How to make a Partyful server?

[eKoh]

Hello guys, first of all, I am eKoh. I have been reading a lot of RMS posts around here, learning on how to make possible some things that I want on a server. I am writing this post, because even a little thing on a server could change a lot of its gameplay.

Full Party Server

* Where you can go to different places to train/grind in party

[Playtester]

Some ways:
1. Low rates
2. High exp share range (20 or 30 instead of 10) or a system that percentually distributes exp based on exp needed.
3. High exp bonus for party (might as well make it 100% for each player)
4. Nerf monsters that are usually just done solo (Anubis, Geographer, etc.)
5. Make monsters more rewarding that can move and are aggressive (and are not rewarding yet), as those as the best to party on.

[eKoh]

Some ways:
1. Low rates
2. High exp share range (20 or 30 instead of 10) or a system that percentually distributes exp based on exp needed.
3. High exp bonus for party (might as well make it 100% for each player)
4. Nerf monsters that are usually just done solo (Anubis, Geographer, etc.)
5. Make monsters more rewarding that can move and are aggressive (and are not rewarding yet), as those as the best to party on.

1. I agree, how about an 10/10/20 ?xD haha, it's just that I find boring hunting things, I've done it for... 4 years, and almost everyone has done it, I think we are all bored from that.

2. I think that it is too much, because will be very easy to train for example to share exp with a 99 and 79 player, there will be no challenge to train, well, that's what I imagine.

3. I was thinking on the same thing, but I imagine that training will be a lot faster, that it wouldn't be something challenging.

4. Nerfing them, hmm, like lowering their exp? I think that it is a good idea.

5. Nice idea, maybe this can be applied for point #4.

Btw,

I was thinking on Disabling Double Client so players will need each other to train/hunt. Instead of having an alt slave and solo monsters.

Also adding party-maps to the warper, like enabling Majoruros, that is glast heim underground f2. Lhz too, easy entrance to lvl 2, maybe thanatos tower too, easy entrance till the floor required to be more than 5 ppl in the party ( I dont remember which floor it was ).

I also want to add/promote some maps where you can grind zeny/equipment in party. But you will not receive a lot of exp from here of course.

[Playtester]

To 1. You need low rates for #2 and #3. Also: People who reached max level are less likely to party up. Endgame players mostly hunt for ingredients and do PVP, if you have too many of them you can forget having a partyful server. I'd personally go for 2x rates or 1x rates even. It all gets balanced thanks to #2 and #3 and #5 too.

To 2. I don't really think that "being to easy" is a problem. Sure a level 99 can party up with a level 79, but to effectively level they still need to fight harder monsters. The alternative is that those two can't party up at all and both go solo.

To 3. Again, that's why I say make low base rates. The bonus comes from partying.

To 4./5. Yeah, I was thinking a bit about that. I personally would lower the exp of many monsters that are only hunted solo. I'd revert Wolf, Spores, Mukas, etc. to their old stats and exp (before episode 10) because they are passive. On early levels I'd rather encourage partying up in a dungeon or at least field maps with aggressive monsters like Elder Willows. For mid-game, reducing exp Metaling gives and Geographers (and a few other immobile monsters) seems plausible. Anubis shouldn't really give more than 7000/5500 exp in it's current form, but maybe even removing undead element might be an idea or reverting him to his really old form (12359 HP, 2907/2700 Exp) might be an idea. Other than that partying needs to be encouraged by interesting regions to party in.


On top of that. I guess regional events that switch often might be a good idea, especially if you don't have so many players. You could have a set of maps to level in for that day. That way you can concentrate the players on a few maps, so it's easier to find a party.
(An even more custom approach would be to strongly limit the maps you can go to at all and rotate frequently.)


Disabling Double Client certainly support partying, but people will find hacks to get around that. It means a lot of work hunting down players.

Instead of punishing players that play with multi-client you might rather want to reward players that play in a real party. You could let players for example post their parties on forums (maybe even with screenshots and videos). Occasionally you check if those parties are really there. Then reward them with prizes like "Party of the week".

I also want to add/promote some maps where you can grind zeny/equipment in party. But you will not receive a lot of exp from here of course.

It's hard to encourage item hunting via party play right now.
For that you would need to implement it so that the item drop rates significantly increase in parties or even so that drops are calculated for each player rather than just per mob killed.

[lilsword]

To 1. You need low rates for #2 and #3. Also: People who reached max level are less likely to party up. Endgame players mostly hunt for ingredients and do PVP, if you have too many of them you can forget having a partyful server. I'd personally go for 2x rates or 1x rates even. It all gets balanced thanks to #2 and #3 and #5 too.

To 2. I don't really think that "being to easy" is a problem. Sure a level 99 can party up with a level 79, but to effectively level they still need to fight harder monsters. The alternative is that those two can't party up at all and both go solo.

To 3. Again, that's why I say make low base rates. The bonus comes from partying.

To 4./5. Yeah, I was thinking a bit about that. I personally would lower the exp of many monsters that are only hunted solo. I'd revert Wolf, Spores, Mukas, etc. to their old stats and exp (before episode 10) because they are passive. On early levels I'd rather encourage partying up in a dungeon or at least field maps with aggressive monsters like Elder Willows. For mid-game, reducing exp Metaling gives and Geographers (and a few other immobile monsters) seems plausible. Anubis shouldn't really give more than 7000/5500 exp in it's current form, but maybe even removing undead element might be an idea or reverting him to his really old form (12359 HP, 2907/2700 Exp) might be an idea. Other than that partying needs to be encouraged by interesting regions to party in.


On top of that. I guess regional events that switch often might be a good idea, especially if you don't have so many players. You could have a set of maps to level in for that day. That way you can concentrate the players on a few maps, so it's easier to find a party.
(An even more custom approach would be to strongly limit the maps you can go to at all and rotate frequently.)


Disabling Double Client certainly support partying, but people will find hacks to get around that. It means a lot of work hunting down players.

Instead of punishing players that play with multi-client you might rather want to reward players that play in a real party. You could let players for example post their parties on forums (maybe even with screenshots and videos). Occasionally you check if those parties are really there. Then reward them with prizes like "Party of the week".

It's hard to encourage item hunting via party play right now.
For that you would need to implement it so that the item drop rates significantly increase in parties or even so that drops are calculated for each player rather than just per mob killed.

My exact sentiments. 

[Wyvern]

Disable dual client, EXP bonus (or some bonus) for partying (the more members the better), low EXP/drop rates, allow some kind of easy access to popular party areas (like abbey for example), remove the item exchange for repeatable EXP quests, but the hunt monster quest can probably stay, remove eden mission board maybe, low-enough quest exp reward, do things to promote parties (exclusive dungeon for parties?), implement more of less common mobs, etc.

[Playtester]

but the hunt monster quest can probably stay

+ make sure the kill actually counts for all party members on the screen that have the quest active

[eKoh]

To 1. You need low rates for #2 and #3. Also: People who reached max level are less likely to party up. Endgame players mostly hunt for ingredients and do PVP, if you have too many of them you can forget having a partyful server. I'd personally go for 2x rates or 1x rates even. It all gets balanced thanks to #2 and #3 and #5 too.

I think that 1x or 2x is too low, I was thinking on 10x because I've played a spanish server had these rates (10/10/9) and it was a partyful server, but the bad thing is that we could only go to Thor or Odin for non-reborn to train.

I was thinking on making 20x drop rates but, not giving Card unslotter NPC, that way you will not only need 1 thara frog card for everything or abysmals.

I also think that with a 10x/10x base/job exp rates, this will also be balanced and not those 2x or 1x :S!

Disabling Double Client certainly support partying, but people will find hacks to get around that. It means a lot of work hunting down players.

I know that, but, there will still be a huge population that only knows how to play with 1 client (unless if the protection sucks). Also there is a script that instantly logs you off if the same Mac IP is detected on 2 clients (Server side protection to clientside).

Instead of punishing players that play with multi-client you might rather want to reward players that play in a real party. You could let players for example post their parties on forums (maybe even with screenshots and videos). Occasionally you check if those parties are really there. Then reward them with prizes like "Party of the week".

I think that this is not a good idea =/. Because players will find it boring to take screenshots -> post it to forum -> Some body to check it.

It's hard to encourage item hunting via party play right now.
For that you would need to implement it so that the item drop rates significantly increase in parties or even so that drops are calculated for each player rather than just per mob killed.

Oh, what I meant is not that you go with your buddies to hunt something like thara frog card, what I meant is for example going to hunt things like Soft feathers in Thanatos, and things like that. That are hard 2 get and you cannot solo them, so you need a party to grind them.

Disable dual client, EXP bonus (or some bonus) for partying (the more members the better)

I totally agree with disabling dual client.

EXP bonus (or some bonus) for partying (the more members the better)

I was thinking on the same thing, but I think we need to imagine the scenario of what would happen, and I think what probably happen is that the parties would be too crowded and as I said before but also finding party would be too easy, I really like this idea, but just that, imagine the scenario.

low EXP/drop rates

I was thinking on leaving 7x/7x/20x rates, using this 110% bonus exp per party member.

Maybe changing the rates or the bonus to 105% would be good~

Or lowering the rates when you reach to lvl 86 like:

allow some kind of easy access to popular party areas (like abbey for example)

I think that giving  easy access is a good idea, but not for already popular maps as abbey/thor, I was thinking on maps like Turtle Dungeon, Lighthalzen 2, and maps that are unpopular. And also giving an exp bonus on these maps (balancing them vs popular ones), to make them enough good as the popular ones.

emove the item exchange for repeatable EXP quests, but the hunt monster quest can probably stay

+ make sure the kill actually counts for all party members on the screen that have the quest active

I agree with hunt + the kill counts for every party member, as Playtester said.

remove eden mission board maybe

For sure, I've never made 1 of those, but I have read that they promote going solo around RO.

low-enough quest exp reward

Hmm, nice suggestion, I definetly agree.

do things to promote parties (exclusive dungeon for parties?), implement more of less common mobs

I think that is just like any party dungeon like abbey.

[Bue]

The secret ingredient to building any kind of social community on any MMORPG, including partying and idle chit-chat, are girls.

Anything else you do will just make lone-wolf wannabes uncomfortable. (And there are plenty of them.)

[applecidervinegar]

The secret ingredient to building any kind of social community on any MMORPG, including partying and idle chit-chat, are girls.

Anything else you do will just make lone-wolf wannabes uncomfortable. (And there are plenty of them.)

I cant express how much i agree with this.

[Playtester]

Reminds me of that dude who hired female GMs only.

[eKoh]

The secret ingredient to building any kind of social community on any MMORPG, including partying and idle chit-chat, are girls.

Anything else you do will just make lone-wolf wannabes uncomfortable. (And there are plenty of them.)

oh lol, that's so true xD

[eKoh]

* I was thinking on making a Low Rate like (2x/2x) and increase the exp share per member in 105% so if 12 players are in a party it would be like... (12*1.05) * 2x = 25.2x rates.

* Also rebalancing the experience given by monsters (Lowering exp from anubis, geographer and increase to other monsters if needed).

* Opening easy warps to unpopular maps.

* Disabling Double Client

I think those 4 are going to be the main ideas to implement and test.

Also these ideas are good:

* Quests that when you kill a monster it counts for all the party.

* Removing eden mission board maybe

* Lowering quest exp reward

[Playtester]

I wouldn't put the exp share reward higher than 100% or else people will just get "dummies" to increase their own exp.

Also keep in mind that there is also a 25% exp bonus for multi-attacking (per "touch"). This bonus might actually be better to determine if all party members are actually actively playing. For example you could make exp share bonus 50% and multi-attack bonus 55%, you still end up with 25.2x rates but only if all party members are actively attacking (or debuffing or tanking) the monster.

[eKoh]

I wouldn't put the exp share reward higher than 100% or else people will just get "dummies" to increase their own exp.

Also keep in mind that there is also a 25% exp bonus for multi-attacking (per "touch"). This bonus might actually be better to determine if all party members are actually actively playing. For example you could make exp share bonus 50% and multi-attack bonus 55%, you still end up with 25.2x rates but only if all party members are actively attacking (or debuffing or tanking) the monster.

Oh nice consideration, I must keep  that in mind.

And what do you think about re-balancing the maps? To make the unpopular ones... popular haha, as a player, you find that... over customized?