r :p :t

[Bigjakkstaffa]

Only problem with that is its a bit too southern in content, its mostly cockney which is IMO quite 'foreigner friendly', you wanna get really blown away you come oop north where me and Stefan live, you'll do well to even make out what people are saying around here, nevermind undertanding what it actually means :p

Having said that though me Gran was born within bow bells and me dad's from Fulham so i do tend to throw in the odd bit of cockney into my otherwise northern speech

--Jakk:t