PW Superserver

[Legacy_henesua]

               Mavrixio, I agree. I think you have a very good model. And I would like to replicate it with a new project. Would you be willing to share your experiences in order to help a new initiative get off the ground?
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Borrie BoBaka]

               My main concern is the potential for the super server to suck the life out of other servers that can't fit in, or don't want to. But Mavrixio's comment on that this is a good place for new players to come in, get relaxed, and then move onto something more specialized afterwards compelled me.

Perhaps we should focus on getting the attention of existing PW owners to make an auxiliary PW to fit into this main server, make players of a 'shard' aware of these other servers for when they'd like to visit, and perhaps implement a system where players can use a code or something to get a special prize or boost on the other servers when they decide to venture out?
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_painofdungeoneternal]

               If this is set up, i can make a special button in my Never Launcher taking players right to this server. I imagine if this is done on various other programs, and in nwnlist.com, and similar places.

I could also download a small hak if needed as well, but this would limit who could join it to a degree. PW owners could contribute a character for example to act as spokesperson and do the dialogs for it.

This assumes it remains aloof and non-partisan of course.

( If we still had the bio-boards, i could point you to an example of a similar tactic was done for NWN2, and had some success, the main reason it was helpful, was a person in the community monitored it, and hopped on and talked to folks and helped them get them set up on the other servers. )
               
               

               

                     Modifié par painofdungeoneternal, 03 février 2013 - 04:04 .
                     
                  

            

[Legacy_henesua]

               

Borrie BoBaka wrote...
My main concern is the potential for the super server to suck the life out of other servers that can't fit in, or don't want to. But Mavrixio's comment on that this is a good place for new players to come in, get relaxed, and then move onto something more specialized afterwards compelled me.

On the contrary. Increased energy in the community builds on itself and lifts all boats. This initiative would definitely increase community energy. The Adventure Building Challenge is another initiative that I beleive will increase community involvement and energy.

Borrie BoBaka wrote...
Perhaps we should focus on getting the attention of existing PW owners to make an auxiliary PW to fit into this main server, make players of a 'shard' aware of these other servers for when they'd like to visit, and perhaps implement a system where players can use a code or something to get a special prize or boost on the other servers when they decide to venture out?

I don't think this is needed. And while the old hands in the community do not have the time or energy to help us build anything, I have already received some positive PMs agreeing to lend guidance - which we will need.

The first step is to build a team that would maintain the central resources.

A base module

and 

Custom Content compilation

Centralizing maintainance of these resources will unleash the potential of creative builders who lack the technical proficience to do so themselves. New PWs start all the time and fail. Scripters are too rare of  a resource these days. But if we agreed to get together and collaborate on an organized project many could benefit.
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Rolo Kipp]

               <practicing the art...>

I'm as excited about this as I was every time I've proposed or heard it being proposed. Yes. There's a bit of sting to that :-/ But I'll try to finish on the up beat, because I *am* excited by this concept.

I first proposed an idea similar to this when NwN was still being published by Interplay, who I moderated for. Back then we called it the Nexus, and the interdimensional locus was conceived as an eternal city floating in the starry rift.

The first consortium gathered to implement the idea was called the Gemworlds. Our model was to establish a common framework of content & scripting, but allow divergence to be built *on top* of that foundation. Inter-server travel would be handled be "translators" that modified chars & equipment to suit each realm. Sound familiar?

I left NwN in May of 2001. It must have been shortly after that that the 30 or so developers in the Gemworlds self-destructed. Sometime around there, Henesua's began his Amber initiative. Again with the implosion. CoPaP came much later and is still hanging on, but not well known, by any means.

Doom & gloom? Hardly. Experience.

My experience. Henesua's experience. Mav's & Baal's & every other admin that's dreamed of networking our worlds. That's a lot of experience.

Now, for some good news.

We've never had a better understanding of the engine, nor the networking. Game spy going down may be the best thing to happen to NwN!

We now have an open API that we can (in game!) poll for servers. Thank you Skywing!
We have a *working* Hub configuration that can link servers together *in game*! Thank you Baaleos!
We have industrial strength coder working on *breaking the hak barrier*! Thank you, Pain!

Wait. What?

Pain of Dungeon Eternal (with some friends) is working on bringing the NwN launcher into this century. He's been quietly working to get not only an in game MP server list up to replace Gamespy, but a whole gamut of improvements to both NwN1 and 2, including the ability to auto configure and update module when they are loaded. Gone will be the days of scouring the Vault looking for the hak you're missing. But even more than that is the framework he's building that will allow for hak merging & optimizing to be transparent to the user. Just choose a mod, let the launcher grab dependencies and play.

Think about that in this context. Worrying about whether you have the right hak to play - forget about it. Any player can play any mod on any server.

Now we come back to the PW Consortium. I love this idea! Always have :-)

But before we reinvent the wheel, I'd really like to see Baaleos join in with his experience with his Hub, and I'd highly recommend this consortium pay close attention to Pain's Launcher and to the politics of an all volunteer organization who's purpose is designedly slightly more difficult than herding cats :-P

The politics of the thing... Heh. Well. *I'm* not touching that part of it, thankyouverymuch :-P

But there *is* something tangible I will do right now. I will offer to host a website for whatever we decide to call ourselves and I will give you whatever Vault support I can offer.

I believe in this. And I'll put my mojo where my mouth is.

<...of always coming home>
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_henesua]

               With regards to balance, I think we could avoid a political solution to that problem. CoPaP solved it with an agreement. But I think your character translation idea would be much more workable and enable more freedom of expression for each PW.
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Borrie BoBaka]

               If there's anything I can do to help, I can. Above all else, I value the continued survival of the Neverwinter Nights community. If we can deeply enrich the game's multiplayer, then by all means, we should. We must. There are a few generic Persistent World 'engines' out there, but the undertaking of this Superserver would create one of the most comprehensive 'engine' to use.

I'm a jack of all trades in just about everything Neverwinter save for the internal workings of the game itself. I'd very much like to be a part of helping design and construct the base module as well as help out with content selection where I can.

Perhaps we should compile a list of all those who wish to be involved and begin to figure if we have enough strength to pull this off?
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_henesua]

               I like your enthusiasm. Lets allow some time for others to gather before we launch our efforts. I do believe we have the strength to pull this off.

My immediate plan is to get the ABC rolling. And contribute at least one module to it - that will be this month. My thoughts on the ABC is that it energizes the community and gets the engine going a bit more. Some more people might develop some useful skills through all that churn.

Come March I'll be ready to actually launch a PW consortium. Before March lets gather forces.
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Borrie BoBaka]

               I frequently get cases of wanting to accomplish everything as much as possible within the span of 24 hours. But in this case yes, the ABC is top priority in Community affairs right now and I'm anxious to begin work on it.

I'll keep an eye on this discussion, continue to work on the toolset and my classes and see what the future holds for March.
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_henesua]

               Great to hear it.

"And now we are two." '>
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_henesua]

                I'd like to move the conversation to another thread  to avoid confusion about the new initiative. My goals have nothing (or at least very little) to do with the overblown game spy issue.

I am dubbing this initiative (Rolo actually named it) Foundation.