Martial fart

game hosting isn't about hardware, it's a network problem. you could get 0ad run on a toaster if there was a headless version/mod to the game but that's not the actual issue preventing people from enjoying the game: not being to join certain games, or hosting games at all lag players dropping out All of which can be fixed with a server in a data center, which currently cannot be made to run headless/seamless. Once a solution to that is found then yeah multiplayer as a whole will be actually functional.

I agree that 0ad is wasting its potential, but I don't think the scenario should be the absolute priority, I think the better immediate step is working out the multiplayer mostly an anticheat, account management etc to push the game to mainstream platforms like steam. once more people notice, the additional interest should drive people into creating content and improving the game, the opposite is having a well polished game that no one knows about.

We understand that the developers are volunteers and that they don't owe the players anything, but you have to admit that currently game hosting isn't convenient for a variety of reasons (IPv4 CGNAT issues, P2P etc.) if anything players hacking their own solution by paying for their own servers to host the game should be at the very least tolerated. In my opinion the game develops very slowly (that's how open source community driven works) and human nature implies that if you people aren't given an option they'll come up with their own solutions and they can't be blamed for that. I don't see how a single player creating a single dedicated account to host games is any different than a player forgetting his credentials and creating another account to host games, especially considering that it was done with no malicious intent and with well thought safe guards (spam protection, moderator player system etc.) So far everyone who played on those hosted servers had a great experience and they're pushing back on your decision (and rightfully so) because they see how a very efficient and convenient way of playing the game is being taken away from them over technicalities. As for what should be done next I think uff (and other selected players) should be allowed to host a fixed number of server instances (at least 1, more if the mods allow it) since so far it's only been positive until a true functioning headless 0ad server is released.