Super Low Rates (Below Official)

[Mrew2]

It's definitely possible. If we are talking in detail, drops have always been +0.01 higher on officials than rAthena/Hercules. So, Cards drop at 0.02 instead of 0.01. Making rates 0.5x is just a matter of making them .01 instead of .02. Then just halve the exp rate. In regards to experiences feeling standard, I know what you mean. I've been playing on my own home instance on 1x and I felt so much more accomplishment reaching 2nd job than I do reaching trans on any server now a days.

It's a bit unfortunate, though, because if you want a good server, you need to run dedicated and dedicated isn't cheap. You can try to lessen the loss in money by donations but then there's the chance you'll overdo it and give OP items and the server will lose players just on that or you'll be fair and rarely anyone will donate causing you to lose money. You also had to realize that a lot of players, unfortunately, are very entitled. That's why the only admins left around are, usually, in it for quick cash grabs, have no idea what they are doing or they are masochistic with money to spend. There is also the convenience factor of it; people have grown accustomed to certain features, (warper, job changer, healer, etc.) that not having these things make the game unplayable in their eyes. I was thinking of having my server at 1x (pre-renewal) but this previous rule would screw me over more than anything. There are exceptions to these rules but the majority of the community left has at least one of these rules apply to them.

Someone can make a server specific to what you want but, unless they get lucky, it won't have many people and would most likely bleed their wallet. It just seems unfair to ask someone to make a server like that.

Edit: Forgot to answer your question. No, I have not played on a server with rates lower than 1 and Yes, I would try it.

[Bug]

Yeah, the configuration values are set in percents, so 1x would be "100" and 0.5x is "50". Pretty straight forward.
Often servers boost their rates on weekends, after maintenance, for "premium-members", with Battle Manuals & Bubblegum as donation rewards, and so on. And usually all of these can be stacked.
You no longer feel like you're playing 1x, because you need to take advantage of these increases in order to keep up with everyone else.

My thought was to have the default rates set to 0.5x, and only increase them as a server-wider reward.
In other words, when the server meets its goals (may it be donation or otherwise), one of the rewards would be a temporary increase in rates.
Similarly, luxury-of-life NPCs would be disabled by default, but enabled when the goals are met.
For example, a warp NPC with a limited selection of warp-locations (the community could vote on which they want, or something) would only be enabled as a server-wide reward.

Another idea is to only reward items like Battle Manuals/Bubblegum to players who report bugs/exploits and cheating.
The reward would always be proportionate to the severity of the reported issue, and whether or not a working solution is provided.

Basically, players are only entitled to luxury when they are helping take care of the server.
I'm in brainstorming-mode, so I'm not claiming these to be the end-all be-all solution, but it could very well encourage players to donate without creating unfairness at the expense of non-donators.

I'm actually pursuing this myself (planning a server around these concepts).
Instead of merely asking what people want to see in a server, I'm illustrating a server I'd love to play, and getting an feel for who is on the same brainwave as me.
I appreciate the fresh perspectives.

Thanks for your answer, it's actually very helpful.

[Mrew2]

Some of your ideas sound good on paper but don't work well in practice. The donation goals is a nice system but the odds of people donating so that everybody is benefited is highly unlikely. If their only donation "reward" is to have rates higher or X npc, what would make them want to stay on your server? People can spin off and make servers they think are "better" or to acquire more money, similar to how retro inspired a ton of classic servers, even though Retro itself only had about 100 players. Also this kind of system brings the issue that is with Dynamic Rates. People log on, check if rates are X high or if NPC Y is enabled, if not, they log off and come back later when they are higher or Y npc is enabled. It creates a big influx in players.

With the server wide benefits, events like this have become a bit cliche. Opening week or weekends get bonus rates, so people don't bother playing the other days or lose a huge chunk of motivation when they get a huge head start and then the game gets slower because they are at a higher level and then even slower once the rate increase event runs out, it makes people actively feel as though things are going slower, rather than having the rates static and people can get used to it from the beginning but that is just my opinion on fluctuating rates as a whole. I think people would appreciate more interesting events for these donation goals. Perhaps, X quest line becomes available or something to that extent.

Incentivizing reporting can go pretty bad if people really want those benefits. Plus  a lot of players don't respect other players and don't feel like they have to respond to another player. For example, Imagine an alchemist who is sitting while his homunculus kills things. AFKchemisting is against the rules. Random player comes up, asks the person if they are there. Alchemist doesn't feel like talking to random player. Random Player reports Alchemist. Then you can also get just flat out false reports or just people doing s*** on purpose to get rewards. I think luxury is better earned in-game, via another means, like an alternate currency you gain by completing specific tasks.

Again, none of this could happen or all of it can. It is just food for thought~

[Bug]

You make some great points. I am pretty idealistic, admittedly. Gotta start somewhere.

Of course many (perhaps most) players are more likely to donate in order to get an edge over the competition. On the other hand, you have potential players who avoid even the slightest smell of P2W. I empathize with both, but think a server that is not P2W has more merit.
That said, rewarding everyone, including non-donators, ends up being unfair to the donators, who could potentially feel like they're footing the bill for everyone else.
So I need to find some kind of middle way that beats cosmetic rewards.

As far as incentivized reporting, that's an excellent example. Of course there would have to be substantial evidence, but I can see this system really weighing down the staff in regards to time & effort.
I threw "cheating" in there, but the idea was originally exclusive to bugs, and rewarding players who opt not to exploit them, but instead report and/or help patch them up. Call me a dreamer.

[Kensei]

Just reading the title gave me the thought "Only mainland Chinese would eat this kind of idea"

[Bug]

Just reading the title gave me the thought "Only mainland Chinese would eat this kind of idea"

That's pretty funny.

[Kensei]

That's pretty funny.

Before you think I'm being rude or sarcastic, I'm saying this because I remember only CN official server has made their rates lower than 1x. Iirc, their "official" server rate was 0.7x

[Bug]

Before you think I'm being rude or sarcastic, I'm saying this because I remember only CN official server has made their rates lower than 1x. Iirc, their "official" server rate was 0.7x

Nah, it actually made me chuckle.
I wasn't aware of this, so thanks for sharing/contributing.
China goes hard!