[MUD-Dev] Complexities of MMOG Servers WAS Retention Without Addiction

[Derek Licciardi]

From: bradley newton haug
> Amanda Walker wrote:

>> True.  But anyone trying to implement an MMOG server on a single
>> machine is also asking for trouble, and this is where a lot of
>> implementations fall down, sometimes spectacularly.  A
>> distributed implementation is much, much more complex--and it's
>> an area where even experienced programmers may well be "wet
>> behind the ears".

> While not disagreeing that idiots will mess anything up, with
> remoting (com+ and .NET, corba, pickyerpoison) and modern
> languages it's possible to write apps that run the same way no
> matter how many machines they are spread over.  While this sounds
> like an oversimplification, it's not, my server can be spread by
> threads or instanced objects over any number of machines or
> processors, and it requires about one extra line for every 20
> (there's some initial setup but a snap after that).  Course I've
> been doing client/server a long time, but still, I guess I find it
> hard to believe a bunch of engineers paid to sit around and figure
> out a solution at a place like Blizzard can't reach a decent one.
> Of course the last statement probably shows me to be incredibly
> stupid and naïve.  =D

David Loeser and I were chatting about this last night.  It seems
more likely that because of the garage-developed roots of the game
industry, there is a less likely chance that you will find a
developer that knows much about distributed programming.  We
acknowledge that we have met only a handful of people capable of
programming like that even in the business world.  Its no wonder
MMOs fall when they are first released.  Unless you have a gem (If
you do keep him/her like the Giants kept Barry Bonds), your more
than likely learning while you build.

Derek

ps This brings me back to my database post.  Why on earth would you
place this somewhat-inexperienced talent on database code when that
wheel is already well formed and optimized by thousands of capable
professionals working on large scale DBs?  It seems that the custom
game-server code would be more important because no one is going to
write that for you.  Writing your own DB has to be a waste of time
from that viewpoint.


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