Varlyndria 2

[Drakiyth]

Hello everybody,

When I look at Varlyndria right now, I see another world. I don't see EQ and I sure as hell don't see my vision.
I see a world that has been so warped and twisted with custom stuff that the very essence of EQ has vanished
almost completely. I see a world that can't really be fixed. The work to fix it would just not be worth it in the
end when a new fresh server and start could be the key to keeping my vision alive to its fullest. One of the main
things that hurt Varlyndria: Ascension is the itemization and removing 99% of EverQuest... What a mistake.

I've released a Q&A of what is coming up and why I have decided to stop production on Varlyndria: Ascension
and start work on Varlyndria 2.

CHECK OUT VARLYNDRIA 2 HERE




I won't be updating this thread very often until I get a lot of things to talk about. Expect a trailer or something very
informative that's worth a post later in the future.

[Xiggie3]

You have my attention now. Looking over your Q and A everything looks spot on. Provided people can bind in different cities I think some will end up finding a central city to bind in but you may have others choose their own city and I think it is awesome that you are making a way for people to do that. I like it that you are getting back to Everquest. I am seeing a lot of promise here and I am looking forward to when your V2 opens up as I will be checking it out.

[Township EQ]

I've played on Varlyndria ever since you started it.. I must say I'm skeptical of this new direction you're going but I've played through your content and you have a lot of talent and potential.. Best of luck to you.. Hope to check it out when you open up Alpha.

[AzsharasDad]

I must say that I disagree with this decision. I think you had a lot of good on the first Varlyndria; Things that set you apart from other servers. It simply lacked focus which I feel could have been repaired in time. This seems like a server I have already played a few times.

With that said, I wish you the best of luck and hope you prove me wrong!

I will surely try the server out as I do the majority of them.

[Drakiyth]

NEWS UPDATE:

Varlyndria: Ascension has been closed down forever due to 1 to 3 players being online at max in a period of
3 days. I am no longer using Akkadius' server machine and have taken all the information I need from it
and archived it in a safe location. (I still have the Ascension Database) I will be designing Varlyndria 2 on my own
personal computer and will find hosting for it later on when the server is ready for a live launch. Here is to a new
beginning and fresh start that this vision desperately needs right now.

__________________________________________________ _______________________________________________

Thank you for the feedback guys. I ultimately felt this was the best choice of direction of where to take the
server. I can always add custom content even with using EverQuest as a huge template for the start of V2.
I just want to make sure that if I do anything custom zone wise that it will fit into EverQuest and use the
same type of itemization etc. I want to make sure not to stray away from that core value like I did before.

This panel should give everybody a better idea of how the new path system is going to work in Varlyndria 2.
Originally, I said 32 paths would be introduced, but I felt this version of the server needed a special touch not
seen from me before. I wanted to do something new and unique this time around, so I have decided that I am
going to just allow players to build their own path by giving characters a core role choice and 2 special pools
of skills. Players will also get to name their path whatever they want at their path master. (Custom Title) This
system is going to be limited to 3 choices to keep a solid balance and not let things get out of control, but give
players just enough to make them a bit more unique and not stuck on a template that rules their actions 100%.

Some classes will share secondary powers like below but there will be different role choices, skills and secondary
on most classes to make them all unique.

[Cfuson]

The biggest problem with the last varlyndria server was the fact that you couldent balance content. YOU CANNOT BALANCE CONTENT TOWARDS DONATORS.

When you make you're new server do not enable donation items or existing characters for atleast 2 weeks so the new crew of players can test the current content out without any benefits.

As someone who has played on both varlyndria servers and made multiple friends from it, thats the best advice i can give you.

[Drakiyth]

Originally Posted by Cfuson

The biggest problem with the last varlyndria server was the fact that you couldent balance content. YOU CANNOT BALANCE CONTENT TOWARDS DONATORS.

When you make you're new server do not enable donation items or existing characters for atleast 2 weeks so the new crew of players can test the current content out without any benefits.

As someone who has played on both varlyndria servers and made multiple friends from it, thats the best advice i can give you.

I've learned a hard lesson from exactly what you're stating here. I plan to release the donation system a couple weeks after release. I already had that idea on my agenda. The donation system is going to be as balanced as I can get it as well. Players this time around will be able to find everything that you can donate for in the game, but of course some things might be extremely difficult to achieve normally. I find that to be the fairest way to do this.

[Thorkinal]

Just a thought but maybe, Get Varl 3 going, a month, 2 months, see how people are liking it, see how your liking it, make sure everything is meshing, make sure its stable, get through , alpha, beta and launch it to live, and then and ONLY THEN, Start thinking about a donation system, Honestly, and take this lightly, because I donated alot of money to your servers drak, But talking about your donation system before its even out, Makes it seem like your popping these servers out for the cash flow. Start with a good idea, Obviously your creative, and you have the ability to make these servers, when you have it figured out in your head, and its working, and people are liking it, Give the option of donations but only at that point.

[Nerdgasm]

Originally Posted by Cfuson

The biggest problem with the last varlyndria server was the fact that you couldent balance content. YOU CANNOT BALANCE CONTENT TOWARDS DONATORS.

Well in theory you can. You'd just have to make a split zone or a split instance, you know. If client hasitem $1234(Donation item), then increase the scalement of the mob...

In all seriousness Drak, as I've posted before. It's your server man. Do what you want to do, the way you're doing it now seems interesting... Balancing is the hardest part of the game. Bosses are naturally stronger but with the people whom play EQEMUM, it's either a SOLO server, or a BOX server, but for those people who play only 1 client, and try to do your content they are going to get angry because they can't solo it, eventually get fed up and quit. Those who box two on a solo server get angry because it's to easy. The only inter medium that would work is a Instance scaled to group, or raid, or solo.

[rdnck]

I played some on both iterations of Varlyndria. The reason I din't play more: your fascination with the whole * donator * scheme, and the fact that you insisted in wiping out all the work people put into their toons again and again. If I log to a server, I expect my toon to be right where I left it, with the gear it had when I logged out. Server theme longevity is key; rewriting your theme again and again is not the way to retain a playerbase. Also, you are NOT Sony, and I won't pay to play on any of the emu servers. Stuff your Donator schema.

[Kailow]

Yeah I have to agree with Rdnck. I thought the first varlyndria was cool, I liked how towards the end it was pretty much just getting every stat item you could for a certain build you were working towards. Soloing wasn't tough but it still took some work.

Varlyndria: Ascension really ruined it for me. I liked the idea, I liked the classes. I didn't like the part where literally you couldn't do ANYTHING unless you donated. Donor buffs from others really helped out, but the amount of dispells made it unbearable for any newcomer. Soloing wasn't an option. Every person on the server said it wasn't impossible. They all donated and got massive buffs whenever they wanted.

It is healthy for a server to wipe characters for a big change, and I think it would have done REALLY well for your Ascension server. It would have forced people to group up and make it a somewhat social hub. You had to scale back on the mobs, the amounts of them (literally, the hardest part of crushbone was the entrance) and their damage to make it playable to a brand new player.

I'll definitely try V2 based on the fact that I think your ideas are awesome. I really respect the fact that you can make the server pretty much bend to your will. Donations are fine, but don't make it a necessity this time.

[jabedoben]

I didn't play the server very much, but it was a cool idea and had a LOT of work put into it.

Just from reading the forums, I feel like what happened was that you tried modifying your vision for every single person that had an issue or suggestion. You ended up with something that was nothing like your original plan.

My two cents says that this time, stick with your vision, listen to people's input, but don't change every little thing because someone has a problem. You are a seriously talented developer and I am looking forward to your new project.

[Township EQ]

I actually agree with a lot of the people in this thread about you changing things when people have a problem.

I think if you can analyze how big of a problem each complaint is and act accordingly it will be better. Stick to what YOU want your server to be.. I know personally I would rather have 10 dedicated players on my server who play something that I made fully as I intended than 100 players playing something I changed for them an didn't agree with.

At the end of the day it's your server, it took Shards of Dalaya 8 months to get up to like 30 steady players online.. granted this community was a lot smaller back then, but you get the idea.

[knowom]

Originally Posted by Township EQ

I actually agree with a lot of the people in this thread about you changing things when people have a problem.

I think if you can analyze how big of a problem each complaint is and act accordingly it will be better. Stick to what YOU want your server to be.. I know personally I would rather have 10 dedicated players on my server who play something that I made fully as I intended than 100 players playing something I changed for them an didn't agree with.

At the end of the day it's your server, it took Shards of Dalaya 8 months to get up to like 30 steady players online.. granted this community was a lot smaller back then, but you get the idea.

The bottom line is developers want to be happy all the time and players want to be happy all the time, but you can't always have it both ways and normally somethings gotta give double edged sword.

Drakiyth I think the biggest hurdle with balance was you just had too many classes templates to juggle. You can probably reuse the templates you made, but just narrow it down to one of your template types per class rather than a ton of fragmented subtle variations of very similar ideas. The fact that you have a bunch designed to pick from and go off could be great though as you could fine tune and narrow down your choices more easily. Less is more sometimes keep it simple keep it fun.

[Drakiyth]

Appreciate all the feedback everybody. You all have valid points that I agree with.


The early info that I posted about a class role, primary and secondary is still going to happen (sort of)
but it's going to be a lot different now. I'll try to explain to the best of my ability how character creation
works in V2.


#1: Path Role Charm - Choose one of these for free at Peyton Thomas. You can only have one, but
this item defines your role in the world with a solid 24 hour buff. There are 7 for each 4 of the class types.
I overall wanted to give players the ability to tank, dps or heal if they wanted to or a combo of both no
matter what base class they choose. An enchanter with 58% mitigation is going to be very popular for sure.
(Remember that V2 is going to use EverQuest as you know it so you'll be able to go through those tough
zones in a completely different way with the Class Role System.)






#2: Primary Power Set -
• Will use Augment Type 21
• Augment Type 21 will only be found on Rings. (giving players 2 clickies for primary powers)

#3: Secondary Power Set -
• Will use Augment Type 22
• Augment Type 22 will only by found on Earrings. (giving players 2 clickies for secondary powers)

#4: Weapon Mastery -
• Will use Augment Type 23
• Augment Type 23 will only be found on Chest Pieces/Robes. (giving players 1 clicky weapon mastery buff)



Overall your character will have 4 main clicky powers to assault/heal out of a monstrous list of things, including
pets, elements, combat abilities and you name it. (many things taken from the previous Varlyndria series)
They will also get a weapon mastery which will allow them to specialize in a certain weapon type,
(doing more damage/crits/chance to hit) with it.

These power sets will be bought at first up to a certain level and then must be found. They will also be
trade-friendly. This will allow you to create a warrior that uses things like Twisted Animator powers and
puppet mastery etc. It's going to blow open the options to design your base class however you want instead
of the old path system which restricted you to that path and pool of abilities.


Players will start in the normal tutorialb zone this time around. (It helps new players a lot). The Class Role NPC
will be there. Also, I will probably have a main hub located in the Guild Lobby again to bring back that old Varlyndria
Nostalgia and I will make some custom content for players to go through as well but nothing is going to get out of
hand and everything is going to stay within normal EQ rules. I will also make sure to make a handful of items like I
did with the previous servers instead of some random item generator like diablo. Which in essence is fun and cool
but it really does get annoying as hell with so much RNG all the time instead of knowing what's going to drop and
where to farm. (What made EQ fun) Going to do things the RIGHT way this time.

More to come.