Clan server rental

[Stryker]

I notice there are a few good places in the UK where you can rent a clan server.  However its always just rental.  How much interest would there be if a clan could provide their own 1U server for hosting their clan all at/near the typical rental prices.....

Advantage being they dont have to pay for extras such as debranding or stats, they'd be free to use their O/S of choice so long as its Linux :-) and configure the server how they like......

I must confess thats the nice thing about dMw's Blackadder, just wondering if others agreed?

[JB]

I agree, but it's definately time you started to charge members of dMw for the priviledge of having a clan server.   :twisted:

But only charge those actually members of dMw, not those who just use their server.

[Doorman]

JB. SHUT YOUR FACE!

[DarkAngel]

hmmm how much?

[OldBloke]

My guess is that the majority of clans are sharing hardware with up to seven other clans per server. This is obviously the tried and tested 'clan server' business model. To offer clans a discrete 1U server doesn't, on the face of it, appear to cost-in irrespective of the obvious benefits to the clan.

[TeaLeaf]

If I have read you right Stryker, I would have thought that offering a clan the chance to own its own hardware for a similar price to normal server rental would be attractive.

TL.  

[Zok]

would this restrict the server to clan members only
or would anyone who has registered as a pcs player be able to join
this would greatly reduce the cost to clan members as non clan players would be sharing the cost
whether at the full rate or not is something that mat warrent some thought

[Tutonic]

You can rent a plain server these days and do whatever you want with it, but its much cheaper to rent a pre-built gaming server which is prolly why more people do it

The best thing about renting your own box is you have complete control over it, you dont have to rely on some muppet to screw admin mod up, you can do it yourself

[suicidal_monkey]

and then who gets the server when you've finished playing with it?

[OldBloke]

The initial cost of the server would be the stumbling block for most clans (with an average membership of eight members or thereabouts).

Then, as mentioned, with the terrific amount of churn within the clan system who would claim the server when clans fold or main contributors leave etc?  :?

[Stryker]

Yeah it just struck me that if clans aint moaning about the bandwidth then the most popular moan seems to be about the hardware.

I'm not knocking the clan server rental companies they have to make a living and the best way to do that is to *control* the hardware.

Problem is that means cramming the games onto the serves and diminished level of control for the clan.

[Stryker]

I'd imagine it would be a nice idea for the dedicated clans like dMw.  However I imagine the biggest stumbling block is the whole going about getting a server hosted somewhere which is where I feel I could help..... well that and the fact Crosswired may well be getting a third and may I say pretty speedy 100Mbit/s conenction for UK traffic  

[smilodon]

I think you have a niche market there. Although it may well be a fair sized niche.

The main gripes about rental is the cost of debranding, and the lack of control over what is run on it. So offering the bandwidth without the restrictions looks like a sound idea. I think you'd have to charge less that the normal rental companies like Jolt obviously, but if the financials stack up I'd say go for it.