Great update for Multiplayer today!! Hallelujah!

Odys · Apr 17, 2015

https://blog.marekrosa.org/2015/04/guest-post-by-ondrej-petrzilka-space_17.html

Nobody ↑ :

New Multiplayer

Update 01.015, which added multiplayer was released on Jan 16th 2014, more than a year ago. Multiplayer itself was written in 5 weeks. We knew it’s far from being perfect, there were connection issues, lags, desync issues, jittering, hackers and many many other issues. We didn’t want to spend 2 months rewriting multiplayer from scratch, so we decided to fix the things we could fix and focus on ‘better’ multiplayer later. We also knew that if we add infinite worlds, we’ll have to change multiplayer again.

Now we’re ready to rewrite multiplayer from scratch. The game has many more features and we can take these into account when rewriting multiplayer, especially infinite and procedurally generated worlds. We also have a bigger team, so we can keep adding features and also work on multiplayer.

In the current version of multiplayer, every client knows everything. When somebody is drilling 100.000 km away, the client gets this information from the server. It’s not necessary for the client to know it; the client should only get this information when he gets close to the drilled asteroid. In new multiplayer, clients will only receive information which is necessary and related to an area close to their position (or camera position in case they are looking through camera). This will reduce required bandwidth a lot; it will also allow many more players in the game (depending only on the server’s internet connection).

Information sent to the client will be prioritized; important things like position updates will have high priority. Less important things like battery capacity update or inventory changes will be sent with lower priority. This should reduce lags and make multiplayer more smooth.

Every client is now sending position updates to all other clients (it’s not going through server). This can reduce lag a little, but it also requires a bigger upload, because it’s necessary to send messages to every other client (not only to the server). It also makes connection issues much worse, because it’s necessary for each client to be connected to every other client. With more players on server, this issue has a much bigger impact.

In new multiplayer, the client won’t be connected to every other client, but only to the server. The server will validate data sent from the client (e.g. position updates) and send it only to other clients who need this information (clients who see the original client). This will prevent connection issues and reduce network bandwidth. It’s also a necessary step for increasing the number of players on server.

The current multiplayer uses the Steam Networking layer which allows us very easily to send data between players and it’s very easy to use. On the other hand it’s missing some advanced features. To get advanced features, we’ve decided to switch to RakNet. RakNet is a popular networking layer; it’s robust and it supports many platforms including Xbox, PlayStation, Linux, Android and other.

New multiplayer will work technically in a similar way to Halo Reach or the Tribes series (way of synchronizing objects and its properties). We’ve been working on the new multiplayer for a month now. The work will continue for at least several weeks or a few months before it’s done.

Thanks!
Ondrej Petrzilka

Click to expand...

Malexion · Apr 17, 2015

It's nice that we are getting some knowledge that it's at least being worked on.

That's all most of us needed, thanks Keen.

SCxLS · Apr 17, 2015

Appreciated.

Tcsisek · Apr 18, 2015

Odys · Apr 18, 2015

lol Tcsisek

Malexion said: ↑

It's nice that we are getting some knowledge that it's at least being worked on.

That's all most of us needed, thanks Keen.

Click to expand...

Exactly, man. Exactly.

WhiteWeasel · Apr 18, 2015

We need to party! Intergalactic space rave!

Ronin1973 · Apr 18, 2015

I kind of face-palmed to hear how the current multi-player client is written and broadcasts/receives information. Player A doesn't need to know that player B turned on an interior light and is now currently using the space-toilet 60,000km away.

No wonder why the server lags out while someone is drilling an asteroid. They are generating TONS of data at that point.

But we can't stay mad at you Keens. You fwuffy widdle bunnies...

joemorin73 · Apr 21, 2015

The current multiplayer implementation satisfied the demand to the players for multiplayer. It "works". Keen already stated it wasn't perfect, but the alternative was no multiplayer at all.

mecra · Apr 21, 2015

I was actually quite glad to read their history on MP. it COMPLETELY explains the lag you get from drills, welders, large grinding arrays, and why a super laggy person can take down the whole server.

Carl the BedWetter · Apr 23, 2015

Malexion said: ↑

It's nice that we are getting some knowledge that it's at least being worked on.

That's all most of us needed, thanks Keen.

Click to expand...

Yup. All this time the alpha fan boys have been on their parade about "alpha" and "being patient", and this is all we've just wanted to hear. Something like this from Keen. "They're working on it". Cool, I can now play in peace knowing one day it'll be better and more enjoyable.

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Great update for Multiplayer today!! Hallelujah!

Odys Trainee Engineer

Malexion Trainee Engineer

SCxLS Apprentice Engineer

Tcsisek Junior Engineer

Odys Trainee Engineer

WhiteWeasel Senior Engineer

Ronin1973 Master Engineer

joemorin73 Junior Engineer

mecra Apprentice Engineer

Carl the BedWetter Trainee Engineer

Log in

Great update for Multiplayer today!! Hallelujah!

Odys Trainee Engineer

Malexion Trainee Engineer

SCxLS Apprentice Engineer

Tcsisek Junior Engineer

Odys Trainee Engineer

WhiteWeasel Senior Engineer

Ronin1973 Master Engineer

joemorin73 Junior Engineer

mecra Apprentice Engineer

Carl the BedWetter Trainee Engineer

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