Discussion: Damage, Warps, Two Servers ...
 

With Notch currently working on damage for multiplayer it's probably time to resurrect this discussion. Some decisions will need to be made and thus the Admin Team are interested in hearing your views on the below, along with any other related topics that I've missed.

Discussion Topics (Do you want .......? Why? Why Not?):

• Mobs / Animals
• Damage
• Warps
• Teleporting (yourself / others)
• Two servers
• Starting map(s) afresh

Guidelines:

1. This thread is to seek your opinion, it will differ from others, please respect theirs as much as you want them to respect yours.
2. You can discuss points raised by others as long as you adhere to #1
3. There are currently no plans for a poll
4. Ultimately decisions will be made in line with the mandate required of Division Captains (and by extension leadership teams): "Recognise the different play styles that certain games accommodate and understand the importance of providing a solution for all of them that have a large enough following in TOG."
5. Consider that certain functions (e.g. warping between servers) may be still some way off, therefore be realistic when making suggestions that hinge upon such longer term or speculated functionality.

Finally, please post your view, it is important to us regardless of whether it's half a dozen words or a short story.

• Mobs / Animals - yes to both (except creepers).
• Damage - yes (except fall damage).
• Warps - as long as there is no other way of fast travel yes, but if we get a rail system or portals then no, except /tp that I think should stay.
• Teleporting (yourself / others) - yourself yes, others no.
• Two servers - I'd prefer one. Rather than forcing mechanics I think we could enforce a safe area by ourselves. Like building a walled in area and lighting it all up with enough torches that it never gets dark enough to spawn enemies. And without creepers there won't be any enemies that can spawn in light, nor that can destroy anything anyone has built.
• Starting map(s) afresh - I'd rather keep the one we have.

Of course I don't know if this is all possible. If you can turn off fall damage and if you can prevent creepers from spawning...

In Minecraft I think we can broadly group people into two groups, those that are mostly creative and just want to build things and those that enjoy the survivial mode.

Unfortunately unless Notch builds into the game a God mode that the Hey0 mode could then use for different classes of people then I can't see both groups being happy together in the same world.

We DO know that it is the intent of Notch to allow for portals to allow transport between servers EVENTUALLY therefore I think the clearest option is two different servers, one for the surviors and one for the others. Also I don't feel this is too far off as the ability to have the Nether on a MP server hinges on this functionality.

The Survior one should
* Have Mobs
* Have Damage
* Should NOT have kits
* Should NOT have warps.
* Can have /home and /spawn
* Should start on a fresh server/map (I really can't see anybody or reason wanting to use the current one for survival as to do so would 'cheapen' the survival server, not to meantion it also amounts to survivors starting off with a whole pile of resources, which again cheapens the survivors experience.)
* Should NOT have teleporting people to you. (You can still /tp to other people)

The Quasi-Creative server should be as currently is with :
* Existing Map (and the existing rules)
* World set to peaceful, so only Animal mobs (Chickens, Sheep, Pigs and Cows)
* Falling and Drowning Damage turned off (if possible)
* Can have kits for non accessable content such as items that would normally be mob dropped - string, gunpowder etc.
* Teleporting others to you should also not be on this server either. That really is an Admin/Mod only function.


In regards to warps. I would like to see Warps either limited or removed from the Creative Server (and never existing in the Survivor one). If people are forced to rely on /home, /spawn and /tp as the only ways of getting around it is unlikely we would be facing such a spawling map in the first place. One of the problems with warps is it makes it TOO easy to get around or to cross large distance.

Also the construction of roads, bridges, rail lines and boats become more important as ways of getting around. At the moment they kinda of useless as you can just warp everywhere.

Expansion on a survival server also becomes curtailed as safe houses need top be built within a 'days' journey of each other (specially once sea monsters are eventually created).

All this is good for keeping the map from exploding in size again.

Oh yeah one final thing... When tool life DOES get fixed, could we have them edited (I'm lead to believe that that part isn't too hard - I could be wrong) to last x4 as long.... specially the Diamond ones :)

A problem with that is that for some of the creative types (maybe all, I know I'm certainly one) also like exploring and building in interesting landscapes, your proposal would essentially kill that.

Also the light level that allows mobs to spawn is still pretty high, think its 7 or under, so you would need torches every 7-8 squares to prevent mobs from spawning. (might need to check that, could be light level 5 or less - which equals torches every 10 squares so still alot)

Its one thing to wall off and light an area that allows people to build 10x10 homes, an entirely another that lets people build large homes/castles/fortresses/whatevers.

Also not sure it's possible to have creepers (and maybe some other future mobs - remember Notch plans on expanding the mobs) not spawn but allow others do. I've read on the forums people requesting that, but haven't seen any solutions in those threads.

Well I could also accept some sort of god-mode for the creative gang if that would be possible. That would easily allow coexistence.

But I'm not entirely against having two maps either, as long as they are bridged together somehow.

My 2c worth (or two of whatever other currency you would like):

Mobs / Animals - yes please, it would be nice to get everything without resorting to kits.
Damage - yes. Falling damage would be a pain for building, but then again it might make one a little more careful! No PvP damage (just PvE) though would be my view.
Warps - while warps are nice when building large structures I am unattached to them
Teleporting (yourself / others) - no issue with TPing to someone, but that should be the only way allowed
Two servers - unattached to this. If we have two servers as long as we can still access both I don't mind.
Starting map(s) afresh - based on the structures I see I would imagine (assuming we have two servers) that the peaceful server will have the current map. A survival server should have a fresh map.

I am assuming even the survival server will rule out destruction of player structures by other players? With current game mechanics destroying structures would be trivial.
C.

Hey Gang,

• Mobs / Animals - Creative server Animals, Survival Mobs and Animals
• Damage- Creative server Off, Survival server All Damage On
• Warps - Creative On, Survival Off
• Teleporting (yourself / others) Creative on, Survival Off
• Two servers - Definitely
• Starting map(s) afresh Creative No, Survival Yes

If (and I think this seems to be the commonly held assumption - correct or not) the existing map is to become the creative server, I see no point at all in shifting the rules from where they currently are - hopefully the 'x from spawn' method will limit map size, and if so negates the arguments for removing the various tp and warp commands - to try and change the rules if it does remain a creative server will just get up peoples noses (mine included) - it clearly will not be a survival server, so I'm not sure why we would want a set of quasi survival rules?

As for the survival server, I say go hard core - really turn up the heat:
No TP.
/home and /spawn only (and if a timer could be introduced, so much the better)
All monsters on.
Falling damage on.
Drowning Damage on.
Burning / lava damage on.
Able to damage mobs on.
Able to be damaged by mobs on....see where i am heading with this? lol.

If it was set up as above, I think that would be a real challenge - I'm a huge fan of creative, but I think the challenge of building something in such a hostile environment would really give me a kick as well.
Also, we'd get some real gameplay - mining becomes an adventure, and you'd best party up to do it! I think the first few nights on this map will be awesome fun (not that after it won't be) but everyone madly running around spawn getting ready for the first dark, trying to find that coal to light the (probably) communal abode...well I can see it being a lot of fun.

I guess my point is, if it is going to be a survival server, then let's not go 80% of the way and say "thus far - and no further!"

Oh - one last point - I don't believe that children should be playing with us on the survival server - not only regarding appropriate content, but little accidents/mistakes will have an amplified effect, and I'd prefer to not put them in a position where they may unwittingly cause a disaster! (I'm sure I will be causing enough of those myself!)

Cheers,

Bazz

I am in favor of 2 servers if possible, as I would like to see the current server made into a creative server, and a new survival server begun. Though, if this is unavailable due to the system resources then I guess we would need to rediscuss this.

so for survival:

• Mobs / Animals - YES
• Damage - YES
• Warps - maybe, not really concerned, especially if we start a new world.
• Teleporting (yourself / others) - YES - TP yourself only
• Two servers - YES
• Starting map(s) afresh YES

for creative:

• Mobs / Animals - NO.... animals are a real pain for rail systems!
• Damage - NO
• Warps - YES
• Teleporting (yourself / others) - YES
• Starting map(s) afresh - NO

NAM

Full survival for me.

I get bored with just building way too quickly.

EDIT: Oh yeah, and two servers.

The survival one would likely be quite small since it's better to keep everything close together and well lit.