Talonheim - Classic periodic episode release/ low rate/ automated playing-BotOn

[Bullet]

.:Talonheim Online:.


Dear RMS players,
I'm sharing a review (cum promotion) for the newly re-listed Talonheim Online with major changes.
This server used to be in episode 13.X mid rate before the following changes executed after careful thought on new concept & purpose. CBT recently ended and wipe completed. Stable OBT ongoing (since 17th Dec 2023- and no wipe is expected).

Concept:
The game is now being reconfigured to emulate classic RO play experience but with bot featuring as assistance to your play instead harming the game balance. With our increasing commitments and need for work/ life/ play balance- the game is modified in rates, features and protection to experience a sustainable nostalgic gameplay.

Core Server settings:
1) Base EXP, Job EXP, and Drop Rates x0.5/x0.5/x0.5 (to counter 24/7 bot usage).
2) Offset with special buffs available for daily claim.
- Weekday rates increased to 1/1/1 for 3 hours. (ExpBoost Master available for daily claim.)
- Weekend rates increased to 1/1/1 for 6 hours. (weekends claim from NPC)
- Rates subject to monitoring and periodic adjustments to counter long-term botting.
- Maximum of 2 active logins allowed. Eg. 2 bots/ 1 bot+1 manual/ 2 manual dual client.
- The server will now start from Episode 5 - Yuno, with ongoing updates scheduled.

Bot Limit Update:
- Implementation of xkore3 bot support, requiring adjustments in OpenKore settings.


Others:
- Jobmaster NPC now provides job equipment (mostly weapons) upon job change.
- Skill and Stats Reset NPC:
- - Resetting now requires a reset stone (obtained with x% drop rate from MVP/miniboss).
- - Added free resets for skills and stats (limited to 3 times).

Item Drop Changes:
- MVP/miniboss cards removed from drops.(subject to discussion)
- WoE Treasure box drops removed.

Dead Branch Usage:
- Dead Branch usage permitted as normal.

Autoloot Disabled:
- Autoloot feature has been disabled.

Zeny Adjustments:
- Zeny ratio changed from 1:2 to 1/2:2/4.
/ NPC item sell prices reduced by half.
/ NPC item purchase prices reduced by a factor of 4.
eg. Standard Red Potion (NPC sell 50z and buys for 25z). Now NPC sells for 25z and NPC buys for 7z.

As there is 2 bot/game client total limit per PC & IP. Despite the presence of bots (on a 0.5 rates), we are expecting and steady and balance game progression and economic maturity. The 0.5 rates is quite brutal for those intending to play more than 3 hours a day. As the game is catered for those especially seeking casual playing with reasonable time and to let bot run the errands. The spirit is to experience a typical classical official RO play without our busy schedule impairment.

Looking forward to your feedback and review to further this project if you align to the same spirit.
For those not familiar with the xKore3 feature we are utilizing to support automation, please feel free to drop by our discord for guidance. Its technically a @boton feature but not limited to free 3 hours and monthly subscription barrier for full VIP. Its free for everyone to use the automation provided in compliance to 2 per IP+PC limit.

Notes:
1) I'm just a player and assisted with classic content DB and bug testing and minor RMS promotion. Discord: sylar0921.
2) Server owner in Discord is meteorx64.
3) RMS listing does not permit rates below 0.5 (x1 is a little misleading). Please check the discord or above post on the floating rates.
4) ongoing discussion to emulate RagnaGoat for race of the day/ map of the day to compliment x2 exp on top of the x2 exp daily claimable.
5) our objective is to discuss and provide close to official experience with bot being balancing tool instead of game breaker. With manual play incentive provided for community participation.

[KingKungfoo]

I join the CBT and some bug got fixed before Open Beta. I'm really have fun play this rate cause bot can do my farm and I don't have to spend all my time to manually play. Every day and weekend got buff claim per character to increase rate to 1x 1x 1x. Also, this server really balances and strict for any abuser try to exploit something in the game. So, we all have healthy market and trading later on. I'm really happy admin make this server, it makes me to feel back my nostalgia playing classic RO.     

[Seekr]

Balances any abuse and bans exploits? On a server that allows you to bot, what even counts as exploit? What can be worse than botting which allows you to get almost anything you want with near to no time played? In my opinion this defeats the whole point of 1x.

I suppose it's still respectable in the sense that it's explicitly allowed on the server and if everyone cheats, it's as if no one cheats, right. But how many people does a server like that appeal to? I feel like few people want to bot in the first place.

Andd a good portion of botters do it for RMT profit or a sense of cheating superiority over normal players - something they won't get from botting on a server like that.

[Bullet]

Balances any abuse and bans exploits? On a server that allows you to bot, what even counts as exploit? What can be worse than botting which allows you to get almost anything you want with near to no time played? In my opinion this defeats the whole point of 1x.

I suppose it's still respectable in the sense that it's explicitly allowed on the server and if everyone cheats, it's as if no one cheats, right. But how many people does a server like that appeal to? I feel like few people want to bot in the first place.

Andd a good portion of botters do it for RMT profit or a sense of cheating superiority over normal players - something they won't get from botting on a server like that.

I think your interpretation is way off the mark against the spirit of this project intended for.
Firstly, congrats for figuring out 'its not "cheating" if everyone else is "cheating"'.

I would like reinstate the objective of this project and straighten up our purpose.
We're largely targeting a very specific and small group of player base that has either sentimental and/or still interest this old game (we're starting from episode 5. Yuno).

This group of people we're targeting is sharing a common niche, we're busy with our lives- job, family duties, social responsibilities, etc. We love the game very much but do not have the time. What most of us tried was to jump to a high rate server for a quick play, less time and quick satisfaction. But that did not work- simply because we're still
1) up to group of people who still have so much time to play. We may spend less than a week to reach trans but other players who have some much time that they push the bar too far ahead(competition) not because of skill or experience, but simply having so much time. Not everyone likes to be a masochist fodder to a sadist player.
2) when its high rate, we skip the very little things we face from the start. and jump too fast closer to end game content.

This project is an attempt to bring back both the nostalgic experience that comes with slow grinding growth path but not bogging your quality of life to it. Example of our typical routine,
eg. You may be free this evening for an hour of play,
1) you sell of the loots and junks bot helped you with past days.
2) do jobchange/ platinum skills/ etc.
3) over upgrade equips/ craft items/ complete access quests/ etc.
4) claim x2 exp/drop bonus - go for miniboss hunting/ or high risk high reward manual plays.
5) set back the bot for your needs. and enjoy your life.

the fix on abuse and exploits KingKungfoo referring to is related to Open Beta period. Which I believe is removing of portals/ NPC warps/ Database related to contents beyond eposide 5. Yuno. Although we are saying its starting from classic, we dont have true DB for classic contents. We took non-renewal latest rAthena content and just removed portals/ NPC access/ etc. for starting with a closer to  classic experience. Hence the need to fix these holes during Open Beta which I believe is the intent.

Your last comment on "RMT" and "sense of superiority by cheating" has completely smacked out the very essence of logic  given that our core values and configuration with 2 accounts max per IP is specifically to mitigate such risks of cheating. RMT exists with our without bot. Anyone with rare items can engage RMT in any server with or without bots. As a matter of fact, given that every individual here can automate in this server (with restrictions) actually gives less room to possibilities of "RMT". Due to 2 accounts max per IP/ PC.

I like your interest and time to throw your view on our project, but we would like to be stand corrected. You are however very correct on the appeal and size of group interested with such server. While we do feel sense of gratification of achieving little things on a slower paced duration, however we cannot emulate the experience of active market and economy due to lack of population.

the purpose of this review is to receive feedback (from players that understand our goals and share the same spirit) and at the same time to provide review and exposure to gather similar minded players to our new home.

P/S: I do not have any antagonism or negative perception those still able to play hours daily. Its your life and your right, but it just does not bode well with some people (like us?). I'm not going to be critical on your choices, each to their own.

[distilled1]

Personally, I agree with Seekr.

But how many people does a server like that appeal to? I feel like few people want to bot in the first place.

Well said.
When people think about delving back into their Ragnarok nostalgia again, most of them are thinking about actually playing the game, having a sense of adventure, meeting players, feeling the thrill of hunting, and listening to some amazing music.
Hardly anyone is thinking "oh yeah Ragnarok Online! I should load up that old gem again and let my computer play it for me!"

I really don't get players who legitimately like bots and botting in their game.
To me, all it does is cheapens the experience, and makes it soulless. If I'm adventuring in a MULTI-PLAYER fantasy world, and see another character, I naturally want to interact with them. That's what the game is about. Multiplayer interaction.
But when that character turns out to be a machine, it just becomes disappointing and dull, and if it happens enough times, players begin losing interest, assuming that no one actually plays in that world or interacts with each other.

If your philosophy truly is that "players of RO are adults now who don't have time to farm items so let's let them bot," then you should instead go a step further and think "how can we alter this game to minimize the need for farming so that adults will still have time to enjoy the Ragnarok experience?"

In my opinion, a better solution would be to minimize the amount of time it takes the average player to obtain the progression they want.
Examples of this might be:

• to severely decrease the cost of NPC items or increase the selling prices of players' loot
• altering certain quests to take less time
• allowing NPCs to sell certain key items or fun items that are normally exclusive to farming such as dead branches, cards, etc
• tweaking the bosses and enemies to become easier and less time consuming to defeat, especially if the server population is too low for consistent teamwork
• boosting job and base experience gained so that reaching max level won't take a year of no-lifing
• increasing the drop rate of items depending on the player population that month. Many items having a default 0.01% drop rate, which was designed for thousands of concurrent players, doesn't work well with only 100 players. No one can find a rare item they want in a timely manner and the economy becomes a wasteland.

Any of these alterations would reduce the amount of grind and time needed to enjoy the Ragnarok Experience while still maintaining a real playerbase of actual people to interact with.