Player-run servers

[Ozy Llewellyn]

I'm not sure if this has been suggested yet, but I've played a few games where they allow you to just create your own server. Take Minecraft for example. Download Forge, do a few technical things, Boom. You've got a server to connect to. I believe Grounded could benefit from something like this and would possibly solve a lot of high ping and rubber banding issues. Also, if this is a possibility, please don't make servers like Ark. In my experience, I've played Ark a lot with friends and the one main issue is the tethering mechanic. Nobody likes to be tethered, although not a problem in Grounded. That being said, Ark (Gamepass) dedicated servers are a mess. You first have to have 2 people with an account each. You then have to have another account in which to run the server on and a whole-ass other computer tied up. On top of that, all accounts have to have a gold subscription to play online. That's a lot of money for a game you can't really enjoy for too long because ya know... super bugs. So if Obsidian decides Grounded needs dedicated servers, please, take a note from Minecraft, learn from Ark's unforgivable mistakes, and stay cool. You guys and your game are awesome. 

[Artimid]

While I truly hate Ark, on Steam it doesn't require that much effort. most hosted servers with Ark (and games like it) run a copy from Steam through command line. Free, no logins needed, etc. Heck, even Minecraft doesn't require Forge. Forge is just for mods. You can simply run a small .jar file for Minecraft and you are instantly good to go. Takes seconds.

But I really, REALLY, want a server of this. This is a fun game, but we spend most of our times online together just grinding/gathering so we could try to do stuff. If we could all hop on randomly, gather and get things ready - then when we hop on for an hour or so we could do some missions for fun as the group.

[AvMAN]

I agree with this. Having dedicated servers would make this game amazing.  Especially free SteamCMD Dedicated ones.  Being able to drop in and drop out of a private dedicated server at your leisure with your friends is the best way to cooperatively play a survival game.   You can jump on when you have some time, and gather some resources and do some base construction as time permits. Then you can all freely join up with your fiends and progress the story together.   Almost all survival/building games have this feature because it is pretty much necessary to be able to properly play this style of game where it can take 100's of hours to complete.
Examples that I have played and have hosted Dedicated servers for: (MineCraft, Ark, The Forest, 7 Days to Die)

[GandalfTheD]

I've come here just to say what the others above have said. Please bring in an option for multiplayer servers - even a paid version to make it viable on your end if that's necessary. Grounded is such an amazing game, but for those playing co-op, their experience is largely tied to the server they are playing in with their friends. If the host can't open the server, the other players simply don't play and will find a different game to muck around in until the host can launch the server. Let's increase session times, player numbers, and average player lifetimes by introducing multiplayer servers so the co-op player's experience isn't restricted by their co-op world's host.

 

And while you're at it, just give us one extra player who can join - I'm sick of our fifth player always complaining that he's missed out again

[rmmead]

I have several dedicated servers that I run for various games. 

Grounded is great, but with the current garbage MP experience, it could definitely benefit from a dedicated server option. They could set it up similar to Satisfactory where time stops unless a player is connected. This would also be nice in case one person wanted to play to work on something, but the host wasn't available. 

[dazza61]

To be fair we can now share worlds and as long as world is shared then ANYONE can host and join (subject to passwords)....so e.g when my gf isnt around I host and play, she can drop in and then at other times, she hosts and I join. Bit like MC Realms (sorry lol) but free and included in game. I can even back up HER owned world and then copy it and play single player if I wish but then this SP world would be out of sync...but ok to test stuff so as not to mess up the main...

But as already mentioned the lag is pretty bad at times for MP; seems ok ish with two but with four, the last time I played 6 months ago it was a horrible experience.

So if servers are the only way to fix this then so be it...I don't know enough about networking to suggest other solutions

[rmmead]

@dazza61 What platform are you referring to? My friends and I are on PC - Steam and unless the host is on and sharing the world, nobody can see or join it.