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EVE dev blog explores balancing player load
CCP has posted yet another incredibly detailed and highly technical dev blog over on the official EVE Online community site, this one relating to how the studio balances the player load across the node-based single shard on which New Eden exists. The post begins by explaining that an increase in players with this year's Odyssey expansion led to extreme CPU load in empire space, which in turn created scenarios where EVE's time dilation technology had to kick in even for systems that weren't experiencing some sort of mass fleet battle. The blog walks through how CCP identified the problem and also explains the solution, which basically comes down to rebalancing which systems share nodes by performing multiple splits of the existing universe. If you're an EVE player or love exceptionally granular, detailed breakdowns of the though process behind server-side changes, the full post is worth a read.
The Daily Grind: Should MMO companies reveal server loads?
As long as I've been playing MMOs, game companies have been obfuscating server loads. Oh, sure, you can make a pretty good guess as to how many players are playing on your server. You can look at one of the MMO charting sites, use a tool to parse how many people are in various zones at set times, or wave a calculator at the fine print in quarterly earnings reports, but those methods are admittedly imperfect. We're usually left with vague categories like low-, medium-, and high-population, terms that aren't comparable from game to game. High-pop for EVE Online doesn't mean the same as high-pop for Warhammer Online, after all. I can understand why studios want to hide the numbers. Players are bitterly cruel when it comes to data like these, and a small reduction in population one night could lead to a snowball effect of self-fulfilling doom-and-gloom prophecies. Still, players like to know how many other people they can expect to encounter on their server since that helps them plan which server (and which MMO) might be right for them. What do you think -- should MMO companies reveal the precise numbers behind their server loads? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
Perpetuum receives influx of EVE players
Amidst the recent EVE Online controversy, thousands of players declared their intention to cancel subscriptions and leave for another game. As Perpetuum Online is built on the EVE-inspired principles of a single-shard universe and takes a sci-fi sandbox approach to content design, players began posting that they were picking up the trial and giving the game a shot. Until now, we didn't really know if those players were honestly giving Perpetuum a try or if it was part of an epic rage-quit bluff. On the Perpetuum Online forum, developer BoyC alerted players to a server load problem and at the same time welcomed the influx of players that began 48 hours prior. A login limit had to be placed on the server to balance the load, and the increased number of players trying to access the game has even highlighted a bug in the relay servers to which players connect. "The sheer number of new players caught us by surprise," said DEV BoyC, "and we're working around the clock to accommodate each and every one of you." It's worth noting that EVE Online has in the past used the same strategy that Perpetuum is currently benefiting from. By providing the players of Earth and Beyond and Star Wars Galaxies with a similar alternative game, CCP drew in a huge number of players when those games rapidly shed customers. The shoe appears to be on the other foot this week as Perpetuum seems to be the closest alternative to EVE on the market. But will EVE players stick with Perpetuum? Will the game that's so often been called "EVE in Mechs" really hold their attention? That's the part we're most curious to find out.
The spawning grounds expand for Final Fantasy XIV
After the development team discussed the more technical side of the coming November version update yesterday, today's preview for Final Fantasy XIV is back to the gameplay. That's not to say it doesn't have any technical details or enticing hints for veterans of Final Fantasy XI, considering that the newest preview is discussing monster spawn placement and the upcoming notorious monsters. For example, the new preview notes that server processing is being spread across multiple servers, which should help handle large groups of monsters more effectively -- and should also help mitigate server lag and some latency issues players have experienced. As for notorious monsters... it seems only fitting that some of the most iconic residents of Vana'diel will apparently be getting a nod or two, with a promise that veterans may find some familiar faces among their new targets. The details of what can be looted from these creatures and who is coming to fight over dinner will be posted to the site in the near future. Final Fantasy XIV is working hard at making up for the issues many players had at launch, and that includes giving said players more monsters to fight against.
