Making a new server, what do people want?

[Krical]

Hello!

Me and a friend is currently making a new EQ server, its up and running but right now its just a normal server with higher exp rates.

What do you guys want on a server? do you want it to be custom? PvP? etc?

Feel free to write anything and ill see what I can do.

[NostalgiaEQ]

Somehow you have to compete with all the other servers out there and they all have a higher population than yours does. There are plenty of pvp or custom servers already. You are going to have to come up with something that is so compelling that it is more fun to play than servers with hundreds of people on them..

[Krical]

Yeah, not trying to compete with anyone :) Just made a server for people who wants something else or want to contribute on what they want on the server :)

[NostalgiaEQ]

Well I have been seeing people asking for GM powers to try them out so if you give people GM powers then that would make a few people happy.

[Maze_EQ]

GM Power servers have little to no playability.

Everyone gets bored in 30mins.

Now an interesting idea would be to have an ascension system, where when players hit max level + banked AA's they can choose to ascend, which will unlock certain commands.

Hmm, That actually seems fun.

[GRUMPY]

GM Power servers have little to no playability.

Everyone gets bored in 30mins.

I can agree with that. Little while ago, just for fun, I temporarily put up a "goof off" server with 40+ GM commands simply for
people to screw around with for a few days. It wasn't anything permanent. There was very little interest in it. I didn't care
anyway, it was only for a few days. My main work here is geared at totally legit content, regardless of interest, haha
Got a few weeks left to go on it yet.

[Jahosphat]

How about a server called Benjamin Button. You start max and delevel to zero. :)

[Uleat]

That's actually pretty funny!

[GRUMPY]

Haha, didn't someone make a post about some kind of server idea where you go back to level 1 when you die?

[Uleat]

Yeah..but, I think the idea is to gain 'negative' experience and work your way down :D

[GRUMPY]

Oh definately, I understood that concept, I've seen a few ideas of "deleveling" servers posted but I wonder if players would
be in a race to get to the bottom, just as much as they do to the top, haha

[Uleat]

This isn't as good as the 'buttons' concept...

But, you could always do client->SetLevel(RND(1,100)) on leveling :P

[GRUMPY]

But, you could always do client->SetLevel(RND(1,100)) on leveling :P

Actually a random level might be more fun (in a crazy way), keeps the suspense going, haha

[NostalgiaEQ]

GM Power servers have little to no playability.

Everyone gets bored in 30mins.

Now an interesting idea would be to have an ascension system, where when players hit max level + banked AA's they can choose to ascend, which will unlock certain commands.

Hmm, That actually seems fun.

That's exactly how MUD's worked. So that is a tested and proven formula, people still play MUD's 30 years later.

[adamle00]

How about raid content that is 1 groupable.

[Darkscis]

That's exactly how MUD's worked. So that is a tested and proven formula, people still play MUD's 30 years later.

I have been toying with the idea of a MUD based server where you get to max level as a class and unlock it's respective skills then do a quest to change to another class. It will change your class and set you to level 1, but you retain all the skills/spells of the previous class, in addition to gaining access to the new classes abilities as you level.

I have most of the code written (in so far as removing class checks on skills in the code, making sure that melee, skill and spell damage is scaled based on skill level, stopping skills set to 0 from increasing automatically or appearing on trainers or in the skill window etc) but untested as yet. I just don't have the time to play with it right now.

I originally intended to go completely custom, starting from an empty db but it's a heck of a lot of work. It's really the only way to go with something like this though as the current class skill caps/skills and spells wouldn't really work with this setup.

[Matteo123]

Krical,

Yesterday I actually posted about looking for a server. Below is my ideal server:

1. The original game and/or the first few expansions. I started playing right before Kunark was released and played through Luclin and want to "take a trip down memory lane". I don't care if the other expansions' content is on the server, but I want to fight the "original" mobs (Vox, Fear, etc.). In other words, I'd want to experience the same PoF that I played in 2001 but without the headache.
2. Higher drop rates/spawn rates - while I want to enjoy the fun of LGuk, I'd love to only have to kill the Frenzied Ghoul once or twice to get the FBSS. Super bonus points if the pre-nerf guise still drops.
3. Faster exp gain - I have two kids and a demanding job so I'd like to be able to get up to 60-65 in 3 weeks or months rather than 3 years
4. Solo/bot friendly - See #3 above. I have essentially stopped playing multiplayer games because I frequently need to go AFK for an hour or two at a time. I ideally don't want to two-box and would much rather be able to use bots. If the game was scaled to allow me and 5 bots to handle Inny or Vox that would be perfect.
5. Original graphics/spell effects - not as important as the others.

Some people responded to my post stating that servers like this already exist, but didn't let me know which servers have the above.

Good luck setting up a server; I bet it is a ton of work!

[kokey98]

if you want the entire checklist, only way is to make one of your own. you'll hve to look through the list... it's not as bountiful as they lead you to believe with all types of servers, it does however provide a good selection given it's a very old game and ... "free" ... but not neccessarily free for them to provide the server. take what we get and be appreciative of it, but a bit more realistic about it :p

some have those old drops, but not solo/bot - Visions of Grandeur as on example, i think... have to click "view" and look through them all -- but that tidbit may be found onthe forums... and may not be advertised at all.

raid addicts, ax classic, karana and dragons of mist have bots (no particular order) - not sure if oyu can do all the content on DoM with a group, but ax classic you can do an army of them after qesting for them. much slower exp and none/less of the modifications from your list. haven't played raid addicts much, i shy from highly custom and avoid higher levels (mainly the climb).

original graphics? you can control that on client side for many things... but other than that, maybe just takp, maybe another advertises it.

again, i could be wrong about anything above, just giving ideas... go look through the list, play a few for a short while, and pick one you enjoy.

----

Getting a server running is incredibly easy.. enabling bots can make it solo-able on its own. you can do more, too. akka's installer will do it all. read the Wiki guide all the way through before starting - just to have an understanding of the feedback the installer will provide as it sets up a fresh server. local loginserver is something you may want to use... good to read that section and plan appropriately during the "Main" instruction set.

as far as customizing it (like the DE mask in LGuk), maybe you can search forums for simple ways to add the things you listed -- like the old drops would be a prime candidate for others looking, asking and receiving that info or suggestions in the past in the forums. the work may be copyable, or at least start with it, and adjust it to new db schema -- mimic/ape it even if you don't know what it means, it will work.

could ask a server owner that does it to export various bits of their database without delving into anyhting the feel proprietary about. it doesn't have to be the entire thing.

with a very simple sql statment you could apply a 50% cut to hp to all npc between various levels with one click.. then maybe set raid targets to some stock 50k or whatever... can always test with a "filter" to make sure how you are selecting the data to be changed matches what you want to do. i'm really rusty, so i do that before running any sql command, if applicable.

Affecting NPC can be very easy with good selection criteria -- change en masse. very easy to screw up thousands, unintentionally, too, lol. maybe even break it... (BACKUPs!) however, the logic needed for it is very straightforward and will be nothing more difficult than multiplication/dividsion and maybe "greater than" or "less than" type logic etc. play with filters, google some example sql, and you will see.

or bump class spells and such as you play and make it viable slowly over time without bots with original NPC strength/hps etc... or combo of inmproved PCs as well as reduced npc.

even if you just do this on the side, occassionally. it can consume time and a bit fun, sometimes. sql is way easier than you think. always backup before fiddling witha database.. there's no "undo" / ctrl-z command, lol.

[Darkscis]

Krical,

Yesterday I actually posted about looking for a server. Below is my ideal server:

1. The original game and/or the first few expansions. I started playing right before Kunark was released and played through Luclin and want to "take a trip down memory lane". I don't care if the other expansions' content is on the server, but I want to fight the "original" mobs (Vox, Fear, etc.). In other words, I'd want to experience the same PoF that I played in 2001 but without the headache.
2. Higher drop rates/spawn rates - while I want to enjoy the fun of LGuk, I'd love to only have to kill the Frenzied Ghoul once or twice to get the FBSS. Super bonus points if the pre-nerf guise still drops.
3. Faster exp gain - I have two kids and a demanding job so I'd like to be able to get up to 60-65 in 3 weeks or months rather than 3 years
4. Solo/bot friendly - See #3 above. I have essentially stopped playing multiplayer games because I frequently need to go AFK for an hour or two at a time. I ideally don't want to two-box and would much rather be able to use bots. If the game was scaled to allow me and 5 bots to handle Inny or Vox that would be perfect.
5. Original graphics/spell effects - not as important as the others.

Some people responded to my post stating that servers like this already exist, but didn't let me know which servers have the above.

Good luck setting up a server; I bet it is a ton of work!

If you are willing to host your own private server, I have something similar to what you want (although not 100% meeting all your criteria). Flick me a PM and we can discuss.

[Phury]

Anguish/Demi type zones, custom quests... maybe prestige buffs.. Some random loot not overstocking it

[Saberbeast]

Hi

I for one would like an EQ server that had a classic feel to it. That said I would like to to have or come out with more content after Velious.

- I don't want to see the Moon
- I don't want LDoN's
- I don't want instances (I like open world zones where you can run into other people/groups)
- I don't want book travel
- I don't want floating cities or what not.

So if I was to make a server I would keep everything just like it is when it comes to Classic, Kunark, and Velious. I wouldn't use Shadows of Luclin, Planes of Power, Dungeons of Norrath, Vail of Alaris, or anything that would take you to the moon, foating cities, or lands. I would only add new continents that would have more of a feel and look like Classic, Kunark, and Velious. I understand that some of them or most if not all of them would need to be reworked to do this, but this is the kind of server I would like to play on.

I would live without Beastlords. I'm not sure how I feel about AA's but if these things need to be turned on in order to be able to use the other zones/continents from some of the other expansions then I would be fine with it.

[Dogmai9]

The perfect server for > me < would include the following things:

- The single most important thing that will draw people to your server and keep people talking about it is frequent, random, GM controlled events. I remember many, many, years ago a GM showing up at a raid I attended and turned all of the raid members into giant gnomes and then turned the raid target, a dragon, into a dwarf. No lie, this was in the 989 / Verant days.

- All content doable with 1-2 characters like Imperium

- Most of the same quests and event from live but with additional custom things

- A robust armor / weapon / augment upgrade system. Think about epics that that gain power as you complete X, augments similar to the LDoN style that evolve as you do X, etc. An elaborate upgrade system is paramount for me in any game.

- Accelerate xp but not over done. Somewhere in the neighborhood of +1.5 - 1.75%.
I love extremely flashy armor and weapons. If I am an ogre warrior, I want my shield to be nearly as big as I am! If I am a wizard I want my staff to crackle with electricity.

- I prefer mercs over bots. I think I am just too stupid to set up a bot lol.

- A multiclassing option might be interesting. Something to the effect that once you hit max level and do X quest, you then gain access to another class's skills. Think old school tank mages in Ultima Online.

[gravystain]

We want a NO drop only classic server so no life neck beards dont cut off all the fun content for everyone else.

[Yard Dogg]

I see a lot of servers locking it up at one expansion then 3x or 5x exp so what to do after that? back to the server list find something else to do.
That peqtgc server is pointless for me. Even though they are OoW, they mimick modern live content. I can get that for free on the eq live servers too.
Project 1999 would of been a great choice for me with no boxers or bots, but no groups to be had even with their population. Got no time for lfg hours.
Last time I was able to find groups on a steady basis in any game was not even on this game we call everquest. It's not a multiplayer game anymore.

[ziles88]

Custom pets/epics for class's.
Bots
everything solo able up to max level
max level 100+?
custom zones, and quest lines (ties into the custom epics)
Special aura effects for certain epics and class's?

Just a few idea's, when i started playing early into the game i believe it was shortly before velious. The adventure was intense, making the game solo'able would appeal to most people. Your player base will have to grow, which add's into the custom raids later maybe 10 man at most.

There is one thing i thought would be pretty cool i haven't really heard of a PVP zone. How ever you choose to do so, then again i dont know how the server's are created or how hard it would be to customize it to the point of controlling structured pvp.