Recommended polygon number for multiplayer games

#1 it depends on your game. most people do performence tests as they go along. they try to find if they need to ether scrap somthing out or lower polys or add in better lod's. they can even decide to get a bigger server and many other tests. it also depends what people you want to supply low end computers or high end computers.

#2 Thanks for the answer. In fact it Will be a fps multiplayer game. I know that i need to plan perf tests but it could be good to know if we should target a 5k player full equiped or 8k or10k. I think i CAN target now high end pc as it Will be a low end pc in 2-3 years will be my target date to finish my game.

#3 You could push 10k as long as you have some very active LOD kicking in unless you are nearly on top of the player/NPC. It is kind of hard to get an accurate use though in the engine as the polycount seems to be multiplied a bit even in basic lighting, but if you can get some pretty quick reacting LOD starting at 512 pixels that cuts the model down you can mix in both worlds. The nice thing too as you go along if you want you could force lower LOD on low end cards if you have enough progressions in all of your models so they get 4-5k at the highest making things easier for them.

#4 Thanks for the answer.

In your game for the armor, are you using mesh hiding or skin changes?
In my opinion, this also can have a direct impact on the final poly count? I mean, usually end of game armor have more details than basic armor.
Should we use skin with excellent bump/normal mapping to simulate "depth" items? or use mesh hiding?

If I understand properly, if I want to use mesh hiding, I need to have a DTS with all the meshes rigged in it and put them on or off on demand correct?

There are no way to create a "chest" in a dts and change the basic chest mesh of the current player, correct?

#5 Currently, the mesh hiding is done by putting multiple meshes on a single dts/dae model and then turning the ones you do not need off. That is how we are doing it at least. They conform and animate properly that way.