What makes a good server?

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

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Kasumi

QuoteDescription: What is it that you like about your server?

I like RetRO because of the great vibe I get from the players. :)

Whistler

I agree with the person who said different servers have different goals/needs.

I think that the GM team should have a clear idea of what they want in a server.  If they want something as close to iRO as possible, they should stick with that and advertise it honestly.  If they want something completely customised and very unlike "regular" RO, then they should stick with that, and make sure to advertise it honestly, too.

The different options in RO servers are good because there is usually something for everyone.

Anyway, here's what I look for in a server:

1. Good GMs.

By "good," I mean active, knowledgeable, professional, helpful, etc.  I want a server where there is a GM online almost all the time, and that GM responds quickly, intelligently, and politely to any concerns or questions I have.

2. Welcoming players.

I'm looking for very little trash-talking, begging, whining, etc.  My theory is that there's no point talking about how good you are when you can just show it during WoE.  So I don't have much patience for people who make tons of posts bragging about how skilled they are.  I also check the forums to see the responses to introduction topics.  This can show how welcoming players are.

3. NO IMBALANCES

I have a strict idea of what is imbalancing.  If you can't get it in-game through normal means, but you can get it through donation, it's imbalanced, in my opinion.  (Unless it's a pretty-looking headgear with basically no stats.)  If you can get it in-game but it's something like MVP/miniboss cards, it's imbalanced.  I'm not in favor of donating for bloody branches, statted headgears, any sort of cards, enriched elu/ori, or anything like that.  I don't think having money IRL should give players any sort of advantage, and I think GMs should be prepared to cover the costs of running a server so they don't have to fall back on imba donations just to pay the bills.

4. Updates

I want to play on a server that is constantly updated to reflect the newest *stable* implementations.  I don't want to play on an eAthena server that doesn't have updates that came out 2 years ago.  I know everyone has different ideas on this, and some people even like playing on servers that intentionally don't apply updates in order to make it like the "older" RO, but I'm talking about servers that claim they're up-to-date but don't have anything recent.  Either be old-school or be up-to-date; don't do a half job of it.

5. Organized, active forums.

The server should have clear forums that are reaonably active.  If I post with a question about my build, I don't want to wait a week before one person replies.  This isn't always tied to population, either.  Sometimes servers with higher populations aren't active on forums, and sometimes servers with lower populations are very active on the forums.  As long as people are posting and interacting, I like it.

6. Clear rules and clear punishments.

The server should have a clear list of rules (and/or a Terms of Service), and explanations for what will happen if the rules are broken.  I don't want to play on a server where the "punishment" changes if the rule-breaker is friends with the GM.  I want there to be a clear system where Breaking Rule A will get Punishment A, and I want to see it clearly implemented so that there is no doubt.  There should be a section on the forums to report players, and the GMs should post in each report explaining that it was handled.  Players shouldn't be left guessing, wondering if the GMs even did anything.

7. Some small customizations.

I like small customizations, like custom quests, custom storylines, etc.  Not anything imba or over-the-top.  I know everyone varies on this, too... and I think it's awesome that people have such a wide variety of servers to choose from, so they can get really intense customs if they want.  But for me, personally, I don't like it overly customized.


That's all I can really think of for now... but I'm sure I'm missing something.


As far as the original post and the problem of hoping to get more players with cooler ideas... this is what I suggest -- I'd have the GMs sit down and decide on some limits for customization.  Once they decide how far they'll go, then I'd have them post some questions and polls for the current server population, to see what they want, within those guidelines.  That way their core player base is happy, and they also get some fresh ideas to attract new players.

JennieJims

I truly think the players make the server. Personally, I like friendly players :). I hate when you ask a question in town and no one even stops to try and point you in the right direction. It doesn't take too much time to say 'Payon Dungeon' or 'Prontera.'

Pandora

Nice insightful post from Whistler ^_^ those points can seem just plain logical, yet many people sometimes forget the basics.
[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]

MVP Champ

1.NO CORRUPT GM
2.NO CORRUPT GM
3.Balance classes and game play
4.Customs are good, but not donate customs ( not that im a cheap donkey or anything )
5.population is good..!, you also need to give players a reason to invite friends ( events and updates and what not )

idk just my opinion =p

Zockerking

Its sad that "NO CORRUPT GM" even has to be a point. If you use common sense then nobody should ever (not in a game and not in real life) abuse his position, yet alot of ppl do it.

A good server needs a good community and good hard working GMs who care about their players.