| Author |
Scenario Servers |
|2eason
Grand Admiral
Agents
Joined: September 30, 2001
Posts: 1252
From: Wisconsin, US
|  Posted: 2009-07-03 17:43
Scenario Servers vs The Metaverse
There was a decision made, back around 1.480 as to what direction Darkspace should take. The Development team decided that in order for Darkspace to continue to progress forward and become something more, the focus needed to be on the Metaverse.
This decision was forced on the Dev Team because it was no longer feasible to maintain separate code variations each patch for both the Scenario Server and the Metaverse playstyle.
The Metaverse is the future for Darkspace. As fun and enjoyable as Scenario servers were in the past, they do not hold the potential that the Metaverse does, in my opinion. However, I do agree the Scenario Server playstyle is very enjoyable and should be incorporated in the game in some form or another. Which brings me to the issue at hand.
The game has been designed from the beginning up until the Dev Team's decision towards Scenario Server playstyle, with the Metaverse as a "bonus". After the decision, the focus was on the Metaverse, with Scenario Servers being phased out and the playstyle being incorporated into the Metaverse. This is one of the key elements for the Metaverse to become successful, in my opinion.
Sadly, at the time of this decision, the Dev Team lacked the type of tools and freedom to make many of the necessary changes to Darkspace in order to make the Metaverse playstyle workable. Add onto that a general apathy and eventual mass exodus of both Development Members and overall Staff, you have the current situation of today. I applaud those on the Dev Team today for at least trying to do what they feel is best for this game. It takes a lot to do what you do and the Community needs to continue supporting you!
The Scenario Servers need to be remembered, but not resurrected. The "fast paced, only have an hour or two" playstyle needs to be incorporated into the Metaverse in a way that will not cause the Metaverse playstyle to suffer. Darkspace's future depends on it.
Just to throw out some food for thought, I believe Shipyards as they are today need to go. Each Faction should have a main shipyard in each homesystem. Then, depending on the Metaverse Map System Layout, key Planets in each system (or maybe not each system but only key ones) should have a neutral permanent Shipyard that can be captured by taking the planet. This way you introduce goals and a reason to take systems as you are attempting to make your way into enemy territory.
Also, to throw out another idea, there needs to be another Shipyard per faction out in the middle of nowhere in each Home system, incase the factions shipyard is destroyed.
Anyways, I conceed that I haven't played Darkspace that much since I stepped down from the Development Team in 2004, so I know things have changed. However, I see some things still have not.
Good Luck, and I hope I helped shed some light on this issue.
- |2eason -
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Phellan
Grand Admiral
Joined: February 27, 2007
Posts: 220
From: Red Light District
| Posted: 2009-07-03 18:18
This is just an observation and suggestion based on my limited experiance with senario servers, and with other games. The senarios are unbalanced because there isn't time to set up the infastructure to defend against dreads. I haven't played more than once or twice so I don't understand why one side sometimes has them or the other balancing factors, but the result is that the team able to get them is always full and any experianced players stuck on the lesser team leave as soon as a spot opens up.
One suggestion would be limiting the number of each ship type available. In most balanced campaign type games, you get one major flag ship, some supporting capital ships, smaller combat vessels, and alot of support vessels(extractors, engies, sups, trans) In darkspace, this would allow for better teamwork because everyone couldn't just switch to dreads when they get bored of mining. It would establish a command structure based on whos in the biggest ship, and force everyone to learn other roles.
Wouldn't think it would be that hard to implement or improve upon, but might vastly increase the fun of senarios. Right now it doesn't seem much different from getting dread rushed in the mv, cept without as many well defended planets to run to.
[ This Message was edited by: Phellan on 2009-07-03 18:20 ]
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AdmBito
Grand Admiral
Sundered Weimeriners
Joined: October 04, 2002
Posts: 1249
From: Its hard out here for a pimp
| Posted: 2009-07-03 18:26
Why scenario doesnt work, according to me:
The biggest, and probably most obvious flaw in the current model would be the presence of the SY. Like Mr. Sparkle said, the gates were undestroyable, you could spawn any ship there, etc, etc. Now, you're forced to build yourself a home. That, combined with the long, long times for building structures (and the fact that only one build can be used at a time) make this a big task. Your first hour+ is concentrating solely on getting the SY up and running. In the MV, that may work, but not in short spurts like the scenario servers.
(Quick aside/question: Are starports working now? Do they funnel the resources where they may be needed? If not, can that be an added feature? And if not, are they obsolete now?)
Again, I think Sparkle brought up the ship layouts. The "toughness" of the ships (compared to what it was .480 and before) combined with the bajillion gadgets ON TOP of the increased energy usage that you can no longer mod around and fix makes a ship on ship fight...boring. It takes forever and a day to get through the first layer, and when you do hull dies very quickly. People are much more afraid to lose their ships that way. When YOUR ship gets hulled, your systems start blinking, and you generally have no choice but to run away. In the past, you could hang out and fight through low hull values and still manage to function in a fight.
Ive run out of steam after three paragraphs, but please critcize, comment, or hop on my bandwagon.
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*COMMANDERHAWK*
Chief Marshal
*Renegade Space Marines*
Joined: February 03, 2006
Posts: 260
From: Denver Colorado
| Posted: 2009-07-03 18:40
i love how everytime you respawn a ship ie dread styation ect your armore goes to 35% thats makes sence i love it cause i can use the sy and let my buddies get resupply pres over and over and over again who likes being able to use the sy and co0me out just as youw as when you went in so you can have fun ? not me who has fun these days anyway on games
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-Daedalus-
Grand Admiral
Joined: September 26, 2006
Posts: 549
| Posted: 2009-07-03 18:44
Quote:
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On 2009-07-03 11:22, Bardiche wrote:
bestest |
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Did you really use the word bestest?
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Shiva[God of Fire]
Vice Admiral
Joined: November 01, 2007
Posts: 10
| Posted: 2009-07-03 18:47
On 2009-06-26 23:45, Veronw wrote:
they are amazing fun, minus the dread rush, which sucks horribly if kluth get dreads first...
Most definetly sucks with dread rushes but other than that scenarios are wicke fun, and should (in my opinion) have no AI ships, as since its a relatively small space compared to the MV players can do anything that needs to be done with help from other players rather than ai ships.
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Bardiche
Chief Marshal
Joined: November 16, 2006
Posts: 1247
| Posted: 2009-07-03 18:51
Quote:
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On 2009-07-03 18:44, Daedalus wrote:
Quote:
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On 2009-07-03 11:22, Bardiche wrote:
bestest |
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Did you really use the word bestest?
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Yes.
Why was the decision made to move to MV playstyle? What exactly makes the MV superior to the scenario server?
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Purpura
Cadet
Joined: March 16, 2003
Posts: 27
From: Living on top of a tiki hut bar enjoying the sun and the ocean
| Posted: 2009-07-03 21:02
"potental" doesnt bring in money, or make it fun.
I remember Rocko saying that the reason everything goes so badly all the time is $$$, the metaverse concept isnt bringing in $ and i doubt it ever will be complete...
I really dont get how they can look at these ppl saying theyll pay for a service, even demanding it, and just saying No, for the sake of a far off concept that seems to be draining the life from their company... trying to make a universe like this with a sick company and just plowing ahead with the idea even tho they dont even have enough people to deal with small bugs ina effecent way....doesnt seem like a good idea... lol im thinking if it was in gam the build time would be raaalllyyy long and id wanna boost production first to cut it down lol
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|2eason
Grand Admiral
Agents
Joined: September 30, 2001
Posts: 1252
From: Wisconsin, US
| Posted: 2009-07-03 21:47
Quote:
| Why was the decision made to move to MV playstyle? What exactly makes the MV superior to the scenario server? |
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The Community wanted to play in the Metaverse, but usually chose the Scenario servers because that is where everyone was. Everyone was in the Scenario Servers because that is what the game was developed towards at the time. When one side chose to make a move in the MV, people left the Scenario Servers, went into the MV and much enjoyment was had.
The Idea was to merge the two playstyles, having a persistant world where one could join in for a few hours here and there while maintaining the aspects of the Metaverse. The problem was...
Quote:
| Sadly, at the time of this decision, the Dev Team lacked the type of tools and freedom to make many of the necessary changes to Darkspace in order to make the Metaverse playstyle workable. Add onto that a general apathy and eventual mass exodus of both Development Members and overall Staff, you have the current situation of today. |
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Quote:
| "potental" doesnt bring in money, or make it fun.
I remember Rocko saying that the reason everything goes so badly all the time is $$$, the metaverse concept isnt bringing in $ and i doubt it ever will be complete... |
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Refer to the quote above your's, Purpura
I am speaking from the perspective of a former Development Team Member on the situation 7 years ago. I am sure things are much different behind the scenes these days compared to the situation back then.
Quote:
| I really dont get how they can look at these ppl saying theyll pay for a service, even demanding it, and just saying No, for the sake of a far off concept that seems to be draining the life from their company... trying to make a universe like this with a sick company and just plowing ahead with the idea even tho they dont even have enough people to deal with small bugs ina effecent way....doesnt seem like a good idea... lol im thinking if it was in gam the build time would be raaalllyyy long and id wanna boost production first to cut it down lol |
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I am not speaking on behalf of Palestar nor any of the current Development Team Members. I am explaining my point of view, and the situation as it was 7 years ago to give some perspective on the Metaverse's Development Focus vs that of the Scenario Server.
Any opinions I have made are my own, not Palestars.
Again, I stepped down from the Development Team in 2004, so you would have to check the Development Log or contact a current Development Team member reguarding current development plans/concepts.
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-Shadowalker-™
Admiral
Galactic Navy
Joined: September 23, 2007
Posts: 709
From: Shadows
| Posted: 2009-07-03 23:12
Personally, i think the old credit system worked. I liked that system, i like the old modding system better too. The moment 1.500 came out I was like wtf is this. This isnt DS this is some spinnof, its got to be. Every realease scince then was stupid and just making more and more ppl leave DS... I remember one time there was like 3 ppl in lobby nobody in game. The only reason i play now is because of the free play, as soon as its gone im going with it. Every single person in the game is saying revert, go back to the old verson, revert, revert, revert. The fact that nobody is listining is a big slap in the face that tells you that the devs arent listining to the players they are just having fun with a bunch of code and some ships and are forcing the players to like it and its not going to work.
With that said i dont think that the scenarios or the MV will work.
I know that im tring to orginize an event but i think ill just cancel that.
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Lithium
Chief Marshal
Joined: June 29, 2003
Posts: 109
| Posted: 2009-07-04 02:31
Why metaverse failed is ...
1. This game is not designed for permanent map.
2. DarkSpace server can't hold large amount of players.
3. Game is almost always unbalanced for timezones and free faction hopping.
4. There's no incentive to protect your planets.
5. Many bugs, lags, unsynchronizations and glitches.
6. No economy features viable.
7. Too many campers and lobbycampers they are too lazy and ruin game dynamism.
8. Too many rapers they only do raping and dislike "even game".
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Nexus01
Cadet
Joined: May 20, 2006
Posts: 35
| Posted: 2009-07-04 03:04
Quote:
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On 2009-07-04 02:31, Lithium wrote:
Why metaverse failed is ...
1. This game is not designed for permanent map.
I wouldn't say it's not designed for it. It doesn't do horribly, but it doesn't do well either.
2. DarkSpace server can't hold large amount of players.
Can't really do much with that, without better hardware and internet connections, which means lots of money.
3. Game is almost always unbalanced for timezones and free faction hopping.
Timezone conflicts are something you will find in every MMO. Faction hopping has no inherent problems, it's the people that exploit it that are causing problems.
4. There's no incentive to protect your planets.
On the contrary, if you lose your shipyard planets in a system you have to start further away to reclaim any that are lost.
5. Many bugs, lags, unsynchronizations and glitches.
Desync/lag are usually caused by your own internet connection. Bugs and glitches are almost the same, so only one mention please.
6. No economy features viable.
This is very true, and is something I would personally like to see.
7. Too many campers and lobbycampers they are too lazy and ruin game dynamism.
I don't see how lobbycamping ruins a game that the person is not playing, and camping IS a legitimate strategy.
8. Too many rapers they only do raping and dislike "even game".
Rapers? If you're referring to people who would rather play DreadSpace, there is an easy solution. The jumpdrive on smaller ships recharge faster. Use it to escape. Learn to be on a clear exit vector as much as possible. Or just go to Procyon, hunt some MIR.
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Just my thoughts.
[ This Message was edited by: Nexus01 on 2009-07-04 03:05 ]
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Lithium
Chief Marshal
Joined: June 29, 2003
Posts: 109
| Posted: 2009-07-04 03:51
Why campers ruin game dynamism is ...
Campers don't help others when others need help and only help others when others don't need help.
It's the reason why UGTO lose against few K'Luth ships.
Lobbycampers only play game when their faction is completely winning.
It's only destroy game balance.
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Fattierob
Vice Admiral
Joined: April 25, 2003
Posts: 4059
| Posted: 2009-07-04 08:37
Quote:
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On 2009-07-04 03:51, Lithium wrote:
Lobbycampers only play game when their faction is completely winning.
It's only destroy game balance.
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This is such a gross and ignorant overstatment, that it made me face palm at my desk here.
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Sens [R33]
Admiral
Joined: September 27, 2008
Posts: 1020
From: Edge of th...
| Posted: 2009-07-04 10:10
lobby campers just don't play unless their fellow lobby campers goad them into playing... which is never.
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