Serverlist Age cheat.

[Lejo]

Some new servers starts with an Age which is much older than the server is.
It's not realy fair that older servers gets a extra bonus on the list, if this is possible. :(
I think it's just creating your server with the ip + port + env_meta.txt from the old server.
I don't think this is easy to fix, but why giving a bonus for a old server?

[Shara]

Old servers get a bonus because they've proved they are dependable. It can be a horrible experience for a player if they join a new server, work hard on collecting resources or building something, then the next day/week the server is gone, and this is much more likely to happen on newer servers than well established ones.

As for servers cheating - perhaps if a server is doing this to such an extent that it makes a big difference in ranking, it could be reported.

[Lejo]

Old servers get a bonus because they've proved they are dependable. It can be a horrible experience for a player if they join a new server, work hard on collecting resources or building something, then the next day/week the server is gone, and this is much more likely to happen on newer servers than well established ones.

I agree with this.

As for servers cheating - perhaps if a server is doing this to such an extent that it makes a big difference in ranking, it could be reported.

One big cheater is Telesight.
Almost all new serversof him starts with a bonus.

[Festus1965]

So that is how the Server list is sorted ?

Or some more else fact ?

Thanks for the hint ?
NO !!! I will not touch the files by hand.

but Screenshot just taken shows other sorting or mix, but the row age isn't going descending as mentioned:
(later)
or what ... sorry, there must be something wrong !

[Wuzzy]

Why do we let servers report their own age in the first place? It's pretty obvious you can never trust this info.

How about the master server simply tracks how long it “knows” a certain server?

[Lejo]

How about the master server simply tracks how long it “knows” a certain server?

That is a great Idea.
But it would may reset all Ages and older servers can't announce anymore.

[sorcerykid]

So that is how the Server list is sorted ?

Trust me, you don't want to know how the server list is sorted. I looked one time, and regret ever allowing my curiosity get the better of me. Let's just say I have concerns about the well-being of whomever wrote the algorithm xD

[Festus1965]

Trust me, you don't want to know how the server list is sorted. I looked one time, and regret ever allowing my curiosity get the better of me. Let's just say I have concerns about the well-being of whomever wrote the algorithm xD

Oh, that scared me ... I thought about to look inside the code, to see the sorting,
but as I see how the serverlist-location, makes also a for me or in Asia strange sorting, I already think further, to do like a copy of the serverlist on my local webserver, but with the source ping from Thailand what means another sorting anyway.
But also, then look if I need to check the algo and change it, for the location here. ... Means ... priority Ping (short is better), and so the server location - or even language, fixes to the area here ...

my see

[Linuxdirk]

Let's just say I have concerns about the well-being of whomever wrote the algorithm xD

Since the code is open creating an alternative server list is absolutely possible. MT even has configuration for that.

[Festus1965]

Since the code is open creating an alternative server list is absolutely possible. MT even has configuration for that.

I would just take the same Servers from the main list, and just let first do the Ping from another location, ... so if gamers use this list, they see much better, what servers are "nearby" with low lost in distance ... like me 250 ms USA ... / 230 ms Europa,
maybe some Language flag showing, ...
As I start Minetest, my own server is very low Ping ... even I sit beside ... as the List is generated elsewhere ... or should be a network of lists, same savers, wherever pronounced, but with lists in USA, EU, Asia, Africa ? South America, Antarctica (last is a joke), and when I see how much Russians ...

[Linuxdirk]

... or should be a network of lists, same savers, wherever pronounced, but with lists in USA, EU, Asia, Africa ? South America, Antarctica (last is a joke), and when I see how much Russians ...

Yes, servers should be pinged from within the country or at least from the same continent. Due to implementation it might not be easily possible.

[Festus1965]

Yes, servers should be pinged from within the country or at least from the same continent. Due to implementation it might not be easily possible.

Why ?
The only thing would be to "coordinate" the servers at all, that use a central register or copy them by reading them out,
as the rest of the code running on a local web-server should do the rest by itself, just then the own Ping, rest is server data, calculate the sorting and show it.

[Lejo]

Let's just say I have concerns about the well-being of whomever wrote the algorithm xD

The server list depens on this all in points:

• 1 per client, but only 1/8 per "guest" client
• -1 for every player over 16
• 1 per month of age, limited to 8
• 1/2 per average client, limited to 4
• -8 for unrealistic max_clients(>=128)
• -8 per second of ping over 0.4s
• Up to -8 for less than an hour of uptime (penalty linearly decreasing)

What can you do:

• install No Guest
• Set player max to 16, if you haven't install No Guest
• If you know some more just pos it here.

[Festus1965]

The server list depends on this all in points:

• 1 per client, but only 1/8 per "guest" client
• -1 for every player over 16
• 1 per month of age, limited to 8
• 1/2 per average client, limited to 4
• -8 for unrealistic max_clients(>=128)
• -8 per second of ping over 0.4s
• Up to -8 for less than an hour of uptime (penalty linearly decreasing)

Nice, thanks ... so, as missing some stepping facts ... I think the max is somewhere 28 Points ?

• start from the basics ...
  * no -1-8 Points, as server running some hours
  * no -1-8 Points, as I see even so servers with more then 0,400 seconds, or 400 ms
  * no -1 for every player over 16 players, mean keep 16
  * so +16 Points as 16 players
  * so +4 Points, for also then up to average minimum 8 players
  * and +8 Points as minimum 8 months old

= 28 max ?
(I miss 7 points as just over a month running now, but the change from 149 to 99 players shoot me up a lot, ...)

• BUT
  * is max 16 players still up to date, with this strong CPUs, see 3 servers have around 30 players and still a good ping/lag ...maybe 32 would be still now unrealistic anymore ?
  * is ping 400ms show any meaning as even far Europe is just 230-250 for me, and US also 230 ms, so here I see a realistic range of 0-130, still very good, and then make a minus latest starting somewhere 250 already ?
  * what is a "guest" player ... (how they are detected) ... I say this are visitors, checkout a new game like most with Multicraft now ... xxxxxx111 namers
  * would be more about unrealistic amount of mods, what takes the lag up, over ... mhh, when game gets boring as have to wait for a door, or cant fight mobs as there position comes late fixed ...

[Festus1965]

nice, after i merged two servers together, I lost the age from both old servers ... would be nice to cheat then back in ha
but list position is not important, and people mainly remember the name, and come in ...

[Lejo]

Its important that you copy the env_meta.txt.
There is the Age saved.

[Festus1965]

Its important that you copy the env_meta.txt.
There is the Age saved.

Thanks, it worked !
so I gave the merged world (Celines Wildes Thailand) now the older age with 139d (from Sarasas "Celine in Thailand"),
and gave the old original the other one with some 24d,
that seams fair even not cheating the list - just switch the both.

But as the real world (Wildes Land) age is more then 2 years, I hope to get the file from the old Admin also, as more and more from the old gamers come back in and continue..