| Author |
Server Ideas |
Azreal
Chief Marshal
Joined: March 14, 2004
Posts: 2816
From: United State of Texas, Houston
|  Posted: 2009-05-04 17:26
a thought on servers.
How many balance issues are there because of trying to desuade the lonewolf who goes on big bombing tours? Or to try to get people to use smaller ships?
The Kluth dessie wasn't an issue until it had to be balanced out for a static metaverse. That changed the entire faction.
Building has been extended out for massively long build times, all to avoid exploitation.
Bombs had to be turned down, and defenses turned up to handle long hours where a faction may be undefended in a static metaverse.
Scraping, seldom a big deal in a scenario, has been so penalized that its painful and sometimes prestige-losing to build a planet.
The list goes on and on.
If DS wants a static metaverse, it should design a game that way from the ground up. But the truth is that over and over the current concept is a game killing one, and people keep voting with their feet.
Instead of a static metaverse, why not a static fleetwars-styled arena? Let me explain:
What if the Noobie and Admiral servers where brought back, and instead of a static metaverse, there is a battle arena. Have a few planets set up, place a factional homegate nearby so they cann't be bombed and capped, and set up 5 of them. One for each faction.Keep the AI out of the scenario servers, but enabled in the arena. Make the arena static, so that you can log in anytime and have a go at either AI or any enemy there. Make the AI scale to the amount of players online, but disallow engies, bombers, and trannies (no use).
Then, if you wanna jump in a server and just have a go with the ability to immediately pull your best ship, you can jump in the battle arena and have a go with other likeminded people, or with the AI until people show up. The arena would have to be a big one to accomodate all five factions, but I would envision a Procyon-sized or bigger map. And only that map. No jumpgates to other systems. You can spawn your ship at the planet's safe sy, or you can spawn at the gate. I would actually suggest something the size of Nicea, as it had a natural breakup of 6 or 7 clusters in a huge map. Make it a pure PvP arena, with the added AI and two AI factions.
As for the scenario servers, again, develop new maps regularly. Have contests again to help with the development of new maps. I personally do not care about sy whether it is there or not. Allow full access to all facets of Darkspace combat in the scenario servers only. Make the battle arena what it sounds like: a battle arena.
Eiither way, I have to say that the concept of a static MV is great, but it has failed when used with the concepts and limitations of Darkspace. It would be a great game if it was designed outright to be that way, but it should be something seperate and much more detailed. Something along the lines of a SWG space scheme, and would also HAVE to involve characters that are factionally locked.
But thats another issue.
What ya'll think of this?
[ This Message was edited by: Azreal on 2009-05-05 15:07 ]
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ADmiraLMaXimus (Bringer of Doom)
Chief Marshal
Praetorian Wolves
Joined: March 09, 2002
Posts: 363
From: Earth
| Posted: 2009-05-04 18:20
i like it
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-Shadowalker-™
Admiral
Galactic Navy
Joined: September 23, 2007
Posts: 709
From: Shadows
| Posted: 2009-05-04 18:47
I like it, alot. 
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Kanman
Grand Admiral
Pitch Black
Joined: August 26, 2005
Posts: 1017
From: Virginia, United States
| Posted: 2009-05-04 20:29
The truth is that the senario server has better play value than the metaverse. Allow me to explain.
In the MV if you are losing really badly, you have no choice but to face death or leave. In the old admiral server, if you lost it was okay, because it resets every couple hours. You could just try again shortly.
It also added a couple of important gameplay factors which encouraged action. The first was the need for resources to aquire larger ships, thus forcing you to fight over the resources of the senario system. The second was the time element. When time starts running low, you get desperate and come together for a big, last-second turn around.
Mining ships were useful for getting the resources you needed before the server reset as well as getting resouces from enemy planets by stealing and distracting, and transports we useful for capturing planets before enemy infantry built up to the max (which is the perpetual norm in the MV, nullifying their role).
People came together in teamwork rapidly, and with the clock ticking, people got it right on the first try without a lot of fumbling around.
The final thing the admiral server gave was important to any gamer. When the timer ran out, and the victory was declared, you felt a sense of accomplishment and victory, or gut-turning defeat. You felt... SOMETHING for all you effort. In the MV, you dont get that, because as soon as you log, someone will come along and undo all you worked for in a short time while you sleep. With a victory declared and the server reset, no one can take that victory from you. You feel content to leave for the night or excited to go another round.
Admiral Server should be the main hangout for a better DS experience. Turn the MV into a battle arena. That is all we use it for right now anyway.
[ This Message was edited by: Kanman *FM* on 2009-05-04 20:30 ]
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Azreal
Chief Marshal
Joined: March 14, 2004
Posts: 2816
From: United State of Texas, Houston
| Posted: 2009-05-04 21:18
Quote:
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On 2009-05-04 20:29, Kanman *FM* wrote:
In the MV if you are losing really badly, you have no choice but to face death or leave. In the old admiral server, if you lost it was okay, because it resets every couple hours. You could just try again shortly.
[ This Message was edited by: Kanman *FM* on 2009-05-04 20:30 ]
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That is just the most underappreciated value to the scenarios.
[ This Message was edited by: Azreal on 2009-05-04 21:20 ]
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Leonide
Grand Admiral
Templar Knights
Joined: October 01, 2005
Posts: 1553
From: Newport News, Virginia
| Posted: 2009-05-04 21:27
i like that idea, Az. the idea of a static MV right now is failing. and it shows. noone plays anymore. if they set up a scenario server, that would be fun. it would also solve the issue of Dreadspace as well, because you have to use smaller ships first before you get dreadnoughts, and dreads are expensive nowadays, which works for scenario servers. this game is totally pointing at scenario servers for it's norm, but Faustus is doing the complete opposite. he doesn't get it. he has lost his touch.
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Sens [R33]
Admiral
Joined: September 27, 2008
Posts: 1020
From: Edge of th...
| Posted: 2009-05-04 22:05
Actually, hes been kinda absent; anywho, scenario servers would be rather... antiquated in the form you recognize them in; modifications "mainly in prebuilt planets" would be necessary to shorten the time from scouts to cruisers from an hour to say, 25 minutes~. Once that is dealt with however, new maps will be the issues, and seeing as players can't cre- bah I'm driving myself in circles.
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Doran
Chief Marshal
Galactic Navy
Joined: March 29, 2003
Posts: 4032
From: The Gideon Unit
| Posted: 2009-05-04 22:13
i get the feeling we've been over this already
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Sens [R33]
Admiral
Joined: September 27, 2008
Posts: 1020
From: Edge of th...
| Posted: 2009-05-04 22:26
4 years, different version ect >_>
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Shigernafy
Admiral
Joined: May 29, 2001
Posts: 5726
From: The Land of Taxation without Representation
| Posted: 2009-05-04 22:53
Different version which if anything exacerbates the problems with scenario servers.
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Enterprise
Chief Marshal
Joined: May 19, 2002
Posts: 2576
From: Hawthorne, Nevada
| Posted: 2009-05-05 00:55
One of the biggest problems of the MV in my opinion is and and always has been, the general lack of any coherent direction.
You had all this space, all these planets, and all these different routes. It was a big, unfriendly place, and anyone knew to the game...
Well had no idea what the hell to do. And to be quite honest "capture anything thats red" really doesn't speak of any kind of real drive with any kind of end goal. Oh so you captured a whole system?
Or the MV?
Big deal. You got nothing for it; there were no systems in place for encouraging it. There was nothing except, if you try to take something, if you're lucky, you'll get an opposing force and then BAM combat.
This whole basic premise used to work until, well, we didn't have players, and the MV got too damn big.
Not to mention, the problem being overblown even more by directionless AI.
The MV is just one big, chaotic place, and that sadly isn't very fun.
Scenarios had alot of good about them which made them universally more popular right up until shipyards came in, which just goes to show the only reason scenarios still aren't popular (and why DS has no players) is because of shipyards.
You had a goal (capturing flag planets), you had a small confined space (one system), you had alot of people in that confined space (inevitable, continuous combat), and that every ship was if anything, even more important because you started from the bottom.
It was fun, and they got rid of it. To me, the MV can never be worth its weight without alot more players and alot more mechanics being worked around.
But hey, while we're beating that dead horse..
-Ent
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Azreal
Chief Marshal
Joined: March 14, 2004
Posts: 2816
From: United State of Texas, Houston
| Posted: 2009-05-05 05:34
That was several years ago.
It sounds like a 3 day experiment, where who knows how many people logged in at that time.
It was the most screwey version of DS.
It didn't take away the MV with their return.
It was the same 3 or 4 maps!
I remember when that happened, and yeah, it was bad timing.
I'm saying get rid of the mv altogether for a set of scenario servers and replace the MV with the aforementioned arena.
I know this would require the one thing that seems to be missing from the game at the moment and that is development. But it is limited development. Tweaking maps as opposed to balancing all these issues the MV causes.
Have to give the community a new map editor as well, so they can help you.
The Arena could provide that jump in and fight feeling we all want as well, without all the headaches of the MV if it is combat only.
You could do a new trial with it's launch and advertise the new "Darkspace Battle Arena" version. That would be the way to do it, as opposed to, "ok, I'll turn on these servers and...see, nothing happens. Unplug them." Make it a change of direction, which is what DS needs atm!!
[ This Message was edited by: Azreal on 2009-05-05 15:13 ]
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Azreal
Chief Marshal
Joined: March 14, 2004
Posts: 2816
From: United State of Texas, Houston
| Posted: 2009-05-05 15:21
In a scheme like this, I was wondering how enhancements would work.
Well, if we keep the garage scheme in the arena and had the enhancements then that would allow you to have a fully modded ship to your liking just as we have them now.
However, you could use all those lesser castoffs that you use by shoving them on ships in the scenario servers. The map ends, your ship goes away, but you got the use of that enhancement that you would have just thrown away. Was just a thought.
The more I think about how DS works, this just seems to me the logical direction to go.
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Drafell
Grand Admiral
Mythica
Joined: May 30, 2003
Posts: 2449
From: United Kingdom
| Posted: 2009-05-05 16:32
Imagine a Metaverse where each cluster has it's own theme, and and ongoing events and scenario's which are based on those themes.
Imagine quests which require everyone in a cluster to work together to complete, or where the last few survivors struggle desperately trying to defend their last planets against the enemy onslaught.
Imagine a world where the UGTO Chancellors supply of imperial cheese wedges runs out, and only YOU can escort his cheese freighter back to Earth, defending it against a multitude of pirate assaults.
Imagine resource poor clusters where the only effective way to build is to ferry all of the needed resources in yourself...
We can bring you combat only, but in clusters designed for it, each with their own particular twist that helps to pull in players from surrounding clusters whilst fitting in with the overall Metaverse concept.
This is what we are aiming for; not a bunch of disparate servers that have no relation to each other.
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Shigernafy
Admiral
Joined: May 29, 2001
Posts: 5726
From: The Land of Taxation without Representation
| Posted: 2009-05-05 17:42
Two Weeks™
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