Too Many Severs - Dynamic Server Allotment

[Katana67 2907]

One thing that I've always thought was at the core of DayZ's issues (among other things) was how many servers were available at any given time.

 

There are just so many servers available, that one can willfully choose to play on an empty or low-population server. This is one element that allows for loot-farming (no matter how many discouraging measures are in place, it's possible and relatively easy).

 

When you open the server browser, you get immediate access to hundreds of servers (mostly unpopulated). I'm all for variety and server-persistence (over hives) but I feel that this is a huge problem having so many empty servers available.

 

So, would it be feasible to dynamically make servers available to respond to the overall online population of the game? I mean, if 1000 players are online at any given time, and servers can hold X amount of players, why would there be a need for anything more than the minimum amount of servers to hold 1000 players?

 

I recognize that there are problems with this approach (with regard to differing timezones and "sponsored"/"private" servers). But I believe that having so many superfluous servers is detrimental to the overall experience.

 

What do you think? Open to well-reasoned critique.

Edited March 3, 2014 by Katana67

[Caboose187 (DayZ) 3036]

It'd be different if Bohemia actually had their own server but unfortunately servers are all rented buy players

[TEST_SUBJECT_83 465]

I have no problem with this idea, but like ^ said, player rent servers so there is no way to regulate them completely.

But I guess the amount of public servers could work this way.

[hellcat420 212]

no thanks. this is supposed to be the zombie apocalypse, but it doesn't feel like it when you run into people every 5 mins. I think the servers are fine how they are now. full servers are only good for playing deathmatchz, which is not fun to play all of the time.

[Caboose187 (DayZ) 3036]

no thanks. this is supposed to be the zombie apocalypse, but it doesn't feel like it when you run into people every 5 mins. I think the servers are fine how they are now. full servers are only good for playing deathmatchz, which is not fun to play all of the time.

Not true.  I play on 30+ player servers and have gone hours without seeing a single player

[Katana67 2907]

To work around the issue of rented servers, I was trying to hint at just making the server browser allocate what's VISIBLE to the player based upon total population. So you could still have rented servers, but they wouldn't necessarily be visible (by default or at all).

[Mos1ey 6301]

no thanks. this is supposed to be the zombie apocalypse, but it doesn't feel like it when you run into people every 5 mins. I think the servers are fine how they are now. full servers are only good for playing deathmatchz, which is not fun to play all of the time.

 

I rarely see players (once an hour or so absolute max.) playing in a 40/40 server. I think you're spending too much time in Elektro. xD

 

I fully support this idea, but I doubt it will ever happen. In an ideal world I'd have official (BIS owned) servers only and a 'matchmaking' type system where you and whichever friends you wish to play with are dumped into as full a server as possible.

 

No more circumventing the game by playing in empty servers, no more loot farming and no more admin abuse. It's a win, win, win situation.

Edited March 3, 2014 by Mos1ey

[hellcat420 212]

I rarely see players (once an hour or so absolute max.) playing in a 40/40 server. I think you're spending too much time in Elektro. xD

 

I fully support this idea, but I doubt it will ever happen. In an ideal world I'd have official (BIS owned) servers only and a 'matchmaking' type system where you and whichever friends you wish to play with are dumped into an as full a server as possible.

 

No more circumventing the game by playing in empty servers, no more loot farming and no more admin abuse. It's a win, win, win situation.

well I don't hang out on the coast or play empty servers, and I run into people all of the time, I roam the northern 2/3's of the map.

Edited March 3, 2014 by hellcat420

[Mos1ey 6301]

well I don't hang out on the coast or play empty servers, and I run into people all of the time.

 

Really? :S

 

I run more or less the same route (Kamyshovo/Solnichniy > Msta > Staroye > Polana > Gorka > Novy > Stary > Kabanino > Military base > NW airfield) every life and I'd estimate that 95% of the time I will not encounter another player between Msta and Kabanino.

[fitzee 248]

Hi.

l'm confused, are you saying people who rent servers should only be able to use them if they are full?

How are servers suppose to get populated enough to meet your personal standards, if they aren't allowed in the browser...

:facepalm:

l think it's funny how people want to dictate how others play.

Regards.

[pillock 850]

I rarely see players (once an hour or so absolute max.) playing in a 40/40 server. I think you're spending too much time in Elektro. xD

 

I fully support this idea, but I doubt it will ever happen. In an ideal world I'd have official (BIS owned) servers only and a 'matchmaking' type system where you and whichever friends you wish to play with are dumped into an as full a server as possible.

 

No more circumventing the game by playing in empty servers, no more loot farming and no more admin abuse. It's a win, win, win situation.

 

This is exactly what I'd like to see.

 

But it does pose potential problems for implementing persistent objects like storage, barricades, camps/bases, etc., doesn't it? It might need to be coupled with increased player-server capacity as well as locking of characters to the server where they first spawn (and allowing players to have multiple characters so they can play with friends/clans at will with separate characters).

 

From my point of view, third-party servers are fine for a mod, but seem to be a pretty down-market solution for a proper standalone title, as DayZ will eventually be on release - especially one that's sold so well.

[Katana67 2907]

I rarely see players (once an hour or so absolute max.) playing in a 40/40 server. I think you're spending too much time in Elektro. xD

 

I fully support this idea, but I doubt it will ever happen. In an ideal world I'd have official (BIS owned) servers only and a 'matchmaking' type system where you and whichever friends you wish to play with are dumped into as full a server as possible.

 

No more circumventing the game by playing in empty servers, no more loot farming and no more admin abuse. It's a win, win, win situation.

 

Well, I've spoken at length on this before when I was more active on the forums, but I don't like how they're trying to straddle the line between persistent hives and private servers with regard to characters. Most of the issues we cite (like server hopping) could easily be remedied if characters were server-specific.

 

However, that is even more unlikely to happen. So we've got to try and find workarounds.

Edited March 3, 2014 by Katana67

[Katana67 2907]

From my point of view, third-party servers are fine for a mod

 

Agreed, I was going to suggest this as well. Public (dynamically allotted servers) for vanilla, third-party rented servers for mods later on down the line.

[yorkmorgan 191]

completely agree, I posted something along these lines myself a while ago, I really think that people loot farming on lowpop servers, and THEN switching to highpop once fully geared is having a very serious effect on player interaction in this game, it means you get just two types of players in highpop, fully geared up to the teeth players who just want to hunt other players, and don't give a damn YOLO freshspawns, 90% of whom just run to electro to get themselves shot. There are no survivalist freshspawns in fullpop looking to gear their characters, cos they would just do that in lowpop, and these are the players who create many of the interesting player interactions, and that is the period in a characters timeline that is most engaging.

Not to mention that it screws up the ratio of players to gear in the highpop servers, ahhhh I could go on and on about this issue, it is so underappreciated (this really could be the 'cause of KOS' that everyone's seeking) and I desperately hope something is done about it.