No idea about your questions but I just wanted to say that if anyone disregards this thread for not being related to them (as I almost just did), should think about it.
Having a community ready to fully embrace the game with well prepared and configured servers from day one may help avoid some of the most horrible launch day scenarios.
I'd be happy to hear that there are dozens of servers prepared ready to run the app from the first minute and that have had been listed, tested, provided a benchmark app or anything that will allow the delivery managers detect potential anomalies related to the massive connection of new users. i.e.: Whatever bug they see now we probably won't see one hour after launch.
The ideal scenario would of course be one where some kind of beta (not even necessarily playable) was distributed just telling eager fans to try to run it, find and connect to the servers and report back if anything failed. The dream scenario is one where that connection and load testing beta also worked as a benchmark, allowing people to run for a better graphics card if theirs doesn't cut it.
The epic win scenario would be one where both server and client apps were released that played 8vs8 bots games on a continuous loop, allowing to test load, connections, game searching functions, client machine benchmark. Circumstantially, that would also allow fans to salivate in front of their endless demo video.
» Thu Dec 02, 2010 11:36 am 
) and we don't actually know how Splash Damage will provide the servers/server files.