Your Tax Dollars at Work

[loftar]

Nice post, good to know that we are close to a solution (or at least improvement) on the lag.

Well, yeah, that's the real question.

It is true that a good hosting site would lift the bandwidth limit, but it is worth noting that the current incarnation of the server won't be able to handle any amount of users for other reasons.

I'd guess that the server is currently capable of hosting somewhere between 400-600 online users CPU-wise, but depending on I/O bandwidth and the general performance of the routines for loading and unloading map data, that may or may not be limited to some lower number. That is one of the reasons why it hasn't been feeling enormously meaningful to try and find hosting. It may be possible to optimize the server further to drive that number up, however.

It should be mentioned in this context, however, that I recently managed to figure out a potentially workable method for parallelizing the server so that it can distribute its load over multiple CPUs, and that would also, to a very large extent, take care of the performance problems associated with map-loading. There would be quite some work involved in it, but assuming that I can make it work, I expect the server to be able to scale very well over multiple CPUs. A 4-way SMP system (e.g. a simple computer using a 4-core CPU) would then, I expect, be able to host somewhere between 1500-2000 users; and it should be able to continue scaling rather well with added CPUs.

[sabinati]

It should be mentioned in this context, however, that I recently managed to figure out a potentially workable method for parallelizing the server so that it can distribute its load over multiple CPUs, and that would also, to a very large extent, take care of the performance problems associated with map-loading. It would be quite some work involved in it, but assuming that I can make it work, I expect the server to be able to scale very well over multiple CPUs. A 4-way SMP system (e.g. a simple computer using a 4-core CPU) would then, I expect, be able to host somewhere between 1500-2000 users; and it should be able to continue scaling rather well with added CPUs.

that's incredibly awesome

[Sarge]

Sounds promising. It will be really cool if you keep us posted on how this project progresses.

Best of luck.

[martinuzz]

Awesome! I hope your method for parallelizing the server works out as you think!

Also, a donation progress meter should not be too hard to implement and maintain, and I share Sarge's thought that it will motivate people to donate.
I think even updating it only once a month would suffice (similar to how Tarn Adams posts a monthly report for Dwarf Fortess). It would require almost no effort, just type some numbers manually in a stickied / locked thread in announcements subforum once a month.

[Pacho]

Sounds like a good way to replace all the heaters in your home =v

I don't see the expenditures on booze nor women.

[Zamte]

That's not too terrible. Based on today's exchange rates, that comes out to $971.3812. I know not everyone can donate, but if those who can donated $10-20, I bet we could cover at least half of that.

[Winterbrass]

We have been looking at dedicated hosting and the like, and that research (IIRC) revealed that we would need about 16k SEK to rent a server for a year. If the tooth-fairy does not deliver us a better, less expensive solution (100 Mbps full duplex is available in many private homes here, so I do have half a hope for her), then, basically, we're saving up for something like that.

Give us a number on the monthly cost of the 100 Mbps line - if you do end up switching, that would basically be the required minimum donation per month to keep the game running.

That's not too terrible. Based on today's exchange rates, that comes out to $971.3812. I know not everyone can donate, but if those who can donated $10-20, I bet we could cover at least half of that.

Where are you getting that number from? The only number that I've seen the devs mention is 16000SEK, which comes out to about 2250 USD/CAD.

[Zamte]

We have been looking at dedicated hosting and the like, and that research (IIRC) revealed that we would need about 16k SEK to rent a server for a year. If the tooth-fairy does not deliver us a better, less expensive solution (100 Mbps full duplex is available in many private homes here, so I do have half a hope for her), then, basically, we're saving up for something like that.

Give us a number on the monthly cost of the 100 Mbps line - if you do end up switching, that would basically be the required minimum donation per month to keep the game running.

That's not too terrible. Based on today's exchange rates, that comes out to $971.3812. I know not everyone can donate, but if those who can donated $10-20, I bet we could cover at least half of that.

Where are you getting that number from? The only number that I've seen the devs mention is 16000SEK, which comes out to about 2250 USD/CAD.

The present balance(s) on our donations account is: 7 006.67 SEK.

He said "We would need 16,000". Usually in English, if this is on top of existing funds then the modifier "additional" or "another" would be used, thus it's safe to assume that's total, leaving them requiring 8993.33 SEK. I did make the mistake of spacing and translating 7,006.67 SEK to $971.3812, which is rather what they have. The remainder then would be $1246.8051. Still, if even a hundred of the currently active player base donated $10 each, it'd be almost made.

[Salinn]

I have always wondered, if you are using a dorm server, how slow is it for all the other folks in the dorm? Is everyone mad at you for using an incredible amount of the server bandwith?

[Winterbrass]

He said "We would need 16,000". Usually in English, if this is on top of existing funds then the modifier "additional" or "another" would be used, thus it's safe to assume that's total, leaving them requiring 8993.33 SEK. I did make the mistake of spacing and translating 7,006.67 SEK to $971.3812, which is rather what they have. The remainder then would be $1246.8051. Still, if even a hundred of the currently active player base donated $10 each, it'd be almost made.

Thank you for pointing that out, even if you were being a twat about it. However, the kronor that they currently have should probably be saved as emergency funds if it isn't being spent on hardware. No point in them having to pay for expenses out-of-pocket if something small goes wrong between now and whenever the 16kSEK is gathered.