The Server Cluster

Broadside sticks to the typical format for an MMO where the player downloads the game client, which connects to central servers for authentication, item and stats tracking, and game play.  The Broadside client cannot be used to host private games or to be played single player.

As far as the servers are concerned, they operate as a central controlled cluster.

The game world is separated by local geographic area as Zone Servers (local geographic area referring to the game world, not the real world).  The exact final number is not yet determined, but it is expected to be over 100 when the game world is complete.  All players near each other are all connected to the same Zone Server.  When the player crosses the border into the next zone they switch to the next Zone Server.

A Zone Server is a single game instance, but the physical servers can handle multiple Zone Servers at the same time.  The Master Server manages what physical server hardware hosts each Zone Server.

The Master Server starts, then it launches the Database Server.  Once the Database Server reports it is online, the Master Server then launches the Login Server and Zone Servers for high traffic areas of the game.  The Master Server has a configuration of all physical servers and what their Zone Server capacity is and will allocate Zone Servers to physical hardware accordingly.

As players travel to zones that are offline, the Master Server will start that zone.  When no player activity has happened in a zone for a period of time, the zone will automatically shut down.  This allows a far larger game world than would normally be possible with the server hardware.

I hope you found this description interesting as to how Broadside's server cluster is implemented.