P2P connections

[aureon]

Is a server-based way to play MP planned? P2P connections require mutual visible IPs and ports, which is.. sometimes impossible to achieve, especially with ISPs that do not give public IPs, but rather just ones under NATs.

[cube]

Server based gameplay is not planned at all, we were discussing that one player could serve as a relay for someone else, but even this is not planned for short term.

If everything is working correctly, then only one public IP address should be necessary, all others can connect using NAT punching. In the long term I'd like to make a service that eliminates the need even for the one public IP (but that is far in the future).

[MF-]

Server based gameplay is not planned at all, we were discussing that one player could serve as a relay for someone else, but even this is not planned for short term.

But "--no-gui" option still sounds useful, so the resync bandwidth could be improved by a headless client.
[ https://forums.factorio.com/forum/vie ... =53&t=6449 ]

EDIT: Two threads related to speeding up the (re)syncs:
https://forums.factorio.com/forum/vie ... 25&p=51389 (map data -> merkle trees)
https://forums.factorio.com/forum/vie ... 68&p=51377 (replay data -> progressive crcs)

If everything is working correctly, then only one public IP address should be necessary, all others can connect using NAT punching. In the long term I'd like to make a service that eliminates the need even for the one public IP (but that is far in the future).

Like re-inventing the STUN protocol and STUN servers?
PS: What about ipv6?