quote:I wouldn''t call 40-60 players MMO...
Why not? Verant did. During beta, their best servers could handle a load of around 50-75 users, more if a portion of them were inactive. Each ''zone'' is a separate world technically, you just move between them. As better equipment became available, the usercap increased, but that''s just the nature of computer hardware, whatever supports 50 today will support 85 in a year and 150 a year after that. Citrix recommends you only use a maximum of 50 users per server, we regularly get 75-100 without the users noticing. The 50 was recommended for a quad, we''re running 75-100 on a dual.
quote:I dont care that UDP is better, because UDP is not usable. Period.
Maybe it''s not usable by you. Everyone else seems to find it just as usable as TCP. I never suggested to hire someone that is incompetent at network programming and I''m not sure where you got that.
quote:Anyhow, IMHO the best way to go is using DirectPlay - besides being a conevenient API, too, it is more standardised and hopefully will be found in any professional NAT router.
Do you actually know the difference between an API and a protocol? DirectPlay is NOT a protocol, it is an API that utilizes EXISTING protocols (TCP and UDP). What you are suggesting makes about as much sense as saying that the router will support Microsoft Word 2002. Neither DirectPlay or Word 2002 are protocols, so it''s irrelevant whether it ''supports'' them or not.
quote:Casual gamers just starting the game will quickly realise that they can *never* compete with established players who play 8+ hours per day, causing them to become disillusioned with the game and leave it.
Really? Why don''t you explain the 200k casual gamers who have played EQ for God knows how long. They don''t have 400k powergamers playing their game. I know because I only know a few powergamers, all the rest of them are casual gamers. Even some of the people who spend 30 hours a week playing are casual gamers.
It''s a style, not a time devotion. Powergamers can hit the level cap in 3 hours a day faster than a casual gamer can in 8 hours a day. It''s how they play. I know one person who spends 8 hours a day during the week and 12 on the weekends playing EQ. He has been playing for almost 2 years now and JUST got his first character to 60th level. His next highest is level 35 or so. I know a couple of powergamers who play maybe 20 hours a week that hit the level cap within a few months of starting and ended up with 4 characters over 50 last I knew.
Reality is that casual gamers aren''t playing to compete with the powergamers. If they are, they''re idiots. The same reason why a casual ''mom&pop'' computer store worker who tries to do the same networking stuff that I do day in and day out is an idiot. The same reason why I would be stupid to go out and pick up a random pile of components (if I hadn''t spent 2 years working at a mom&pop) and trying to build a wonderfully stable system.
quote:Casual gamers are a huge market.
I myself played DAOC 2 months ago :-) Now, after a lot of work, I think of going back in. But what for? Finding new friends etc.? Hm, no, in a month I have a hot phase again and cant play for some weeks. So what do I do? Orecisely: I quit the game.
Um... you very obviously don''t know much about the casual gamer market because you aren''t one. You are a powergamer who doesn''t have time to keep up with your powergamer friends and it frustrates you. Stop mistaking your gameplay time with your gameplay style. They are completely independent and if you ever decided to stick it out you would eventually catch up to them simply because your friends will start other characters, it''s part of the powergamer mentality. They get the rush from leveling and gaining power, not having it. This is why a number of the largest EQ guilds left to play DAoC, because they could restart the power climb.
quote:NextOnePlease - dont tell me how to become a pro. Frankly I assume that I am nearly the only one here who has successfully built up a business that involves high quality.
After you climb down off that horse, I''ve got a cross for you so that you can climb up on it and nail yourself to it whenever you''re feeling particularly divine. Assuming that we''re all idiots (when you''re the one who can''t figure out how to program UDP worth a damn and just go with the M$ build-in crap) isn''t going to earn you any bonus points, just irritate us.
Maybe you DO need someone to tell you how to become a pro. You specifically avoid using the BEST things at your disposal and that''s something that a professional does not do. At least not over here in the area that I''m in. We spend the time and figure out how to use the best tools at our disposal, or we go out of business. Apparently Germany is a much more forgiving market.
I think I''m going to stop there because when I read most of your (thona) posts they just sound condescending, rude and like you really don''t know what the hell you''re talking about, but are more than happy to jump on other people because you don''t know what you''re talking about.