Online shared world (not dedicated servers)

[Paulo Borghal]

Would be nice if we can create worlds and keep it online, for any friend, any time.

It doesn't have to be a dedicated server, but only if the world could be shared (stored online), and any friend could start a game session inside it and all changes were saved. If a session was already online in that world and another friend is starting to play, it would connect to the existing host.

It would greatly increase the casual availability of the game.

[Paulo Borghal]

On each session, this seens more needed... Really bad can't auto share a world without dedicated server ir alternative file sync tools.

[NoShotz]

What you are describing are dedicated servers.

[Paulo Borghal]

NoShotz님이 먼저 게시:

What you are describing are dedicated servers.

I know that dedicated servers can do this better than my proposal, but at a higher cost.
I play with my friends and I need to wait for them to go online to be able to go back to that world, simply because I don't have the file synchronized.
I just proposed the idea of file sharing (world savegame) and dynamic host selection (whoever starts a session in that world first, becomes the host for the next ones). In terms of software development, this is very simple to do, but it would require an environment made available by the game's developers, which would have a continuous cost for them, but we see so many successful games out there offering free online services , it doesn't hurt to give the idea.

[NoShotz]

Paulo Borghal님이 먼저 게시:

NoShotz님이 먼저 게시:

What you are describing are dedicated servers.

I know that dedicated servers can do this better than my proposal, but at a higher cost.
I play with my friends and I need to wait for them to go online to be able to go back to that world, simply because I don't have the file synchronized.
I just proposed the idea of file sharing (world savegame) and dynamic host selection (whoever starts a session in that world first, becomes the host for the next ones). In terms of software development, this is very simple to do, but it would require an environment made available by the game's developers, which would have a continuous cost for them, but we see so many successful games out there offering free online services , it doesn't hurt to give the idea.

Thing is, they are an indie company, it's not possible for them to do this as they don't have the money to do so. If it was ever implemented, it would be a paid service, just like what minecraft has with minecraft realms.

[TehOMGfather]

This is actually something which might be possible through the Steam workshop/game sync or whatever platform equivalents. Given how small the world files actually are compared to other titles, I'm incredibly impressed that they're so small and seem optimized.

I would imagine this being more like subscribing to changes for a seed everyone is sharing with everyone keeping a copy of only their changes and merging everything into a "shared" copy. Then, only accepting changes from certain friends which will appear in your shared world. I could think of a number of ways to achieve this, it's just a matter of whether or not one of the devs would actually want to attempt it.

It would serve as an alternative to when you can't or don't want play on a server but want to see what friends and others have built in the same world(s). With the right effect, it could be magical, too.

[czg]

Isn't this what sharing the seed for? Seems to me if you've used the same seed for another world, you would get the same world.

[Wariat117]

you can use some cloud service to do that
just sync the file between multiple PCs so the cloud keeps updating/sending it between those PC

you would just need to write somewhere *now i'm using it* *now I stopped using it* so others know that they currently have outdated version and need to wait ;D

[Paulo Borghal]

TehOMGfather님이 먼저 게시:

This is actually something which might be possible through the Steam workshop/game sync or whatever platform equivalents. Given how small the world files actually are compared to other titles, I'm incredibly impressed that they're so small and seem optimized.

I would imagine this being more like subscribing to changes for a seed everyone is sharing with everyone keeping a copy of only their changes and merging everything into a "shared" copy. Then, only accepting changes from certain friends which will appear in your shared world. I could think of a number of ways to achieve this, it's just a matter of whether or not one of the devs would actually want to attempt it.

It would serve as an alternative to when you can't or don't want play on a server but want to see what friends and others have built in the same world(s). With the right effect, it could be magical, too.

Nice idea

[Paulo Borghal]

gergely.czuczy님이 먼저 게시:

Isn't this what sharing the seed for? Seems to me if you've used the same seed for another world, you would get the same world.

yes, I can get the same world, but not the same save game and world progression

[Paulo Borghal]

Wariat117님이 먼저 게시:

you can use some cloud service to do that
just sync the file between multiple PCs so the cloud keeps updating/sending it between those PC

you would just need to write somewhere *now i'm using it* *now I stopped using it* so others know that they currently have outdated version and need to wait ;D

My suggestion is not to use manual sharing, after all we can do it ourselves as you said. My suggestion is that it be automated within the game.

[Wariat117]

Paulo Borghal님이 먼저 게시:

Wariat117님이 먼저 게시:

you can use some cloud service to do that
just sync the file between multiple PCs so the cloud keeps updating/sending it between those PC

you would just need to write somewhere *now i'm using it* *now I stopped using it* so others know that they currently have outdated version and need to wait ;D

My suggestion is not to use manual sharing, after all we can do it ourselves as you said. My suggestion is that it be automated within the game.

it's not manual :V it's automated, but outside of game

I think such thing won't be added to the game itself, since there are servers already...
there is no point to add shared clouds for users, private steam cloud is enough

[TehOMGfather]

It's just a nice set of ideas, ultimately up to the devs to decide if it's worth their time to adapt anything like this and flex on Steam and everywhere they can do something like this. On the surface, it's very similar to how the game Spore was able to allow players to subscribe to and share creature and world content to help flesh out a galaxy. EA/Maxis just did it on their own servers. And I believe Steam and other game services already have this baked in for developers.

Unfortunately, I don't yet know what types of permissions/sharing can be made. Specifically to allow friends and maybe friends of friends the ability to share content between their own sessions. Or just have an option for worlds to automatically merge if two or more friends have the same seed loaded while online at the same time. That could also pretty much also open the door for seamless dropping in/out of worlds and removing the hosting responsibilities while actively building out the world.

[GET TO DA CHOPPA!]

Just run a dedicated server which is a simple application you get along this game, it is in everyones library already. It is very easy to set up (the portforwarding in the router is probably the hardest part) the only thing is you have to leave it running when you are not playing yourself. Leaving your pc on is way cheaper than renting some server with 2gb for 8 euro's a month. Most pc's have at least 16gb of ram you don't use all at once anyway.

I have server running right now, watch youtube, spotify, play others games (was playing mass effect andromeda for example) internet browser open and I still had RAM and CPU to spare. Of course you should have at least have a pc that is not a complete potato and if so you could always rent a server like this is done with most of the kind of games.

[Wariat117]

GET TO DA CHOPPA!님이 먼저 게시:

Just run a dedicated server which is a simple application you get along this game, it is in everyones library already. It is very easy to set up (the portforwarding in the router is probably the hardest part

the problem starts when you find out that your internet provider doesn't allow server-hosting and it's the only not super slow internet in the area ;D

GET TO DA CHOPPA!님이 먼저 게시:

Most pc's have at least 16gb of ram you don't use all at once anyway.

I would say that "most" are around 4-8GB
The 16GB are in "uncommon" category

[NoShotz]

Wariat117님이 먼저 게시:

GET TO DA CHOPPA!님이 먼저 게시:

Just run a dedicated server which is a simple application you get along this game, it is in everyones library already. It is very easy to set up (the portforwarding in the router is probably the hardest part

the problem starts when you find out that your internet provider doesn't allow server-hosting and it's the only not super slow internet in the area ;D

GET TO DA CHOPPA!님이 먼저 게시:

Most pc's have at least 16gb of ram you don't use all at once anyway.

I would say that "most" are around 4-8GB
The 16GB are in "uncommon" category

Steam hardware statistics say otherwise.

https://i.imgur.com/2nmlau2.png

44% of people on steam have 16 GB of RAM.

https://i.imgur.com/wJgFhBn.png

27% of people have 8 GB of RAM, 11% of people have more than 16 GB of RAM, and 4% of people have 4 GB of RAM.