Updates notes 5 march

vadio123

March 5



Hello everyone!



After sleeping (just a bit) on the two server decision and discussing this with the other programmers, I’ve decided that there will not be a server split.



The reason for the server split was to accommodate the amount of tribes and homesteads and anticipate growth over the next month or two while we prepare more zones. The main issues are crowding of the Tahoe basin and driving creatures away from the starting zones too quickly.



The additional benefits would be a less hectic land rush launch and the opportunity to evolve the game in two slightly different directions to accommodate what I already see as a split community.



The additional overhead would not be in future coding, but more maintenance and management of two servers and two terrain maps. After weighing the benefits and the overhead and brainstorming a bit we will try to implement some quick solutions to solve the current crowd issues and we’ll forge through a hectic launch and first month or so until we open more lands and players can expand to new territories.



To reduce crowding, we will implement the following:

- Slightly reduced homestead areas.

- Add ‘clans’. Clans will be 5+ member tribes with a smaller maximum radius.

- Tribes will require 10 members (as originally planned).

- Tribes and clans will not be allowed to overlap, based on their maximum radius.

- Homesteads will not be able to be placed within a tribe’s maximum radius.

- Tribes will check placement using a middle radius distance from homesteads. This will allow tribes to expand, potentially enclosing homesteads in the way. Homesteads will have priority over their zones. Tribes will have to negotiate with the homestead if they want it removed.

- Tribes losing members will revert down a level (from tribe to clan to homestead). Homesteads gaining members will require a disband and reforming to claim more land as a new clan or homestead.



To reduce the problem of animals being killed off and pushed to the mist:

- Creatures will be able to hide / hibernate, essentially being turned off temporarily.

- Breeding rates will be accelerated and allowed during the hiding phase.



Regarding the future of safe zones and conquest as brought about by the discussion of War and Peace servers:



What I imagine is:

- Tribes choosing to become warring on non-warring, not as an on / off switch but as a permanent or difficult to reverse decision, likely based on tribal actions.

- Warring tribes would be able to conquer and raid others, but they will also become susceptible to war. Non warring tribes would keep their area safe, but don’t gain the ability to raid or conquer other tribes.

- Both warring and non-warring tribes could claim resources that would be up for contest by both types of tribes.

- Some expansion zones being open to more conquest without safe zones, while in others tribes would retain the choice to war or not.



As always, Xsyon will evolve with its community to provide balance and choices. What exactly game will become 6-9 months from now will depend on how players drive the world.



This decision was made not because of the arguments and complaints but arose from proposals from the other programmers to resolve the crowding issues without the additional complications of managing two worlds.

Badaboom

Smart guy.  I think this all sounds good.  Much better than splitting the community.

Jupsto

Gotta say wow. I read the march 4th update and posted on forums and this is pretty much exactly what I asked for.