Legitamacy - Page 3

bobmook · #31 12-07-2002, 02:43 PM

I can't imagine connection speed being that big an issue these days. I have 1500 down and 256 up and one phone call and ten dollars a month more could make that up speed match the downlink speed. I'd like to experiment w/ running two maybe three machines (probably old p-400s from surplus at work) running zones and an active/active win2k adv server cluster with athlon 2000+ cpu's and a gig o' ram per node running the eqemu server app. If I can get that config to work, then I can seriously start to talk about some legimate hosting.
The only problem I really foresee is the shared drive and the quorum drive, since I can't really set up a true scsi array at home unless I find a really good deal on ebay or something.

DannMann99 · #32 12-08-2002, 04:52 AM

you gotta remember though that T1 + is expensive for most people. Also, i got an idea, maybe the people with the uber setups should get together, converse, and agree to host continents. Its less strain on the system and proves to be easier to host more without lag. but still, it might not matter much if we dont get more then 20people to be on at a time.

ooh well.

Dann Out~

P.S.- Yesterday morning, i was sitting at my computer in my room, right by the window and a bullet almost skewered my head. Kind of funny, i was at this site at the time. Atleast im alive eh.

Pneu · #33 12-08-2002, 05:10 AM

Going back to earlier in the topic, there was debate about levelling up and that 'legit' servers should have slow progression like eqlive.

Personally I don't like the mundane xp grinding. My EQlive main is 58th, my 1st alt 55th, my 2nd 48th and my 3rd 42nd. I dual box so for me to get to 40th on EQLive with a brand new melee is a days work but it's boring as hell to do so.

What makes the game interesting for me is a) new content and b) quests.

The route I plan to take on my own server (If I can get a stable empty db) is to remove the ability to summon items by guest players and make them quest for anything better than fine steel. Your server is as rich as the content you put in it, mindless xp grinding is mindless content, but a well written quest is as entruiging as a good book or a hollywood blockbuster.

I cannot see the point in faithfully trying to emulate the EQlive servers, there's some good content, but most of us have seen it already and in a far more stable environment.

If you want high server populations, you have to provide something new and fresh, else your trying to sell a Ford Capri to the owner of an Aston Martin (no offense intended).

Pneu

Aragain · #34 12-08-2002, 06:24 AM

Pneu, I will follow you until the end of time!

Your thoughts are almost exactly what I truely wished for, though in all honesty, I had no idea how to do so.

I always said to myself, and friends who would listen, EQ WAS great, when the best thing in the game wasnt the items in it, to me at least, it was adventuring. Well now, that element is lost, and its all about items, items which routenly(sp?) drop from mob after mob after mob, until they throw out another expansion.

In my mind, a named "special" item should be hard as hell to get, or have an individual story behind it, itself. Much like in D&D, where for most of your gaming life, your wearing regular, armor, give or take the +3 bonus and such.

Wow, all I can say is that what your trying to accomplish, has A LOT of potential. I could blable all day long about how much, but that would take up too much time needed to get a server like this running.

Keep us updated, and if you need help, ask =P

exdruid · #35 12-08-2002, 11:44 AM

This is probably pointless to ask as this thread was hijacked a few pages ago, but does anyone know of a 4.0 server that has gone legit?

I see Winters Roar, but it's still running 3.13 according to it's records.

DannMann99 · #36 12-08-2002, 03:16 PM

It is a great idea, what you all have been talking about. Now the mobs are set though. You would have to change every mob in the game (almost) for it to be enjoyable and not excruciatingly hard to kill one. In example, EQlive isnt set up so you have a SSOY and feel its uber when you are in Dreadlands and Karnors. I mean, it would still be dooable, for everyone to level and such, but the xp "gring" as it were would be much greater, seeing as you have less benefits than in EQlive compared to the same mobs. If anyone is following me.

I dont really know, i like PvP a heck of alot more than questing honestly, PvP was so much fun, when you were evenly matched, having to use pure strategy, getting up your 8 (or9) spells, hoping that they dont resist your initial malosi (playing a mage as my main)

That is what i liked, i also liked the idea of questing (a few posts back). It would be a good idea to set up mobs to drop things like, for every weapon you need a basic component ( I.E. Rusty or FineSteel weapon) so say you want a SSOY, you might have to combine a FineSteel LongSword, and a "shard of ykesha" (item i made up on the spot) and you combine the two and it makes the SSOY, but you might have to either quest, or just kill a mob for it.
I dont know.

Also, LoL to the guy posting above me. Im sure the legit servers should begin turning over to 0.4.0, its just that maybe they dont have the time to take down the server and put it back up atm. Im sure tho that you will see winters fury, and EQclassic being put up in version 4.0

Dann Out~

exdruid · #37 12-08-2002, 07:21 PM

I wrote a huge post here, but it didn't keep my login cookie and then it wiped my post. I'll be starting a new thread anyway...

In short, we need more legit servers. Players will put up with bugs, downtime, and all sorts of annoying stuff as long as the server exists. Currently there are two (and they are down) legit servers and god knows how many uberd00d zone exploring servers. After four years of waiting for a good server that replicated and improved on what we want, is the best thing that we can come up with a slightly improved version of a hexedit on the tutorial?

inkubus · #38 12-08-2002, 09:10 PM

I agree completely with the posters that are supporting the 'legit' servers. It is alot of work and i think maybe it's time some of us got together and banded our ideas together and worked on a server with a fast connection. With a collection of around 8 world builders a couple of developers to make amendments to the code and a few GM's we should be able to keep upto date and release zones alot more quickly than doing it alone.

If anyone is interested please post here

InKy

exdruid · #39 12-08-2002, 09:45 PM

I think we're all interested. The main problem is that we'd need a couple (at least) dedicated servers with ssh access for devs. This server would need to support at least 1500kB up and down initially, and possibly doubling that if interest picked up. It's an expensive proposition for a lone person.

Then again, we had that, but a few people decided that image needed to be removed...

inkubus · #40 12-09-2002, 03:32 AM

Fortunately i have control over the router at work and i've been running one here on our leased line. It's cleared by my bosses but if it ever gets to a point where it affects users inside i'll have to move it to a box in Redbus telecenter.

DannMann99 · #41 12-09-2002, 03:51 AM

You see, im liking your ideas. But frankly they are getting alittle redundant (no offense to anyone) but the thread is 3 pages long about peoples hopes and aspirations for the emu project. We know all of this stuff. We aren't going to get anywhere until we actually get a server up, or am i wrong?

I want some things done, i want someone to post here who is willing to host a server 24/7 or as close to it as possible. Then i want us all to come up with a name for it, so as to not have to call it some formal thing. Then you guys post (within reason) things you want changed from the Emu Currently, and i will see if i can play with the emus code to allow for it.

Alright?

::EDIT:: Now im not a great programmer when it comes to C++, so i wouldnt mind alittle help my way if we got some more volunteers, my background is VB.

Aragain · #42 12-09-2002, 04:40 AM

Very true DannMann.

A name would help a lot, then maybe we could set up an irc chat room, and leave this post alone. Question is, we need a name to match the server, and we don't even know what the server will offer yet, let alone if we have a good enough server to use.

Will it be a clone of EQ Classic, EQ with all the expansions, EQ with a different storyline, EQ using the EQ storyline and a different style of gameplay(pneu's idea comes to mind).

That has to be established first. I think for the sake of simplicity, and getting things to work the way we need them to, a clone of EQ Classic, or EQ with all its expansions. Classic being the simplist to mimic, and could be a good place to branch off from in the future.

Still an irc channel would help =P

DannMann99 · #43 12-09-2002, 05:04 AM

I agree, thats why i was trying to get everything laid out. Although we might not even get more then 10people to play on the server.

Ill try my best, and see what i can do.

Some possible server names-

Al'Kabors Inferno
Waves of Prexus

I really like the Al'kabors Inferno

but lets not forget, please post here if you would be able to run a dedicated legit server, running as close to 24/7 as possible.

Dann Out~

Trumpcard · #44 12-09-2002, 05:25 AM

You asked for my input... So, here it is...

What do you need to support a stable, legit server?

1) Bandwidth - a cable modem/adsl line for a really good game world probably just isnt going to cut it.. You can probably handle 20 users at a time, but above that and Im guessing you'll start to swamp. Downstream on cable is fine, its the upstream thats the problem. Find someone with a T3.

2)Machines. - I can run 10-20 zones with minimal problems on a linux server with 1gig of RAM, so I dont think you need 1 zone per computer as I've heard people suggest. 1 computer per continenent more like, and you probably will want all those zones to be static, not dynamic, so you dont lose zone states (there is functionality to hold zone states, Im just not sure how functional it is) . Alternately, run a machine or a few machines with 30 zones set dynamiclly, forget about zone status (people would exploit this to get rare mobs and such to repop), and hope you never have more than 30 people in 30 seperate zones. As a player, accept the limititation. Sometimes you'll just have to wait to get to the zone you want to go to.

3)Content - You need people to create content. There are a million quests in EQ live, most have been collected, but there is no tool to convert them into a NPCID.qst file format thats usable by the emulator. Create a converter and/or start creating custom content.

4)Balancing - Can you start as a lvl 1 and level to 20 naturally from Qeynos, from LesserFey, from Nekulos, from Halas? If not, you need to tweak the mobs, or alter the attack code. You need to ensure you've balanced the game for someone wanting to play. You need testers to do this. Write down the issues you find and submit. Some of the things we'll be able to help you with from a code standpoint, some are going to just be problems with your database.

5)Support - You're going to need GM's, testers, admins,etc.

As a start, I would think about the game from a low end standpoint. Start out a new character at lvl 1 and think about what he needs to progress. See if they are supported (different classes to, special attacks that need to be implemented, skills, etc). If they're not supported yet, put in a request so one of us can look at it, or if you're code saavy, do it yourself and post it so we can add it into the code. Start playing as a newbie character. Take a day to flesh out 1 zone as a starter zone, put in newbie quests, ways for the characters to initially get skills (skill trainers need work, just hasnt been on the high priority list).

Above all, organize and communicate. Keep checklists, post things you think we need to work on, correct things that you can yourself. Make it a team effort. If you post a request to look at some piece of the code (say you want to see 'flying kick' activated and its not currently working), throw a post up, I'll be happy to look at it. Hopefully the development team will continue to expand and we'll have more people that can look at more code issues.

Getting the people together and organized is a big piece of the battle.
Make a plan, and work through it..

Thats my 2cp worth !

DannMann99 · #45 12-09-2002, 06:19 AM

Thx, especially for the server info, (i.e. how many zones, people and such per computer) Puts things into perspective.

We are going to hopefully get things done, first we need the actual server up so as to test these things.

I wish i could get my DB working, maybe thats what ill try to do today. Then i could atleast go zone by zone, implement newbie quests and take it from there. Its a hard thing though, cause then you have to tweak drops and such. Honestly, im not even sure if things drop off mobs... Does that work yet?

Well im off to check out my DB

Dann Out~