That's both good and bad. Server-side Physics as you said would fix issues with mis-synced damage (as in, it would look funny if to the player the car is fine, but another player sees a pancaked car driving around somehow) but the input lag would be varying. A lot of games I have played with server-side physics tend to have most of their servers overseas (I'm in Australia..), would it be at all possible to be able to select which method of collision detection would be used? Connecting to servers outside of my Country could cause significant issues lol. (Considering most Aussie servers would likely be empty, forcing me to connect to occupied foreign servers).
Well, from the development point of view, it's infinitely easier to have all the physics on one machine (the server) than it is to try and code syncing and interacting between various machines with different ping. You have to deal with all sorts of prediction and smoothing stuff, and I really don't think it'd be possible to make it work well with our complex soft-body physics. I can imagine a lot of circumstances where two cars would have a connection hiccup, get stuck together, and then explode. Input lag is a necessary sacrifice to have something like this work well.
I see, thanks for the explanation. I guess it would also leave a lot of room for less-powerful machines to play as well? As they wouldn't neccesarily be processing the physics-side? That would be kind of cool for laptop owners with decent graphics and underpowered CPU's going to a LAN being able to join a server that's capable of simulating all of the collision while the laptop just handles the graphics. (Destruction-Derby for example) I have two i7 computers (One a laptop/w a GT640M, other my gaming desktop) and an i5 laptop (with a GT550M) that I'll be sure to test with once released.
I'm pretty sure that's planned. Gabester has talked about it a lot. To add a twist to your idea, what about this... The game mode is similar to a demolition derby, but it takes place on top of a very tall platform with no guardrails. The objective is to be the last man standing (like a normal demolition derby), but you have to ways to win: either destroy the other cars like a normal derby, or push them off the platform. It would add some creativity and would be really fun.
Like in GTA4 Skyscraper roof derby? Nah, in that case derby will end very quickly, because all that complex physics in a game will be able to handle 3 - 4 cars on one map maximum.
What? That already exists? I felt so great about myself for crafting such an original idea! Anyway,you could slope the edges so pushing a car off would be more difficult. You could also give more points for destroying a car than pushing a car off to dissuade pushing cars off unless it's absolutely necessary (like if the car is sitting right next to the edge).
No offence, but i think that giving points for damaging/wrecking your oponets car is very arcade'ish as pushing a car from derby-arena, it remind's me Flatout game, where for damage/wreck your oponets car you geting some poits, and be able to win derby by earning max points, even if you not a lastman standing. Demolition derby is not only about wrecking old cars, it's also some strategy, how to wreck as much cars as you can with minium damage for your car, and be the lastman standing in that battle.
There would still be strategy if there were points. You could either go all-out at the start to cause a ton of damage (which would give you a lot of points, but severely damage your car), or "sandbag" and avoid the other cars to last as long as you can (which would give you survival points for lasting a long time, but would give you less damage points and make you a target for the other drivers). A point system would be great. The points you earn in the game could be invested in newer and better cars, or toward upgrading your current ones. I don't think points make a game arcade-like. If anything, it makes the game more of a "game," because it adds an objective (earn points -> buy better vehicles/parts -> win events -> earn points). Otherwise, what would be the point of the game? The only reward for your efforts and skill would be knowing that you've won. The really skilled players would be rewarded the same as the poor players without a point system.
Well, i think points could be replaced by money. I mean all DD events in the game would have money reword for the 1-st place. For example you won the derby you will get 3000$, some amout of this money you will spent on buying a fresh car for a next derby event/repair your smashed derby car, the rest of the money you could save for other stuff which will be evalable in the game (streat cars, some custom parts) and other.
By "points" I mean a system of currency. It could be points, credits, dollars, circles, etc. What I'm basically saying is: the game needs a scoring system. They already said they will have a point system. It might be dollars, it might be points, it might be an unnamed source of income. It doesn't really matter. Personally, I would prefer a realistic money system like dollars, but points might be easier (after all, you don't earn money by hitting an opponents, just for winning). A point system might be nice because you could be rewarded for more things, like spinning a car out or disabling another person's car. P.S.: SPELLING!!!
Oh i didn't know that devs already mentioned about point system. As for spelling, i think you don't need to write it in caps, only for several mistakes i did in my post.
Hahaha I meant to put a smiley face by it. I was just saying that so you'd look over some of the words to double-check the spelling. For example: if I type "chrash," there will be a red squiggly line under it saying that it's misspelled. I can right click on those words and it will give me some proper spelling suggestions (for "chrash," it tells me crash, thrash, and ch rash). It's just nice to have a properly-typed response. Outherwiz, itis harde ot rhede.
I personally want chase AI back and multiplayer to be added so my family can all demolition derby against each other and five other AI cars. That just gives me an excuse to load up the behemoth truck and absolutely pwn some moonhawk derby cars and SBR4s.
Someday,Amazing Developers like you can make this happen. And if it is added, I'll be right here supporting the game as it is implemented.
