i stay dormant on the boards (though i have been around for years...) but that i would make my debut post, replying to your thread.
The backstory, sounds a little to complicated (or that could be the fatigue of long hours getting to me) I would keep it very in depth, yet simple. (if possible)
Simple will let the fast paced, and A.D.D. riddled ppl keep up with the storyline, while the in depth part will keep people immersed in the world around them, keeping them wanting to quest, to find out more. Though, you can get very in depth with quest writing once you get the server up, and a perl coder to help ya out. (not exactly my strong point...but given enough time, sure i could do a little) That could further your story line also....
I think you are on the right track. One thing that i have noticed, that makes or breaks a server is 1) playability - being able to start out at a certain lvl (besides lvl 1) with decent gear/weapons to be able to just go out, and kill in order to build up your chracter. I wouldnt suggest starting out at lvl 65, but, you could build like KMRA, but with that also will come problems...especially with casters, unless you take the time to redo spells. 2) stable server - lag will kill your server before it even starts to crawl. Without it being up 99% of the time, the server will die before it is born. 3) loyalty - a good thing to have when running a server of your own. Dependable people to help you run it, that will not abuse what you and others have worked hard on, and willing to go the extra mile to help not only the players out, but other staff members.
If you do decide to go futher with your project, and need a helping hand...i would be glad to help out. I am no perl coder, but i can lend a helping hand if you need it. If someone you know, is a good perl coder, for the quests, i have tons of ideas to help out with to have custom content.
Hope is all works out for ya though, sounds like you are heading in the right direction, and starting out with a plan, instead of first making the server, then tryin to make up a storyline + content etc. and people log onto it, see nothing, then won't come back when there is stuff, because before, there was nothing there. Good Luck!
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