Halo 3 Forum
This topic has moved here: Poll [7 votes]: Server-Side Hosting for Halo?
  • Poll [7 votes]: Server-Side Hosting for Halo?
Subject: Suggestion - Create a "Halo 3 MP Server" version of the g...
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Poll: Server-Side Hosting for Halo?  [closed]
Yar (Yes):  71%
(5 Votes)
Nay (No):  29%
(2 Votes)
Total Votes: 7

I used to play a little FPS called 'tribes' back in the day. No one, beyond a few people, ever developed effective methods of cheating for the sole reason that the whole Tribes competitive community was based around Ladder-based competition. Because of this, many prominant groups created dedicated, 24hr/day servers that were open to the public. Because the SERVER ran the maps and simply sent the data to the user, cheating was almost impossible.

The groups that ran the ladders and leagues also had dedicated servers that the league administrators established for fair and equal gameplay. Pickup games, much like the standard Halo 2 matchmaking existed, but the emphasis was on the competitive leagues. Get sponsors, get prizes, run leagues, friendly competition.

The 360 dashboard, as far as i can tell, could be used perfectly for remote administration of servers. Now, if you created a server-esque PC program, people could establish dedicated halo 3 servers that would cycle gametypes, and even report statistics over RSS feeds to a central server. You could still establish the precious 'level' system.

The bottom line is that the only way to effectively cut cheating altogether is to impliment a server-side hosting system. Its expensive, but worth it. Throw some Microsoft ads into the game, get them to sponsor some central servers. Hell, even use the fracking fees that we pay to access LIVE to dedicate some halo servers. A 1tb server doesnt cost anything beyond $1k nowadays, and that would be more than enough storage space to host 10-20 dedicated servers.

The issue of bandwith? What are we paying these exhorbinant feed for monthly play for? So some fat programmer can buy an extra snickers for his pre-lunch lunch? Buy some dedicated lines.

My point is that we at least need some form of a server base for private leagues to be able to run without needing to worry about map modding, standbying, or bridging.....

*EDIT*
AND - If this is 'too expensive' i want to see the data on how much money is being paid in salaries or hourly wages to the people tracking and banning cheaters in halo 2......I'd be willing to bet more is being spent on paying the 'banhammer' wielders than to impliment my idea...

[Edited on 7/11/2006]

  • 07.11.2006 4:18 PM PDT
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Hey there...

For what it's worth you have my complete sympathy.

I am fully in support of servers for Halo 3 to put an end to cheating and equally importantly to deal with the issue of intercontinental latency.

I have done nothing but winge and whine on these forums about these subjects at every possible opportunity I get.

Of course, I only do this because I want Halo 3 to succeed. That means it is protected, by any means possible, from all forms of cheating currently used on Halo 2.

Anyway.... once again I'm moaning.

  • 07.11.2006 4:58 PM PDT
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I think the biggest issue is the cost associated with this.... MMO games do this, and have almost ZERO cheating issues. Those that do cheat are only those of us with advanced programming and networking skills, and in the MMO environment, no one shares their secrets like they do for HALO.

  • 07.11.2006 7:05 PM PDT