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Back 4 Blood's online service infrastructure explained
By CosmicD
This is a general guide explaining the way Back 4 Blood will have no dedicated server binaries avarilable. The game is marketed (and designed) as an online service which will provide in-house content such as cosmetics, characters and new story elements through dlc packs.
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CosmicD
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Languages: English
Posted
Updated
12 Aug, 2021 @ 8:03am
18 Oct, 2021 @ 1:52am
1,950 Unique Visitors
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Guide Index
Overview
Can I run a Back 4 Blood dedicated listen/client server (binary) on a local computer or on server hosting platforms like nitrado 
Killing Floor 2 also has dlc/cosmetics and still has dedicated server binaries, what is the difference ? 
The Fort Hope / Profile / Party layer specifics 
Can we play offline or run our own private friends game ? 
What online platform does the game use ? 
Will dedicated server binaries become available post launch at a point in time ? 
Comments
Can I run a Back 4 Blood dedicated listen/client server (binary) on a local computer or on server hosting platforms like nitrado
The online multiplayer infrastructure of Back 4 Blood doesn't simply connect you to a dedicated listen server as we know from other multiplayer games like left 4 dead, Team Fortress 2 or unreal tournament. You connect to the game via a profile service (represented by Fort Hope) where you can engage matchmaking into the various game modes.

  • This model provides an in-world space where you can create parties and "lossles" lobbies and game sessions to play a game.This way, players can opt in / out without ending the session as long as there's one player present.
  • It will also allow you to continue “saved runs” (detailed in this tutorial) in which you can matchmake to other players at a saved starting position, complete with the cards/weapons/tools you already acquired. To prevent cheating: alot of this is stored online.
  • The profile service also maintains and manages your DLC / season pass ownership and grants access to all players in your lobby/party. For more details on how this works read this: https://back4blood.com/en-us/news/weve-got-your-back
Killing Floor 2 also has dlc/cosmetics and still has dedicated server binaries, what is the difference ?
The difference is that the B4B monetization formula offers seasonal dlc containing cosmetics, characters AND missions that are profile bound, and the matchmaking system can grant access (via the profile service) to this content to players from all current and last generation consoles that are in your party/lobby, but who don't own the season pass: To ensure this it is possible to connect all these platforms to the B4B online presence, the game uses an enclosed eco-system.
The Fort Hope / Profile / Party layer specifics
The Fort Hope camp serves as a lobby layer to form a party with friends which can then matchmake into an active game. When somebody joins your game, they will join your "Fort Hope" camp. As opposed to being in active campaigns, this "lobby" is not host transferrable but Peer to Peer (P2P), meaning that in fort hope, the party leader hosts the camp. When the party leader leaves, that session ends and you're loaded back into your own Fort Hope.

Fort Hope also functions as the the profile layer of the B4B online service; Settings like your outfits, card decks, titles and banners are saved there.
Can we play offline or run our own private friends game ?
Even though the services are AWS hosted, you can choose to start an invite only or closed game session via the game's social menu. There is also an option in the full game's matchmaker to play the game solo but it is not offline as you will still be connected to the profile service layer (being in fort hope)
What online platform does the game use ?
B4B uses the AWS (Amazon Web Services) to host the multiplayer services.
Will dedicated server binaries become available post launch at a point in time ?
There are a couple of reasons why this will be not possible in the forseeable future. First of all: No info or time frame was provided in which they would make server binaries available.

Another important issue to consider is the following: WB games and Turtle Rock Studios choses to not add mod support at this time, the ability for players to add mods is currently restricted because this type of content is provided by the studio via progression unlocks and DLC content. An openly player facing mod support would conflict with the sales model. Providing binaries would complicate matters and would potentially expose the unlocks/cosmetic model they have to unfair bypass by a tech-savvy user.
5 Comments
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Beat Banger Professional 19 Oct, 2021 @ 6:20pm 
@Boneless Pizza

cringe
renwoodpeaches 18 Aug, 2021 @ 9:18pm 
No dedicated servers, no ability to Mod game, no 3rd party levels or missions, no ability to turn off crosshair in the settings like L4D had. Just option to turn make it corsshair or DOT in B4B! I like to shoot sniper rifles from the HIP with no crosshair! Please add that as a feature if you want my $60
Moon Moon 17 Aug, 2021 @ 7:28am 
You can keep your game though, I don't want it.

The ability to mod the game in offline-mode is a massive boon that will prolong the game's life. This is one of the reasons why L4D2 is still alive right now, and ironically worth more than your game, despite charging less. With modding, we could fix the bad choices the devs did with the balance, and other stuffs.

Based on what we've seen in this beta, it's not worth 60$ much less 100$ for the Ultimate Edition, and it being online only does not help. I mean really, we're paying +60$+ on the game, the least it should be capable is that we get to play it indefinitely.

But hey, please keep excusing this filthy behavior, I'm sure it's going to go just as well as Evolve.
Sea Base 16 Aug, 2021 @ 2:27am 
Killing Floor 2 does have profile bound content, what kind of content that is doesn't really matter since you still have to download it client side at least partly.

This isn't infrastructure features, this is business decisions to maintain complete control.
Snow Silver 15 Aug, 2021 @ 8:32pm 
Most of these points are moot once you look at other games with similar models. Conan Exiles is an example. That's just one, where mods and server/clients don't effect Service models.

Allowing custom content would only benefit the game in the long run. It would boost sales and user engagement. Overall I think the game would need such a thing to survive the current user market. Especially since the Left 4 Dead games have these features. The games are still played and bought.

If anything is stopping these features, it's higher up managers who fear losing money from the investors, who probably think is a risky game to publish.

That's not even a sound excuse. With how many other games have failed without some of these features, It would be hard to argue against allowing something this simple.