What makes a good server?

Started by lilkillerduck, Aug 25, 2008, 12:21 AM

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lrellok

Hmmm,

I would say what I usually look for is quality over quantity.  Events, players, GM's, WOE, everything really. 

The servers I have stayed on or come back to where those who did less but did it better, or did a lot but only once or twice.  Like a single event per week, that that lasts for hours and has every GM involved (not just setting up, but running around interacting with the players).  Or a server with a few really good players who look things up and help ppl with leveling, instead of 1000 players who are mostly jerks.  The admin setting up a discount vendor when the economy dried u.  The guild leaders vending the rare castles drops when they did not need them, or offering to mail the armor drops to any new player who joined.  GM's who are on only a few hours a day, but spend that whole time sitting in town talking with their players.

I have watched the admin of a server, on his admin account, personally train a new player how to use a Wizard, cause the player kept dying to picky's.  That is a server I stayed on. 
The most dangerous thing a GM can do is to play NPC combatants as if they have brains, goals, and the desire to remain alive.
-Abulafia from WOTC boards

I have not failed, I have simply found 10,000 ways that don't work. -Thomas Edison



Auroraâ„¢

I agree with most of the things said here, minus a few personal opinions.

I noticed, though, you said if you were to "terminate the annoying people, we would only have about 5 players left." I know this may be a stretch, but I personally think it's a GM/staff member's job to get rid of said "annoying" people/enforce rules. I realize that it might drastically disadvantage your server, but if you think about it, most servers start out with nothing, and gradually grow. If things are honestly bad, or lacking thereof, then perhaps a new beginning would be the best answer for you guys?

I, personally, would weed out the bad fish that do nothing but cause trouble, and try and grow again. I've seen quite a few servers who were forced to do just this, and turned out pretty great.


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Poki

Nicely said by Aurora.

Well, if it's just better players and a better economy, then you'll have to learn how to be strict.  It depends on how far you're willing to commit in creating a community where players are the type of players you have been wanting, regardless of doing what it takes or how many players you'd have to lose.

It's a trade of quantity for quality.  Over time, you'll have both if you're patient enough.
To even get those type of players however, the server must be stable, and must be straight forward about its goals and intentions.  When broadcasting, make sure you mold the type of server that you want within your description.

Also, have active GMs that are responsible. Do not allow any glimpse of suspicion lie within a player's mind.  Keep your intentions real and not fake, have many events that do not ruin the economy. Be fair, not bias.

Economy can be a problem within servers.  If you're smart, you'd have the drop rates extremely low.  Having the drop rate low keeps the items to have more worth rather than nothing.  With low drop rates, you may have an easy time with the prizes with the events.  Why? Simply because almost everything is worth quite a few big bucks since it's rather hard to obtain such an item. That way, you won't have players with half of the server's economy in their storage.

Have unique events, and scheduled events. You and your staff must keep and offer things that players want.

What players want? I can't say, I need to know what type of players you want first.  Until I get the type of players that you want, I won't be able to explain what they would look for in a server. It will take a while to get players.  But, from the looks of it, you might have to start new.

bleu

#18
Today something very interesting happened on my server. They announced a whole list of Sloted Mid Headgears which can be obtained by Quest. Gather some stuffs, pay a small fee and viola... a sloted mid headgear. To make it more interesting a special item drop by Myst Case was implement - giving a random key ingredient to make a sloted mid headgear of your choice. Why am I excited? Coz on iRO we only had sloted sunnies - very expensive and virtually no new supply in the market. Had always dreamt of owning one and now I can  ;D

Why am I telling u all these... there is another side to playing RO. Yes WOE is important. PVP too to a certain extend and all those stuff people had mentioned...but players do still wanna look cool and special when chilling with their friends. I know of many RO players who collects Pets, Hats, Precious Stones, Dolls, Stat Food etc... well a sloted Mid Headgears top them all... not only u get a to choose what u want.. but its also useful - put a nice card in it.

Aragorn

i am proud of you... (>.>)

hey what are all these stupid f*** scribbles on your test?
OH BAKA SENSEI THAT'S NIHONGO

RULE 1:
Every post that disagrees to the previous to Aragorn is a flame or insult.

Shaelyn

Quote from: bleu on Aug 27, 2008, 11:22 AM
Why am I telling u all these... there is another side to playing RO. Yes WOE is important. PVP too to a certain extend and all those stuff people had mentioned...but players do still wanna look cool and special when chilling with their friends.

ehhh...I agree with this, but would not make this a key point as to "what is a good server."  a good server wouldn't need to lure people in with badass items.  now if they have badass items available to all, great.  but it shouldn't be the initial draw.

the draw for me would honestly be the staff and the playerbase themselves.  the quality of the community.  having awesome friends to chill with in the first place.

...and no, it doesn't take a server of 3000 ppl to do it.  in fact, it's easier to weed out the bad people on a smaller server.
~Shae


Anti-Static Foam Cleaner

Quote from: bleu on Aug 27, 2008, 11:22 AM
Why am I telling u all these... there is another side to playing RO. Yes WOE is important. PVP too to a certain extend and all those stuff people had mentioned...but players do still wanna look cool and special when chilling with their friends.

Are you kidding me? Most of the equipment is plainly retarded and makes people look like retards. And no one cares about how they look, people would wear a Bukkake Mask or Teabag Hat if it was another 2% against demihumans.

Shaelyn

#22
Quote from: Anti-Static Foam Cleaner on Aug 31, 2008, 04:10 AM
Are you kidding me? Most of the equipment is plainly retarded and makes people look like retards. And no one cares about how they look, people would wear a Bukkake Mask or Teabag Hat if it was another 2% against demihumans.

to each their own man.  there's plenty of those types of people too, who just care about how far their headgear will get them when lvling or in WoE...which is another part of the reason why I said it shouldn't be the key advertising point of a server.  ...but some people wanna look "cool" or collect headgears as a hobby.

...but really, you can look "cool" or "cute" or collect headgears on ANY server.  it doesn't have to be tweaked out for people to have fun with it.
stuff like bleu was mentioning is fun...but changes like that happen on every server too.

shouldn't factor in.
~Shae


Guest

Quote from: Shaelyn on Aug 31, 2008, 12:59 PM
...but some people wanna look "cool" or collect headgears as a hobby.

i prefer cute =3

anyway im like the poster child for this, i don't bother to do much in RO, but one thing i do usually do is hunt as many cute hats as possible, and whens the best time to hunt? during WoE when no ones around of course XD

Shaelyn

Quote from: JJJ on Aug 31, 2008, 06:18 PM
i prefer cute =3

Quote from: Shaelyn on Aug 31, 2008, 12:59 PM
...but really, you can look "cool" or "cute" or collect headgears on ANY server.

fixed ^_^
~Shae


bulbasteve

Quote from: Anti-Static Foam Cleaner on Aug 31, 2008, 04:10 AM
Are you kidding me? Most of the equipment is plainly retarded and makes people look like retards. And no one cares about how they look, people would wear a Bukkake Mask or Teabag Hat if it was another 2% against demihumans.

Well sure they would if more servers added a nice feature like dyes for headgears/weapons: http://www.mou-ro.net/node/53

They only don't care because they don't even know it's possible...probably cause they play on vanilla servers.

To me a good server is one where adding something like that is possible and you have an admin with enough knowledge and creativity to make something like that not only work but make it even more interesting and creative.

A good server is all about the person behind the server, 3000 people doesn't matter if the owner can't code his way out of a paper bag and has no game design ideas of his own.

bleu

#26
OOO... I want Magic Paint. Chilling with friends in Prontera.. wakawaka


Aragorn

sure everyone here seems to disagree to what i say but i noe deep in your otaku hearts you wouldnt play a server w/ only 3 people in it... but if you do... if you really do... plz kill yourself... coz your an embarrassment to all the people here.. (>.>) 

 Excessive flaming, trolling, and spamming will get you no where fast.

hey what are all these stupid f*** scribbles on your test?
OH BAKA SENSEI THAT'S NIHONGO

RULE 1:
Every post that disagrees to the previous to Aragorn is a flame or insult.

Pandora

@bulbasteve that's almost like saying "the only good server is mouro", yes skotlex is awesome, and few if any server owner can do what he does, but cool mods are not the only thing that can make a server good.

But I will agree that the person or the team behind the server is a good part of what will make it good or bad, to me dedication is the key point, you need a dedicated staff that will actively work toward making the server better, be it unique custom additions or just plain moderating to ensure that you throw out the bad people and being there to answer player's questions.
[color=darkblue]heRO is a great friendly, pre-renweal, unique and fun server with a great community, give it a try![/color]



[color=darkblue]Click here to find out more about heRO![/color]

Anti-Static Foam Cleaner

Did you just call me an otaku, faggot?