Test server only NPC selling free ros and free money

[MagpieLee]

Please read this thread fully.

 

Can we have a test server only NPC where we can buy many of the rare things for testing purposes.

Things like:

 

Free millions of money.

Potions of Extra Mana

Rostogol, Binding, Enrichment, Serpent stones.

and other things too (if anyone thinks of something, please add)

 

All this is required to facilitate testing of anything and everything and most things.

 

One of the main reasons why there aren't enough people on the test server is because we simply haven't got the required tools, items and levels to do so. And the only way to get tools if Radu spawns them straight from the server.

Since you're pretty busy I doubt you'd have the ability to do this for everyone. If we have this, it will ease off some of the pressure of you spawning the items yourselves (since we can purchase anything).

 

The other main reason why people don't go on test server is because they don't know how. But thats another story

 

Things like this have been done before. Remember how some shop item prices were lowered and magic spell levels lowered. Note that I stress this for TEST SERVER ONLY.

[ttlanhil]

I believe one arguement was that it's hard to ensure it's all removed before it goes to the main server. So I'll suggest it be a bot on EL's server instead, then it's a lot easier to separate... you only need to add new stuff now and then to make it all work. the down side is that it needs to be near a storage to be able to give much stuff out, and limit it because some people will go nuts and buy stuff just to have and use it, not for real testing

[Alderan]

This would be a good idea. I rarely go on test server because I can't test anything. Not enough GC, etc.

But as ttlanhil said, there has to be some limit.

[Learner]

No, because of issues related to making sure it doesn't go on the live server and abuses by players that decide to fool around on the test server instead of actually testing thigs! It's not worth the effort it would take to try to resolve these issues.

[MagpieLee]

Yeah the people mucking about on the test server but people do that anyway. But you have to take the good with the bad and at least its a good chance to get them there!

 

And why is there an issue of making sure it doesn't go on the live server? If its due to an NPC then #you can have one of your bots 'sell' these items at 0% of their market value.

Edited November 17, 2006 by MagpieLee

[Learner]

Yeah the people mucking about on the test server but people do that anyway. But you have to take the good with the bad and at least its a good chance to get them there!

 

And why is there an issue of making sure it doesn't go on the live server? If its due to an NPC then #you can have one of your bots 'sell' these items at 0% of their market value.

But, if you put it on a bot, people will empty it's stock of gold and items, it's happened before with things like several million gc!

[bkc56]

It really doesn't have to be that complicated or involve figuring out what things to "give away". Simply put a bot at beam that supplies free gc to anyone who asks (could be some limit/day). This is basically what happens when a dev/mod stand at beam giving away money (like when the guild sales NPCs were being tested).

 

It might take a dev/mod to fill it up with gold coins every so often, but other than that it would take very little effort and it would be trivial to make sure it's never run on the main server by accident.

[ttlanhil]

or... if when user files are copied from main server, people got a certain amount of cash... more work than a plain copy, I know, and most won't use it(for a bit more hassle, check the timestamp on the old 2k1 file before changing it... if they didn't log on to 2k1 since last reset, then skip them. less file editing, and can still be done with a simple app, but still a hassle)... but at least you know everyone gets the same amount

 

in the end, though, any good solution is going to take a fair bit of work... even if someone has the bot code to do it (I could modify my bot to giveaway only once to people, of a set amount of cash), it has to be stocked... and if you give out a few hundred k per person, even millions of gc won't go that far

[MagpieLee]

Yeah the people mucking about on the test server but people do that anyway. But you have to take the good with the bad and at least its a good chance to get them there!

 

And why is there an issue of making sure it doesn't go on the live server? If its due to an NPC then #you can have one of your bots 'sell' these items at 0% of their market value.

But, if you put it on a bot, people will empty it's stock of gold and items, it's happened before with things like several million gc!

 

Thats because some people are idiots.

One time, Radu drops a clump of summoning stones. Some guy jacks it all. Testing is hindered.

We can save time if we have an NPC there "Selling" the items.

[The_Piper]

Why not simply let it be a bot which runs on the game.eternal-lands.com server and connects hardcoded to the 2001 server?

 

We have the trade bot source which Karlin/Nera/Emporeum/Agneum/Quartermaster are running. To add a givemegold command which hands out 1 million gc per day to a player shouldnt be such a big work.

 

And if someone really "loots" the bot and takes one million gc per day, who cares?

 

Piper

[ttlanhil]

1: anything running on the server will probably need to be audited by learner or entropy... even if they trust the person who coded it, a bug in the bot that allows code execution or something like that is a Big Problem.

and even a severely stripped down bot, with on;y the required functions, will take some checking, especially if they aren't quite familiar with the language. so it'd probably be run elsewhere.

2: a mil gc should be enough to last until the next server update. in a few cases, a few hundred k could be used for genuine testing, but most of the time that level of cash is only going to be used for... erm... 'bling', I beleive is the term

3: unless the bot is paid on the main server, and never used there, it'll have to be restocked each player data copy, and with a lot of cash. and paying on main server has its own problems. even locking it isn't ideal, because that is probably in the player file, and would get copied to the test server.

 

I suspect the only good way of doing this is some players who don't mind getting on regularly to give out cash collect money when radu is on to test stuff, and hand it out when needed, so people can't jump the entire bag

[MagpieLee]

And if someone really "loots" the bot and takes one million gc per day, who cares?

You're so right. Does it really matter?

 

I suspect the only good way of doing this is some players who don't mind getting on regularly to give out cash collect money when radu is on to test stuff, and hand it out when needed, so people can't jump the entire bag

I've already sorta done this once as have you. Several mods have done this also. For what its worth its pretty good. But its subjective, inefficient and has its limits. Which is why I reckon an NPC or BOT is splendid.

[LabRat]

Why not simply let it be a bot which runs on the game.eternal-lands.com server and connects hardcoded to the 2001 server?

 

We have the trade bot source which Karlin/Nera/Emporeum/Agneum/Quartermaster are running. To add a givemegold command which hands out 1 million gc per day to a player shouldnt be such a big work.

 

And if someone really "loots" the bot and takes one million gc per day, who cares?

 

Piper

 

My latest version of Agneum already has a "give me gold" command - blame Kirianthis for the actual invocation command

[Atlantis]

Seems like a good idea just to have an NPC on there, as long as there is a way to make sure it does not get accidently put on the live server.

As for people getting tons of money on there even if not to test what they're supposed to, who cares? People who got copied over with only a few k gc on there could still test tit plates or summoning stones even if they weren't on the list of stuff to be tested.

[SCIPIOGOD2]

Why not simply let it be a bot which runs on the game.eternal-lands.com server and connects hardcoded to the 2001 server?

 

We have the trade bot source which Karlin/Nera/Emporeum/Agneum/Quartermaster are running. To add a givemegold command which hands out 1 million gc per day to a player shouldnt be such a big work.

 

And if someone really "loots" the bot and takes one million gc per day, who cares?

 

Piper

 

My latest version of Agneum already has a "give me gold" command - blame Kirianthis for the actual invocation command

*whew* thank god I'm a (TC) member *logs on to EL* Edited November 18, 2006 by ELVARG

[Derin]

I t seems like some player s want to "have it all" on the test server, which is not the purpose of said server. And some use the test server to exploit secrets/bugs etc. The thest server is for testing things, and not to gain benefits on the main server, hence I believe that a test server NPC with these features will ever be implemented

[Atlantis]

But, how to test command such as the pacifist thing, summon stones, etc without gc?

[Roja]

I think that if ent felt it was necessary to do something like this he would look into it. Right now he does the testing right then and there, with the players, giving them the items as needed, listening to their feedback on things working or not.

So there's no need to argue more or anything, and it's not our problem really, it's ent's as he's the one who has to debug and make sure things run properly. So let's just let him take care of it if needed.