State of Survival

[dizney07]

I haven't been around the past week, and it seems the development log hasn't been updated in almost two weeks. Are we going to get an update on what is happening behind the scenes at all, such as information on rev 26? 

 

It also seems that there isnt much pvp happening on S at the moment. I haven't been on in a week, yet it's showing that I am still 12th on the "rankings" page (which is interesting because when I left I thought I was 13th..). Has anything been discussed in terms of improving the amount of pvp on the server?

[CROCKODUCK]

I would want to see the random spawns and no roads go away before we can possibly get back to a working PVP enhanced Survival. Although this rev was a test for most plugins, I'm disappointed with how they performed in terms of adding gameplay dynamics.

[unce]

It also seems that there isnt much pvp happening on S at the moment. I haven't been on in a week, yet it's showing that I am still 12th on the "rankings" page (which is interesting because when I left I thought I was 13th..). Has anything been discussed in terms of improving the amount of pvp on the server?

PvP is hard to find without roads or a central spawn. No roads and random spawns was a cool idea, but I don't think it can work with the number of players on S.

[Guest]

I would want to see the random spawns and no roads go away before we can possibly get back to a working PVP enhanced Survival. Although this rev was a test for most plugins, I'm disappointed with how they performed in terms of adding gameplay dynamics.

 

I would also like to see these things removed. I don't think the two of these features really does anything to help the PvP situation on S.

[barneygale]

I sort-of like random spawn but I miss roads

[EeHee2000]

I'm going to agree, random spawns spreads us out too far and roads have always had strong importance for PvP on Survival. 
Random spawns are something that would/could work with a much smaller map. 

Edited June 28, 2014 by EeHee2000

[slide]

Have y'all really given it a chance? I mean I'm beating all of y'all (except dizney) in play time and i'm "not even an s player" ;)

[djt832]

I actually enjoy the random spawns. However, it does seem to hamper PvP. I'm not convinced it is the sole problem though. Grinding has become tedious again without an xp plump and not everyone has easy access to grinding in the end.

It would be nice to get a little update on how things are coming along though. I haven't heard anything since the beginning of this rev.

[SwitchViewz]

Something I have always wondered is if we are trying to promote PvP why is the map so large? PvE is 5000x5000 with a player count that far exceeds Survival, yet S is 4000x4000. Has shrinking the map size been given much thought? I would think with a smaller map size people would be closer together allowing for more PvP.

[EeHee2000]

Something I have always wondered is if we are trying to promote PvP why is the map so large? PvE is 5000x5000 with a player count that far exceeds Survival, yet S is 4000x4000. Has shrinking the map size been given much thought? I would think with a smaller map size people would be closer together allowing for more PvP.

That's what I've been thinking over the past few days, actually. Random spawns have potential, but not on a map the size we have. 

[djt832]

Something I have always wondered is if we are trying to promote PvP why is the map so large? PvE is 5000x5000 with a player count that far exceeds Survival, yet S is 4000x4000. Has shrinking the map size been given much thought? I would think with a smaller map size people would be closer together allowing for more PvP.

I'm glad you brought this up, it was something I meant to put in my post. If the map was smaller, random spawns would certainly work. The overall density of the players would go up and most likely lead to more PvP.

[TheRandomnatrix]

Just chiming in with an idea I came up with on a whim, so feel free to ignore it. I feel it would work well alongside random spawns, and possibly a smaller map.

 

I've always felt that minecraft, being a sandbox game, severely lacks immovable geographical resources worth fighting over(spawners are technically impossible to move, but are way too common to fight over). I also feel S lacks an overall goal to work towards, and is mostly just random skirmishes between players, rather than clans.

 

The buffs used on CTF serve a good example. Static things placed over the map that provide buffs of some form that can be captured and controlled. The buffs would be relatively minor so you don't become a PvP god if you manage to capture them all, but still helpful enough to where you want to go after them. They could serve as attractors to bring people to an area and encourage PvP, and be protected with a decently sized region to discourage building bases around them to make it impossible for others to cap them. Maybe the longer you hold them the more "points" you earn, increasing your rank as well? Could be configured to work with clans, encouraging people to form teams. Again, just throwing ideas out there.

[Denevien]

If something like this comes into play, I'd suggest limiting the size of a "clan" that can receive the buff. This prevents powerhouses from forming that dominate anyone else.

[EeHee2000]

Just chiming in with an idea I came up with on a whim, so feel free to ignore it. I feel it would work well alongside random spawns, and possibly a smaller map.

 

I've always felt that minecraft, being a sandbox game, severely lacks immovable geographical resources worth fighting over(spawners are technically impossible to move, but are way too common to fight over). I also feel S lacks an overall goal to work towards, and is mostly just random skirmishes between players, rather than clans.

 

The buffs used on CTF serve a good example. Static things placed over the map that provide buffs of some form that can be captured and controlled. The buffs would be relatively minor so you don't become a PvP god if you manage to capture them all, but still helpful enough to where you want to go after them. They could serve as attractors to bring people to an area and encourage PvP, and be protected with a decently sized region to discourage building bases around them to make it impossible for others to cap them. Maybe the longer you hold them the more "points" you earn, increasing your rank as well? Could be configured to work with clans, encouraging people to form teams. Again, just throwing ideas out there.

SAdmins, have you guys thought about this one or discussed it? Sounds like it could be a game changer, I'd like to see some staff attention on it. 

Edited July 1, 2014 by EeHee2000

[barneygale]

If anyone's curious, this has been the worst rev launch by peak players since records began in rev 11 - almost 3 years ago. We peaked at 45 online players in the first week, down from 148 in rev 14 and 154 as recently as rev 21.

 

I don't say this to pour salt in wounds, and I think the survival admins have been no worse than previous admins. In terms of answering private player queries they've been really good in my experience.

 

But I feel like right now we need twice the public dialogue, insight and free time than any previous survival admin team has been able to give. "Good enough" for me when I was survival admin is nothing like "good enough" is today. If we don't turn it around now, we're fucked. A lot of the players I speak to seem to think we're already fucked, and that the end is drawing near. I actually get questioned for my optimism (yeah I know!), but what alternative is there?

 

I'd really like for the staff (and the players if possible) to organize themselves to squeeze out as much talent and free time as we can muster to save survival. If that means doubling the survival admin team, or reorganising survival staff somehow, or giving players more opportunities to contribute, then I say LETS DO IT!

 

I feel like the survival community (staff + non-staff) probably does have the time to spare for making survival great again, but for whatever reason the structure and culture of the community has done an absolutely pitiful job at making the work rewarding, well-distributed, accountable, etc. Almost everyone is responsible for nothing, and no-one is solely responsible for anything. We either need a massive injection of people into the existing system, or a reform of the system with the aim of moving our pace something beyond glacial.

Edited July 1, 2014 by barneygale

[barneygale]

To be extra clear, I don't think the staff are any worse than the staff we had when numbers were booming. I think the playerbase has shrunk principally because vanilla-y survival's old niche is much less attractive nowadays. But unless we're ready to let survival become a shell of a server, we need to work significantly harder than we ever have before. In 2012 I could rely on the continued popularity of vanilla to mask the slow pace behind-the-scenes, but that shield is gone now.

Edited July 1, 2014 by barneygale

[SpiderMan]

Yeah, pvp is completely dead now.

 

The only pvp I've had this rev is going to monroezabaletas base and killing him to get him to put on diamond armor.

 

and the people who zerg randomly.

 

-gsand

;D

Edited July 1, 2014 by gsand

[SpiderMan]

Have y'all really given it a chance? I mean I'm beating all of y'all (except dizney) in play time and i'm "not even an s player" ;)

 

Just chiming in with an idea I came up with on a whim, so feel free to ignore it. I feel it would work well alongside random spawns, and possibly a smaller map.

 

I've always felt that minecraft, being a sandbox game, severely lacks immovable geographical resources worth fighting over(spawners are technically impossible to move, but are way too common to fight over). I also feel S lacks an overall goal to work towards, and is mostly just random skirmishes between players, rather than clans.

 

The buffs used on CTF serve a good example. Static things placed over the map that provide buffs of some form that can be captured and controlled. The buffs would be relatively minor so you don't become a PvP god if you manage to capture them all, but still helpful enough to where you want to go after them. They could serve as attractors to bring people to an area and encourage PvP, and be protected with a decently sized region to discourage building bases around them to make it impossible for others to cap them. Maybe the longer you hold them the more "points" you earn, increasing your rank as well? Could be configured to work with clans, encouraging people to form teams. Again, just throwing ideas out there.

 

That would only work on a factions or a server where people can grief into bases.

 

The concept is very successful. take four downs server for example.

 

-gsand

 

;D

[slide]

So a few weeks ago I did some advertising and it seemed to bring in some new players. It was for intermittent time periods so there isn't really any way to match up the ads with joins. I'd like to do some more, having it run for a full day possibly or at least some time period that we can measure it's effectiveness. The funds we received during the CTF are earmarked for running the server so we would need separate funds for this. Currently we don't really have easy access to manage the existing funds so I was thinking I would continue managing the advertising and have people send the funds to me (not sure how else we could do it). What do y'all think? Would y'all be willing to donate $10-20 for advertising?

[barneygale]

Via nerd.nu/donate?

[slide]

Well, It'd have to go to my email (me@slide.ws) in order for me to be able to access it. I was waiting for peoples opinions on it coming to me, instead of nat though.

[slide]

We also have our servers listed on MinecraftServers.org and it would be beneficial if everyone up-voted, though i'm not sure how to promote to our players to do it. I don't want it to be spammy.

[slide]

So, anyone willing to put their money where their mouth is? ;) It would be great to coincide the advertising with the start of the new rev.

[barneygale]

I'd prefer the money goes through a disinterested party.

[slide]

Unless someone else on staff wants to take up responsibility, it falls on me. I feel my almost 2 years as staff/admin have proven that I am here for the long haul, and not looking to steal anyones money.