You see, im liking your ideas. But frankly they are getting alittle redundant (no offense to anyone) but the thread is 3 pages long about peoples hopes and aspirations for the emu project. We know all of this stuff. We aren't going to get anywhere until we actually get a server up, or am i wrong?

I want some things done, i want someone to post here who is willing to host a server 24/7 or as close to it as possible. Then i want us all to come up with a name for it, so as to not have to call it some formal thing. Then you guys post (within reason) things you want changed from the Emu Currently, and i will see if i can play with the emus code to allow for it.

Alright?

::EDIT:: Now im not a great programmer when it comes to C++, so i wouldnt mind alittle help my way if we got some more volunteers, my background is VB.

Very true DannMann.

A name would help a lot, then maybe we could set up an irc chat room, and leave this post alone. Question is, we need a name to match the server, and we don't even know what the server will offer yet, let alone if we have a good enough server to use.

Will it be a clone of EQ Classic, EQ with all the expansions, EQ with a different storyline, EQ using the EQ storyline and a different style of gameplay(pneu's idea comes to mind).

That has to be established first. I think for the sake of simplicity, and getting things to work the way we need them to, a clone of EQ Classic, or EQ with all its expansions. Classic being the simplist to mimic, and could be a good place to branch off from in the future.

Still an irc channel would help =P

I agree, thats why i was trying to get everything laid out. Although we might not even get more then 10people to play on the server.

Ill try my best, and see what i can do. :wink:

Some possible server names-

Al'Kabors Inferno
Waves of Prexus

I really like the Al'kabors Inferno

but lets not forget, please post here if you would be able to run a dedicated legit server, running as close to 24/7 as possible.

Dann Out~

You asked for my input... So, here it is...

What do you need to support a stable, legit server?

1) Bandwidth - a cable modem/adsl line for a really good game world probably just isnt going to cut it.. You can probably handle 20 users at a time, but above that and Im guessing you'll start to swamp. Downstream on cable is fine, its the upstream thats the problem. Find someone with a T3.

2)Machines. - I can run 10-20 zones with minimal problems on a linux server with 1gig of RAM, so I dont think you need 1 zone per computer as I've heard people suggest. 1 computer per continenent more like, and you probably will want all those zones to be static, not dynamic, so you dont lose zone states (there is functionality to hold zone states, Im just not sure how functional it is) . Alternately, run a machine or a few machines with 30 zones set dynamiclly, forget about zone status (people would exploit this to get rare mobs and such to repop), and hope you never have more than 30 people in 30 seperate zones. As a player, accept the limititation. Sometimes you'll just have to wait to get to the zone you want to go to.

3)Content - You need people to create content. There are a million quests in EQ live, most have been collected, but there is no tool to convert them into a NPCID.qst file format thats usable by the emulator. Create a converter and/or start creating custom content.

4)Balancing - Can you start as a lvl 1 and level to 20 naturally from Qeynos, from LesserFey, from Nekulos, from Halas? If not, you need to tweak the mobs, or alter the attack code. You need to ensure you've balanced the game for someone wanting to play. You need testers to do this. Write down the issues you find and submit. Some of the things we'll be able to help you with from a code standpoint, some are going to just be problems with your database.

5)Support - You're going to need GM's, testers, admins,etc.


As a start, I would think about the game from a low end standpoint. Start out a new character at lvl 1 and think about what he needs to progress. See if they are supported (different classes to, special attacks that need to be implemented, skills, etc). If they're not supported yet, put in a request so one of us can look at it, or if you're code saavy, do it yourself and post it so we can add it into the code. Start playing as a newbie character. Take a day to flesh out 1 zone as a starter zone, put in newbie quests, ways for the characters to initially get skills (skill trainers need work, just hasnt been on the high priority list).

Above all, organize and communicate. Keep checklists, post things you think we need to work on, correct things that you can yourself. Make it a team effort. If you post a request to look at some piece of the code (say you want to see 'flying kick' activated and its not currently working), throw a post up, I'll be happy to look at it. Hopefully the development team will continue to expand and we'll have more people that can look at more code issues.

Getting the people together and organized is a big piece of the battle.
Make a plan, and work through it..

Thats my 2cp worth !

Thx, especially for the server info, (i.e. how many zones, people and such per computer) Puts things into perspective.

We are going to hopefully get things done, first we need the actual server up so as to test these things.

I wish i could get my DB working, maybe thats what ill try to do today. Then i could atleast go zone by zone, implement newbie quests and take it from there. Its a hard thing though, cause then you have to tweak drops and such. Honestly, im not even sure if things drop off mobs... Does that work yet?

Well im off to check out my DB


Dann Out~

Winters Roar says 3.13 but does support the dec 5th patch...so it is essentially a 4.0 server...I know this because thats where I'm playing currently. Its a great legit server, and is showing some good potential. Swing by ex and we'll group up and kill some bandits :D

btw, I believe as of me writing this, that Wiz is updating Wintersroar to be fully 4.0 compatable in order to fix a few bugs.

I would like to start work on quests in the DB, just noob ones for now,but ill see what i can do.

Dann Out~

You know what i will do for the DB, ill make new recipies. Which need certain items. for blacksmithing and such, but it will take little skill. So you can "make all your items" kind of like questing sort of. i dont know. post let me know what you all thing

its like my theory of creating a ssoy by combining a "ykesha shard" and a short sword. using the blacksmith skill. Tell me what you think. I figured that its a good way to work things, and for uber items you can make blacksmith skill real high to make item

Questing, no. Making sense, yes.

Rare armors should be few and far between, most adventurers should be found wearing cloth, leather, hide, ringmail, and maybe a few pieces of platemail. Guards and people who have a meaning in society, which does exclude adventurers if you think about it, would be wearing either cloth, merchant tradesfolk, or platemail, guards and nobles. Much was the way of our own world. Course armies were always supplied with a diversity of armor.

I dont think that making armor should be so simple, or making GOOD armor should be so simple. Tailors would probably be more popular among the lesser folk, and smiths more popular among the rich, and noble ones.

I think different animals should drop different hides, able to make better or worse armor. There should never be regular "leather armor". Hair or silk should make cloth, hide should make leather, ore should make, well metal armor.

Then there would be soandso many stages in between turning the raw material into something useful. Ore into ingots, into whatever. If you catch my meaning.

Then again, this may only apply to strong player based tradeskill economy servers, where a Rat Skin Hide Tunic would make a lowbie adventurer well kept for the time being.

In other words, it could get real complicated. How to get most of the material is pretty easy. A bear could drop a bear pelt, when you skin that pelt you get the hide, and hair. The hair can be thrown away, or used to sew. The hide can thrown away, or refined and used to make armor.

Ore on the other hand, could be a problem. Maybe there is a way to code it in... make a mob that looks like a rock for instance, when you attack it with a pick, you have a chance of recieving the mineral it would supply you with. This may be possible, kind of like a pickpotting skill, for a miner unto a rock. If that at all makes sense.

Gemcutters would pay miners to find rare crystals(Crystal caverns comes to mind), that could only be found in one place, or hides of unimaginable strength, could be found on only one beast(dragons =P).

Just some thought, if not too much.

It IS a good idea, but it is also a VERY HARD idea. Its a tough time working just what im trying to do in.

That is some insane stuff.

How about we just lower drops on mobs to almost nothing. and just leave the current trade skills in tact?

Returning briefly to the original topic, EqEmu could attract more players by making it easier to access emulated servers. What could be more easier you wonder?

The point is to access emulated servers an end user must first download all of EqEmu (which will instantly be a turn off to many not interested in running their own server) and then they must read the readme inside the documentation folder, alternatively wade through the forums and wealth of information on the forums.

I would be more than happy to write a small tool to allow switching between live and emulated servers and optionally make a seperate emulated EQ folder all pre-configured. To work it would need to be a featured download on the main EqEmu webpage.

From an end-user point of view playing on emulated servers just got a whole lot easier...

Another idea I just had is when Wind Catcher updates the admin tool perhaps it would be more useful to list it with whatever is the then current eqemu version so that we can use the right tool for the job?

Pneu

Well, your wrong, and i dont like saying that because it generally tends to piss people off.

First, to just play on the hack server all you need to do is have eqw (which almost everyone does) and change the eqhost.txt Now how hard is that, its just a copy and paste maneuver.

Secondly to change back all you have to do is select "Patch" in the eqw window. Thats hard?

Also, windcatcher already released his new EQadmin.
go check it out. :wink:

That's where I've been playing. :)

The update is done, but it's currently on a rebootathon. Once it's running stable I'll be on all the time. I'm a level 5 cleric. I think the name is Aenar or Aedar or something like that. My compass is covering up my name. :)

cough cough back to topic. :wink:

i see winters fury (i think thats it) server is a legit server that seems to have a few people on it (as in the post above) maybe we should offer to help out with them. Better to have us all helping on one project than on many a different ones.

Join the mIRC chat and see what you can do, right now i hear its not 24/7 cause its a dev server, but i heard it will be 24/7 come the bugs worked out.

Lets see what we can do. 8)


Dann Out~

It's Winter's Roar, and I get the feeling that it's SUPPOSED to be a 24/7 server, but that just isn't working out. If you're looking to do some scripting for a good server, that'd be the one to go for. It seems to have an acceptable supply of bandwidth, which is more than can be said for 90% of the servers that pop up.

The whole 'it will be put up when all the bugs are gone' thing is what keeps a lot of servers from launching. Of course they'll never be fixed. There will always be some tiny problem in the code. In the meantime they're blowing a whole lot of time and effort trying to create a bug-free server or a 'storyline' or something else that will never materialize. EQ Classic Test anyone? :)

WR isn't supposed to be 24/7 atm. I have a powerful box waiting to host it, but I want it stable before then.

THEN it will be 24/7.

I stand corrected...

My previous point applies here. It was silly being stuck in the cat room, and it wasn't too fun not being able to cast after the update, but every time I check in on my downloads I load up eqw to see if the server is up yet. Stability or no, it's still fun. :)

Thing is, WR isnt your run of the mill EQclassic server. Its a custom server, with a custom history, and a custom map(moving zone points around mind you). In the end, it worked out nicely I thin, especially since it is really the first of its kind, and will probably be here for a while.

Well you could join us(i say "us" becuase we are all family in there, and i get yelled at a lot from women, so undoubtably they want to be family), in the chat room #wr.

Also there is a forum, and I believe a webpage in the makes. Here, http://wiz.addr.com/cgi-bin/ikonboard/ikonboard.cgi

DanMann

I know what I said sounds wrong, but try to log onto EqEmu and think like an end user coming to EqEmu for the first time in search of playing EQ for free. Pretend for a moment that you don't explore the My Computer icon and that you do most all your clicking on the start menu and on web pages.

The web page is designed, and fairly well, for the emulation software - it doesn't make things easy for the less technically inept but worthwhile community member often referred to as, the end-user. These are special members of the human race who have had their IQ surgically lowered to keep customer service staff amused.

My suggestion was to make a totally idiot-proof method to play on emulated servers for the benefit of these people and give it a presence on the EqEmu main web page.

Those of us who have the knowledge the setup servers are not your average user, everyone here is - *desperately searches vocabulary* above average *smirk* in terms of ability. The problem of course is if there are 200 EqEmu users, there are 200 servers...

Pneu[/b]

either remove the ^&*%*&%^ tradeskill or make it easier(ALOT!) to increase skill... i don't mind making dragon sclaed armor from dragon scale, but don't make me take 50hours to raise ONE skill to moderate...
mobs dropping armors are quite lame.. make them drop tradeskill items are good, make that there is quest to kill certain stuff to give mod to tradeskill and increase your skill too, and trade in item for increase tradeskill, etc etc...
the current tradeskill thingy from VI is deep fried BS...

I agree with hydrocyanic, which is one reason I asked if the quest engine could have a check for minimum skills on another thread. I want to do exactly that but it would kinda suck if it accepted a quest handin that lowered your skill.. :)

Pneu

RE: EQEMU Server
 

Forgive me if this has already been discussed, but it seems that the bandwidth/performance issues are going to always be a problem as long as you have one server trying to control the whole world. Why dont you have multiple people run different zones on the same server? Have like 10 or so people each run a few zones for the server and that would greatly improve lag. Granted it would rely on more people to keep your server up 24/7, but i think you could make a logon system for servers so that when a new server joins the world server the world load is redistributed across the network. I personally think it would work out pretty nicely, what do you guys think?

That can pretty much already be done can't it? By running zone servers remotely but connecting to your world.exe.

I could only see it falling over with persistent zones and when a server logs out, what do you do? If my understanding is correct then you'd just accept half a continent just logged out to play Quake :lol: but the next person to zone back in will ressurect that zone on the next spare zone server. With non-persistent zones I cannot see any problem with that as things stand.

Pneu

Back to a few posts before, mobs dropping armor is rediculous...if they aren't wearing armor in the first place.

If I go kill a goblin he probably won't be wearing any armor and shouldn't drop any, however the goblin LEADER itself may have been able to get his hands on a leather piece of armor, is stronger than most goblins (hence is the leader because of both these points) and if I kill the leader I should be able to loot his leather armor (provided I didn't put too many holes in in in the process of killing him.

But I agree, armor should not be easy to come by. If I remember correctly in EQLive the first 10 lvls it actually was pretty hard to get even leather armor because you couldn't afford it(provided you weren't given free armor or money).

I am interested in playing on a legit EQ server. I find it hard to believe you would have trouble finding people willing to play on it. I am all too willing to be a part of a legit server, and would have a lot of fun being a part of it. And as soon as i get some extra cash, I hope to put up one of my own, or perhaps help someone else out. I don't want Guilds to defend, I just want to have some good old fashioned EQ action, and have an enjoyable time doing it.

cbdarden

RangerofStrife:

In beta guards dropped armor, no one, do i think, anyone said naked goblins would drop full leather.

You misunderstood the post, Mobs that should drop armor, would drop it, if a newbie happens to come along on a dead guard and feels like looting it, so be it.

Varant took that out to opress its players before EQ was released, becuase by god the only people who could kill a guard safely, would be a caster who couldnt it.

They compromised and came up with random armor loot, with lead to more opression, and so on, eq become what is today, l33tquest.

You would be surprised. We all rant and rave about wanting a legit server, but back before this was a reality the most asked question was something along the lines of 'Can I be level 60 with full <whatever the coolest gear was> and GM abilities?'

Beyond that, it also takes a lot of work to design a legit server. The default db is not designed for very low level areas. The are no wandering mobs, no quests, and by default everyone starts out pretty far apart. There are also a lot of zoning issues. All the uber zones are fully populated though, which just goes back to my first point.

It also requires a dedicated staff. You have to want to give the players their game. This right here cuts out the vast majority of the enthusiasts. The players will want resolutions (well, for things not caused by the emu that you can actually fix) and uptime. It's your choice whether you want to try your best to give them their game, or condemn them for demanding so much. Unfortunately, it's usually the latter.

I defanly be willing to play expt one MAJOR Problem!!! Server stablility. you try to play and every 10 to 50 mins you get booted. you know how anoing that is. I meen heck if they were stable I would have no problem playing the game the old fashion way. working at it . but at the state of the servers been so buggy and disconnecting all the time. playing legit sever has no point becouse it would take years to level up insted of days and months.

but like I said if some one makes a stable server ie does not constantly boot you. heck I would play that server almost non stop. it would be like my new home.

kc7wzl

well, i don't have that problem, i don't like lvl1 legit, i want to start at later lvl instead and with a reasonable set of armor, say.. lvl 30 pal with full set of blessed knight(twilight sea armor quest) and a weapon along with it. is it unreasonable? up to you. i would say starts at lvl 50 and follow some low end or mid end guilds in eqlive's DKP system and give us certain points to equipe ourselves of our choice, or make our own upon creating the character and the DKP of the item is made by GMs. i can volunteer to be a GM to help the in game problem(dummy in script/programming)
problem is... someone has to start a server that does that
damn.. i am posting similar stuff for every topic, oh wait, all the topic are similar :twisted:

but that is what the non legit servers are for to level up and what not it's up the player how they play.

if I am going to play a legit server (ie the origal consept just like liveEQ) I want to start at level 1 and work up other wise what is the point realy becouse as soon as the mobs and other stuff is figured out ie getting almost just like EQlive then it would be nice to have servers that alow every thing like current servers do. and also at our finger tips legit server that you play the games as intended. between the 2 sets you coud start out what ever you whant or do it the hard it's up to you.

once you start out players with bunch of stuff and higher lever your server is not a legit server becouse you would not be playing the game totaly as intended.

so all the poeple that say I want a legit server but I want to start out with X and X well your conderdicting your selves.

here is the consept deff. of legit server "a EQemu server that in almost in all ways emulates SOE servers"

you don't have to cheat given the power you know but a legit server willl not alow cheating.

Well just to be clear to anyone wanting to start a legit server, I'd be more than willing to play in it and help out anyway I can. Now if I can only get the character generation screen to let me create a character without disconnecting me...

starts like EQ and change accordingly, you won't see any different from lvl1 to 10 in everywhich way for sure b/c you can't
i am saying 30 cuz its in the middle, plug in any number that is 20+
anything before that there is nothing you could have done
i am not saying that giving all the stuff you want to have at the start and copying the whole eq later
change the mobs of a zone around, make it dynamic, add quests, new items, spells but starts at different lvl b/c classes are different from 30 and 1, at lvl1 classes are always tank/priest/caster, but at lvl30 its changed abit, of course you can change them at lvl 1, but everything around you need to change it as well, how so? it will take more time than you think to change them and balanced or it will never
i have never say make the server not legit, it will be as legit as any legit server is, guess what, when everyone starts at lvl30, its no different from starting from lvl1 but difference are obvious between classes
unless someone tell me how to change eqemu lvl1 game different from lvl1 in eqlive, there is no way to waste time in the lvl1 game, even starting at 50 is not unreasonable since aalvls are there, this would make you lvl 100s(if you count the aas), but 20 or 30 or whatever is much easier to handle than a lvl1
you will just have to work up the loots(since what you have on you sucks) and lvls as well, given more hp/mana/spells which the class should have, the game can have more variations than a lvl1(3classes)
how is the game not played intended when people create a character of a class they chosen with the stuff they have on them(no drops)? paladin is paladin, not a lower graded warrior, nec is nec, not a tapping wiz, druid is druid, not a crappy cleric, in no way you can define a class unless you waste the time to lvl up, but the time you lvl up a class to a class you have, its a waste of time, no matter how long it is, 1hour or 10days, you don't have to give cleric cheal or shaman slow or chanter clarity, do what you like