True about the JVM's too. I just have this opinion of interpreted languages they they are like training wheels... when you become a grown-up, you compile! This comes from learning BASIC on an Apple ][+, whose BASIC interpreter was (and still is) a great piece of work, given in ran on about 2K of ROM, at 800 KHz. Ahh the old days...when Wolfenstein was 2D !
everyone would overflow while trying to spawn in. Other protocol shortcomings and game module breakages would quickly crop up, too (corpses bug for starters). And any map that could realistically contain 256 players will run up against hard engine limits like MAX_TEXINFO, MAX_SURF_EDGES, etc.
Oh, I'm not saying there's anything wrong with your .map generator. I'm just saying, building and organizing a game for a 256 player level is a fools errand :>
I don't think that it's too far fetched to tackle these limitations during the development of the project. Something like a new client called quake256.exe. You still play Quake 4? Shah I'm up to Quake 256! If we hit the size of a 64 player map and can't go any further due to any kind of limitations, then we'll have no choice but to make it the size of a 64 player map. The point IS to break the game... or get damn near close to it!