Setting up a server with dynamic Cross-Ark Travel?

[Ryan Pennington 359]

The temporaray nodes are temporary and they should not be used for permanent play. A couple hours at max. Might have to add in some sort of auto shutdown feature to make sure nobody abuses having two game servers up at the same time or limiting the amount of times the Transfer Mode can be activated. I guess we'll just see over the next few weeks how it goes.

 

There's no current plan to allow permanent clustered servers but if that's the direction Wildcard is heading then we might have some sort of paid upgrade option for that. The logistics are a bit complex to implement a permanent solution. It's incredibly ugly right now to implement this. What I do hope (and have asked) is that they allow remote clustering, which would solve the issue completely. =)

[shizzmoo 5]

There's no current plan to allow permanent clustered servers but if that's the direction Wildcard is heading then we might have some sort of paid upgrade option for that. The logistics are a bit complex to implement a permanent solution. It's incredibly ugly right now to implement this. What I do hope (and have asked) is that they allow remote clustering, which would solve the issue completely. =)

I should have been more adept at server lingo, as I see where the miscommunication came from now, haha.

 

This is exactly what we're asking for. A paid upgrade option for permanent clustered servers. Wild Card already has official servers up and operating this way, and I would absolutely love to be able to do the same - but with mods, custom rates, custom server settings, etc.

 

Wild Card is definitely moving in this direction, as they decided to come out with a paid expansion before the original game is even finished - which to me, means it isn't easy to add anymore to the current map. The only option is clustered map servers with travel between them.

 

And I agree, I would hope they add the option for remote clustering.

[optyk 1]

I should have been more adept at server lingo, as I see where the miscommunication came from now, haha.

 

This is exactly what we're asking for. A paid upgrade option for permanent clustered servers. Wild Card already has official servers up and operating this way, and I would absolutely love to be able to do the same - but with mods, custom rates, custom server settings, etc.

 

Wild Card is definitely moving in this direction, as they decided to come out with a paid expansion before the original game is even finished - which to me, means it isn't easy to add anymore to the current map. The only option is clustered map servers with travel between them.

 

And I agree, I would hope they add the option for remote clustering.

 

This is still not future proof at all -unless Wildcard intends for this to be the final design layout and does not plan on releasing any more Scorched type DLCs.

 

But still, 2 separate servers is just way too much for a game like this. The admin overhead that's going to be involved is way too high. Modding will be a nightmare as well. Right now this makes players have to either play on Official, or pay a premium for rental access to both ARKs (and any future new ones). What a nightmare.

 

Wildcard has to change how this is all going to work. Because it's easier to just populate ARK Prime with all the creatures/engrams/resources from Scorched, than run 2 servers and hope everything stays in-sync. Not only that, you dont need to own the DLC to spawn in Scorched assets into ARK Prime. Very self-defeating.

[Wyseman76 0]

Sadly this just goes to show wildcard keeps running by the seat of their pants while only ever focusing on their own server environments even though the largest portion of the player base is on Unofficial servers supported by guys like Ryan. 

Remote clusters are going to be the answer for sure and that's in WC's hands.

Thanks very much again for everything you've done. You have my gratitude and support, hopefully WC will get there house in order and start looking at the larger community at hand.

[shizzmoo 5]

I actually agree with both you, on many points - I truly hope WC comes out with a better option than this. But I'm also torn, because I also want to play the game with the ability to "progress" to the expansion, or backwards, whenever I want. I should be able to use the so called built in-game method of doing this. Not messing with save files and such.

 

It's frustrating, to say the least. I truly enjoy the game, but I can see the "indie" developer mistakes coming back to bite them again and again. Funny enough, it makes it more difficult on server admins/owners than anyone else.

[Rebelweasel 0]

Thank you very much, it will take a lot of work load from me as the admin of our server.

We'd already worked up a work-around plan, where we would upload our character data in ark1, then I would backup all our server data to be safe, then we'd switch to the map for ark2, then each person would download their ark saved character (and 1 dino, I think it lets us do each time?) and we'd just rotate each week per server.

 

I was actually worreied, that constantly shutting down and recycling our server to switch maps might be considered abuse of our server by Survival. I'm so glad you're implementing a toggle to make it a bit easier on me, and also that you're ok with us playing this way so that we can enjoy both the maps to the best of our ability until Wildcard gets stuff together and does allow the nonclustered server transfers. That, and perhaps an upgraded plan that is an extra $5 per month per ark added to our personal "server cluster" might be the best way to go. Because this won't be the only additional ARK they're going to create using this system, I think that's pretty clear.

[Kjarstin 22]

Ryan, and the rest of your staff,

thanks a ton for the time and work that you've already put into getting the Scorched Earth thing to work, and so fast!

 

I currently host 2 separate servers with you as is, and I have no problem, personally, paying a bit more for one in order to have the cluster ability and be able to freely move around in the game.  

 

I know nothing at all about the logistics and issues involved with making this work, so I'm not even going to try to comment on that, only that if you're able to do it, you have a customer here.

 

Thanks again!

[Ryan Pennington 359]

Don't worry guys, we'll figure it out. Even if we have to have them on the same machine, I am sure we can figure something out.

 

You guys are the reason we keep on doing this stuff, you are all awesome and thanks for the kind words too!!

[esac 0]

This is good to see someone working on a solution. I am currently with one of those "other" hosting companies who just told me there is nothing they can do at this time.

 

Sounds like you guys have a temporary solution now in place and working on a duel server hosting option so I would be very interested in transferring here once you get the duel server hosting option figured out

 

Keep up the good work!.

[ArchV 1]

Ryan you're doing awesome.  Even if we don't have a quick solution that's fine... I firmly believe this is Wildcard's problem to fix and not making hosts jump through hoops to work around their hacked solution.   

 

In the mean time, we've rented another server from you guys to host Scorched Earth.   Again, I feel like the lack of a decent way to transfer is all Wildcard's fault. 

 

On the plus side, they are having to use their own hack on their official servers.  So they will know themselves that it is an unsustainable way to do things.... Especially if they come out with another expansion in the future... what run 3 servers on the same box? Right.  Lol.

 

Let's hope they fix this soon

[djlottawa 3]

Yeah would love to find a solution. Right now I had to start up my personal server and running the SE map on it, but I don;t want to take down the 1st map (server on here). But it's a short term solution. 

 

Thanks guys!

[Akeema 2]

I just wanted to say that I love you guys! Thank you so much for working on finding a solution and getting something up temporarily for us. I have always been so happy with you guys and this just solidifies it! I'd gladly pay a bit extra for the ability to easily transfer and am just waiting a little bit to see what comes up until Wildcard hopefully can get this system sorted out. Thank you all so much again! I couldn't ask for a better hosing company!

[djlottawa 3]

Ok, so I got it working. Kind of. I did what was suggested on how to setup of the server with the name TRANSFER| and running the SE map. 

 

Had to run it twice in order for it to show the *.ark file in the folder. 

 

My question is for later on. I assume I would just need to remove the Transfer To option, save restart and it will revert back to my original The Island Map? (making sure first to upload our characters.)

[JaxTeller718 3]

Hello Ryan, New user, first time poster. I first want to thank you for you and Survival Servers Hard Work. I have 5 servers with "another company" and as of 2 days ago I have begun to migrate all of them here. Your responses here are a shining example as to why you have won me over. Your interface, your service all top notch and I look forward to seeing what you guys come up with. I just wanted you to know you guys have literally earned my business through your dedication.

 

My "other company" doesnt even HAVE a Scorched Earth Option.

[Geoffry 8]

I can see a future of having 3-4 server instances running different maps with player being able to cross between them...  Not sure what their plans are but I also see the doing all the maps as DLC's based on response from the community, maybe some free maybe others paid who knows...

 

Hey Ryan,

 

You all don't offer any dedicated servers, do ya...

[djlottawa 3]

Well, I can confirm that it works. We are able to upload and download between maps. The only thing I have not tried is to upload from the hosted map here, to my SE map setup on my server at home and see if I still have my stuff. Because right now it's set up with the same node, but can I do the join w/survivor to somewhere totally different. 

 

Cheers

[shizzmoo 5]

I can confirm that you will be able to transfer them, even if they are not apart of the same cluster (using the old method Transmit Ark Data) - but you will lose Tribe Ownership every single time, and need to either admin take-over tribe, or have someone invite you back so you can use your own dinos and structures. It's a real pain without being able to use the new feature.

[esac 0]

I moved my hosting here today!

[Lilkinsly 4]

Big picture.  We have "The Island" / "The Center" both similar dino's and environment.  Now we have Scorched Earth the desert.  Eventually we will have a water based DLC, for another world.  Possibly a full Arctic one as well.  Then to cap it all off, we may see an "alien" DLC where we go to an alien world and fight them and their dino's.  Otherwise, what will the high Tech tree be for?  You will probably need to travel back and forth between all Arks to obtain what you need for this Tech stuff to fully upgrade.  5 or more Arks?  Maybe.

 

Sounds like a server nightmare, and it is but it may not be.  Ryan, correct me if this is wrong.  No matter what map you are on, the only parts actually active is where people on.  That is why stuff goes into stasis, and loads when people come there.  So very often, very little of the map is loaded.  Now if you have 10 players on, and they are spread out, the server load is heavier then if they were all together.  This is why a 30 man server costs more because you may need 30 parts of a map active.

 

On the surface it may seem like running 2,3, or even 5 maps may require 2,3, or 5 times the computing power.  Yet this "should" not be true.  If you have a 30 man server, it will still be just 30 people, but spread out differently.  However, running the extra maps in the background does take processing and will take resources.

 

So in my mind (again feel free to correct me,) yes SS may need to allocate more resources (less servers on each box,) but not say double for 2 maps.

 

Obviously, more resources will cost us more money.  It should.  I can easily see say $10 for the first extra map (to be able to transfer back and forth) then maybe $5 for more maps after that.  Just guessing.

 

Any of this wrong?

[Wyseman76 0]

..................

Ideally you have the right idea in an optimal case. Minecraft for example when the end or nether are generated do not create an entirely new server but just another world instance on the same server. But the key here is that this was how that game was developed to function. Wildcard has made the design decision to make the running of each map a server specific task. We can only speculate as to why this is the case as we do not have the clear insight into their development decisions. 

 

I do not believe this is the best choice or the only choice they had but it is the one they took. We as players have to make due if we wish to continue to enjoy their product as they have decided to develop it. I do hope that they make remote clusters possible and an easy process so hosts like Ryan are able to support their customers without jumping through to many hoops.

 

As a side note like many others I have purchased a second server that my community and I are using to play SE in a stand alone situation for the time being.

[Ryan Pennington 359]

https://twitter.com/SurvivalServers/status/774716096972660736

 

Introducing our new Cluster addon! Works similar to our temporary solution but a permanent option.

 

More configuration options + integrated backups will come over the next few days to configure your new Cluster server.

 

Simply click the Addons page and purchase a Cluster to begin. This solution is replacing our temporary transfer free solution.

[Kjarstin 22]

I just purchased the upgrade. Do we need to do anything in particular or make any settings changes to get it running?

[mndfreeze 10]

Ryan, the new perm solution, does it lock down the character transfer portions so you can only transfer between the two?  I cannot seem to find this info anywhere as thats pretty much the most important part of it to me on if I can go that route soon for my players or not.  There is no 'server whitelist' or equivalent that I can find so pretty much need a way to allow my players to transfer back and forth from the 2 servers in the cluster, but NOT allow transfers to the server from the outside.  I want outside NEW players, but not outside max level max engram ppl who cheated in single player with admin abilities.

 

Any chance you know how to whitelist like this?  Maybe the NoTransferFromFiltering has something to do with this maybe?

 

Man I wish the devs gave us better documentation and walkthroughs when they enable fairly complex new systems like this.  Or at least get one of their guys who has proper technical document writing skills to do the walkthrough/guide so it isnt missing steps and half explained. lol.

[mndfreeze 10]

Just wanted to add, I just finished going through the entire thread over on the ark forums where they posted those initial instructions on how to set it up and all that.  Near the end people seemed to be speculating that just being part of a cluster automatically locked down your characters transfer, but not a single person actually tested and confirmed this, at least in the thread.  If this is the case then great, but if any additional options or variables in the .ini's need to be set please list those as well in detail.  I'd love to get a cluster going but even one person transferring in their cheaty mc'cheaterton character would ruin things.

[ferrus 3]

just need 1 question answered on this new cluster addon if i have 2 server already 1 center 1 scorched earth can they both be made into a cluster of is it i will get a new server added onto 1 of them ?

[Ryan Pennington 359]

If you purchased another server already we can work something out to get the old server terminated and then a cluster server created.

 

Drop us a support ticket and we'll work something out.

[ToxicAshe 1]

on my sub user account it is not giving me the option to set up the cluster even though the main account purchased the cluster addon. I wanted to surprise the players with the SE travel.. but I can't set it up

[ferrus 3]

If you purchased another server already we can work something out to get the old server terminated and then a cluster server created.

 

Drop us a support ticket and we'll work something out.

kk ticket created

[optyk 1]

With all due respect and no offense to the efforts of SS.com this is too expensive. $30 a month for a 10 slot server of an early access, unoptimized and unreleased title? Yikes.

 

Not future proof. What happens if and when Wildcard releases another DLC -we add another cluster for x3 the cost?

 

This setup Wildcard chose is not user friendly at all -this completely takes away all the flexibility/power a player had with ARK and puts it into the official/rental server owners laps. So instead of monetizing the game, they monetized the server functionality and content accessibility.

 

GG Wildcard on making the first public MMO server setup. Very unrealistic, considering professional devs/publishers or even EMU servers can hardly run their own.

 

Cost outweighs the overall value.

[keith8332 4]

Im guessing the cluster add on is an manual setup by your end and not automated because after issues with invoices saying unpaid even though i have an successfully paid invoice for the add-on im still waiting for such server to be created and be live as their is no options for me to do anything 

 

Ticket #424167