How to make a failed RO PServer
Have you thought about making your own RO server, but dreaded that it becomes too popular and you have to take care of it constantly?
Never fear! I have decided to write a guide that ensures you will have great success at failure!
Step One:
Don't plan for it.
This is something best done on the fly. Overthinking is the biggest problem. Don't worry about all of the things your server needs to distinguish itself from others, or how to drive traffic. Things will work out. You just need your dreams and dedication.
Step Two:
Don't tell anyone about it.
Just quietly tell a few of your old RO buddies you still have on Skype that you're making a server. Then post it without ceremony in the new server section of RMS.
If you're a dedicated and friendly enough GM, people will come, and they'll stay too.
Step Three:
Don't bother making a decent website. RO is about the game!
When you look at the most popular sites, all of them have nice site design. It's professional in appearance, and unique. But it's a lot of work.
You don't want that. Instead, you want to use a free template. Don't even look for a nice one. Just randomly dowload the newest one off of some free template site. Then slap some random anime pictures on it. They don't even need to be Ro related. RO = anime and vice versa. Don't worry if the images don't fit the template, just crop them off, or better resize them - and pay no mind to aspect ratio.
Step Four:
Who needs a .com?
Not you. That's who. Why pay $8 for a domain when you can get a .tk for free? Or even better, a subdomain from weebly!
Step Four:
Who needs customs?
Customs ruin the game. Like Renewal. And Rebirth. I HATE change! So let's not change anything, and just leave it as Gravity intended it... in 2003. :)
Step Five:
Buy harmony before launch.
Why pay $400 for something you don't really need yet(or arguably ever)? Man, lots of the best sites have it. That encourages people to play. I can't count the number of times I've played on a server because of Harmony... Well, I'm sure someone has.
Step Six
Use cheap VPS
Because of the Harmony expense, you can't really afford a very good dedicated host... so, maybe go with a discount VPN. People are sure to donate enough to get the system upgraded :)
Step Seven:
Make all of your old friends GMs, and give them all @item.
What could possibly go wrong? This allows them to make events whenever they feel like it!
Step Eight
Selecting the client type.
What the heck is lua? I think XRay is just fine. No updates means no new bugs!
Step Nine
Splitting hairs
You could put up both a full client AND a patch client, but why do that? That's just double the headache. This way if someone already has Ragray, you can force them to re-download it for no reason. I'm sure they wouldn't just say "screw it" and leave.
Or possibly, if they're new to RO, or just haven't played in a while, who wants them? Noobs.
This one is a personal choice. Though I lean towards the full client only path.
Step Ten
Bringing it all together.
First, you need to download eAthena. While you're waiting, you should be able to do steps 1-7. Just a few short hours after your dream of running your own RO server, it's finally about to become a reality!
--------------------------
The Launch
--------------------------
Well, now that you've made of all the preperations for the last few hours, and you're finally ready to unveil your vision to the world. Get ready, things are about to get epic.
Step Eleven:
Spam
For some reason, no one seems to be joining your server. It's probably because you wanted to go low key. Well no more! Time to hit up other site's facebook pages and forums and tell everyone how your server is more awesome than the one they're playing.
Step Tweleve
Make insanely overpowered donation items, and make them very cheap.
You don't seem to have many players, and none of them are donating. So, give two or three of your favorite people some free +50 all stats wings, and them sell them for $5 to everyone else. That'll get the donations rolling!
Step Thirteen
Ban the people who play
Well, maybe the reason your community isn't growing is because the few people who actually play on your server are a bunch of cheaters, or jerks! Ban them. Make up silly rules that you don't post anywhere. Ask your cousin who only knows Python to mess with the client and make an "anti-hack" system.
Step Fourteen
Escalate the drama
When one of your scorned players inevitably comes to RMS to complain, call them names, mock them and proudly declare that you're better off without them and you hope they become a cancer on some other server.
Then, when other server owners question your conduct, flame them with double intensity. Accuse them of conspiring against you.
Step Fifteen
Rage quit the internet
No failed server is perfectly failed until the owner(now with a heavy victim complex) declares that the RO community is so vile, that it has forever ruined the internet for him/her.
Step Sixteen
Remorse
Realizing that you've over reacted, you apologize to everyone you've wronged. You reopen the server and unban your former players.
Step Seventeen
Acceptance
After all your hard work and effort, it seems to be the end of the road. There are no players, even your friends who are all GMs never even log on. You yourself haven't logged in for weeks, and the server bill is just about due.
You decide to close the server.
Somehow, at the end of it all, you don't regret it. It was fun in it's own way. And even if no one else remembers it, it will always hold a special place in your heart.
HAHA, I'm working for a server that seems to be in this exact situation. Was quite a refreshing read, thank you!
HOW DARE YOU REVEAL THE TRADE SECRET OF 99% OF PRIVATE RO SERVERS!!!
Bahaha :D that made my day, enough for me to log in and tell you how awesome I think that post was. :3 grand!
Pretty well written although close to a tl;dr.
I like you are writing this as a warning to potential server owner. It's not really a guide of worth trying so I'll just move this to server discussion. Because if they didn't plan for it as said in step 1, they wouldn't look for a guide in the first place.
Hopefully those that try to make a server will see this and get a few not-to-do out of it.
Except I want to say, who needs custom is fine for me. iRo back in 2003 was one of the best time I had with RO.
Actually, as much as it may be painful to say or hear, I hope that the 99% out there do follow this guide because that way there'll be tons of crap server off the net, less complaining players, and more filled servers, with which you can actually do something.
People haven't learned Quality over Quantity yet and that's why a lot fail. You can wrap up a pile of crap and make it look nice, but it's still a pile of crap...
Quote from: Erebus on Sep 22, 2011, 08:18 PM
People haven't learned Quality over Quantity yet and that's why a lot fail. You can wrap up a pile of crap and make it look nice, but it's still a pile of crap...
Haha ily <3
Quote from: Erebus on Sep 22, 2011, 08:18 PMPeople haven't learned Quality over Quantity yet and that's why a lot fail. You can wrap up a pile of crap and make it look nice, but it's still a pile of crap...
Plus wrapping it won't do anything - the smell still gets through :x
FUNNY STORY! :D
My science teacher learnt the hard way about odours and skunks. He found a dead skunk beside his driveway and left it there.
It rained.
The skunk stunk so bad, he bagged it up and... put it in the garage.
The next day, his garage WREAKED of decomposing skunk carcass. He took it out at the demand of his wife and stuck it beside his van for two hours, preparing to go for a long drive the following day.
No, the drive didn't wear the stench off the side of his van :x it stayed there for a week lol
Moral: You can package up rotting carcass / crap, but after a day, its smell breaks loose and you can't deny that it's still a piece of crap.
It's funny 'cause it's true (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8DYje57V_BY#)
The good thing about eAthena: Anyone can make a server.
The bad thing about eAthena: See above.
Great guide! The ending was spectacular and ties everything greatly together <3.
But anyways LOL, in all seriousness, I love reading this. New server owners should read this (BUT HOPEFULLY NOT IN THE WRONG WAY LOLLL) and learn a thing or two before starting their own servers... if they dare D<!
Some people may not download from eAthena--just tell their hosters to give them free uploads and edit everything for them before release if possible =D.
I object! Some people actually like the game how it was in 2003.
Ah, unfortunately the server I played on the longest in my RO life went down this path. It's a sad thing, watching something fail like this.
This is probably the best topic I've ever had the pleasure of reading on RMS
Lmfao I read through all of this and it just made my day.
Good job <3
fck i think you just explained,rexplained, quadriplyexplained wtf is giong on here lol.
Wow. This topic was so on point! Haha. A lot of recent servers I've played have been gone down the drain by the steps you've listed. :3
Probably one of the best topics around here in a very long time.
I'll give this a late new year sticky. Good work.
Nice thats true and this topic made me laugh but i disagree on step 4 cos 2003 RO gameplay is best for me and i know many players out there are looking for a server with no custom items all official items only
I just noticed there are 2 Step Four, is that the hidden message? If you can't count to 10 your server will fail? ::)
Also reading the list backward is more entertaining.
I came buckets when I read this.
So i bumped in this Thread , reads it once
LMAO
Read it twice :P
Very well written sarcasm /no1
Made my day ><
Quote from: Aurora™ on Oct 03, 2011, 01:44 AM
This is probably the best topic I've ever had the pleasure of reading on RMS
QFT
Quote from: crysiscore3 on Sep 22, 2011, 04:43 PMStep Four:
Who needs customs?
Customs ruin the game. Like Renewal. And Rebirth. I HATE change! So let's not change anything, and just leave it as Gravity intended it... in 2003. :)
When I'm looking for an RO server, it's because I want to play RO. If I didn't like the game enough "as is" I wouldn't be looking. Is RO perfect? No. Do you know enough about game engineering to actually improve it? Bloody unlikely.
Hmm, so thats how they become successfull....
Thanks for the usefull tips on my new server /no1
*Honored*
I've been here a few times and didn't notice it had been sticked :)
Thank eAthena for making computer science a little more fun for everyone.
Great original post!
This did really made my day. LOL. That sure was a fun experience /heh
Step Thirteen
Ban the people who play
Lol this happened with me, but not in the same extent of the text, my ban was "accusing the GM for be friends with someone without proof". No I wasn't accusing him to give items or wherever, my ban was silly like that.
People should be more mature, this server in question was a big one in the past, but now It's only 93 players on counting with the @autotrade, It's kinda sad, like a Pservers the GM's need to work with the players instead of mesuring who have the bigger e-penis.
Because of your guide, I was able to start DivinityRO. I cordially thank you.
-Cookie
EDIT:
I actually hired my ENTIRE family instead of friends. Nothing like nepotism~
^ But your server is at the top of the ranks :(
You have utterly failed at failing.
Nice guide!
Thanks for this Guide /ok
lol acceptance. HAHA
The rise and fall of the server.
Nice guide.
You need to add
- Do add @refresh to abuse it.
Regards,
SloMo
Quote from: crysiscore3 on Sep 22, 2011, 04:43 PM
Step Seventeen
Acceptance
After all your hard work and effort, it seems to be the end of the road. There are no players, even your friends who are all GMs never even log on. You yourself haven't logged in for weeks, and the server bill is just about due.
You decide to close the server.
Somehow, at the end of it all, you don't regret it. It was fun in it's own way. And even if no one else remembers it, it will always hold a special place in your heart.
Lol'd at this part but the last lines were true anyways.
OblivionRO in a nutshell!! And a little bit of VibeRO~
Sounds like Liberation RO before it imploded.
/heh Very Crazy trip AMP!!! /heh /heh /hehp
So much for making one then.
This thread made me laugh so bad but its the truth.
I couldn't even finish reading this thread without laughing so much lol!....Excellent topic. It should be a requirement of every person who wishes to create their own server. Hell I'd print it out and tack it to my wall if I were them....such a relevant topic. if you don't mind crysiscore3 I'd like to post this elsewhere and I'll give exact, proper credit :).
Quote from: Novus Orbis on Apr 01, 2013, 01:09 AM
OblivionRO in a nutshell!! And a little bit of VibeRO~
:(
I would say our server is doing pretty well!
Quote from: Jenova on Aug 01, 2013, 09:04 PM
:(
I would say our server is doing pretty well!
Step Seven:
Make all of your old friends GMs, and give them all @item.
What could possibly go wrong? This allows them to make items whenever they feel like it!
This is what's wrong with OblivionRO
Could I have some more information on this? You could PM me if you'd like.
Edit: Ah, sorry, just re-read your post on server reviews. I would tend to disagree on the Gamemaster corruption part (I believe we actually have a really strong and understanding team of GMs). I had checked the logs in the past and the GM you were referring to (I assume [GM] Vein, or Pi) hadn't actually given out items or buffed other players. If you have more specific information, please PM me. I do however agree with you about the elitist players, however, you will most likely encounter elitist jerks on any server.
I have never laughed at ro this much in one sitting. Well played xD.
I love this guide. tiem to make server nows. /ok
Quote from: Ret-ro on Sep 23, 2011, 04:43 AM
I object! Some people actually like the game how it was in 2003.
^ THAT!
Really needed a guide like this ty lol
true, made my day /heh
wow... your guide is very good.. 99% RO will failed if follow your guide.. thanks /heh /heh
Quote from: crysiscore3 on Sep 22, 2011, 04:43 PM
Step Five:
Buy harmony before launch.
Why pay $400 for something you don't really need yet(or arguably ever)? Man, lots of the best sites have it. That encourages people to play. I can't count the number of times I've played on a server because of Harmony... Well, I'm sure someone has.
One thing that always confused me about this post: Everything is written very sarcastically, meaning do means don't, but here, you state they should buy harmony but under the sarcasm that means they shouldn't buy harmony. Is there something wrong with harmony that I'm not aware of?
Quote from: Dragonis1701 on Jul 14, 2014, 06:01 AM
One thing that always confused me about this post: Everything is written very sarcastically, meaning do means don't, but here, you state they should buy harmony but under the sarcasm that means they shouldn't buy harmony. Is there something wrong with harmony that I'm not aware of?
It basically means, you are stupid if you pay $400 for something you prolly won't even use anymore because your server will go down. Or rather said, you would be stupid if you buy something for a project where you even don't know if people will like it. (sorry for my bad english)
ElariaRO has a good slogan "from small beginnings come great things". I was totally against spending hundreds of dollars into our project from the very beginning - Why? Because even though you might believe your server will have success you never know it.
Now, that we know that our project is good we can buy stuff to improve it. (:
I hope I am allowed to write stuff like this here. If not I apologize~
~ What a nice guide.~ /no1 /heh
You can add:
Make everything personal
So a player told you the forum s*cks? Ban the sh*t out of him. LOL.
So a player told you he experiences lag from his coutry? Trash talk him.
Don't believe that your server needs improvement, your server is the best server in the world and the players are all just bunch of free loader.
Get someone who has no idea about the game to become an administrator. /gg
very nice guide. i will try this now. i hope i "succeed"!! /heh
Quote from: crysiscore3 on Sep 22, 2011, 04:43 PM
How to make a failed RO PServer
--------------------------
The Launch
--------------------------
Step Eleven:
Spam
Step Tweleve
Make insanely overpowered donation items, and make them very cheap.
Step Thirteen
Ban the people who play
Step Fourteen
Escalate the drama
Step Fifteen
Rage quit the internet
Step Sixteen
Remorse
Step Seventeen
Acceptance
Sounds like the logical process of a Yrvine server
Also, to add to this comprehensive guide, I present Step Eighteen
Restart Make a new server and go over the same 17 steps with a new server and admin name.
/omg honestly i made some mistakes like a broken plan and other steps above as well hehe but i will still keep on trying to make it not as the same as the topic /heh /ok
Can we please have a moment of silence for the server owners who can't even take the time to change details before releasing a stolen/plagiarized site?
/... /... /... /...
Quote from: Yuzo on May 03, 2016, 08:39 AM
Can we please have a moment of silence for the server owners who can't even take the time to change details before releasing a stolen/plagiarized site?
/... /... /... /...
Those actually come in with the "$5 Ragnarok Hosting" packages. They pretty much just buy a pre-made server, site, control panel & client and not change anything except the name. No effort at all. /heh
Quote from: Summit51 on May 03, 2016, 12:51 PM
Those actually come in with the "$5 Ragnarok Hosting" packages. They pretty much just buy a pre-made server, site, control panel & client and not change anything except the name. No effort at all. /heh
The one I clicked on had a different server name in its banner and it said "Opening October 2013!"
... /...
So true, I've worked as a GM in the past few months in 2 server. Same issues, same sh*t. Just a different server.
You wrong with the title. You have posted compelte guide how to make success server with 2000 online.
(http://i.imgur.com/cHVpicy.png)
step 18 - Ask your ragnarok server supplier how to design your website, code your games, implement donation system.
You paid for their services after all, they should be able to help you as they are an expert in ragnarok.
step 19 - Buy a ragnarok server, you dun really have to bother where the server is located at, because in the end,
You are the not one playing it, you are just making a ragnarok game to earn players cash.
step 20 - Dun backup any of the website coding, ragnarok client coding, why backup when you are not going to use the backup,
You are editing the codes to improve them not to deprove them, its just a waste of time to backup those useless codes.
step 21 - Dun add in new items to your game, why add more items when ragnarok already have so many items.
You might even break the gameplay balance and destroy everyone's fun.
step 22 - Dun customize your town area, why make it different, do you think your players will like it better
than any of the original town area, If you are really that good, you should perhaps make your own game from the startup instead, lol.
step 23 - Dun buy help from scripters or graphics designers, why buy when you can edit your codes and design your own items for free?
Do you think others know your game better than you do? If not, why buy their services.
step 24 - If your server dun have much players, keep on paying that subscriptions to host your game servers,
the longer your server survives, the more players you will have.
Quote from: Yuzo on May 03, 2016, 09:55 PM
The one I clicked on had a different server name in its banner and it said "Opening October 2013!"
... /...
Maybe you clicked on the banner 3 years ago.
I pretty much did all of the above in the early 2000s, when Harmony was the most used gameguard.
know your server owner may not know how to take a screenshot.
on rathena, a person took a picture of their computer screen presumably using their phone. at the bottom of the picture was the 'PrtSc' button.
https://rathena.org/board/topic/115685-adding-module-info-to-main-page/
i think not knowing basic computer functionalities like taking a screenshot is a huge red flag and probably indicates the server will fail.
then again it baffles me how these people can figure out how to get all this stuff online when they don't know how to take a freaking screenshot?
idk im so triggered.
That's why we don't allow those "All inclusive" RO server package to post an advertisement on the paid section of this forum, even though it's not hard to find them.
Too easy to create an RO server isn't a good thing. Lately I found that a number of RO server/website under the same domain of one of the "all inclusive" RO server provider comes with a coin mining script. Of course in that case RMS will hide all the listings and topics with the links to protect our users . But when I send the server owner a notification so they can remove the script, many don't have a clue how to remove it or they would contact their host which would give them a run-around told them it is resolved when it is not.
This problem was brought up in the forum some time ago and it's still going on. Feels like the host is taking advantage of these people that don't know what they are doing.
Just a rant.
And those who are on Patreon would integrate eathena/rathena pservers to maintain it?
im from na and i played on this one european server and barely anyone spoke english (no big deal obviously)
the servers basis was after u get trans there was an alternate instance copy of the game with RNG monster stats / skills everyday with rng gear, nice on paper i guess but for some reason people would pay like 100$ and that was it, no need to farm since i 1 shot everything
thats not the problem though i dont care
there was this thing where u could just eat the mvp summonings it was so rediculuos that you could just fill an entire map wit h this mob and just use ranger to farm it, only ranger could do it though since low cast time high damage is just rediculous on a server like this (and since loot is announced everyone could see the salty 2$ USD/10minute income
LMAOOO
this was like the end of the first week and i asked the admin if hewas cool with it and he was like yeah i dont see a problem with only 1 job being worth while.... once you gear up you could do what ever you want :-)
cause im sure hes the one who wrote that too , ya right
A+
Would read again.
Don't be like Lai :D
Quote from: yC on Sep 22, 2011, 07:15 PM
I like you are writing this as a warning to potential server owner. It's not really a guide of worth trying so I'll just move this to server discussion. Because if they didn't plan for it as said in step 1, they wouldn't look for a guide in the first place.
Hopefully those that try to make a server will see this and get a few not-to-do out of it.
Except I want to say, who needs custom is fine for me. iRo back in 2003 was one of the best time I had with RO.
for me it was applejuiceRO and EroticRO LOL
try getting along with the hercules and rathena team
LMAO
So true.
I want to highlight, the "stay as Gravlike as possible" part.
The 1x rate or other superlow rate servers can't work, for the simple reason, they were made for 1000+ people/server, not 30-100 ppl. The concept having litteraly more field maps than players on a server is not going to work. Owners should understand, that making 30 people confortable is the goal they should set 1st, and if that 30 sticks, the new ones will come slowly.
For example, if I see prontera as the main hub, for 30 active online, I instantly ALT+F4 out. There is no right reason for the bigges city in the game, to be the main hub town.
^ Close to official is great, speak for yourself
Quote from: Aurora™ on Oct 03, 2011, 01:44 AM
This is probably the best topic I've ever had the pleasure of reading on RMS
Everything he described in the OP is actually identical to how I ran my server in 2005 when I was 13 /heh
the incompetence, corruption, drama... good times.