Where’s why I think that:
Consider the following totally arbitrary values:
10 debuff slots
10 players
1 mob being pounded on
1 second client update interval
- Server has to keep track and update 10 players x 1 times/second the status of each player health and communicate this to each player, so 10 × 10 actions/s
- Each player spams 1 attack/s, and the server must inform each other player that the skill was triggered: 10 × 10 actions
- Each debuff slot has to be tracked and communicated to each player: 10 debuff slots x 10 players = 100 actions
- Total: 10×10 + 10×10 + 10×10 = 300 actions/s
Now increase number of debuff slots to 100:
- Server has to keep track and update 10 players x 1 times/second the status of each player health and communicate this to each player, so 10 × 10 actions/s
- Each player spams 1 attack/s, and the server must inform each other player that the skill was triggered: 10 × 10 actions
- Each debuff slot has to be tracked and communicated to each player: 100 debuff slots x 10 players = 100 actions
- Total: 10×10 + 10×10 + 10×10 = 1200 actions/s
Now also increase the number of players to 100:
- Server has to keep track and update 100 players x 1 times/second the status of each player health and communicate this to each player, so 100 × 100 actions/s
- Each player spams 1 attack/s, and the server must inform each other player that the skill was triggered: 100 × 100 actions
- Each debuff slot has to be tracked and communicated to each player: 100 debuff slots x 100 players = 100 actions
- Total: 10×10 + 10×10 + 10×10 = 30000 actions/s
Now scrap the 100 debuff slots/mob idea and have each player have it’s own separate debuff tracking, oh, and let’s simulate a max 150 players zerg:
Assume each player gets 3 debuff effect on average:
- Server has to keep track and update 150 players x 1 times/second the status of each player health and communicate this to each player, so 150 × 150 actions/s
- Each player spams 1 attack/s, and the server must inform each other player that the skill was triggered: 150 × 150 actions
- Each debuff slot has to be tracked and communicated to each player: (3 debuff slots x 150 players = total debuffs) x 150 players = 67500 actions
- Total: 150×150 + 150×150 + 67500 = 112500 actions/s
Ok…now let’s add some more mobs in the equation … or not, cuz the server can’t handle it without croaking…
Observe the progression:
300
1200
30000
112500
In reality the server tracks lots of more stuff than the simple exercise above.
The network traffic and the server resources needed to calculate the world and update the clients increase exponentially with the number of players, mobs and the number of tracked events.
Some changes can be made to accommodate more debuff slots, but all come at a cost:
• limit the number of players in the same area (instanced areas with a cap on #of players. Think 25 man raids max) and otherwise discourage player gatherings (wow does this)
• When a certain threshold is reached, start calculating the world and updating the clients with a lower frequency (EvE does this. A 5 minute fight takes 1 hour to end in a big 2000 player zerg)
I’d expect that if anything, as the technology advances we’ll gonna see a few more debuff slots or a bit higher debuff stack, but nothing spectacular unless the gameplay price is paid.
(edited by Hex.6415)