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Tacbat

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Nah, no need for that. I wasn't really referring to you -- I knew you recently downgraded your internet connection to 14.4 baud so the uber host version would not be practical with your new situation. :frown: But I know we have had others get it in the past, some of which I have never seen host a game. Oh well, I suppose it doesn't matter anyway, all the previous uber host versions are probably several versions behind now.

V,

What we REALLY need is a dedicated server. I'd be willing to kick in towards it. It is nice that some guys, Sean and Ghost come to mind, have both the connections and machines to host large games, but we might benefit from an eSimGames dedicated server. Log in remotely, setup the game and invite the masses.

I think they can be had for < $100/mo.

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Warbirds of Prey is a group of flight simmers running the IL-2 air combat games from Ubisoft. They maintain several servers that are open to anyone, and are funded by voluntary donations from members. Many more use the servers than donate, but they have kept them running for years. But they have a much broader support base than SteelBeasts, IL-2 has been very popular for years. A dedicated server would be an excellent idea if we could muster the financial support. Having a server that is available 24/7 would certainly expand the reach of multiplayer games and increase the potential for donations of support.

Since we all enjoy large scale battles, it is unreasonable and somewhat unfair to rely/impose on one or two individuals to make it happen once a week. I hope to see continued discussion and exploration of this proposal.

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What about joining up with the Germans? I think they're running a dedicated server. The time difference would be such that we wouldn't be getting in each other's way, and the ping should still be reasonable since there haven't been too many issues when they host the "Long Night of Tanks". They might welcome a few extra bucks.

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If you guys want to handle administering and paying for a dedicated server, I'll be able to provide the dongle and license for it. You'll need to find a few people responsible enough to log in/run it and show up on a frequent basis to do so. And someone will need to collect the money for it.

Hamachi might work out, but you would need to get everyone up and running on it first. It would be interesting to see how it scales up for bigger games. I know the germans have used it, but I dont know how many players are using it or if most set up port forwarding. If it all works out it would be great to have someone else who can host.

I'm not sure who is running the server for the germans, but we would probably have conflicts on the weekends. Friday would probably be ok though.

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Hamachi might work out, but you would need to get everyone up and running on it first. It would be interesting to see how it scales up for bigger games.

Hopefully there'll be enough guys around with it installed for TNT tonight. It seems logical to test it with 8 players first to see if there are any issues with it before worrying about running the special version. MTF.

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If you guys want to handle administering and paying for a dedicated server, I'll be able to provide the dongle and license for it. You'll need to find a few people responsible enough to log in/run it and show up on a frequent basis to do so. And someone will need to collect the money for it.
Echoing Mogwa, I'd be willing to help with that too.

Shot

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Hamachi might work out, but you would need to get everyone up and running on it first. It would be interesting to see how it scales up for bigger games. I know the germans have used it, but I dont know how many players are using it or if most set up port forwarding. If it all works out it would be great to have someone else who can host.

I think 95% of our members were able to set up their routers correctly. So we normaly don´t have more than 1 or 2 hamachi users. Sometimes at LNOT there are some more, who need a hamachi connection, maybe 6-8. But I don´t think, there will be a problem with 10 or more using hamachi.

I wish you good look to set up a server. But it will not be easy (who wants to sign the contract, collecting the money, ...).

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Okay, I'm going to shop some dedicated server joints (most likely those with data centers in Dallas) and see whats up. If I see something I like, I'll share it with Sean and see what he thinks. If all looks well, then I'll aim for the first week of Oct. Dedicated machines aren't cheap, but the bandwidth in these data centers almost makes it worth it. I'd be willing to try it for a year. If the donations (all voluntary) are too thin, then I would reconsider after the year.

Anyhow, that's my proposal.

When I floated the idea, I thought that maybe eSimGames would consider subsidizing the affair, but I am willing to try it with or without the subsidy. There is a rather sticky point to all of this and that's the dongle. We could colo a machine, and I have a few older machines sitting around, but colo is quite expensive. Thus, if you are renting a machine, often times one the is running virutally, then the dongle bit is a stumbling point.

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If you lack a host for fridays TGIF, drop me a line, i have the über version of SB and the connection to support it, the time is completely off my grid (4 or 5 in the morning i thinkg but that's what an alarm clock is for :-)

I think i would be able to make it, just let me know

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The dongle problem is nearly a deal-breaker but not entirely so; it is possible to alias to another dongle with a legit license. However, there is also the matter of remote access and the nature of the game itself. None of these are insurmountable problems, but they are sticking points. Lastly, for the level of interest, going to these lengths may not be all that cost effective. Personally, after talking around with others, I am on the fence with the idea. It is technically feasible, but not direly needed. It is almost better to see if a beneficent community member would host on a spare machine. On that note, Ghost's offer is worth further exploration.

If I were to sign any hosting agreement (and pay for it upfront), which I am still willing to do, my acceptance of any monetary donations would not imply of confer any rights, whatsoever, to anyone else. A better scenario is the spare-server-at-someone's-house option. There are so many cities in North America which are acquiring really good broadband that I am certain the list of those who can facilitate such an option is on the rise.

Anyhow, thank you to those who have expressed interest. I may still start something on or around the first of Oct., but this will require further consultations with those who would make the details of such a proposal possible.

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I don't know about housing a server long-term, but I could find it a suitable home here until at least February.

Probably not helpful, long-term, but in the meantime I'm sure that someone of suitable reliability and psychiatric integrity could be found for the aforementioned long-term.

Shot

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