Circular Serverserse, Final concept discussion

[Sard]

Just to clarify TR's to other clusters

With this idea, the distance of TR's only changes between x0 to x9 (normally 5600) which will now be 2000

and the others will remain te same
x0 to x8 5400
x0 to x7 5200
etc to
x0 to x0 3800

which is quite a small price to pay for the advantages.

[Erls]

Edit2:
There are 3 serververse maps
Are we discussing the potential routes to be taken here?

Just saw this!

I would prefer to try and limit this discussion to the serververse presented in the OP, ie the 'middle' ground. The first option in the original only had 00-59 as a change, and thus was rather small. The second option had every x0 - x9 connected, and would have nerfed TR distances without another adjustment made to the game and was probably to much.

The current option I feel strikes a good balance in giving every x0/x9 galaxy the same amount of 'ideal' TR sets without punishing any cluster.

Now, a couple options I feel should be explored more (if the TR issue has been accepted in this current version of the serverse)

1- Server streamline. Does the server open in the traditional way or in a new way, ie 00/69 first working in or every galaxy at the same time?

2- New clusters. Are new clusters possible under this change, or would/should an AE server with this change implemented open with a set amount of clusters and no others are added in?

In my personal opinion, I believe:

1- All galaxies should open at the same time. The biggest issue with this is for those who cannot start on the day the server opens, and would start fresh ~a week in with other people. I think one way to work around this would be to have the announcement of a new server happen sooner- preferably 6 weeks before hand. That could give people time to get off of work/make plans in RL to be available. If not, I would view it as someone starting a traditional server a bit late. You're a bit behind, but can certainly catch up- especially if you have a group/guild you normally play with to take you in right off the bat.

2- In my opinion, no new clusters should open once a server starts. AE could run a pre-registration period to gauge interest/collect some fees and give an incentive for players to do this. Say, if you pre-register you get 5 extra credits at server start (nothing huge, but 5 credits + the 50 from a 1 year upgrade goes a long way early server). From pre-registration, AE could make a determination on how many clusters are needed and make it known ~1 week before the server opens on how many clusters there will be.

Thoughts? Concerns? Flaws?

[Desmond Cheese]

The new Clusters...

IMO there should be an ability to add new clusters because of a whole lot of the AE community being non-forum users and thus they may miss the pre-registration gauges... I feel it could go very wrong.

Furthermore I asked a question didnt really contribute same as Ferdoc but cheers anyway.

PS. please keep hypnotoad out of FR workshop, i was caught on that image for a good 10 mins

[Sandcastle Smasher]

The new Clusters...

IMO there should be an ability to add new clusters because of a whole lot of the AE community being non-forum users and thus they may miss the pre-registration gauges... I feel it could go very wrong.

Furthermore I asked a question didnt really contribute same as Ferdoc but cheers anyway.

PS. please keep hypnotoad out of FR workshop, i was caught on that image for a good 10 mins

70 galaxies puts about 150players per galaxy at the current server cap, which tbh is enough.
Many new accounts past the opening of 00-19 are just temp accounts made to "push the stream" to your desired galaxy.

The current option I feel strikes a good balance in giving every x0/x9 galaxy the same amount of 'ideal' TR sets without punishing any cluster.

That is the map version I was working under the assumption we are using.

1- Server streamline. Does the server open in the traditional way or in a new way, ie 00/69 first working in or every galaxy at the same time?

I think all galaxies at the same time, otherwise the 30s would be the last to open and just become the new 50s.

2- New clusters. Are new clusters possible under this change, or would/should an AE server with this change implemented open with a set amount of clusters and no others are added in?

The only problem with the galaxy map model that limits movement and trades to 3 sets of galaxies is that adding new galaxy sets would cause a dilema of how to add them im properly (evening the routes to be taken between the X0 X9 galaxies). If a solution could be found to that, then I would have no problem with it. But in general i dont think its a huge problem as there is plenty of room for everyone anyway.

In my personal opinion, I believe:

1- All galaxies should open at the same time. The biggest issue with this is for those who cannot start on the day the server opens, and would start fresh ~a week in with other people. I think one way to work around this would be to have the announcement of a new server happen sooner- preferably 6 weeks before hand. That could give people time to get off of work/make plans in RL to be available. If not, I would view it as someone starting a traditional server a bit late. You're a bit behind, but can certainly catch up- especially if you have a group/guild you normally play with to take you in right off the bat.

2- In my opinion, no new clusters should open once a server starts. AE could run a pre-registration period to gauge interest/collect some fees and give an incentive for players to do this. Say, if you pre-register you get 5 extra credits at server start (nothing huge, but 5 credits + the 50 from a 1 year upgrade goes a long way early server). From pre-registration, AE could make a determination on how many clusters are needed and make it known ~1 week before the server opens on how many clusters there will be.

Thoughts? Concerns? Flaws?

I agree with all of that.
A suggestion could be that if you pre-register for a year you get a say 10% discount on the 1year upgrade.
however not sure that basing the amount of galaxies opening on a pre-registration system is a good idea, as you said, not everyone is a forum goer and many people dont plan to play a server until 2 or 3 days before (thats how i get hoodwinked into it)

[Erls]

The new Clusters...

IMO there should be an ability to add new clusters because of a whole lot of the AE community being non-forum users and thus they may miss the pre-registration gauges... I feel it could go very wrong.

That is the biggest concern. However, I think that if the promote the new concept in-game (IE, have multiple announcements about the new serververse in game) along with a 'map' of it and explanation that is soon enough before the server it takes place on, word would get around.

I know that in every guild I am in as soon as one person reads it there will be at least a day (or longer on the deader servers) where that talk dominates guild boards.

[Sard]

1) I would vote for clusters opening at the same time.

2) For the first server, I would agree no new clusters.

3) However I must admit I do not like, as specified, the middle ground option, preferring the 2nd option.
Why -
a) It is more confusing on why certain x0 dont go to x9 and others do, and now different than before x9 does not connect to every x0 above it.
b) That confusion spills over into TR's as some x0 to x9 TRs will be worth 2000, and others 5600, and again previously a TR from a lower x9 connecting to a higher x0 was worth 2000, but some will now be worth 5600.
c) Adding new clusters is not as easy, whereas the 2nd option allows new clusters to be opened with ease and TR's are not affected.
d) the nerfing of the 5600 Trade distance (the only one affected) I dont feel is a major concern, considering there are still plenty of 5400 Trs available. People successfully play with lower Tr distances all the time.

I think the majority of players will find the middle ground option too confusing, and although option 2 looks "Busy" it is very simple to understand and work with. Couple it with clusters opening at the same time, and noone is disadvantaged.

The new Clusters...
IMO there should be an ability to add new clusters because of a whole lot of the AE community being non-forum users and thus they may miss the pre-registration gauges... I feel it could go very wrong.

As erls stated, I also agree it would be discussed in the guilds themselves.

Alos, I think another problem here is AE themselves not advertising, via their newsletter to people not in the game or not in the forum, about new servers opening, before the the server opens. I was out of the game for a couple of years, but still received the newsletter. It would only notify you of a new server after it had opened.This was a problem as I was interested in starting up again but would not consider starting late.

Basically pre-advertsing should solve most of that problem.

[Ron Burgandy]

Sorry to say but nothing would change, pro guilds will still dominate new servers reguardless of how many noobs come at them.

[Erls]

Sorry to say but nothing would change, pro guilds will still dominate new servers reguardless of how many noobs come at them.

This could be said about anything. Pros > noobs, always.

The point, however, is it remove some of the inherent advantages to the 'Pro zone' on AE, ie the 00 cluster.

[Sandcastle Smasher]

The best and worse feature of this change is that it removes the 1 month long "battle royal" in the 00s.

Arguably it is the best part of any server with a high concentration of quality players in one place all levying for control. The forums come alive with it and it gives other guilds in the upper clusters the smoke to disappear into, staying under the radar for a good while. There is a similar thing in the teens but its less aggressive overall.
The counter point to that is its the best part of the server because after that the amount of profit made in the 00s (hitting good players > hitting bad players in terms of profit) gives them a huge advantage (as well as perfect trades + no back door) making the server less competitive.

Over all i think the change will make for a less interesting first month, but a more interesting server over all.

One addition i would like is a "Im feeling lucky" feature at the start of the server. Many people play the server in the current stream just to see where they end up, as AE wouldnt really have a current stream as all servers open at once, a random start option (read option, not standard) should be available.

[Erls]

I agree on both counts.

While it would slow down the pace at server start (at least for the 00s), it would lead to more enjoyment over the long haul.

As for the "I'm feeling lucky," I love it. You could either pick a galaxy or let AE place you in the galaxy with the fewest players in it.

[Near L]

I honestly like the concept, this is one of the best ideas I have seen in such a long time. It would change the very concept of the game itself to such a large degree, to make things interesting, and shake up so many things.

I myself am curious if the concept would be applied similar to the speed servers, as completely separate from the main AE-verse, or all new servers would have them included automatically? Merely food for thought, minor, but somewhat. And would such thing apply to the future-or current speed servers, or two speed servers created, one for the old traditional box, and one for the circle?

[Sandcastle Smasher]

I honestly like the concept, this is one of the best ideas I have seen in such a long time. It would change the very concept of the game itself to such a large degree, to make things interesting, and shake up so many things.

I myself am curious if the concept would be applied similar to the speed servers, as completely separate from the main AE-verse, or all new servers would have them included automatically? Merely food for thought, minor, but somewhat. And would such thing apply to the future-or current speed servers, or two speed servers created, one for the old traditional box, and one for the circle?

So what are you suggesting?
Continue a train of standard ae servers (ie O server opens with the standard layout) and make it so there is the speed and circular servers in a different category?
Few things;
1) Do you suggest that the circular serververse would reset every few months(or year) like the speed server?
2) Would the circular serververse be a speed server?
3) Or would it just be a normal open ended server simply listed in a separate category than the other "normal" servers"

So,
1) NO >:U
2) NO >:U
3) Actually I like that idea more.

The "speed server" part of the forums could be changed to the Misc servers part.
Ares = Speed (resetting)
Hades = Circular serververse (non-resetting)

If Hades proves popular, more circular serververses can be added and AE can continue with is original model of opening servers as they come 00-X9 too.

This also opens up future possibilities to more "misc servers" which act in the same way as normal servers but have one change to it.
At the least they will be a bit of a change from the norm, maybe could even prove as some testing grounds for AE2.0


Sorry for derailing the initial idea of the thread, just throwing a few more ideas out there ^_^



Also, Erls, totally just noticed now.
You screwed up the name of the thread
"Circular Serverserse"
>Server Serse not Server Verse

[Wlerin]

Hades = Circular serververse (non-resetting)

This should use a different naming pattern. Could still be A, B, C, etc., but come up with a list before hand of related names, of say, animals, or Egyptian gods, or cheeses, or something.

[Erls]

Seldon, you caught me. I was drunk when I posted the OP..

Anyway, not to get off topic, but the concept of a circular serververse was really just part 1 of the whole concept we had worked up.. We came up with the original 3 server options, along with a 4th that involved a circular server without clusters. A fifth option discussed was a server with 5 galaxys per cluster, but a lot more clusters than normal..

IE, the thought was each server could have a tweak to the universe layout. This would both help keep the game fresh on a tactical level as well as keep people interested.

The tactics on a circular universe are different than those on a traditional are different than those on one with 1/2 size clusters are different than those on a server without clusters.. Instead of the same thing over and over AE could simply make minor (and we are assuming relatively easy compared to lots of other FRs) to the serververse coding in the ~5 months between servers and then announce what the new server will look like when they announce the new server.. Or wait a couple weeks to build anticipation of what will come next. Something to try and bring back older players who have gotten bored as well as keep current players interested in playing each new server as it comes out.

[sternenpunk]

IE, the thought was each server could have a tweak to the universe layout. This would both help keep the game fresh on a tactical level as well as keep people interested.

I wanted to add my "Ceterum censeo clusterum esse delendam!!!" but I'll just leave it by I'd like that very much.

A circular universe would be a little bit better than now, but I think some more radical adjustments are needed.