A question about our servers.

[dias_flac_0g]

So i've always wondered how exactly do our servers work. Why does it take such a long time to update them and how much of the actual game data is saved on the servers.

Sometimes people here in different threads give little explinations on such things but whenever I asked them they never tend to go into detail which is something i would love. Who knows maybe they just dont know more than they actually say.

This questions is for someone who actually knows how these things actually work and if so I would really appreciate it if you went into full detail and explain how this stuff works.

I always thought the the full content was already on the game disc itself and that when it came down to "updating" us it was only a simple "unlocking" of the content that was already on our disc.

However, now it seems like this is not really the case (atlest fully) i've heard that game data is actually store on the servers themselves and not just the game disc (or our HDD's for those of us who have our game installed).

The reason why i'm so curious about all this is because if all of the online content is already on the actual game disc and our DLC why is it only possible to use it online? Is it because it has a "lock" for online only? Meaning that as soon as we get online the "online" content becomes available to us (from the disc)?

If so, if I were to "hax" the disc or something like that will I be able to use this content offline by removing the "lock" on it? Or is it much more complicated than that?

Again, if you are a coder or something and know how this stuff works please post here and do your best toanswer my questions I would greatly appreciate it.

If you dont wanna put it up in my thread feel free to pm me about it and we can chat in full detail about it there.

Thanks :)

[DragonForce]

I may be wrong on this, but here's what I think based on deductive reasoning and a little knowledge.

SoJ creates everything for PSU, whether it be for the japan servers or for our servers. SoA localizes those updates and tests them on their test servers. When everything is good to go, they upload them to the actual server. This process can take a while based on how fast they get this shit done.

[Zantra]

Everything in online mode is server side. Everything in offline mode is on the disc.

[dias_flac_0g]

Everything in online mode is server side. Everything in offline mode is on the disc.

I HIGHLY doubt that's the case. Why would we need to download a nearly 2gig DLC then seening as we cant even use that DLC in offline mode.

Again I wish someone he knew this stuff would post here xD

[Zantra]

Because that "DLC" (actually an update to the online game), is only for the online mode. It does nothing to the offline mode. You needed to download it, to be able to keep playing online.

[dias_flac_0g]

Let me be more specific since you totaly missed the point. If what you say is true, then why must we keep it on our HDD? Why can't it be stored on the actual game servers insted? See what I mean? I know it's for the online mode, but obviously all those files are client side, so we obviously have game files on our side as well a bunch of them assuming you add the game disc as well.

It comes down to what I explained in my first post. We seem to have a ton of the data already, but we just cant seem to use it unless it's "unlocked".

[Zantra]

You're a hopeless troll. You shouldn't be trying to hack an online game, anyway. All MMO's require you to have a copy of the game saved to your hardrive. That way they can verify that you have purchased the game. The same goes for expansion packs, which is what AOTI and the supplemental update, are. The content for those is only available online, but you need the update on your harddrive, to be able to upgrade your copy of PSU, so that you can still play the online mode. And, access the content. I have a good idea, email sega, and ask them about it. If you don't like the answers that you're getting here.

[XbikXBd]

UMMM....u guys kno that sega of japan is now ur server updaters not SOA lol just for record and the reson behind most slow updates is the flud of problems that the 360 server always have i.e. Limit diga, AMP Values, Glitches etc. so yah lol we may start to pick up now that SOJ has its hands on what we get hand when we get...

[Tetsaru]

I was kinda curious about how this worked myself, so I did some digging around on Wikipedia on online content and copyright stuff... this article (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_Rights_Management) probably best answered my questions, but it's rather lengthy, and covers a lot more than video games. Overall, it all boils down to the content providers (in this case, Sega) making sure that the content they provide (PSU/AotI, its updates, use of online servers, Guardians' Cash, etc.) is properly paid for by the consumer, and the various technologies and criticisms behind it.

Now that I think about... you guys remember around (I think) the time MAG ended, and the authentication servers were down, giving everyone that weird error that kept so many people from logging on? Probably something related to content that Sega wasn't ready to distribute, for whatever reason... maybe some of the items like the Spread Needle/G, that sorta thing. Just a guess though.

Still, this doesn't really clarify what content was or wasn't already on the PSU/AotI discs and what was server-side to really determine how badly Sega was holding out on us, or if they were just slow about doing it, or what. I could've sworn there was a thread talking about that a while back, but it probably was related to private server development in some way, so we wouldn't be allowed to discuss it in detail here, of course... >_>X

*EDIT* Ah, found it. (http://www.pso-world.com/forums/showthread.php?t=178414)

But yeah, I think this could all lead back to the decision Sega took to split the servers up they way that they did; not only did it segregate the player base, but it just ended up causing more work for them to do, thus resulting in slower updates and possibly rushing the initial release, seeing how one of the old E3 videos that was posted a while back looked a LOOOT different... course, that may have just been early development - E3 2004, lol. Gaaah, so confusing! ><

*ANOTHER EDIT* Found it too. :wacko:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Jtup9-w_PY

[dias_flac_0g]

You're a hopeless troll. You shouldn't be trying to hack an online game, anyway. All MMO's require you to have a copy of the game saved to your hardrive. That way they can verify that you have purchased the game. The same goes for expansion packs, which is what AOTI and the supplemental update, are. The content for those is only available online, but you need the update on your harddrive, to be able to upgrade your copy of PSU, so that you can still play the online mode. And, access the content. I have a good idea, email sega, and ask them about it. If you don't like the answers that you're getting here.

So i'm a helpless troll just because I didnt agree with your answer? You could have answered what you just did now and save us all the trouble. I'm not trying to be rude but you should show some respect seeing as I never insulted you. Obviously this isn't going anywhere with you so i'll just stop here. Thanks for your input :)

I'm not trying to "hax" anything either I just wanna know how things actually work. Just because I want all the details doesnt mean I wanna start hacking wtf lmao.

Tetsaru, thanks for those links i dont mind them being lengthy i'ma read them :)

[Tetsaru]

Yeah, the whole troll thing was uncalled for. Programming and copyright laws aren't exactly common knowledge, after all. =/

And besides, do you really think one would go to PSOW to learn how to hack, anyway? Hell, we can't even talk about private servers, despite the fact that their research, development, and decoding would most likely answer a lot of questions for us... :confused:

[Zantra]

Then ask the people that run the private servers. They post on these boards. Cranberry is one of them. She actually works for a few, if I understand correctly.

[dias_flac_0g]

That was a pretty good read Tetsaru, but the thread link was even better wow just wow...

I knew we had the content already. It's just like I said, we have the god damn content but it's just locked away.

Now, this brings up a new question, why dont they just unlock it? Does JP have to give them to right to do so? Meaning JP giving the right to SOA telling them ok it's been over a year now, feel free to unlock the content now...

I spoke with Cranberry before, it would be cool if she post in this topic and shared some of her knowledge. I'm not talking about the private servers in general but just my overall server questions.

[Tetsaru]

Now, this brings up a new question, why dont they just unlock it? Does JP have to give them to right to do so? Meaning JP giving the right to SOA telling them ok it's been over a year now, feel free to unlock the content now...

Sega/Sonic Team works in mysterious and questionable ways... :confused:


I spoke with Cranberry before, it would be cool if she post in this topic and shared some of her knowledge. I'm not talking about the private servers in general but just my overall server questions.

I would welcome this as well, or anyone else for that matter... not many different people posting in this thread yet. :(

[dias_flac_0g]

I just read through the whole thread now and damn reading most ofd that stuff made me pissed. Now I know most of you will say "oh wow, you just noticed this now?"

Well to a degree yes, obviously I do not know how the servers actually work (which is why I made this topic) but Ihave been questioning them for a while now. Because of the content that we currently have the disc and the DLC.

Now you guys know that I NEVER make baww topics about updates and such, but damn this pisses me off alot.

Something someone there said was very true, JP gets weekly updates and they pay abount 10 bucks a month, yet we pay 10 bucks a month for like monthly updates (i'm being very nice here) man wtf we really are getting the short end of the stick by a long shot. No wonder people baww all the time I fully undesrtand them now.

Obviously SOJ has always had full controll of the servers, I dont see why they decide to treat the US costumers the way they do.

Some people bring up racism and well I have to a gree with them to a point. Though i dont think they are trully racist towards us, they do have a "negative" mentality towards us like "ahh it's the dumb us servers who gives a **** lets not update em for now just keep the JP ones going smothly, they'll keep paying..."

If a new psu game ever comes out i'm certainly gonna hold my money on it as much as I love pso/psu.

It really isn't fair at all. Especially when we already have the content or most of it on the disc and dlc. There's no ****ing excuse for us to wait a god damn year when we already had all this **** to begin with.

Like somelelse said, a private server can pretty much give us all JP has in a short period of time or even from the get go...

****ing sad...