Client Side Server?

scarydrew · May 2015

@ZOS_GinaBruno @ZOS_JessicaFolsom
I was thinking today about a client side server option, for those who would like to play single player style and or play with a few friends privately. Something where you would still have to log in to avoid people downloading the game without purchasing it and then simply playing on the client server. I was thinking something like you log in and on your character selection screen you can choose the mega server or client side server. I feel this would bring more people into the game who are TES fans but not MMO fans and who don't want to play with other people running around. Just a thought that popped up so I'm sure there's plenty of holes but I was wondering what the thoughts were on this or if ZOS had considered doing something like this?

Heromofo · May 2015

This could easily be abused wont be long before we get good hacks going and then bring our insanely leveled characters on to the real servers.

scarydrew · May 2015

it would have to be separate character lists for client side and mega server

Nestor · May 2015

Servers are not cheap, its not the hardware but the licensing for each connection that can add up real fast. Who knows what OS is used for this, and with a distributed platform, if that OS can even run on one client. As this is designed to run on a server farm that can be scaled up or down as needed.

And, this is probably the main reason, as the above is just problems to throw money at, do you really think they would give you the keys to the kingdom that would be the Server Application? Do you know what you could do with that once it was in your hands?

Shooters and the like can have simple servers as they only need to keep track of coordinates and number of bullets flying around and body count. An RPG needs to keep track of a ton more information and does a lot more processing on the server side than any shooter server would.

Egonieser · May 2015

Heromofo wrote: »

This could easily be abused wont be long before we get good hacks going and then bring our insanely leveled characters on to the real servers.

In games where this is prominent, those characters are not transferred to the public servers. So if they do it in their own little realm, this is not an issue as it is not hurting anybody. If they decide to play on megaserver, they would have to start a new character and play like everybody else is.

c.p.garrett1993_ESO · May 2015

Just ignore the other people? You can turn the chat system off, or at least zone chat, and get almost the same experience.
I never find other players running about damaging to the experience.

Heromofo · May 2015

Egonieser wrote: »

Heromofo wrote: »

This could easily be abused wont be long before we get good hacks going and then bring our insanely leveled characters on to the real servers.

In games where this is prominent, those characters are not transferred to the public servers. So if they do it in their own little realm, this is not an issue as it is not hurting anybody. If they decide to play on megaserver, they would have to start a new character and play like everybody else is.

Lol indeed bud then comes reason two why this would not happen it means they would have to double the mega servers for such a silly request it would not be possible. Id recommend to op that he waits for elder scrolls six for single player.

scarydrew · May 2015

i probably wouldn't even use it just was an interesting thought that popped into my head

nastuug · May 2015

How about wait until the next single player TES installment? =P

Thymos · May 2015

Yes, let's allow people to play completely solo... Let's put in something that actually takes away from the social aspect of this game, and will further limit party and guild creation.

Emma_Overload · May 2015

scarydrew wrote: »

@ZOS_GinaBruno @ZOS_JessicaFolsom
I was thinking today about a client side server option, for those who would like to play single player style and or play with a few friends privately. Something where you would still have to log in to avoid people downloading the game without purchasing it and then simply playing on the client server. I was thinking something like you log in and on your character selection screen you can choose the mega server or client side server. I feel this would bring more people into the game who are TES fans but not MMO fans and who don't want to play with other people running around. Just a thought that popped up so I'm sure there's plenty of holes but I was wondering what the thoughts were on this or if ZOS had considered doing something like this?

You won't see anything like this until ESO folds and the real servers are shut down. Then the ZoS devs might be kind enough to throw DIY types a bone.

KhajitFurTrader · May 2015

scarydrew wrote: »

@ZOS_GinaBruno @ZOS_JessicaFolsom
I was thinking today about a client side server option, for those who would like to play single player style and or play with a few friends privately. Something where you would still have to log in to avoid people downloading the game without purchasing it and then simply playing on the client server. I was thinking something like you log in and on your character selection screen you can choose the mega server or client side server.

I don't want to dash your hopes, but this is the antithesis to the concept of MMOs, so it's very unlikely to ever happen during the regular lifetime of a product. As @Emma_Eunjung said, there have been very few examples of (older) MMO server systems going more or less public at the product's EOL, in order to build (non-commercial, usually) private shards.

One of the headnotes of MMO design is "the client is in the hands of the enemy"; and it would indeed be foolish to put any code that normally runs server-side only out there, where it could be examined, reverse-engineered, and used to build so-called "privat" or "hack" servers, in order to completely circumvent the owner's accounting. People already did this to other MMOs just by looking at and emulating the client-server communication, they shouldn't get more ammunition.

Ser Lobo · May 2015

Personally, I would like to see a 'set phase preferences' option system. To include:

With each option below, you'd have a checkbox to set on/off.

Broad Phase Preference (selecting one of these options sets which phase you will be prefered to)
- Prefer roleplayers
- Prefer social players (those who like to group/communicate)

A master phase options would be available as well, including:
- See only friends in your phase
- See only guild mates in your phase
- See only friends and guild mates in your phase

And:
- See friends of friends in your phase
- See friends of guild mates in your phase

And Finally:
- Prefer phase preferences above in social areas (cities, dolmens, public dungeons)

And then under communication:
- Ignore all communication from players other than friends
- Ignore all communications from players other than guild mates
- Ignore all communications from players other than friends and guild mantes
- Ignore all communications from players other than friends of friends, friends of guild mates, friends, and guild mates

With this system, a player could better define their gameplay experience in all areas (except Cyrodiil), allowing them to interact or ignore, as they choose. It would allow players to choose if they want to group, or solo. If they chose one of the Broad categories, roleplayers could be grouped with other roleplayers, etc.

KhajitFurTrader · May 2015

ruze84b14_ESO wrote: »

Personally, I would like to see a 'set phase preferences' option system.

Acually, there was a pre-launch interview in which such a system was announced: an in-game questionnaire would ask for your preferences and the game would place you in an appropriate phase to be together with like-minded people. Apparently it was scrapped, because it turned out to put too much load on the servers.

scarydrew · May 2015

ruze84b14_ESO wrote: »

Personally, I would like to see a 'set phase preferences' option system. To include:

With each option below, you'd have a checkbox to set on/off.

Broad Phase Preference (selecting one of these options sets which phase you will be prefered to)
- Prefer roleplayers
- Prefer social players (those who like to group/communicate)

A master phase options would be available as well, including:
- See only friends in your phase
- See only guild mates in your phase
- See only friends and guild mates in your phase

And:
- See friends of friends in your phase
- See friends of guild mates in your phase

And Finally:
- Prefer phase preferences above in social areas (cities, dolmens, public dungeons)

And then under communication:
- Ignore all communication from players other than friends
- Ignore all communications from players other than guild mates
- Ignore all communications from players other than friends and guild mantes
- Ignore all communications from players other than friends of friends, friends of guild mates, friends, and guild mates

With this system, a player could better define their gameplay experience in all areas (except Cyrodiil), allowing them to interact or ignore, as they choose. It would allow players to choose if they want to group, or solo. If they chose one of the Broad categories, roleplayers could be grouped with other roleplayers, etc.

This is a fantastic idea!