MMO-Like Quake Is Possible

An anonymous reader writes "OptimalGrid is a self-contained middleware designed for developers to create grid-enabled parallel applications without themselves becoming experts in grid or high-performance computing (article). The Linux compatible middleware now includes automatic distribution and provisioning on to Grid nodes. See how the first release of Quake II was made massively multi-player [pdf] by running on a Grid. Get modified Quake II from Sourceforge to run with OptimalGrid and let the massive Grid games begin." Update: 09/19 16:12 GMT by Z : Marked the pdf as such.

Comments

Nothing to say

[MindStalker]

Nothing to say but damn you large unoptimized pdf!

mmm Quake 2.

[GoNINzo]

I love the concept! Back in the day, we tested a couple 64 player matches, and WOW was it insane. What was kind of neat is that we made 'no fire' zones, so people could just go and chill.

Now, to find my quake 2 install directory.. hrm.. (You need Quake 2 to play this, obviously) (And yes, same GoNINzo from GameSpy. heh)

Hey, Rob et. al.

[wowbagger]

Hey /crew - how about having Slash automatically put a [PDF] after a PDF link - so we know we are about to download a huge PDF rather than going to a link?

Re:Hey, Rob et. al.

[metamatic]

How about learning to look at the URL in your browser before clicking on it, if it bothers you? Or installing a Firefox plugin to flag PDFs? And then quitting whining about PDF?

Re:Hey, Rob et. al.

[trendyhendy]

I just have the following bit of code in browser's userContent.css

a[href$=".pdf"]:after {
                font-size: smaller;
                content: " [pdf]";
}

added lag

[FadedTimes]

70ms of added lag between servers, I wonder how much that effects twitch reaction and firing accuracy.

Bleh, not what we want.

[GoNINzo]

This is just a way to take a very complex 'flow' program and convert it to a massive group of computers doing it instead of just one. In this case, they took quake and made it so you can spread users across multiple computers, but it's designed for intranet use.

So, an ISP could take a popular multiplayer game, setup some grid servers, and a couple proxy servers, and then get 100 people to join the game. This is not exactly the same as making it massively multiplayer because the world is still the same size, and I'm unsure if the client could handle all the actors being on the screen at the same time. This is more just showing off the load sharing capabilities rather than a true gaming invention.

Ideally, we want something similar to the Unreal 2 idea, where you have people getting passed from server to server to server, and the place is massive. That way, people go to the interesting places and gather. And it would have to run across the internet. This thing only runs on an intranet (see bottom question). A little disappointing.

Anyway, giving links to some of these applications just further confuses people. I have a ton of friends asking me how to do this, and without a central set of servers already setup, no one can really try it out. Which would have been ideal for IBM to show it off.

Re:Bleh, not what we want.

[ibullard]

The "OptimalGrid" technology only runs on an intranet. The game itself can run on the internet via proxy servers and modified game servers.

I know this is Slashdot where you're not supposed to read the article before commenting on it but reading parts of the article and then spreading false information is far, far worse.

Re:Bleh, not what we want.

[thing12]

This is not exactly the same as making it massively multiplayer because the world is still the same size, and I'm unsure if the client could handle all the actors being on the screen at the same time.....Ideally, we want something similar to the Unreal 2 idea, where you have people getting passed from server to server to server, and the place is massive.

Just because they didn't make a world that's 100x larger it doesn't mean that it's not possible now. The PDF indicates that the world is partitioned into discrete pieces and server partitioning is done automatically - and players are passed between the servers on demand. IMHO, it seems exactly like what you're saying.

Re:Awesome

[Scuff]

Planetside has already been running as a MMOFPS for what, two years now? I think all they've demonstrated is that noone wants to pay a monthly fee for an FPS

Re:Awesome

[GeckoX]

Ehh? I thought Halo proved the exact opposite.

So this is..

[Achoi77]

took a quick look at the pdf, and it seems like this idea is nothing really more than having a series of localized proxy-type servers that sort of act as middle men that communicate between the servers and the clients.

I don't see how this is anything unique and different from how other mmo's are currently deployed, and there are still the same problems that plague mmos. For example, one of the things they mentioned was the partitioning of the world map into discrete pieces. To help reduce load, sure. But what happens when everbody tries to 'storm the base' all at once?

When the pvp patch came out for World of Warcraft, serveral of the largest guilds of my server (Mannoroth) for opposing factions got together to siege/defend a capital city. (I'm trying to be as vague as possible to please bear with me) The problem isn't when you have a full raid party of 40 vs another party of 40, but rather when you have multiple raid parties vs multiple raid parties. We were in Orgrimmar, and we were being stormed by almost 300+ alliance, with almost just as many Horde waiting to defend. The load got so heavy the server crashed several times (nevermind the fact that the sheer number of ppl on the screen caused video cards to choke). The lag got so bad, ppl have given up on massive sieges altogether.

Massive sieges are still the holy grail of online gaming. I don't think it'll happen anytime soon.

Re:So this is..

[VincentAdamBurns]

quake2 is strange in this aspect. the rendering code is so optimized that the main part that slows it down is that the network code needs to run before each frame, resulting in overloaded network buffer.

quake2 can easly handle 1024 (max entities) models of the player model being rendered at the same time.

this is all of course vanilla quake2 and some mods fix these. however i cannot think of any mod that has fixed the rendering/networking code. when i get my files back i will finish fixing it in LiteGL quake2 engine mod.

Welcome to last week

[sYn pHrEAk]

PlanetSide anyone?

Re:Awesome

[Scuff]

halo is neither massively multiplayer nor does it require a monthly fee, so i'm not sure what you're talking about.

Re:Awesome

[LoRdTAW]

I agree. One this about half life 2 that pissed me off was that the game play was totally linear when it could have been dynamic and fit the story better. What would be friggen awesome was if highway 17 bought you to different areas with different and multiple goals to complete. Like goto the coast and retrieve a special key that will unlock a door back in town where you started off. and have the damn areas change! More interaction with NPC's would be a big plus not just some random cannon fodder. perhaps the first time you roll into town you fight a little and achieve your goal. then you have to come back later only to find yourself in the middle of a combine raid. Maybe even trains could get you around the city too. I want dynamic game play not this continuous path to keep charging through. City 17 should be one big ass map not 100 maps stringed together.

And didn't some company try to make an RPG type shooter with the doom engine called strife?