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Your views on how to promote the pk server and what would you change

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-I don't believe a/d to 120 is such a great idea. Simply takes a longer time to get there. Same for the attribute caps.

-A free trail is probably too much work/moderation. Same with no-multi-play.

-Increased find rares rate, could simply obtain all rares (binding/serp) trough the shop, has the same effect.

 

Besides that I like the summarized ideas, with the addition of PvP only in arenas or some entire maps.

 

 

What I think are the most important suggestions; (must-have)

 

-Cooldown

-Server chooser

-Mercury spawn

-PvP exp in arenas

-Scale a/d experience to OA by like factor 5 at zero OA

 

+Cooldown hopefully brings more main-players as they are used to it, see its advantages more clearly,

+Server chooser obviously makes it easier to join & is some promotion,

+Mercury spawn lures all kinds of players to a PK map,

+PvP exp brings new players together,

+Scaled A/D allows new players or resetting players to catch up with the older players.

 

I do not know how important the armor NPC and PP buying/Brod/Bod are to main players, so I dont know if tweaking those are a necessity.

Not sure wether a poll is a great idea, people often vote without giving things too much thought. If someone does want to create a poll, make sure the answers include some potential side effects.

 

 

#edit:

So I changed my opinion about cooldown, ONLY when foods stay like they are and multiple tweaks are performed. I doubt that cooldown on its own does anything positive...

Edited by ProHibited

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Old EL didnt have a max of 3-10 people playing,

Yes it did, i mean the ooooooold EL :icon13:

Old EL didnt have half of the stuff we now have on this server

I am mainly using the older half :pickaxe:

Old EL had old school pk which meant players could pk each other

If the difference wasn't 30 a/d levels, you still had a hard time killing each other

 

Anyway, i like a lot of the other suggestions, especially about promoting the server and 1 free account for every IP address. You also have a good point about not being able to play at all due to a lack of pk server, due to a lack of $ income, due to a lack of players.

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OK, here's my "vote" on what changes I think would help the server. Based on the summary I did above, I have grouped the ideas into the three catagories below (yes, maybe, no). If the PKers agree, I can see a couple of the "maybe" items being done also (Cooldown, #days, perhaps some of the removes for example) but not all of them (to many changes). Part of the point is to keep the number of changes low and their influence high.

 

 

Ideas that I think should be added/implmeneted:

 

Add a choose server button when starting EL - the tool exists, it just needs to be integrated into the next client release.

Allow a 1-month free trial period - This choice will not reduce Entropy's potential income, but will provide a way for people to try the server. Entropy's overhead is minimul too: (1) People register a character by PM (one per person), (2) If they like the server, they pay their $5 before the end of the month, (3) Once a month entropy reviews all trial account and those over a month old are locked, (4) Recovery of a locked account requires the $5 + $10 (or whatever) unlock fee.

Increase odds of finding/mixing rare stones and enriched essence - encourages skill development and would stabilize the current overly high market prices.

Remove or lowers minimum a/d for instances - would open the instances up for more people to participate

More equal promotion of both servers - this is a bit undefined, but more promotion of the PK server will always help.

 

Ides that I don't have an opinion on:

 

Add cooldown to all items except food (fruits, veggies) - If the majority of PKers really feel this will improve PKing.

Remove BoD and BroD - I think they hurt PK, and we don't need the extra armor breakage.

Remove Dragon armors - Not sure we'll ever be able to make them, certainly not in large numbers

Remove nexus removal stones - would reduce the grinding pressure to buy PPs.

Increase chances of special #days - could add interest, but at least half of them are bad.

Raise a/d cap to 120 - would give 100 a/d people something to do, for a while, then they'd be where we are now.

Remove the 5 person minimum for instances - I don't know if this would be useful or not

Restore merc spawn - could increase PKing as people collect merc, but it could also end up just be PKing of harvesting newb alts.

 

Idea that I don't think should be done:

 

Make the Pk server a free server - to much potential income lost, would flood the server with new chars

Make the first character per person free - to hard to manage

Remove nexus buying - no problem with nexus buying (supports doing more skills).

Return TI/Steel armor and greater sword NPCs - removes the dependence on in-game skills

Remove attribute cap

Allow rare stones and enriched essence to be purchased from shop - rare items are suppose to be rare

Remove multi-play - to hard to monitor, would require mods on the PK server.

Allow PvP experience - to eash to abuse with alts

Scale a/d experience based on OA or A/D so new players can catch up faster - too much server customization.

Edited by bkc56

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Note: Server code update are more a feature extension. The descriptions do not presume implementation is right way or sane.

 

So along with the new automated character management code. These are the pk server updates i think are good or acceptable in no particular order.

 

1. New automated character management code/scripts etc, (could be done in future some time, see description further down).

2. Same cooldowns as main, except fruit/veggies

3. A/D cap increase to 120. Or +5 cap increase per year until parity with main, would keep players longer term i think.

4. PvAnts experience seems fine.

5. PvP experience from arena, but consequence of Rostogol not working. And maybe capping experience up to about 50 a/d?. Maybe even up to 20a/d PvP experience cap for all non arena areas?? Just for new players if that's what they want to do..

6. Possible #Pki under 130.

7. Some Idaloran outsides non pk, to stop abusing c2 hell exit.

8. Rare essences/stones/some capes from shop at a higher price compared to mains pricing. (not attrib/nexus though)

9. Game Server Selector upon launching EL (with short description about each and when they went live).

10. Rename the servers to something like EternalLands and EternalLandsExtreme or similar.

11. Add dung events if they haven't been added i.e. do binding stones and giant rats spawn yet? These ARNT mini events??.

 

12. Retain multiplay (pk everywhere compensates for this especially if population gets high)

13. Retain cost to play but implement 1. to extend pk servers reach and population.

14. Retain no minievent (counter to multiplay with pk everywhere)

15. Retain missing weapons/armor NPCs. (new shop purchases would compensate this)

 

Update: With point 8. DHT thought attribute stones should be available as well. We both agreed on it as long as they are expensive i.e. no less then $15 or more. Since it helps respecs for a price, and also supports the server financially. I also like the idea of evanescence perk giving experience in PvP as part of its bonus, and maybe overhead experience as a different colour to let the player know when it triggers so it is useful on main server too, but would need a client/server update for that part. Lastly if the automated management code was sufficiently more advanced it might do things like linking shop purchases and kick chars offline with a message about receiving new shop items and add items automatically (if full inventory then delete lowest value/quantity slots as needed), or integrating with some future token system which Handyman mentioned in general chat forum.

 

Now I could envisage the server set up like above, with some extra work on Radu's part to get feature 1. implemented, but the effort seems worthwhile I would think. Also the pk server seemed more a supplementary to the main server essentially. Main server funds pk servers existence, but why not let both servers be independent and self sustaining in their own right?

 

The hard part is Radu must consider some extra coding work being added to the server code, to really help the pk server in particular.

 

This code addition should be made to be easily disabled where on severs it does not make sense, i.e. disabled for test server.

 

This code would mostly be for character management. And one of its purposes is to increase accessibility/exposure to the pk server without needing inherent exposure to main server first.

 

The code should have some flexibility to allow for easy adjustments to certain parameters etc.

 

So Joe Blogs hears about EL and decides to try it, downloads the game (in incomplete confusing parts which is a total turn off for new players, as they either play with no music and sound since as its too complicated to set up if they are even aware that the game has audio ? and therefore having a lesser experience of the game then what it could have been) and installs it. At the moment Joe blogs doesn't realise there was 2 EL games servers to try and gets sent to the main one by default. But pending is a game server selector which rectifies that part where new players become aware of the different servers choices to play on. Although I would suggest clumping the main and pk ones separate from the test and gateway servers as it would simplify the choice for the new player, the other choices are for special circumstances.

 

So now Joe Blogs picks the pk server to try first. A red messages comes up saying you have to buy a char for $5 before playing on here, and attempted character creations fail. Great so now you have totally rejected a new player from trying the pk server. Joe blogs doesn't want to spend $5 yet because he wants to see if he likes it enough first. So Joe's only option is to try the main one instead. Since pk server is almost akin to a premium version of main hence the initial cost to access this exclusive server.

 

Some here thought making characters free or just allow one free one per ip address etc. These are flawed in that they disregard the exclusive nature of the pk server or it becomes a constant maintenance keeping track of ip addresses etc. BUT with the new code implemented you can allow anyone to create a character on the pk server. Joe blogs now gets to make a character or a few on the pk server.

 

The new code will check if the name exists (also in the trash folder), if it doesn't, then creation of character goes ahead (the character has UNIX file attributes arranged to indicate temporary status). Upon login a server text message shows up, saying something like.. WARRING! you have 7 days 2 hours 21 minutes left to use this character before it will be disabled and 14 days 4 hours 42minutes (or use the future date) before permanent deletion. To keep your character permanently please purchase it for $5 before the permanent deletion date..!!!, go to ...url... for payment instructions..!!.

 

The code disables (i.e. moves character file to trashcan and therefore appears to not exist anymore to the game server) the character file if no payment has been made by the first time frame. Joe Blogs has another week to decide if he wants to buy it still. The code automatically has moved the char file to the pending deletion folder (i.e. trashcan were they get another week of life) after a week. This could probably all be done with UNIX file attributes for simplicity? (i.e. the new code creates two scripts for that particular character file for running as a cron job pending 7 and 14 days from creation, (better then the server code constantly checking characters file dates?). One script MOVES the character file to deletion pending folder if it meets certain predefined UNIX file attributes that indicate a temporary status, the second script DELETES the file if it meets certain predefined UNIX file attributes that indicate a temporary status. So if Joe Blogs bought the character within 2 weeks then Radu would log into server run a maintenance script say called "perming" and pass the character name to it, which would then check where the file is located, once found it would move it if back out of trashcan if there, and also change the file attributes so they indicate a predefined PERMANENT STATUS like all the other currently existing permanent character files, lastly and possibly delete the remaining cron jobs for that character name if they still exist although that wouldn't necessarily be needed if the cron job scripts only did their action if the character file meets certain predefined UNIX file attributes that indicate a temporary status.

 

So each time Joe Blogs logs in it will show how much time he has remaining to play and purchase it. And all this is automated, with only the job to run a script to make a character permanent when a character is bought within 2 weeks.

 

Now Joe blogs could keep making a new char to play every week, but he would get sick of that quickly losing any work leveling them, he could only get a week of gathering stuff to transfer to the next one he made. But since its pk everywhere and multiplay anyway and no rules its abusive effects would be minimal.

 

So with these type of changes the pk server can now have players start off trying it first and external sources can directly recommend trying the EL pk server now that there isn't a direct monetary barrier before making a commitment to it. This may have an effect of diverting more new players from going to main. And since main server is the current gravy train, it would suggest the pk server needs to increase its earnings power to make up for diverting more players from starting on the main server. So it would probably be prudent to offer other things like rare stones/essences maybe some capes?, in turn allowing for a flow of gear to be made by mixers, the fear of breaking good stuff will become less so, and hence more combat in better gear. Since less items are purchasable from the shop compared to main, rare stones/essences might be better priced if 2-3 times dearer then they are for main server?? to make up for the lack of weapon/armor etc for sale?.

 

So with the new character management code etc, it might offer unique or useful settings for main as well. Using new parameters like creating a new character to have one month play time, and cost 20000gc to make it permanent by paying a npc in game or it gets deleted after one month, or you could use it to auto delete characters that haven't been logged in for 4+ years. Plus other interesting ideas I'm sure.

 

Many other games have some level of automatic character management without administrator intervention. I think with the limited man power eternal lands has at its disposal, investing in some initial work may pay back 10 fold in man hours and income, and in turn gives more value to game players.

 

Hope this is worth some consideration.

Cheers.

Edited by DarkGuard

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Just some points, for those thinking about this thread all day long :)

 

-I like the 100 a/d limit because it is not too hard to get 100 a/d. If the cap is increased I think it should be increased after we get new players. To not scare anyone away from joining, promising an increased cap at some later time. A higher cap would get me to train again, increasing my OA level. Taking more positive perks and some attributes to adapt to cooldown.

Either way is fine for me.

 

-C2 exit from hell is a strategic point for pkers, would be a waste to see that removed (made non-pk).

 

-Rename of server to 'EL Extreme' (or similar) may be good for marketing purposes, since PK is not the only difference.

 

-FREE to play but with a payment of 5(?) rostogols IN-GAME (best solution) PER year (each January) People could use harvest alts that get auto-locked after a max of 1 year of use. All existing accounts get +1 year to their payment status... Or not...

[Requires some fancy script, I think something similar is really needed on main to allow purchases ingame]

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-FREE to play but with a payment of 5(?) rostogols IN-GAME (best solution) PER year (each January) People could use harvest alts that get auto-locked after a max of 1 year of use. All existing accounts get +1 year to their payment status... Or not...

[Requires some fancy script, I think something similar is really needed on main to allow purchases ingame]

 

Also an interesting method, but being time based it would screw people that were away during that month unless they could pay the npc with specified item at any time of the year to pay for the consecutive year of game play. But also how do you pay if you got locked out if you didn't pay on time?? Unless something like an automated character management system was in place it could work, if character is locked out for not paying their 5 Rostogols in time. The system would post a message upon attempted log in, about needing to play 5 Rostogols for another year of gameplay, so they are given a link to shop to buy 5 for their character, next time they log in the character management system checks account for at least 5 rostogols and deducts them, the system then allows for continued log ins.

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Warning, n00b is speaking ;)

 

I play on main a i will not play on PK, as i do not like fighting at all (yes, even such people exists).

Still i think i can say something here - why my friends are not joining PK or even thinking about it.

- it is difficult to even find out, that PK server exist and how to get there

- paying over internet is problematic for many people (esp. young) here - even if they buy games, they do it in stone shops, not on internet

- there is not need to go to PK server, when on main they can fight in all those arenas, NDD KF, or wait for weak players on PK maps given by quests/access to strategic spots (as hydro). There is even something like guild wars which looks like temporary PK server from my view with benefit of fast changing in and out for some fee in gc.

- EL is hard game, especially for low levels, so many do not want to start from zero again

- they think - be it true or not - that they would be just a food to all-powerfull chars here with no chance of good progress, until they became somehow all-powerfull too

- they are in guilds on main, where they have friends (who would not go PK) to talk with

 

 

So to make more people to PK server (and on the way remove them from main for time spend here) maybe could help address those points more, then solving some technicalities about "making PK server better for its present population"

- more advertizing on pages, simple chooser for PK server, some NPC/bot talking about "the wonderfull PK server" ingame on main, especially about legal mutli-play here

- consider other type of payments (send money directly from bank to bank account without PayPal, NPC converting gc on main/PK for PK coupons (and selling those gc for $$ to bring real money to Radu), some kind of free-for-start account ....)

- make PK in main much more difficult/impossible so it would be easier to get here, than PK there AND make it more interesting named "EXTREME version" "SUPER SPECIAL" and so on...)

- have some way to "convert" chars from main to PK server (say for 300.000 kgc to have 3 month "free") - IN ONE-WAY manner (char deleted on main, created with capped stats and adjusted store on PK - no way back - IMHO many would try it and then rather stay here, then start from zero on main - un-fair for old players here, but i think they would make for it with more knowledge of here-strategies and could use more targets to play with

- maybe some kind of "teleport communication" from this server to main and back - #ig counterpart for communication between guilds

- maybe even some kind of "PK-server-like instancies" on main, where the chars would be put on conditions like are here, with big promotion "on PK/Extreme server you can fight this way all time everywhere" (or maybe not -as per "too much of PK on main already")

 

I am not PK, as i told and I would not use it, but some ppl i know would probabelly try it and find it more interesting afterwards. And it would also move the predatory types from main to this server, which would result in safer main and more populated PK/Extreme, so it is win-win :)

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ok I got a response from Ent ;)

 

"I can't read the whole thread, just make a post on the things everyone agrees on and give me the link."

 

So we will have to decide in game what we all want come to a final decision and i will make a post for ent K

 

Handy

 

Thanks for all your suggestions you have made, all players Pk server and Main server.

Now its time to get a proposal together that a high majority of the Pk server will agree on and post a link for Ent

 

Handy

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"I can't read the whole thread, just make a post on the things everyone agrees on and give me the link."

That doesn't surprise me in the slightest.

 

I don't suppose there's a chance we could get him to look at the one-liner summaries I posted to at least get an idea of which one's would be considered? It's a shame to waste time debating about an item the he dismisses with a wave of his hand.

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After talking to some of you and using your ideas we have come up with this.

 

It would be a good way to test if these new changes would work also it would make the arena's useful as they are not used on the pk server

 

 

Only in the arena's

 

(1) Pvp exp (This will get players in the arena's also will help with leveling as suggested by mains players also would increase pk on the server as pvp'ers will be venerable)

(2) cooldown (COOLDOWN :) back to tactical Pking, but only in the arena's this should please most players on the server and we get the best of both worlds

(3) some rosto free (by making some of the arena's so rosto's don't work this will bring back Old school Pking which some players want. Would suggest making the NC arena one of them will bring excitement to HOS perk)

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Is there some discussion going on on this topic? Either ingame or on other forums? If so, can someone give an update please, thanks.

I have not been online much lately so dont know.

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If so, can someone give an update please, thanks.

It's in my basket and I've been swamped with work and RL stuff and haven't been giving it the attention it needs. My apologies.

 

Based on the idea summary above, I am preparing a survey (not a forum poll, but a survey using one of the free sites out there) to try and narrow the list down to a few items that most people feel would be good changes to the PK server. The idea is to figure out which items might have (for example) 90% agreement.

 

Once we have a list that people like (probably in the range of 2-4 items), we can present it to Radu to see if he's willing to do them. I'd have preferred to get that input on the initial list (no reason to vote for items he won't do) but it didn't happen.

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I might be sounding like a broken record (whatever that means :icon13: ) and I know I'm not good at practicing what I preach but the best way to attract players on PK is to advertise on Main. It's easy to get a conversation started then dig in and extol the virtues of the great land of PK! I've gotten a few people interested that way in the past, but now that we have 'loaner' characters for tryouts we may get a few bites.

 

Also getting in touch on Main and here in forums with people that used to play and try to talk them into coming back for a visit at least.

 

We have MrHide back with his invasions which is a great selling point, too.

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I haven't played in years, but I was wondering, if Mercury has been taken out, the only way to obtain it now is by making it, right?

 

Sorry to be off topic, but I just got through reading 6 pages, so I was curious how to get mercury now. :)

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I haven't played in years, but I was wondering, if Mercury has been taken out, the only way to obtain it now is by making it, right?

The mercury spawn was returned (in theory as a resource to promote some PK) but the spawn rate is SO much lower than it was before that it hasn't really had much effect. People pick some up, and also mix some.

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OKay thanks a lot :) I got the game now, just need to find someone to convert my gc from main for 2 accounts on PK server

Edited by Lexi

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I tried, I got no reply from Entrophy. I wont bug him too much, I figured he's a busy guy, I'll give him a couple more days, perhaps the mail didn't go through.

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I have been thinking about this "problem" with no one wanting to play the pk server. People have come up with tons of stupid ideas, and a few good ones to get people over here.

 

Here is the issue: People don't want to go to an empty server. The problem is, that makes no since, because in order for the server to fill up, there has to be people. Duh!! So if people began coming over here and playing more people would follow. I have been playing pk server in my spare time for better than a year, I have enjoyed it thoroughly. It isn't too crowded, you can have fun!

 

Another issue rasied. The find level for bindings is too low, the make level for enriched esses is to low....blah blah blah. That is not true. I have harvested very little cuz I really hate doing so. But harvested 10k coal, and 2k saphs, and guess what??? found 2 binding stones. That is pretty darn good averages if you ask me. I invsted in the arti perk, mixed 4k fire esses and low and behold, made 3 efe!!! Those are good averages to me.

 

 

So come on people, get your butts over here and have some fun!!! It really is fun over here!

 

No cooldowns on anything (I am very low 80's a/d and can kill a MCW with 2-3 restores! good stuff)

No mini events

Cheap rostos

plenty of room to move about

always people willing to help you out...

 

 

 

Seriously, it is worth it.

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Hi all

had a short convo with BKC this morning and what came up was the lack of invasions/events on here

Stupidy i wondered if when we had an invasion if it could be broadcast on the main server mod spam channel

That way all those with pk server accounts would know and possibly(hopefully) log in and join in

Also those without accounts might just get 'interested' and want to join in

anyway your views please

 

mental

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That is actually a great idea :pickaxe: today Piggy came on main and announced Sun Tzu as a result we got lots of interest, maybe special days could be announced on main to. I logged in thanks to the info to take advantage of the day.

Edited by Starlite

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Hi all

had a short convo with BKC this morning and what came up was the lack of invasions/events on here

Stupidy i wondered if when we had an invasion if it could be broadcast on the main server mod spam channel

That way all those with pk server accounts would know and possibly(hopefully) log in and join in

Also those without accounts might just get 'interested' and want to join in

anyway your views please

 

mental

 

 

I will be happy to do some invasions on the pk server, the problem I have had so far is the 3 times I have logged on to do one I found ~7 players online, and all where afk

 

Perhaps when you have a good number of active players online, you could send me a gossip telegram and I may just come pay you a visit.

 

I am not certain radu would like pk server secial days/events broad casted on main. I can certainly ask him.

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