No Longer Able to Run Private ASA Servers... maybe?

[DirkInSA]

3 minutes ago, zero064 said:

Same here. I'll refund the game if I can't get this working.

So what does the install directory contain? Is there still a ShooterGameServer.exe in the install Binaries directory?

Is ark launch still the dumbass newbie "I dunno how to rename a project" default UE engine ShooterGame or has it been changed to be ASA.exe? What is in the game download. (I cannot look because no way in life am I gonna buy this re-master until I see solid evidence that it is worth the $)

[zero064]

13 minutes ago, Wycked said:

ASA Dedicated hosting

 

Nitrado has exclusivity to ASA hosting. You can have a single steam self hosted dedicated server with limitations.

If that's true and we can't have our own clusters, I'm definitely out. It'd be nice to hear something from the devs first though.

[Wycked]

2 minutes ago, DirkInSA said:

So what does the install directory contain? Is there still a ShooterGameServer.exe in the install Binaries directory?

Is ark launch still the dumbass newbie "I dunno how to rename a project" default UE engine ShooterGame or has it been changed to be ASA.exe? What is in the game download. (I cannot look because no way in life am I gonna buy this re-master until I see solid evidence that it is worth the $)

I would bet it also contains every exploit from the original as well.

[CaelumNL]

Wildcard, we need an update on private servers. A huge number of your community that have been with you up until now have been hosting private servers for their community/friends and now are ignored by you. Please stop the silence and give us all the details. I have always defended and supported you. I really don't want to stop that.

[darkradeon]

[darkradeon]

1 server per steam account? lmao if you are trying to make your publisher to fail there are faster ways, just ask your community WC. And I bet there are better publishers waiting for you.

[zero064]

2 minutes ago, darkradeon said:

1 server per steam account? lmao if you are trying to make your publisher to fail there are faster ways, just ask your community WC. And I bet there are better publishers waiting for you.

One server is ridiculous. Even if my group was prepared to live on one map at a time (which we aren't), how are we supposed to move characters, dinos etc. between maps??

[darkradeon]

" With the “Steam server” , there will be limitations that you can expect, including that you’ll be limited to creating a single Steam server for your Steam account, requiring authentication before starting. "https://server.nitrado.net/en-GB/news/ark-survival-ascended-server-hosting-exclusivity-news

[Thalana]

8 minutes ago, darkradeon said:

Hell no. There are already reasons for people to doubt ASA like with the huge performance requirements. Don't give us another reason to boycott this game. Restricting access to previously self-hosted communities, of which there are tons of us, is seriously messed up.

[darkradeon]

4 minutes ago, zero064 said:

One server is ridiculous. Even if my group was prepared to live on one map at a time (which we aren't), how are we supposed to move characters, dinos etc. between maps??

this is ridiculous, admins always need to test stuff etc before apply changes. all this nitrado poop deal seems just an invite to open an anti-trust lawsuit on EU court.. it's not just for the map (there is only one map for now)

Edited October 26, 2023 by darkradeon

[zero064]

Just now, Thalana said:

Hell no. There are already reasons for people to doubt ASA like with the huge performance requirements. Don't give us another reason to boycott this game. Restricting access to previously self-hosted communities, of which there are tons of us, is seriously messed up.

Why is that we're only learning about this from Nitrado? WC left us with the impression we'd get our own clusters for ASA. Right now it looks like they left us to learn about this when we tried to set up a server.

[DirkInSA]

OK so the short answer is "No (OK very very few) private dedicated servers" .......... ASE live forever! ASA go reptar yourself.

[DirkInSA]

26 minutes ago, darkradeon said:

this is ridiculous, admins always need to test stuff etc before apply changes. all this nitrado poop deal seems just an invite to open an anti-trust lawsuit on EU court.. it's not just for the map (there is only one map for now)

Yes - I ain't got the time or inclination to go read that agreement between Snail & Nitrado now - but I am pretty sure from memory that the agreement did NOT give exclusive hosting rights to Nitrado - only COMMERCIAL hosting rights. And this road being followed breaks that contract by making Nitrado the only viable hosting provider, commercial or not. 

[darkradeon]

if they wanna kill the publisher they should restore all events in ASE like in the switch version.

[darkradeon]

1 minute ago, DirkInSA said:

Yes - I ain't got the time or inclination to go read that agreement between Snail & Nitrado now - but I am pretty sure from memory that the agreement did NOT give exclusive hosting rights to Nitrado - only COMMERCIAL hosting rights. And this road being followed breaks that contract by making Nitrado the only viable hosting provider, commercial or not. 

this is going far over away than commercial gaming hosting. limiting communities and private server is like: nitrado bitches or nothing.
btw I already saw a modded map in the work https://www.curseforge.com/ark-survival-ascended/mods/svartalfheim

basically you cannot host 2 maps based on nitrado statement.

Edited October 26, 2023 by darkradeon

[[Rev]Sipowicz]

21 minutes ago, zero064 said:

Why is that we're only learning about this from Nitrado? WC left us with the impression we'd get our own clusters for ASA. Right now it looks like they left us to learn about this when we tried to set up a server.

This is precisely my issue.  Unfortunately this is W/C's M.O.   They won't release ANY information that has potential to damage their sales.  They are slimy, greedy people who are purely profits oriented.  They have NO problem selling broken products to people on the basis that its a "working strategy".  In this case they knew full well how bad the backlash from the community would be when they found out they were being railroaded into spending more money or going home empty handed.  So why make that announcement before the BIG release?  Wait for the dust to settle, collect their shillings and move on.  We can only hope the backlash is bad enough to effect their bottom line, in which case a change would be made.  Historically speaking this is how they have operated.  

It really is a shame such a neglectful group of people stumbled onto such a gem of a game concept.  Sometime I wonder what this game could have been like if left in charge by people who had a clue.

[DirkInSA]

Never mind if a private induvial chooses to carry the cost of one or more "ASA licenses" in terms of a steam account that buys ASA server, by definition this becomes a "commercial" venture, because the hoster has to pay money (ASA server license) to do their stuff. So yeah it is rubbish!

 

Edited October 26, 2023 by DirkInSA

[zero064]

17 minutes ago, [Rev]Sipowicz said:

This is precisely my issue.  Unfortunately this is W/C's M.O.   They won't release ANY information that has potential to damage their sales.  They are slimy, greedy people who are purely profits oriented.  They have NO problem selling broken products to people on the basis that its a "working strategy".  In this case they knew full well how bad the backlash from the community would be when they found out they were being railroaded into spending more money or going home empty handed.  So why make that announcement before the BIG release?  Wait for the dust to settle, collect their shillings and move on.  We can only hope the backlash is bad enough to effect their bottom line, in which case a change would be made.  Historically speaking this is how they have operated.  

It really is a shame such a neglectful group of people stumbled onto such a gem of a game concept.  Sometime I wonder what this game could have been like if left in charge by people who had a clue.

Well, thanks to the Steam refund button they won't collect any money from me until there's some clear path on how we can host our own clusters. I'm not very happy about the situation, especially considering all the money I spent on ASE (x3 in my case, buying the base game and the expansions for me and my kids).

[Maelmir]

I am going to say wait for the DEV tools that they said would hopefully be released by weekend. OR else they need to at minimum figure out how to remove the tether for non-dedicated servers.

[zero064]

By my reading, the agreement between Snail and Nitrado allows us to run small clusters. Section 6.1 (c) (i) says that the deal does not apply to "non-commercial, non-monetized servers owned by end-users themselves and for such end-users' own use."

There's nothing in there that prevents me from running a small server for myself, my kids and their friends to play on. So why isn't it possible for me to create one? WC?

[Arker101]

Thats a great point. Why cant I play the game that I bought with my friends and family with a LAN server? I dont want to pay Nitrado 30$ per month so whats the deal here?

I am really keeping my play time under 2 hours to refund steam if I am not able to run a local dedicated server!

[FireBladeOG]

I hosted a 7 server ARK cluster prior to ASA. If there is no dedicated server option that we can self host with cluster options my friends and I will not be buying. There is no reason why Nitrado should be our only option. I can only imagine how much it would cost per month to have a cluster. NO THANKS!

[Joebl0w13]

3 minutes ago, FireBladeOG said:

I hosted a 7 server ARK cluster prior to ASA. If there is no dedicated server option that we can self host with cluster options my friends and I will not be buying. There is no reason why Nitrado should be our only option. I can only imagine how much it would cost per month to have a cluster. NO THANKS!

Now you can do it with Nitrado for just $226 a month lol.

[darkradeon]

3 minutes ago, Joebl0w13 said:

Now you can do it with Nitrado for just $226 a month lol.

with such price we can host a 32 maps cluster with on hetzner... yes maybe using a 4 machine auction cluster but still a gazillion more time cheaper.

[DirkInSA]

So it seems from the stuff on the table as at ASA release the capability to run private servers has effectively been killed.

I ain't bought the release (ASA) so cannot comment directly around the validity of this, but as it stands there seems not to be a "Server" Steam ID download, and further there seems not to be an option to "Launch  Dedicated server" in the main game release.

From comments  in various places (mostly on Nitrado web site);  It seems to be possible to run (for free) one server for each ASA game install that you have purchased. Therefore to run a cluster, you need to go buy ASA for each map that you want to host. Instead of being able to host what you like for anyone for free.

For a guy that was already well skeptical on the merits of a re-mastered release of a game I currently have and play, I have to say that the chances of me buying this "fancy new" old ark has dropped to exactly 0%

Sure and its early release - but stuff like this that goes out at release it not likely to alter over time? Bye Bye my $ to AsA!