Server Plans

[bigsol81]

I'm configuring a new server and have a few questions for those that design and run servers, especially those with experience running PvP servers. Some of these are questions, others are just facts about the server itself. I'm looking for general opinions regarding the server.

1. I intend to make my server a RP server. This means players are REQUIRED to remain in character at all times.

2. In keeping with the RP, the server will have a 'no-holds-barred' PvP design. PvP is allowed anywhere with no level restrictions, and slain players can have their corpses looted completely clean. Also, there will not be any NO DROP items on the server.

3. To help combat griefing in this system, the Plane of Knowledge will be protected by a special faction. Players that are known for grief PvP (farming newbies, for example) will be set to KoS with this faction, making travel through the PoK, which is where several extremely useful vendors will be, impossible. This will be distinctly separated from players that murder and kill within the realm of RP (such as highwaymen that only kill those that refuse to cough up their money), whom will be treated as criminals in character without being made KoS in PoK.

4. Another way to lessen the pain of this full-looting PvP system will be to have reasonably-priced gear for sale in towns as well as the Plane of Knowledge. A player might, for example, expect to buy a full suit of plate armor on par with Fine Plate for around 150-200pp, or a suit of lesser plate for around 80-110pp.

5. To help balance PvP between melee classes and spellcasters, weapon damage has been increased significantly.

6. Also in keeping with the RP, mob HP and damage will be far more dependent on their size and makeup. For example, brownies will no longer be able to punch for 100 damage and have tons of HP, but will instead have very high AC to represent their reflexes and speed. Similarly, giants and stone golems will be very easy to hit, but will have tons of HP.

7. GMs will occasionally RP 'bounty hunter' characters to go after those that regularly commit crimes such as theft or murder. These bounty hunters will be powerful, but not unfairly so, giving the life of a criminal somewhat of an appeal while not catering to griefing.

8. The focus of the server will be on roleplaying, not farming, camping, or questing. This being the case, while many of the original quests and zones will remain in the game, players that engage in regular roleplay will find themselves rewarded in the form of special unique items, titles, and participation in GM events.

9. I also plan to, if I can find a way to work it in without having to change any hard-code, allow players that have proven themselves to obtain political positions in NPC cities, such as a human becoming a noble in Qeynos, or a dark elf earning a knight title in Neriak. Such positions will allow the player to interact with special NPCs to gain quests and tasks, and the ability to obtain items such as weapons or suits of armor that can be handed out to other players that are part of the faction. For example, the previously mentioned dark elf knight can have the royal quartermaster give him a suit of armor which he can then hand out to a loyal follower (player) as a reward for some sort of roleplayed activity.

Any opinions? Comments? Criticism? I'm welcome to it!

[MNWatchdog]

The only issue I see is your thinking that melees need boosting in PvP.

Although casters certainly dominate initially in PvP, I have yet to see any game where that holds true once a melee gets geared up.

Melees eventually reach a point of so many HP and especially resists that casters find them virtually impossible to kill.

Casters NEVER gain enough AC to defend against a melee and certainly never have the HPs.

In EQ its even worse as casters have to stand completely still to cast all spells and have no instant casting spells like all other MMOs Ive played, meanwhile a melee can run after a caster shooting arrows the whole time.

[Mexenlives]

I am insanely interested! What do you plan the max level being? Seems something like this would have a low-mid lvl cap. How much of the world will you use? With the population being what it is I cant see using too much otherwise what fun would a RP server be without the P? something like faction based xp would be another idea. Kill mob/char X and you recieve xp based on how well he is with the opposing faction? IMHO the smaller you make the world the more "highwayman" / "nobles" youll actually find. Like I said sounds like an incredible idea and i hope it takes shape. I will definatly be checking back.

[bigsol81]

I plan to restrict the server's content to Classic maps only. No Kunark, No Velious. The max level will be around 60.

I will be revamping several of the classic zones for better leveling, including increasing the level range for Sol B, Permafrost, and other similar zones.

The server WILL have PoK, but only for travel purposes. Access to Plane of Tranquility will be blocked, as well as access to zones outside of classic EQ. Because of this, Iksar won't be enabled (I don't see this as much of a loss). You'll still be able to create one, but they won't be able to leave Cabilis since Lake of Ill Omen and Swamp of No Hope will both be locked.

There won't be any real faction-based fighting. Most PvP will be RP oriented, otherwise those involved in it will find themselves KOS in PoK.

[Estrang]

All I have to say is wow great idea, need a beta tester once its open PM me! You also want to talk to TheLieka about running PVP servers.

[MNWatchdog]

I just noticed you have full corpse looting in PvP. Hugely bad idea.

You can pretty much assume any non-wizard playing will be done within a week if you impliment this.

This totally shifts the favor to casters over all as a stripped caster is nowhere as impacted by being naked as a melee.

Also, people hate giving up 1 item in PvP, so giving up everything isnt going to fly at all.

Some people do like item loot, so if you want to do it at all, you should limit it or just call the server Wizard vs Wizard.

I think you should make it 1+(see below) random item(s), bagged or not.

You select a slot the item comes from and if the PKee has more than one item for that slot you pick which item he gets to keep and award all other items to the PKer.

This has the effect of making it pointless to run around naked/bagging and prevents people from loading their bags up with crap to foil the random item selected to be looted as chances are they will be left with one of the crap items instead of a good item.

PS. I fleshed out this idea on the fly, so feel free to pick it apart. But I cant think of any loopholes right off the bat.

[Estrang]

Nothing wrong with full loot if his server is under these conditions:

Item droprates are very high.

The vendor bought items for people who die are good enough for you to win a fight with against ALL other classes, but not as strong as the best/quested gear.

It might also be a good idea to consolidate your game world. The PVP server VZ/TZ is probably the highest pop. server in eqemu, so getting even just 20-30 active users will be an accomplishment for a new one despite whatever promises it pulls off. If you keep the gameworld smaller you will encourage community in the gameworld as well as PVP. Roleplaying is top priority for you, but IDK if you think the one or two players of each race want to be spread 20 zones away from eachother roleplaying in tells =p

Just keep a measure of realism when putting this great idea into effect, possibly have ogres/trolls/de's all start in neriak. Have Barbarians start in Freeport with humans. Something like that, well its your idea you have a vision of the server you want just keep in mind the reality is much more difficult to pull off and attracting players and retaining is the toughest part of all.

[Estrang]

One other issue is plane of knowledge, bad idea, book hopping ruined pvp.

[bigsol81]

Estrang has the right idea.

I intend to make decent items vendor buyable, as well as providing an NPC that hands out emergency lower-quality free armor and weapons (Think 'Classic EQ quest armors'). The only drawback to "loot everything" systems in normal EQ is how difficult gear is to obtain. It was never a big issue in Ultima Online, for example, because the armor you could buy from most any player-run merchant was pretty decent, and most people wore that.

Obviously, there will be problems, and problem players, but I'm hoping to work through that stuff once I get my server up.

I also wanted to note that I'm revamping the classic old-world gear. The quest armors are receiving an upgrade (I always hated how some Crafted armor for warriors had nothing but charisma on it.), and I'll be adding in a few sets as well. Old world EQ only had two sets of quest armor: Your 'quest' armor, and then planar armor. I intend to impliment at least one more in-between suit.

[bigsol81]

I was also considering severely limiting mana regen on the whole server, and then putting at least some degree of mana regen on commonly-purchased items, such as FT1 rings that can be purchased, and so forth. This would put a naked caster at a disadvantage as well.

[xSUFIx]

One question.








When will this server be up?

[MNWatchdog]

I played on EQs Discord server where you basicly started completely over everytime you got PKed, you lost everything including levels and although it was fun for a very limited amount of time, it could have never lasted. Most people quite the first week.

Having buyable/free items available to easily aquire is virtually the same as coin loot or bagging. People will wear thier crap items while PKing and their good stuff otherwise.

I mean they are the same as coin loot in that youre looting stuff youre most likely just going to vendor as its vendor bought and I mean bagging as the free items you could loot are worthless.

If you mean looting all, including bags, then people just wont play because of the poor balance of classes inherent in EQ means certain classes will virutally always be the winners and once someone has lost all the gear theyve spent hours farming, they wont do that again and there wont be a point in playing.

Youre totally ignoring the fact that people actually put time into their characters and to have all that work taken away in one fell swoop makes loot all a bad idea. You really should consider my slot looting idea I posted previously.

Also, youll attract nothing but the curious and assholes who will farm the shit out of people who will then quit leaving noone for the assholes to farm who will then quit.

You might as well make this server a naked PvP server with no loot what so ever.

The psychology of people just wont support a loot all server for a long time and if the server isnt going to last, whats the point.

[Mexenlives]

Dont get discouraged, you have a great idea and it just needs some tweaks. The looting of corpses of the PK'd will always be a problem. But there is a solution if its applicable. A points system (similar to honor in WoW) i hate to even reference it but every time you kill someone you get X amount of points higher or lower depending on +/- lvls if possible. But then there comes the exploit of boxing chars vs themselves to get the points but if theres a way around it ????? Balance is always the key in huge world pvp, and just b/c someone says x class is better than y class doesnt mean they are right. It's gotta be considered on a grand scheme. Lemme know if your still interested. Ill help w/ whatever i can though i cannot code but i can test=D PM me when ya get rollin

[drox]

Originally Posted by Mexenlives

Dont get discouraged, you have a great idea and it just needs some tweaks. The looting of corpses of the PK'd will always be a problem. But there is a solution if its applicable. A points system (similar to honor in WoW) i hate to even reference it but every time you kill someone you get X amount of points higher or lower depending on +/- lvls if possible. But then there comes the exploit of boxing chars vs themselves to get the points but if theres a way around it ????? Balance is always the key in huge world pvp, and just b/c someone says x class is better than y class doesnt mean they are right. It's gotta be considered on a grand scheme. Lemme know if your still interested. Ill help w/ whatever i can though i cannot code but i can test=D PM me when ya get rollin

Boxing characters against themselves shouldn't be an issue. If it's a truly roleplaying and custom server, the IP limit should be 1 character. Unless, of course, you're character is being roleplayed as schizophrenic and is actually 10 characters.

[Estrang]

Originally Posted by drox

Boxing characters against themselves shouldn't be an issue. If it's a truly roleplaying and custom server, the IP limit should be 1 character. Unless, of course, you're character is being roleplayed as schizophrenic and is actually 10 characters.

Except limiting a character to one toon gives a biased advantage to pet classes on a emulator, two boxxing allows players to level pure melees and healing classes. Relying on a emulated pvp servers population to be able to level makes no sense.