Dismissing a server at a glance

[Yuzo]

What makes you dismiss a server at a glance? I'm always seeing people dismiss servers for the smallest reasons. I know a lot of low rate players will never touch a high rate. The thought itself is repulsive for some people. A lot of super high rate players don't understand the difference between rates and max levels, they assume low rate = 99/70, dismissing a server as "too hard to level".


Have you already had your ideal ro experience and you look for something matching it? I'm interested in what makes people scroll past servers which could potentially be what they're looking for. My favorite server (now dead) was generic on the surface, but after a month or so of playing I was hooked. I looked for many servers in the meantime since its death but most only looked at rates, basic info and such.


Or is this an entirely different issue of how server owners market their servers?


P.S. I'm not making a server.

[Tiffycaek]

The first thing I do whenever I check out a potential server is visit it's donation shop. If the donation shop offers exclusive items and/or stat boost or end game gear and/or MVP cards, I don't even bother downloading it for a quick spin. Then there's servers that offer Ahura Mazda and Angra Manyuu in donation shop which is just f***.

[Playtester]

I always read the feature list and check if there are any customs that I find unacceptable.

Yes, it could be the smallest things that make me decide to dismiss a server.

Here are a few customizations that caused me to not play on a server:
- Card remover
- Free healer/resetter
- Job changer
- Dungeon warper
- Monster behavior dumbed down (e.g. removal of dropping target on chase)

The following can be acceptable but are a killer if not thought out well:
- Custom spawn changes (bad = only buff already useful maps)
- Skill changes (bad = everything except for changes that support partying)
- Monster exp changes (bad = buff already good mobs or nerf already unpopular mobs)
- Monster drop changes (bad = they don't follow a reasonable rule)

[cauyao615]

i like grinding, so pretty much features a high rate server has is a nope for me

rates >200x
gold room
mvp room
all item npc
instant max level
wings
custom items
100% drop rate for all items
no cheat protection
hashield (i get problems 99% of the time when i server uses this as protection)makes you install some stuff and turn off ur AV just to play)
generic website
not having a forum site

lastly this is not an instant nope but more like a turn off

pinoy admin/owner(u can almost expect corruption bcuz of RMT) btw im pinoy so this doesnt count as being racist,this is from personal experience playing pinoy made/owned servers

[Deacon]

A lot of things really. Any rate above 1x, custom crap, character resets. But somehow what always irks me the most is finding out they have a job changer. 

[meisterkun]

When I'm gonna pick a server to play, first and foremost I look at their design, be it the web, forum, or promotional material. A good design show if they're really serious about running a server.

I do quite like to grind but not to the extreme level, so mid rate 99/70 server (around 10x-50x) is the most suitable one for me.

Things that really turn me off :
- Custom Dye (No words can express how much I HATE this thing. It make your screen filled with ugly color as f wherever you go. If you gonna implement it at least use the official kRO/iRO alternative palettes.)
- Custom Hair (Gosh, look at all those disgusting hair!)
- Custom Gear (I love to play RO as it intended to be so I HATE any customized items.)
- Buffer
- Job Changer
- Dungeon and Field Warper

Well maybe that is all for now.

[sharx]

Too high player lvl ruins it!

Its always like this:

5 minutes into the game: lvl70 with killing 20 Poporings
10minutes into the game:2nd class to lvl 80 + with 20 more poporings
25minutes into the game:99+ by getting some gears and cards
35minutes into the game:grinding the Servers own and custom high lvl area because its the f*** ONLY map where you can lvl above 120 in less than 20 years.
45minutes into the game:the truth kicks in! you are unable to lvl at the "servers high end area" becasue you are too weak with the calssic high end items
20minutes into reaseach: you uninstall the game becasue you have to donate 350€ for that superior weapon to lvl at that ONE AND ONLY map (or you farm 999.999.999.999zenny and try a week to buy that weapon from a player at maps with reduced droprate to ürevent inflation!)

[Orange]

Earliest I drop a server is when no info is available. Donations are listed on the forums, which require registration. No player online count found on the website/no control panel, at that point I won't bother registering to the forums or downloading it to check out a maybe.

Otherwise completely OP donations, though very few servers go over what I'm okay with(best in slot equips/cards)

[Potatoes]

Here's what makes me go away instantly:
- Low population
- Fresh new server (opens > grabs money > closes)
- No job changer
- No warper for either cities or dungeons
- No free healer or no resetter
- GMs' terrible grammar (there's a line when it just looks too unprofessional)
- No forum/horrible website (default FluxCP)
- No easy methods to reach a GM (no tickets system)
- Easy grinding (which is mostly targeted at high rate servers)
- No challenging content/soloable content that shouldn't be (usually due to increasing the level past its normal limit)
- Gold room

I also expect the server to have customizations which do not impact the game too much. For instance: hats, custom dungeons, new instances, changed spawn rates, modified a few drop rates, etc. I usually dismiss any server which mentions "As close to official as possible!"; I don't want to play iRO, I want to play a private CUSTOM server after all.

[Bue]

Lack of production and content quality.

• Check server information for bullshit and consistency.
• Check the website functionality and response time.
• Check forum etiquette and quality of official threads.
• Check information availability and accessibility.
• Check team, event, and other organizational information.
• Scan the GRF for standard and custom files.
• ... :haku
• Check NPC scripting quality.
• Check all unique content and features.
• Check WoE and event participation.

I only check out NA servers only. And if I spot enough red flags, then I just scan the grf and gtfo.

[yC]

Basically what Bue said can tell a lot about a server without getting on it.

I don't check out a server's inside but I do check the newly listed servers and I hate to see servers that gives a link to their control panel without a download link, way of communication and/or a feature page.

Many servers these days just install a control panel, plus a skin/theme and then call it a day.  I have problem understanding how these servers going to attract players with this lazy attitude.  I mean, come on how is anybody going to get on your server without a download link?  how are people going to get help without a forum
or facebook page/group that will allow someone to get support when they can't get into the game?  Then I have seen people putting different server rates on their listing, forum, facebook page and website.  So the feature page is essential to me to confirm the server know what they are doing. 

If these basics things are not done correctly, I see the server is a rush and will go down as fast as the rush to open.

[Gene]

Let's see..
>Logging in required to view forums (this is okay, but it irritates me so much)
>No donations visible on site/forum/cp
>Administrators/Developers who follow suggestions of a certain guild because they're the majority(ex. 50% of the population is "that" guild, others/soloists are 50%).
>Exclusively for SHR: 4 slotted gears, seriously, think of something else.
>Exclusively for LR: No partying benefits, standard nostalgia low rate stuff
>Exclusively for MR: Focusing too much on BG/WOE/PVP or using 13.2 boring AD meta will eventually lead to death of the server.

[Minabe]

Doing Tripper's job.

[Playtester]

Wait, what's bad about accepting donations. Or do you mean "donations".

[Minabe]

Doing Tripper's job.