inspiration for a New Server... Peer-Reviewed

[Legacy_Nikolai79]

               i just wanted to get some input, info, & criticism from the community. i've been thinking about starting a NWN server. What led to this ? Well, i was joining several servers, and the 1st thing i noticed was that Shout channel was disabled on a lot of servers... so i wasn't able to do something as simple as say,  "Hello" when i joined. Also, most servers i tried out had rules that required you to RP at all times, and never go Out of Character. Whereas i enjoy the freedom to just relax and talk about whatever comes to mind.

Anwyays, lemme get straight to some of the ideas i had: The Primary Focus would be on End-Game PvE Dungeons & Bosses. Lvl 40 max.

And i was contemplating tweaking all spellcasters for longer Boss encounters. Ideally, i would like to tweak their Bonus Spells Per Day, but i haven't figured how to do that yet. But i have starting changing some of the spells (just to see if i could do it...) And naturelly, Time-Stop will have to be changed... I was thinking of either two options: Time-Stop still works server wide, but real players are unaffected... only mobs & NPCs. So essentially, everytime it's used, it would buffed the whole server... which shouldn't be too much of a problem for a smaller server population. Or, obviously, i saw people have already made scripts to change it to an AoE.

So, i already said that i enjoy chatting with other players... But i think it would also be cool if some of the NPCs talked and had voices to really draw you into the world, and give it life. Instead of just reading what they say, they would actually speak it. (haven't starting playing around with the particular scripts & functions that would do this yet).

And speaking of the World: i have not yet envisioned it... It has no name yet, and no story, but i am anxious to explore it (and develop it, hopefully with friends & others)... Heck, maybe there is no World Wide story... but maybe it's a collection made up by the inhabitants, so it varys by region ?

Also concerning the World... i was thinking of splitting this Unknown World up like onto a Cartesian Plane... giving each map an internal X & Y name. Example: p100n100 would stand for X = positive 100 and Y = negative 100... I've only played with the toolset a little, so correct me if i'm wrong: each map might need up to eight nodes for NSEW & NW SW SE NE ? Example: p100n100e for east ? or maybe the standard should just be spelled completely out: p100n100east since n stands for negative, not north ?

I've only thought about the Z coordinate a little, but haven't really come up with a definitive way yet... But i see the advantage of this naming system being: That when i collaborate with friends, i don't need to know everything about what they're working on... Just be like,   "okay, you wanna do what ? a dungeon ? a forest ? a desert ? You can have coordinates p25p38 and everything that surrounds that point: X = 24 to 26, Y = 37 to 39. You can go ahead & worry about the names of the regions, and we can incorporate them into warps, signs, & NPCs later... at least the area transitions will be setup for now." ?

That was my thinking. But as far as the Z coordinate, have the person responsible for that particular region do it however: Because i won't be linking to their Underworld or basements. But i'm open to suggestions on this & anything else.

And finally, we come to something i really do not know: If i want CEP and/or Haks into my World... The obvious downside is that players cannot connect to my server without them... And i find this really attractive: Very Easy to login with none. But i don't really know what CEP & Haks have to offer. i will have to do more reading & research on this.

Maybe a work-around would be to have two servers that are linked ? You have the standard basics for levels 1 thru 20 ? or 1 thru 40... ? And anything higher requires extras on the 2nd server ?

Anyways, these are some of my ideas... Any help polishing them off would be greatly appreciated. Also, i have some RL friends that would much rather get together & do Pen N Paper D&D (and probably drink beer ? lol. don't know). But that has several disadvantages & turn-offs to me: #1. you have to wait for everyone to be off work, and not be busy to get around a table & play, Whereas, with NWN, you just login and you can play with other people around the world... who don't happen to be busy at that point in time. Also, NWN doesn't require a DM... PNP does. lol... Also, with NWN, i really like learning new things. And maybe in the course of building a website & server, i can maybe get a better job. lol

Also, here's some really good info by BelowTheBelt that i'll have to keep in mind:

http://social.biowar...455274#14468738

BelowTheBelt wrote...

I'm not sure this is exactly where you were going, but I've spent some time thinking about what is important to make a "successful" PW. I call these my "7 Habits of a Highly Successful PW"

1) Differentiation: Beyond the world's 'story', this is the aspect(s) of a PW that are unique to it and set it apart from other worlds. In the best cases, these unique aspects/systems are integral to the world story.

2) Game Theory: This is the effective use of good RPG theory about the common play styles of players (explorers, achievers, killers, and socializers) and how to motivate and engage each of them in your world

3) Balance and Challenge: This is the delicate balance of encounter difficulty, rewards, and the economy (gold faucets and drains).

4) Quality: This is the "seamless" experience that a player has. It includes lag and the custom rules/changes that a world has made that enhance a player's ability to interact with the world.

5) Player Control & Creativity: Players love to influence their characters and the world. This includes things like opportunities to change their physical appearance or armor. It also includes the opportunity for them to feel like they are part of the world (languages, custom tools, personalized quests, guilds, faction leadership, etc...).

6) Evolution: Adding and refreshing content to keep the world current

7) Ease of Entry: The ease with which new players can join and become integrated into the server. Included in this is the use of haks, a server website/forums, or the openness of the playerbase to new people.

While all are important, to me, the most important and hardest is #1: Differentiation. In today's world of a mature NWN environment, it is not enough to have just another Forgotten Realms server. There are dozens of them. PW owners must have a vision for their server that is new and unique.

For example, In Arenthyor, I believe that differentiation stems from 2 sources: Challenging Replayability and Destiny
1) Challenging Replayability: Our party-based custom randomized dungeon system, which is integrated into our quest system and affects the PCs and the world
2) Destiny: The Fates and a player's destiny are key focal points in the game. Our Destiny system blends roleplay and the mechanics of building a character.

Why is Differentiation the hardest? Because once you choose those elements that you feel are differentiating, you must hold fast to them and be faithful to them as you build your world. You can no longer be a little of everything to everyone. Those players who are attracted to those same differentiating factors will enjoy your world, while those who don't value those factors will not become long-term players.

Anyway, that's my perspective.

               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Shadooow]

               

Nikolai79 wrote...

Anwyays, lemme get straight to some of the ideas i had: The Primary Focus would be on End-Game PvE Dungeons & Bosses. Lvl 40 max.

There are server with this idea already, the one Im admin of, for example - I described it in the other thread below. And that won't be the only one. I dont see anything special that you would want to bring so why dont you join the server closest to your idea? The action player population isnt so big and players are usualy loyal to the server where they play, they wouldnt even have any reason to try yours. And if this is PvE lvl 40 oriented, you wont get a single roleplay player there.

Have you already tried all action wise PWs out there?
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_henesua]

               

Nikolai79 wrote...

Also concerning the World... i was thinking of splitting this Unknown World up like onto a Cartesian Plane... giving each map an internal X & Y name. Example: p100n100 would stand for X = positive 100 and Y = negative 100... I've only played with the toolset a little, so correct me if i'm wrong: each map might need up to eight nodes for NSEW & NW SW SE NE ? Example: p100n100e for east ? or maybe the standard should just be spelled completely out: p100n100east since n stands for negative, not north ?

First of all, welcome!
Second, it sounds like you are eager to roll up your sleeves and play with the toolset. I say go for it. Your mod may be more ambitious than you realize, but if you've got some friends to work with you and play with you, you should be fine. Just enjoy it and have fun.

That said. The community is small now. And you may find many of us eager to get you as a player. We all need players and would likely be happy to have you spend time with us playing this game. But even if you simply participate with us in the forum while you develop your module it adds a great deal to the community. Your enthusiasm is a gift that I hope you are eager to share with the rest of us.

With regards to the part that I quoted above. What you describe could use "Seamless Area Transitions". It enables you to lay out your work on a caresian plane as long as you tag your areas similarly to how you described, and each area is the same size. Then you can place the seamless area transitions along each edge and your areas will link up. I'm using a similar setup in my own mod, with one modification, I am using multiple cartesian planes, which I call regions, and separated by transition areas which I name "Travelling... in <insert name here>". Doing this enabled me to create a map system that enables way finding to points elsewhere on the cartesian plane. You might find that useful. And you may start to recognize all the cool possibilities that arise when you organize your module on a grid.

Weather can move across the grid... '> Etc.... All kinds of ideas.

Good luck to you!
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Nikolai79]

               ShaDoOoW, henesua... i really wish i could try some of these servers... the problem is... i took an 8 year break from NWN, and i lost my boxes, CDs, & keys... i think they're packed away at my sisters house in Missouri, but i live in Tennessee. And unfortunately, when i emailed Bioware & Atari about replacement CDs or a download link, i got no response...

And i imagine there might be others in my situation... so i've also been thinking up ways for alternative account security, rather than the CD Key method... So that old players who have lost their keys, can still come back & enjoy the game they bought so long ago.

i've been reading about some1 (think it was Baelos) who was able to link NWN with a forum... So one idea i had was to match an account name to an ip address, and you use the forum/website to change your ip or add additional ips (maybe you're at work).

That's just one method i thought of... i was going to think of some more ways... And if anyone comes up with a different method, feel free to share.

it's frustrating not being able to join these awesome servers... And i don't really wanna buy a game that i bought 10 years ago... just for the principle that i already paid for it. lol

And btw, thanks for the info henesua, i will have to check it out... it looks like there's a lot of NWN info out there for me to read up on.
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_ehye_khandee]

               BIOWARE and responses to key requests is an old issue and not one that resolves in a way that helps your situation as perhaps you have surmised.

As a builder of a new server, you may find success in creating your own system - but I'm thinking that nothing you build in that regard would much help anyone with an established world (where the established playerbase would have to switch-over without letting miscreants usurp accounts/PCs in vaults).

If you are frustrated at not being able to join existing server, get a new copy of NWN. Getting a new copy, for as little as $10 would solve the problem. Granted you DID buy the game once, but YOU ALSO LOST YOUR KEYS. *shrugs* It happens; a hard drive fails without sufficient backup, a game book is misplaced in a move, malware eats a critical volume, etc., BUT none of that is BIOWARE's fault. The onus is on YOU to get valid keys, not on the ADMINS to make a new form of security to accommodate that small fraction of the NWN audience that looses keys and refuses 'on principal' to get a new set.

Have a look at gog.com they sell nwn with both expansions for just $10.

As mentioned by a poster above, several servers similar to that which you describe exist - you might find a world you like already there and happy for your help as a BUILDER, DM or PLAYER. PLAYERS are fewer now than in the hayday of NWN. While I am glad to have built my PW, I would not choose to start on one now if I did not have one. Not only does the founder spend time doing the 'envisioning' of things, but add to that the scripting, building, debugging, PROMOTING, and admin effort - jumping into that as a solo act is rough. Possibly not as rewarding as you may like given the late stage of the game today.

I cannot over-emphasize, in starting a new server, finding PLAYERs, especially in useful numbers, is an uphill slog. Most already have a server they play on and you generally only have a chance at drawing them in AFTER they have tired of their own chosen worlds. Other, newer games can draw those PLAYERs whose commitment to a server has dwindled too. Very much an uphill slog - soloing that is a thing you go into with your eyes wide open or you are in for a bit of disillusioning.

Best wishes to you on your NWNing regardless of the route you take - but I'd recommend you look for an existing server that matches your ideas of good features and join in in whatever capacity works best for you and that server.

Be well. Game on.
GM_ODA
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Nikolai79]

               Thanks for the reply