So... What Exactly ARE the PS3 Limitations

[Niwashi]

- We can't have more inventory because of PS3 limitations
- We can't wear two hats because of PS3 limitations

The inventory limitation is due to server limitations, not PS3 limitations. The servers need to keep track of everyone's inventory in real time, including passing it between them. And for non-real-time inventory (like retainers) it's just a database issue. Both are a matter of convincing SE that this game that's bringing in so much money is worth actually spending a bit of that money on. (I can understand them having minimal servers when ARR first launched and they weren't sure if a relaunched game would be successful, but by this point they know it is. It's worth investing the time and money needed for some major upgrades. I expect that's why we're getting more inventory in the next expansion: that that's when the upgrades they're working on are supposed to be complete.)

The two headgear slot idea would be hard for PS3s to handle, but would also be harder to design for, so we wouldn't be likely to get it anyway. The reason the belt is no longer a visibly displayed gear item, for instance, is because it made it too hard for the designers trying to ensure that each belt fit with each piece of leg gear or long chest gear. Having separate head and face slots could have similar issues in matching up which ones could be displayed together.



The PS3's problem is memory. In particular, anything that increases the amount of memory needed in order to display a character on-screen is particularly limited because you not only need it for your own character, but multiplied by the number of characters around you. It's the reason really crowded areas are hard for PS3. (They're also hard for low-end PCs, but that's more often about graphics processing. The PS3 is actually better than a lot of PCs at graphics processing, but it's quicker to choke on the memory requirements.)

So adding an additional selection in character configuration (for instance separating the face and horns for Au Ra into two different options you can mix and match) would mean an additional data field your system would need in order to display a nearby character. That was ruled out specifically because SE doesn't want to increase the size of that character configuration data that every client in the area needs. But even there, there are two reasons for limiting that data size. One is that increases to it are hard on low memory clients like PS3. The other (and perhaps more significant one) is that it can become an issue with the server to client communication as the servers have to send everybody's description to everybody else. It's the second of those issues that leads to lag in crowded areas.

Adding things like an extra visible gear slot would also add to the amount of data on how to display a character, multiplied by the number of characters around you. And it all has to be first communicated to every client, then held in memory by the client which displays them.

Multiple dye colors per gear piece would add to the data, but besides the added memory needed, SE mentioned something about multiple passes in rendering it. I don't quite understand the details, but from the sound of it, it seems it's low-end PCs with limited graphics capabilities rather than low memory clients like PS3 that that limitation is geared towards.


So most of the things that PS3s memory limits are also limited by other factors anyway, whether that's server communications, development effort, or graphics processing. It doesn't seem like there's much that dropping PS3 support would actually buy us.