I am doing this announcement to stop the requests to increase the 200 player limit on a single server. Please if you spot another thread related to this, post a link to this thread in there so we have it all on one place.
Raising the limit beyond 200 on a single server is technically not possible. Flserver can only use 1 core so dual-core is enough (1 core for flserver, 1 core for supporting processes). We would need a dualcore CPU running at 5GHz or more. These are not available and most probably they are not going to be available in future. The only remaining option is overclocking. We currently have an Intel E8400 running at 4GHz (Original value is 3GHz). It's capable to run stable at 4,5GHz but last summer we lowered it to 4GHz for stability reasons. Once the mod beta-testing is over (and the crashes as well) I'll raise it back to 4,5GHz but even this frequency doesn't allow us to raise the 200 limit. Server will lag a little less and there will be slightly more NPCs, but it might also crash more!
We do have plans to solve the full server issue (both count with 2 or more linked servers) but they can't be implemented in a blink of an eye. First I was thinking to make a separate PvP server, but we had that in past and people didn't use the PvP one very much. So we need to stay with 2 RP servers. The options are:
* First (and more real) one is an idea of 2 parallel Sirius universes (servers) but the database of both servers is synchronized. This means after player logs out from one server, all changes are transferred to the other server. Both servers are RP servers and players/factions can choose between them knowing that both servers have the last 'version' of their characters. The problem might come when 1 character is used on both servers at the same time (shared chars for example) - most probably the latest updated character will be used to be sent to the other server so some changes might be lost.
* Second idea will definitely need much more flhook programming, time and also testing before it can go live. It counts with 2 servers (later maybe more) but only one Sirius universe, each of the servers 'serving' only 1/2 of the systems. During a jump player is (if needed) automatically re-logged to the other server. Jumping, messaging, transferring cash between the servers and other stuff is handled via an flhook link. But some things will most probably be impossible to implement (like groups - they will have to be re-joined after a jump to another server's system). More issues will definitely be known later. This way looks perfect, but don't expect it to come sooner than in the end of this year most probably even next year. It's also possible that we run into problems that we're not able to solve at all.
I am prepared to host 2 servers, we would need some donations for the second one's HW, which I am sure we are able to collect rather quickly. I can host it for free. Hosting a game server usually costs 150-200USD per month per single server so we're saving quite a lot of money in this area.
But there are not only technical issues. We are strongly critisized by some other servers and communities that by increasing the player slots we are destroying other servers. I must admit there is something true about this. People ususally want to interact with other players and they prefer servers with more players. But on the other hand we're a hard-core RP oriented community and we do all we can to discourage PvP only oriented players and while most of the other servers are PvP oriented we shouldn't really harm them. This issue needs to be discussed as well along the technical issues, we shouldn't forget about it.
But current absolute priority is the mod beta-testing. Once this is finished we can think of moving to other areas.
