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What Would Be YOUR Recipe for Success?

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This isn't a suggestion thread or a debate thread.  It's just a fun, speculative, what-if-I-were-Rolf thread.  Let's keep it in good fun, ok?


 


Pretend you were Rolf and you could pick and choose any/all Wurm features to craft your own recipe for success in wurm.  What would it look like?


 


Here is mine:


 


1.  Add all the Epic/Challenge content to the PVE environment.


2.  Increase creature strength/combat 5x across the whole of the animal kingdom.


3.  Give humanoid creatures (trolls, goblins, etc) increased intelligence so they can use war machines, siege player deeds, roam in raiding bands, and wreak general havoc.


4.  Provide voluntary Alliance v/s Alliance wars/treaties that place members in PVP against each other (turns on all PVP abilities) for a minimum fixed period of time but leave all other deeds/players safe from harm unless they choose to enter the fray.


5.  One-on-one consensual PVP dueling, with winner looting loser. 


6.  Provide a bonus to deeds at war by removing all bsb attrition and on-deed decay for deeds paid up >30 during times of war.


7.  Provide free spirit templars but inverse to deed population (smaller deeds get more free templars, larger deeds get fewer free templars).


 


That's mine.  What's yours?


 


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Call up his old friend Notch and invite over for a Lunch, and ask if Notch wanna be part of Wurm again.


Someday Notch gonna get bored of being a billionaire and wanna use his creative mind for something awesome.


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A new engine.

 

This.

 

And do what CCP does(which is fun 'cuz part of it is already on the OP).

Edited by Alec

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Depends what success is.


More income or happier playerbase or happier ME


 


I would personally want to see PvP zones inside PvE maps, stuff like HotA


Not sure if a way to success, but something I want :D


Edited by silakka
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I've seen many games die or lose 95% of their members in the time wurm has been around. I think rolf is doing something right for surviving this long, so I dont think anyone knows better. A million people thought they had great ideas and they failed, wurm is still going.


 


I hate fun.


Edited by Judicator
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For starters: completely ditch Java, and as a result basically force a full engine rewrite.


 


Increased character customization. Either in the way of clothing body shapes/body types


 


Find someone who knows what they're talking about and fix PvP to keep that crowd happy. (that person certainly isn't me- Honestly, I'd probably even ruin PvE :P)


 


Give newbies a 10ql unimpable longsword, instead of the utterly useless shortsword they get.


 


Allow merchants to sell anything. Boats, deeds, characters... (Activate merchant contract, Right click boat/token/object > Add to merchant *dialog pops up asking what price you would like to set the object to* Boats and other objects would need to be nearby for this to work. For boats, ownership would auto-transfer over and if sold boat has a lock the key would materialize in the buyer's inventory. Change that lock asap, one would never know if the seller made a copy :ph34r: )


 


Edit: Hm, I really should make a suggestion for the last one.


Edited by Karthannar
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Depends what success is.

More income or happier playerbase or happier ME

 

I would personally want to see PvP zones inside PvE maps, stuff like HotA

Not sure if a way to success, but something I want :D

 

Defently, a pvp zone on each server for HOTA based events and such would be fantastic (allow villages to compete for items ect and would make village life more attractive than a billion hermits)

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listen to the players


optimize the client (not Java)


"fix" moderation - warn/mute/ban people who actually hurt the game, not those who just make mistakes


fix PvP and PvE - CODE SPLIT NOW!


halt adding new content until old bugs are fixed properly


merge Epic onto one new 4,096 x 4,096 tile map


consider Chaos map resets


scrap Challenge


make PvP more attractive to the PvE community while keeping it attractive to the current population


consider closing some servers to bring the community closer


ask Freedom what it wants (I don't know what it wants)


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If I were the great and powerful Rolf ...


 


  1) Destroy the world and start over on a huge server (say 4x Xanadu as we were originally pitched) with less regional ore diversity.


  2) Denounce all existing Kingdoms


  3) Enable village vs village pvp (Declared war that costs silver to maintain) with reputation system enabled for wilderness encounters with other players


  4) Make pvp death less costly (partial loot and massive debuffs to combat effectiveness if died on enemy territory for xxx time)


  5) Limited ability to raid a settlement based (timed duration per xx where damage can be inflicted) 


  6) Systems in place where player mercenaries can be hired to fight on behalf / with besieged settlements for xxx duration


  7) Invent Sod Off button to be pressed when people whine about this


  8) Make wildlife behave more aggressively when settlements encroach on their lairs (stronger, more numerous until driven away)


  9) Make dangerous / intelligent mobs actively attack / raid settlements that are close to their territory and especially dangerous at night


  10) Enable mechanics to help prevent being overrun with aggressive nocturnal mobs (fire to help keeps the wolves at bay)


  11) Much longer seasons with environmental effects to force you to equip appropriately for the season (fur coats for winter to stop from freezing to death, etc)


  12 Roaming traders that randomly setup camp close to player settlements that will buy / sell specific random goods upto xx value (as a replacement for drains that gives everyone an opportunity to luck out with one nearby)


 13) Many, many additions for personal gear (armour, weapons, clothing etc) to give people an opportunity to play medieval dress up


 


Plus many many more if I had time to sit down and properly think about it. Anyway, this is how I'd want to play Wurm. In a nutshell, open pvp with war declaration mechanics for raiding, limited looting with combat bias for the defending deed (in raids) with more aggressive mobs and regional ores to encourage proper trade server wide. Also, player policing of behaviour using a reputation system or set of player designated laws they would need to enforce themselves if they wished adherence. 


 


Oh, and lasers.


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Hire a project manager


Take on  investors


Open a kickstarter or go for steam green light; increase the bank account so more things can get done.


Complete re-write of the server files and while doing so cleaning out bugs that have existed for years.


Complete re-write of the client files, again cleaning out old bugs.


Re-write the support system so that it allows full monitoring of all staff members, at all levels, at all times. Who viewed what ticket, when, etc. 


Fire the vast majority of the moderation team.


Obtain new moderation team and offer a compensation.


Obtain a formal test team under proper NDA and create a formal testing process for all features.


Code split PvP and PvE.


Add micro-transactions for cosmetic and decorative items ie. additional unlock facial features (hairs, eyes, skins, builds, etc.), different style base clothing.


All content that goes to the PvP servers, also goes to the PvE servers except optimized for a PvE type environment ie. all the new war equipment, maybe just for looks for a "badass" castle deed look.


Complete re-write of the combat system.


Put rolf in a bar somewhere far from a computer, give him a debit card attached to the bank account where his check will be deposited and tell him to have fun.


 


..... Going to end here because Im tired and really this list could go on and on but these are some the fundamental things I would do.


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holy moly Busted that was a wall of text right there, but u r right on all points =)


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If I were Rolf the god of Wurm I would have long ago opened a new "PvE" server the size of Xanadu that had no aggressive animals upon it. Everyone that had a deed would be offered to option to disband theirs for a full refund of all costs spent upon it, if they chose to move to this server.


 


There would be some of the lower types of non-aggro aggros such as wolves and bears but they would be peaceful unless attacked. These and domestic animals could then be used as meat sources.


 


The whole server would have a distinct different tone of peace to it, as if living in a long since departed land that never was but yet could be. For those aggressive types of individuals it would satisfy them so little that their bodies would slowly start to wither away and an inner compulsion would build in strength in opposition that would compel them to leave this island continent, never to return again. They would then promptly spread the word to their likeminded friends, who would shudder at the thought of this peaceful land, tearing out their hair in frustration, and never then make the mistake of venturing there themselves.


 


Then I would go back to fiddling with pvp and PvE aggros to satisfy those remaining types of individuals, being amazed at how this new yet old peaceful continent would continue to grow in popularity to surpass the others. Still, I would focus on these lesser pvp minions and lovers of aggressive mobs because well, that's just the way I am, being Rolf of course.


 


*smiles fondly at Rolf and congratulates for his wisdom*


(which is actually me, if it is what I were to be, that being he)


 


=Ayes=


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recipe for success?  


 


bacon.  just add bacon, it makes everything better.


 


.


 


 


 


.


 


 


ok, on a more serious note.


 


-spend some time on balancing out and fleshing out existing content, cooking, permissions, sailing, etc.


-a small server (200x200 tiles perhaps) to hold special events.  allow FREEDOM players to build portals to it, they arrive at one huge portal there, and when returning go back to exactly the same spot they left from. GM's would control the server, wiping it and helping to set up events there on a semi-regular basis such as impalongs, zombie battles, etc. (in the case of the impalongs GM support would be limited to landscaping, players would still have control of building etc and no ore would exist on the event server it would have to be brought in)


-a similar server if desired by those on epic, but the nature of the play there would seem to make such an undertaking more difficult, and due to the different skill gain speeds allowing both groups to access the same event server would be contraindicated. 


 


-remove decay on everything except food when it is stored on deed.


 


-oh, and bacon.


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"The Wurmhole"


 


If I were Rolf, I'd have this awesome forum name and want to incorporate into the game. This is how:


 


Create a new game engine that allows the players to create their own islands/servers. It would be a massive fee to buy into this exclusive feature. Something like 1000e to buy in and a recurring monthly maintenance fee.


-  Once you are in, you get to design the island, all within certain Wurmian laws of physics and resources.


-  You get to decide if this world will attach or remain unlinked from other servers.


-  Deeds cost, traders goods cost, all that stuff follows same rules, but now a small portion pays back to the player, as a potential income stream.  If you manage to attract tons of people to your server, because you are so awesome, then why not reap the rewards.


-  You now manage the chat channels for your server and recruit minions to assist for round the clock coverage.


-  The mechanics still remain the same as the core CC provided servers.  100 top skill, 40 max slope for horses, etc.


-  Choose your pvp/pve content to be all or none on your server, or scattered pockets of pvp to catch the unwary afk travelers by surprise.


-  Now the Wurmhole part:  Intra-server travel (if you enable the option) is achieved through Wurmhole portals, which you can sail through, drive a horse/cart/wagon through or walk through.  On entering, you enter the "UnderWurm", where you travel through a huge cavern (add in super cool stalagtites, glow wurms, strange beasts, etc, - then a short way through, you take another portal that gives you a choice of what server and wet/dry portal location on that server to come through.


 


By golly, does sandbox get any sandier than to MAKE your own server?  Think of the press that would receive.  Now you have individual out on the internet, marketing their own servers, with ideas and resources that CC may never have considered.


 


Plenty more I could add for changing how things already work today, but in the interest of this fun thread, wanted to scrape the corners of my idea bag for the "not in a million years" stuff.


 


-Wurmhole


Edited by Wurmhole
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This isn't a suggestion thread or a debate thread.  It's just a fun, speculative, what-if-I-were-Rolf thread.  Let's keep it in good fun, ok?

 

Pretend you were Rolf and you could pick and choose any/all Wurm features to craft your own recipe for success in wurm.  What would it look like?

 

...

 

Wurm is a success already. Few games have managed to stay for that long. Thus Rolf must be doing something right so now and then - I wish he would do the right thing and ditch this PlayerAuction thing though.

 

Apart from that, if I were Rolf, I would open a new PvP server with much faster skill gain that would reset every few months. That would attract some people that find standard Wurm too slow. I would probably call that new server Challenge. :) Oh dang, too late, he already announced that!

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This isn't necessarily what I would do if I were Rolf, since it's pretty unrealistic. But this is my ideal game, assuming Wurm had an unlimited budget.

Replace all of the current servers with three servers: a North American PvP server, a Euro PvP server, and an international PvE server. They would not be linked to each other. Servers would not be one solid block of land as they are currently, but a series of differently-sized islands, each with their own biomes, animals, and resources. Once a server runs out of space, expand it and add more islands rather than adding a whole new server.

PvP:
-Replace the combat system with something more engaging. Doesn't have to be a Chivalry clone, but taking a few steps in that direction might make things interesting.
-Balance armor and weapons in a way that makes sense.
-Reduce the emphasis on priests in PvP. Relegate them to a pure support role.
-Buff stealth and thievery. Because any game that can get these right is instantly 10x more fun.
-Once the game is large enough, remove enemy names from local. Buff tracking and add sounds and other indicators that an attentive player can use to find his enemies.
-Revamp mounted combat. Fighting from horseback should not be a straight upgrade from fighting on foot. It should be a different style of combat entirely, with its own benefits and drawbacks.
-After extensive testing, add player collision detection. This would place more emphasis on strategy, movement, etc.
-Nerf dirt walls. They're ugly, annoying, and should not be as necessary as they are.
-Add more benefits to lower meditation levels in order to balance out the paths and give newbies a fair shot. By 90 meditating, each path should be relatively equal in usefulness.

PvE:
-Make animals stronger and get rid of certain safety nets used to avoid them. PvE stands for Player vs. Environment, not Tower Guard vs. Mountain Lion.
-Temperature, disease, thirst, and hunger can all kill you. Your biome and surroundings would be a major influence on these factors.
-Improve the AI of goblins and trolls. Have them build camps, launch raids, etc.
-Make the uniques...well...unique. Give them special abilities that make them fun to fight, and revert the recent update to uniques that made them respawn every month. Allow GMs to spawn uniques for live events and stuff, but GM-spawned uniques won't give titles, hides, or Valrei items.
-Add bonuses for highly-populated cities, in order to promote a sense of community and preserve server space.

Other stuff:
-Take a very harsh stance on account trading and alts of any kind, including priest alts. In exchange, priests could be given a little more utility on PvE servers so that people are willing to use them as mains.
-Expand the lore and incorporate it into the game more. Possibly even hire a professional to write the backstory, similar to what Planetside 2 did.
-Redo armor and weapon models in a more realistic art style.


Again, this is all assuming an unlimited budget, but I'd love something like this if it were to ever happen.

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I think the three core things I would do with Wurm PVE are:


 


  1. Add NPC villagers. This would be a ton of work (take me months) but would actually bring the game to life. I would give them basic needs, like sims but a little more, and let them learn skills, take orders from you etc. They would take over a lot of the repetitive stuff, and the player would be recast in the role of Lord or Lady of the manor.
  2. Replace the java client with one based on Unity. You could use all of the existing assets so this would actually be less work than most people imagine.
  3. Completely rework the newbie experience and UI until normal people can get into the game

And then you're ready for a steam release. The above is actually sort of the blueprint for the medieval game I one day would like to make. Have my hands full for now though.


 


Regarding PVP, I would need to completely rethink it. Full loot PVP in a sandbox MMO is just... always going to lead to epic frustration and crying and I don't see either a way around that or a way to make that actually fun for players.


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"The Wurmhole"

[condensed]...

By golly, does sandbox get any sandier than to MAKE your own server?  Think of the press that would receive.  Now you have individual out on the internet, marketing their own servers, with ideas and resources that CC may never have considered.

-Wurmhole

 

Your concept reminds me of a combination of Active Worlds and Second Life adapted to Wurm's functions.

 

On Active Worlds players could purchase their own "World", name it, enable others to teleport to it by making it public or private and construct the world according to their own desires with the provided universal objects. Costs based upon world dimensions but only a fraction of the 1000 euros you suggested.

 

Second Life where players can purchase their own islands for excessive amounts and regulate them accordingly, also reminds me of your concept. Entropia is sort of like this as well with a RL cash interface and purchased areas to sell items and dwellings to other players within.

 

This could work for Wurm but would be a lot different concept that separates that players more from each other rather than enables the unified flowing world concept wherein each Village (deed) contributes to the whole of the world (server) environment. This is one reason that I prefer Wurm to those others.

 

=Ayes=

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-remove decay on everything except food when it is stored on deed.

 

-oh, and bacon.

Is bacon food and would thus decay, or is it something beyond mere food that would not be affected by decay? Or is that query made moot by the fact that it would get eaten so fast anyway?

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