I was wondering if it might be possible to throw together a version for use at LAN parties and the like... basically a one-system user-hosted game with grossly accelerated levelling (or just no levelling) that you could install 'spawn' client versions on computers at a LAN party with the host's CD, and have up to 20 or so connect to the host for a blitz.

thoughts? suggestions?

...can it be done?

'cause, y'know, it would be nice to sponsor an occasional game between a dozen friends... and it's just not practical (or plausible) to pay for each a monthly to have them all connect to the server if it's going to just be an occasional get-together, and with different people each time.

i dont think this is likely to happen

first.. with the game in constant development the server itself is constantly changing...

second.. and more important.. letting the code for the server out to the public would give people a chance to crack it..and lots of .. odd.. exploits and cheats would probably result.

I've thought about this numerous times.
It'd be SOO sweet to have NO lag!!!!!!!!

well the way you described it would violate the EULA, but concidering that Vendetta was originaly intended to be a lisencable game engin, you could probably work something out with guld software (perhaps lisencing the game engin and using it to create a space-quake like game)

...or you could take a look at Parsec. It's free, but work on it has been discontinued.

http://www.parsec.org/

also would just take away players from the server which is already underpopulated. BAD IDEA.

I say as long as it wouldn't be possible to host an online server then it wouldn't take too much from the player base.

Also since it would be the Host version just sell it for 30 bucks and I'd buy it. It'd be cool to have my friends over and give them access to all ships for a quick deathmatch game.

Now all I gotta do is get friends.........

that's the point, you'd be paying a simple 30 bucks and now you don't even need to log in to play or work to get anything. And I bet a lot of the duelist would just play that instead of the real game.

I know this idea might be impossible, due to all the security and player-base related issues mentioned above, but I would so want this idea to be realized.

I would gladly pay for an LAN verison of Vendetta, in addition to VO. And it would never be a threat to my VO:ing, but a wonderful alternative for me and my friends, the few times we get a LAN together (which happens very seldom, because we have nothign fun to play). Also, it could serve to bring more my friends into VO...

If you're only doing a 1-time lan party then you could have all your buddies get trail accounts. True, they wouldn't be able to use all of those hard-earned über-goodies, but buswars would be far easier to organise =P

-CNH

Uh, how much demand would there be for this game? When we have like 30 active users (which translates probably to 200-300 paying subscribers)?

Why would the devs take a big chunk of time out of their normal activities to do something that will sell ten copies?

Well that's 300 bucks starfisher.
Supposing that ONLY 10 ppl would buy it....
Sure this will never happen but we can still speculate can't we!
So calm down this post is only 2 days old and more ppl are bound to post in favor of.

And John we'd only play the LAN version when there's someone else to play it with.
If this version could be hosted online then we'd have a problem.
Though I'm not even sure there's a way to prevent that supposing we got a LAN version.

This would probably bring more players in than it would take away from the online version.

Besides we're still paying for the updates. Maybe the additional LAN version update would cost 5 bucks more a month.

guild software would not spend lots of time and effort developing a new version of the game that takes away paying sibscribers. they may however be willing to provide sorce code (under negociated lisencing restrictions) so somone else to create a game like the deathmatch vendetta that has been described provided the organisation for whom theyu provided the sorce payed guild for the use of their game engin.

Also i don't think that a lan-party Vendetta deathmatch game would signifigantly threaten VO as they are different types of games, and the deatmatch game could be worked to severly limit the number of cliants (say 10 - 25) and depending on the terms of the lisence may even have drasticly different ships and/or equipment.

Okay, first of all, I really, really doubt it would take away from the active player base in the VO Universe. if anything, it will bring more people in (how many of your LAN party buddies do you think may like it enough to go sign up afterward? - quite a few I would imagine) You could even include the full game download in the install, so all they have to do is pull out the plastic, register and play.

Also, we're not talking about a full version of the game. There would be SIGNIFICANTLY less to do in it, and as someone had already mentioned, you'd only be able to do it if you had a buddy to hook up to. It would be incapable of hosting over the internet.

Imagine maybe a quarter-size system with a few (3) stations (where you can buy anything without licences), some empty and roid-filled sectors, and maybe even a couple racetracks. Just add friends and blitz. There would be no hive, NPCs, economy, etc... just ships, weapons, and space to use them. Have one player buy a game disc and host for some LAN buddies - Maybe, 24 players per hosting client? (for more, buy two or more copies) That would translate into a max of three groups of eight (3-way LAN nation war anyone?)

It could be marketed to -more- than just the current active player base... I imagine it would sell nicely at the local gamer spot.

I know I'd buy it, so that's one... would you?