Dedicated servers please?

[Killer Bean]

Not sure why these types of games are coming out with no dedicated server support. Dedicated server support allows groups of friends to play when the host isnt around.. Seems like a no brainer to me.

[Ambreon]

Hello, unfortunately we do not have plans for dedicated servers, but if the host is away and the rest want to play then you can easily upload your saves to a file sharing site (eg dropbox - some players have auto-uploads for when the file is updated). Then before any game session the (new) host just needs to download it. This keeps it always updated and if the main host is ever away, the rest of the group can still play!

The save file (ranchsave_1.sav or a custom name if set) is located in: AppData\Local\Ranch_Simulator\Saved\SaveGames

To access this location, you can do the following:

- Press the windows key and R together to open the run command
- type in %appdata%/../local/Ranch_Simulator/Saved/SaveGames and press ok

[Maverick]

That's a lot of extra work and time. Having a dedicated instance outside of any one player that is available 24/7 is a much better option. I personally have dedicated servers for Satisfactory, Astroneer, etc that my friends and I use often. I agree with the OP, players are frequently reverting to single-player or finding other games to play due to the hassle encountered while trying to collaborate with others who are outside of their work/sleep cycles.

[Deilin]

Dedicated server mean a persistent server. Even when no one is on, time is passing by. If no one hops on to tend to the farm at least every 2 hours (depending on your time settings), all the crops and animals will die.

[AlphaWolve]

but with a simple pause while empty option this isn't a problem at all.

[Deilin]

probably not an immediate pause, but saves and pauses at the next midnight until someone logs in. You'd also have to disable sleep time jump.

[Maverick]

Well, this is still easily overcome. Crafty server admins often devise ways of starting and stopping the servers. Building a docker image and using a web tool like Portainer to stop and start the instance can be an easy solution.

[Pascaloup]

A reminder, are you planning the possibility of creating a dedicated server so we can play in team and even more like having many ranchs? Having a save on a cloud so players can share the game between them is a good idea but it is a temporary solution that will cause players to discourage and come to farming simulator very fast.

[kornflakes89]

Originally posted by Deilin:

Dedicated server mean a persistent server. Even when no one is on, time is passing by. If no one hops on to tend to the farm at least every 2 hours (depending on your time settings), all the crops and animals will die.

Except no, no one would have to log in every so often. Things would just pause until at least one player logs in. That's how 7 Days to Die servers work, no reason it wouldn't work the same here if this game had dedicated servers.

[Deilin]

This game doesn't auto-save, so it wouldn't just pause. It would most likely pick back up at the last save someone made in the server.

[Shoe]

Originally posted by Ambreon:

Hello, unfortunately we do not have plans for dedicated servers, but if the host is away and the rest want to play then you can easily upload your saves to a file sharing site (eg dropbox - some players have auto-uploads for when the file is updated). Then before any game session the (new) host just needs to download it. This keeps it always updated and if the main host is ever away, the rest of the group can still play!

The save file (ranchsave_1.sav or a custom name if set) is located in: AppData\Local\Ranch_Simulator\Saved\SaveGames

To access this location, you can do the following:

- Press the windows key and R together to open the run command
- type in %appdata%/../local/Ranch_Simulator/Saved/SaveGames and press ok

This is code for "We don't know how to make a dedicated server version" lame

[Deilin]

Well. If you know a friendly programmer, they can make a server using a few coding tricks. Takes a seconds steam account with its own copy of the game.

It's something I know only because I use to run servers for a few games, and learned to program UE. It activates the game with no display and starts the targeted save "online".

It's also something you can look up online, if you know where to, and understand the coding, but it's officially "unsupported" by UE.

And yes, it works for this game too.

[Shoe]

Then why don't you share how?

[Deilin]

Consider it a programmers courtesy.

One of the things I did as a server admin, and programmer, had me dealing with some of the less creative gamers you don't want playing with you. A clean server was a needed tool. And, as I said, is unsupported by UE.

[Robsen]

Originally posted by Deilin:

Well. If you know a friendly programmer, they can make a server using a few coding tricks. Takes a seconds steam account with its own copy of the game.

It's something I know only because I use to run servers for a few games, and learned to program UE. It activates the game with no display and starts the targeted save "online".

It's also something you can look up online, if you know where to, and understand the coding, but it's officially "unsupported" by UE.

And yes, it works for this game too.

That would require to buy the game a second time, just to run a dedicated server. That's neither a good solution, nor a great workaround.

Dedicated servers drive multiplayer games. Especially when it comes to games with persistent worlds. Just look at all the farming simulators.

If there are no plans for dedicated servers at the moment, please take it into consideration and evaluate what impact it would have on the community of this game. That's the least we could as for.

[StonedLover]

Originally posted by Ambreon:

Hello, unfortunately we do not have plans for dedicated servers, but if the host is away and the rest want to play then you can easily upload your saves to a file sharing site (eg dropbox - some players have auto-uploads for when the file is updated). Then before any game session the (new) host just needs to download it. This keeps it always updated and if the main host is ever away, the rest of the group can still play!

The save file (ranchsave_1.sav or a custom name if set) is located in: AppData\Local\Ranch_Simulator\Saved\SaveGames

To access this location, you can do the following:

- Press the windows key and R together to open the run command
- type in %appdata%/../local/Ranch_Simulator/Saved/SaveGames and press ok

You´re welcome. If you dont have time to implement it hit me up.
https://docs.unrealengine.com/5.0/en-US/setting-up-dedicated-servers-in-unreal-engine/