Peer-to-peer game hosting

[SharpLight]

The game list on adventuregamestudio.co.uk is a directory of games made with AGS, none of the files is actually hosted on the server. This means that game makers have to find suitable host, largely that means a free web-hosting service with an annoying bloated homepage and no guarantee to keep your files.

Many companies are using BitTorrent to distribute their free software, this helps cut on bandwidth requirement and helps in peak times (initial release), it also provides a backup in case of server issues.

Distributing AGS games on Bittorrent gives an added benefit over the archive file approach, by putting individual files in the torrent file we give the choice to leave music and voice files off; this can cut a 100Mb game to 20Mb for example making it easier for those who don't want the music or voice.

So I started looking into this (I have basic knowledge about servers and bittorrent mechanics), my idea was to find someone with his own server and set up a tracking server (so only the torrent files would be hosted). This would only take a small amount of bandwidth.

Well it turned out things are much easier than I thought:

First: there is an open bittorrent tracking server (openbittorrent.com), all you need to do is include it as a tracker in your torrent file and then just seed. There is no need to register or upload anything.

Second: torrent files now have an option called 'web hosting' that let you add a link to the file on the internet.

To make a torrent is also very easy. I use uTorrent and here is how you make a torrent:

1) Go to "File->Create New Torrent..." or press Ctrl-N.

2) Press 'Add Directory' and add the directory that contains the game. The name of the torrent file will be the name of the directory.

3) uTorrent ads two trackers by default, including openbittorrent.com. You can add more trackers if you like.

4) Copy the link to your file on the web server and paste in the 'Web Seeds' area.

5) Put a comment (e.g. name of game maker and the fact that it is free).

6) Press 'Create and save as..' button.

it should look something like this (click for larger view):


The last step is of course is hosting the torrent file itself, it might seem a big trip around just to go back to square one (i.e. hosting a file), but a torrent file is about 7kb while a game is minimum about 2Mb. Once offering a torrent becomes as normal as offering a mirror (maybe even include a special field in the upload forum) we can then try to arrange to host the torrent files; anyone with an FTP server can reserve a few megabytes for torrent files.

When I made my game I put it on filedropper.com, it seemed a great way to host files, unfortunately I didn't read the fine-print: for free files the file is deleted if it isn't downloaded after a certain time. I use it now to host the torrent file (this is a 7kb torrent file that you can open with a bittorrent client, it contains the AgentZeroEp0 game as individual files): http://www.filedropper.com/agenttrinityep0

Would do you think, would you seed AGS games? Are you willing to help in setting up a torrent server? Are game makers willing to provide a torrent file? Please feel free to add you opinion or views on the subject.

Here is some useful links:

• BitTorrent From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
• Use Dropbox as a Free Webseed for your Torrents
• uTorrent: How to Create a Torrent File

[Peder 🚀]

For reliable hosting and no worries of having files deleted I'm already making the AGS Archives: http://new.agsarchives.com.
I`ve actually been toying with similar torrent ideas before, but never got further than thoughts..

[SharpLight]

For reliable hosting and no worries of having files deleted I'm already making the AGS Archives: http://new.agsarchives.com.
I`ve actually been toying with similar torrent ideas before, but never got further than thoughts..

Nice looking website, all you need is rTorrent and you are set.

To create torrents use mktorrent and add openbittorrent.com. Put the torrents in a public facing folder and link to them from the game page and your done. You can also use magnet links, like The Pirate Bay is doing.

I forgot about magnet links when I wrote my post, there is no need to host any torrent files any more here is the link to my

Code: AGS

magnet:?xt=urn:btih:1FB31A4322DF94A19EC0A5FC7A6BE10C57C7EBD3&dn=Agent_Trinity_Ep0r=udp%3a//tracker.openbittorrent.com%3a80/announce

Let me know if you want any help.

[Peder 🚀]

Well the hosting of torrent files is not really a huge issue, after all they don't take much space .

I actually wanted to set up a server, however that would be pointless in the way you're thinking (to be able to NOT download sound packs etc) as it would only download the zip/rar/exe files like the normal download would.

I will for sure keep this in mind though for developers to add a torrent file or similar as a download option.

[SharpLight]

I actually wanted to set up a server, however that would be pointless in the way you're thinking (to be able to NOT download sound packs etc) as it would only download the zip/rar/exe files like the normal download would.

I am not sure about that idea either, because unpacking the archives would make the download much bigger. I was trying to sell the idea of bittorrent distribution, but asking people to seed bigger files is not the right way.

As you point out above hosting the torrent files is not a big deal (10kb extra on games that take several megabytes). No need for setting up a separate server, all you need is rTorrent on your server with access to two folders: the one with the archives and the one with the torrent files. rTorrent can automatically detect a new torrent file, so you don't have to manually add each one. You set it up so it never stops seeding and throttle it so it won't eat into your bandwidth.

Game makers can create torrents like I described above and upload them with the archive, they also should provide initial seeding. Of course other players should help with seeding, otherwise it's pointless.

[AGA]

There was an AGS torrent server a few years ago, which used the ags.org dedicated server as a backbone (which increased the speeds dramatically).  It didn't get used enough to justify the effort involved in running it.

[SharpLight]

There was an AGS torrent server a few years ago, which used the ags.org dedicated server as a backbone (which increased the speeds dramatically).  It didn't get used enough to justify the effort involved in running it.

I assume you mean a tracking server that hosts the files too? What exactly did it do, host torrents, track, host files?

Torrents are only effective if there is a lot of seeders, downloading the latest episode of CSI is done in minutes while downloading some obscure film from some years ago can take many days. Still for a big & popular games, e.g. Ben Jordan adventure, having a torrent option is very useful, because a lot of people would start downloading when the game is released.

There would be little effort involved in running it, it would function just like your bittorrent client only on the server. All you have to do is set up a way for people to upload their games & torrent files, an FTP server for example. Set up rTorrent and run it. Done.

My intention was to suggest a central host for AGS games can be set up on the cheap, I didn't know that there was already something like that.

[AGA]

It was a dedicated tracker, host and search site.  It served very quickly, as, as well as whatever peers were connected, it had a 100Mbps dedicated server connection seeding the files.  Can't remember all the details, but dasjoe was the one running it, if you want more info.