A question posted recently on the message boards read: "I saw somewhere that the server is capable of holding 1000+ users at any given time. If that is true, why is it at 300 we start having major lag while moving?? I can understand some lag, but not to the point that it takes you an hour to go from Mordu to Donas without stoppages. Is there anything that can be done?? I've tried everything possible from my end. ex not running an IM programs or anything else that would draw from my computers resources."
Basically, lag is a server issue, and not anything to do with your connection to the Internet or your system resources. DM has made a lot of temporary tweaks to the way things run to try and reduce exhaust lag, but as a result the server timer is messed up which makes spells and stat-modding potions last a fraction of the time they should. Lag is effected by how old the server is. From what we were last told, the server was running on a Pentium III 600.
Everything in the game is effected by lag. Chat lag is when your comments and messages take a few seconds to appear, and sometimes never even show up. This is caused by whats called "packet loss." This can also cause random bits of text from other converstations to show up in your client, or weird things (that are really commands from the server to the client and vice versa) to pop up now and then. Movement lag also is a symptom, and can make walking around the Realms take ten times longer than it should. Using the Atuo-map implimented with the Beta client can sometimes help alleviate movement lag. Monsters are effected by lag, and their attacks can be greatly slowed when the system is bogged down.
There has been a fund open for the past year or so for people to donate towards supporting the costs of the game, including getting a new server. DM has paid for RoK out of his own pocket for the first 4 and a half years it's been online. CM donations go to that fund as well as any donations above and beyond what is asked. Due to the costs of keeping the site, message boards, and game all online and running, getting a new server has been delayed.
Unfortunately, we don't hear much from DM on this, so we don't really have any offical word on how much money is available, how much is needed, or any kind of ETA as to when the new server will be online. All we can do is remember that this is DM's world, he just lets us play in it.
The comment about the server being able to support 1,000+ users at a time is based on DM's own description of the server software. From the "About Realms of Kaos" page on the main RoK site, "The game server is written to support 32,000 simultaneous users, although we are targeting only 1-2,000 people per server. The game is currently running on one server, however we have implemented a load balancing system that will allow the game to be run on unlimited servers - all seamlessly integrated and invisible to the user."