Saving S

[TheKingDuff]

xMGMT:

Just remove enchants again, but do it right this time, no enchants on bows, armor, and swords. Take away regens, strength, and poison pots, leave everything else.

This will cut down on the time it takes to start pvp'ing for new players and won't make everyone want to gouge their eyes out while they grind for levels to enchant armor, only for it to be gone after one fight. Diamond armor will change hands more, it will actually be fun.

The reason no enchants failed last time was because bows could still be enchanted, which created the problem of someone running down a road and getting sniped by a Flame I Power IV bow and having no chance of actually using a sword. I think people would much rather have bows become obsolete than swords.

[TheKingDuff]

xMGMT:

Just remove enchants again, but do it right this time, no enchants on bows, armor, and swords. Take away regens, strength, and poison pots, leave everything else.

This will cut down on the time it takes to start pvp'ing for new players and won't make everyone want to gouge their eyes out while they grind for levels to enchant armor, only for it to be gone after one fight. Diamond armor will change hands more, it will actually be fun.

The reason no enchants failed last time was because bows could still be enchanted, which created the problem of someone running down a road and getting sniped by a Flame I Power IV bow and having no chance of actually using a sword. I think people would much rather have bows become obsolete than swords.

Krazeyhorse:

FUCKING THIS! The server feels like a goddamn WoW grind just trying to get enough shit to even fight once versus people that know wtf is going on.

[TheKingDuff]

xMGMT:

Just remove enchants again, but do it right this time, no enchants on bows, armor, and swords. Take away regens, strength, and poison pots, leave everything else.

This will cut down on the time it takes to start pvp'ing for new players and won't make everyone want to gouge their eyes out while they grind for levels to enchant armor, only for it to be gone after one fight. Diamond armor will change hands more, it will actually be fun.

The reason no enchants failed last time was because bows could still be enchanted, which created the problem of someone running down a road and getting sniped by a Flame I Power IV bow and having no chance of actually using a sword. I think people would much rather have bows become obsolete than swords.

Luke_gardner:

I think this removes a huge part of the game in a way that's very destructive. You should see some of the hate mail we got last time we tried this. People really don't like it and think it is insane if they're not part of the little nerd.nu clique.

[TheKingDuff]

Luke_gardner:

I think this removes a huge part of the game in a way that's very destructive. You should see some of the hate mail we got last time we tried this. People really don't like it and think it is insane if they're not part of the little nerd.nu clique.

zifnab06:

I entirely agree with this statement. If you do not like a feature of vanilla minecraft, you should choose another game to play.

[TheKingDuff]

Luke_gardner:

I think this removes a huge part of the game in a way that's very destructive. You should see some of the hate mail we got last time we tried this. People really don't like it and think it is insane if they're not part of the little nerd.nu clique.

xMGMT:

At this point I think the nerd.nu clique is what needs to be catered to, because it's the most consistent player base you've had. The current system isn't working.

[TheKingDuff]

xMGMT:

At this point I think the nerd.nu clique is what needs to be catered to, because it's the most consistent player base you've had. The current system isn't working.

luke_gardner:

Sure, but if the point is to improve the server...catering to the incredibly small player base (there's less than 90 people across all 3 servers right now) isn't the way to do it. Nor is removing a huge part of the game. I agree with you on the principle that fights would be more balanced, but not on the principle it will improve the server. It will simply codify the small community that exists.

[TheKingDuff]

luke_gardner:

Sure, but if the point is to improve the server...catering to the incredibly small player base (there's less than 90 people across all 3 servers right now) isn't the way to do it. Nor is removing a huge part of the game. I agree with you on the principle that fights would be more balanced, but not on the principle it will improve the server. It will simply codify the small community that exists.

xMGMT:

You know that if you took off enchants a good amount of old players would come back, that's the player base i'm talking about.

[TheKingDuff]

xMGMT:

You know that if you took off enchants a good amount of old players would come back, that's the player base i'm talking about.

luke_gardner:

I don't think so, this game is pretty old and has certainly lost its luster naturally for many, if not most, of those players - myself included. I don't care what you throw at S, I don't think it's going to make a shitty game any better. Even the old players with saintly patience have moved on. We're talking about years of playing this game for those people - making a small tweak isn't going to suddenly pique their interest.

[TheKingDuff]

xMGMT:

Just remove enchants again, but do it right this time, no enchants on bows, armor, and swords. Take away regens, strength, and poison pots, leave everything else.

This will cut down on the time it takes to start pvp'ing for new players and won't make everyone want to gouge their eyes out while they grind for levels to enchant armor, only for it to be gone after one fight. Diamond armor will change hands more, it will actually be fun.

The reason no enchants failed last time was because bows could still be enchanted, which created the problem of someone running down a road and getting sniped by a Flame I Power IV bow and having no chance of actually using a sword. I think people would much rather have bows become obsolete than swords.

PolarTux

I like this idea, and I personally enjoyed the revs with no enchants (except on bows). Of course there was the problem of bows being way too powerful, but otherwise it was great.

[TheKingDuff]

xMGMT:

Just remove enchants again, but do it right this time, no enchants on bows, armor, and swords. Take away regens, strength, and poison pots, leave everything else.

This will cut down on the time it takes to start pvp'ing for new players and won't make everyone want to gouge their eyes out while they grind for levels to enchant armor, only for it to be gone after one fight. Diamond armor will change hands more, it will actually be fun.

The reason no enchants failed last time was because bows could still be enchanted, which created the problem of someone running down a road and getting sniped by a Flame I Power IV bow and having no chance of actually using a sword. I think people would much rather have bows become obsolete than swords.

but then it's TOO easy to be at the top tear of items. I actually was in the minority agreeing that perhaps change it to prot II max enchant and sharp III to make fights quicker with no regens and stuff. I forget who suggested that.

[TheKingDuff]

but then it's TOO easy to be at the top tear of items. I actually was in the minority agreeing that perhaps change it to prot II max enchant and sharp III to make fights quicker with no regens and stuff. I forget who suggested that.

mcToby:

Why is that a problem? The more people who can fight evenly the better surely? Not wanting that is wanting uneven fights?

I can guess that there'll be opposition to this, so I'm interested in the reasons against it. I'm not intending to argue, I just want to know that the other side has nonselfish reasons.

[TheKingDuff]

mcToby:

Why is that a problem? The more people who can fight evenly the better surely? Not wanting that is wanting uneven fights?

I can guess that there'll be opposition to this, so I'm interested in the reasons against it. I'm not intending to argue, I just want to know that the other side has nonselfish reasons.

if you don't have to work for it then you'll lose interest, fast.

[TheKingDuff]

if you don't have to work for it then you'll lose interest, fast.

9600bauds:

The server already has heavily plumped XP and /unenchant, with the intentions of making enchanted gear a lot easier to come by, so people won't turtle and save it up forever.

The inherent problem with enchanting, that lies in Mojang's design and not any particular server plugin, is that enchanting simply rewards you GREATLY for grinding. Maybe that works for tools in singleplayer, but in a PVP environment it is simply anti-fun. It just means XP grinders and a much bigger difference between newcomers and veterans, and PVP is already heavily gear-determined. Both plumping XP and limiting enchant effectiveness help with this, the server already is already doing the first, but I think the second would make for more exciting arena matches.

[TheKingDuff]

but then it's TOO easy to be at the top tear of items. I actually was in the minority agreeing that perhaps change it to prot II max enchant and sharp III to make fights quicker with no regens and stuff. I forget who suggested that.

xMGMT

Who cares if it's too easy to be at the top tier* of items? That's exactly what this server needs, because new players are turned away by the difficulty of becoming an established pvp'er, which is why half of the player base leaves before the rev ends.

[TheKingDuff]

9600bauds:

Better rule enforcement, pretty pretty please.

I'm not so sure about ore plumping, but perhaps tying with events and random minigames (?) next rev's map could be a little more "custom", maybe with a trading post or public goodies.

[TheKingDuff]

Richeddi:

 

This is exactly why I , and a whole ton of other regulars quit until it gets better. Here's my opinion.

First of all, we NEED to improve the lag issue. As TornadoHorse said, "It has been here for ages", I think we should stop leaving it alone and stop continuing our s experience with the lag. It is getting ridiculous, and reduces every aspect of the server - chat, mining, building, and the core aspect, PvP. We somehow really have to fix this issue to get more players (Especially the old left regulars) and new players.

Second, I think no one has mentioned harassment. Some of you people know I quit a few months ago because of "Age harassment". I'm only 14, but I don't need to be feeded with negative harassment and unfair treatment just because of my age. I think that s needs a kinder economy and reduce general harassment. This is for the people to fix themselves, not the whole server.

Third, same thinking as TheKingDuff, is nerfed ore veins and enchantments. IMO it is a total waste of time mining diamonds for over hours and hours, and grinding them for additional hours, trying to get the right enchantment and then getting killed. It would be much better if we had a few more diamond/iron in veins, and a percentage for certain enchantments.

Last of all, spawn camping. S has a huge board in spawn that says "Don't be a dick. Spawn camping is NOT allowed." And therefore people still do it, and when I use /modreq to report, some of the mods in specific, don't care. I'm not saying that all mods don't care, but some mods and users don't even pay attention. It would be nice to get like a grace period plugin, EX if you respawn after you die, you get a 2 minute no-pvp.

For lazy people who don't like to read much - 1. Fix lag 2. Reduce harassment 3. Ore/enchant nerfs 4. Spawn camping

These are my ideas, I would love to see your opinions if you agree/disagree with my options.

[TheKingDuff]

1. Yes as stated above

2. I forgot to mention this above but yea, we're dicks. We need to change that. I took a break from S for a month a while back and realized how huge of a dick I was at some times and I know I wasn't the worst of them. The people who are big names on this server ( and not so much) need to lead by example and try to clean up our acts for at least a month or two. One of the reasons PvE gets so many people is that they're just so damn welcoming and helpful. I know that's not in the 'spirit' or PvP but come on, you can throw a new person half a stack of wood instead of killing him 4 times...

3. I think you shouldn't be able to spawn camp but we should have a spawn that you can easily take another way around. If you run all the way down iron road and then get killed at the portal, that's not spawn camping you're just being lazy and don't want to go around. Also I'd like to take this time to say that I think base camping SHOULD be allowed and even encouraged a little. When someone basecamps then it tells the entire server,"Hey I'm in good armour in this location" so ideally different groups come to ambush him/her/them and then they fight each other and it promotes pvp in the end even if it's a bit annoying towards the people who's base it is, but you should have a separate stash somewhere for such situations.

[TheKingDuff]

Wesniner:

Respectfully, to both old and newer S players, I have a simple question.

"As a server, what do we collectively want to be?"

I've read some great points, and seen ideas floated that I know would be engaging to portions of the community. And I tink we can all agree we can't create an environment that makes everyone happy. That's the spirit of compromise.

Since I'm not a long-term player on "S", my perspective is very recent. I've only played since January. For my part, I love my time here, but I can see that many are losing their enthusiasm for it sadly. So I want to ask an honest question.

Q) What do we collectively want to be as a server community?

I enjoy watching the hardcore PVP'ers going it at it on an Arena night, or playing some Koth to learn how to use my bow "on the move". I'm just getting to some good enchantments and decent armor and haven't even brewed my first potion. For me there's a lot to discover yet. I'm mildly annoyed with the lag, but since I'm not usually out fighting, it doesn't affect me the way it does many.

I like the idea of advertising to increase the server population, or adding mini-games. It seems like a good way to draw in new players, and draw back our veteran community. As I logged into MC last I noticed all the PVP servers on my join server list that I added I found s.nerd.nu.

The one that jumps out at me in terms of server traffic is always the one that lists mini games. It has easily 8-10x the traffic of the other servers. The challenge to going down paths like that or running ads to me seems like the lack of people to share the load, followed closely by funds as others have pointed out.

"many hands make light work"

Is it possible to put out a poll on the forum breaking down tasks needing attention, and soliciting for player feedback on what they might be able to help with? Maybe on some slightly lower MOD level with limited access/control. Money I know we can access, I wouldn't hesitate to chip in some lettuce to help "S", but I'm more worried about getting support for the over-stretched core of Admins/Mods carrying a load that I'm sure saps all the fun from their experience. God forbid they pack it up and call it a day. Then we truly screwed.

I've got to believe there are enough of us willing to contribute funds and/or hours to make a difference and reinvigorate this community. I'd love to help get a poll going and breaking down these ideas into an action plan.

wesniner

[TheKingDuff]

graymansnel:

I think that ore needs to be incresed, and enchantmets decresed..

Add more players.

Add more staff.

Add more rules.

Take away the lag

And the rest we should solve at a later date.

[Draykhar]

There's a lot in here, I'm going to try and compile my opinions in a reply and get back to you.

[TheKingDuff]

coolgamerover90:

 

I would do anything that I can do to help, S is my favorite server, and it is very sad to see it go downhill, my friends don't even want to play on it anymore :(

[TheKingDuff]

Dizney07:

 

In my opinion, S is just boring nowadays. The reason the server is so popular at the beginning of revisions is because there's things to do, diamonds to mine, bases to build, people to kill. But as the rev drags on, people finish these tasks, lose all their diamond to some big name clan, and feel there isnt anything left to do, so they then wait for the new rev. Look at everyone commenting, I rarely see half these people on S anymore. And everyone always comes back for a new rev. Its the nature of S.

[TheKingDuff]

Dizney07:

 

In my opinion, S is just boring nowadays. The reason the server is so popular at the beginning of revisions is because there's things to do, diamonds to mine, bases to build, people to kill. But as the rev drags on, people finish these tasks, lose all their diamond to some big name clan, and feel there isnt anything left to do, so they then wait for the new rev. Look at everyone commenting, I rarely see half these people on S anymore. And everyone always comes back for a new rev. Its the nature of S.

Exactly! A nature we need to fix. How would you do that

[Tharine]

Love the dedication in moving this over to the forum. Similar to draykhar's comment, i'll make sure to leave my own response when i've got the time to sit down and write something out.

[TheKingDuff]

Willravel:

New admins including tech savy tech admins to properly manage the server, we all know that Tharine is being drowned under admin duties and not only does she need help, but we need someone to help her

Any specific issues? Anything a humble mod can help with, for example?

Set rev start and end dates, a little shorter too. If we knew as the rev started when the rev would start and end there would be a much smaller portion of the population who would leave in the middle of a rev. Having the rev start and end on time may also have something to do with more tech admins.

This is usually dependent on new versions of the game, and for good reason. New versions come out at a consistent enough frequency that having several revisions per version end up being really short. IIRC, it was a trial and error type system that led to what we have now. There's also another issue with shorter revisions: big builds. I just finished my concert hall like a week ago, and now I'm on to project 2 of 3 for this revision. Part of the fun, at least for me, is to make something grand or unique on a PvP server, something you'd normally expect to see on a creative server. While longer revisions do mean some people get distracted and leave mid revision, there are potential benefits of a longer rev.

plumped ore. This one I'm not sure on, I don't know if it will make diamonds less rare so people would go out in, or not make it worth it for some broken armour to waste all of your potions

Personally, I'd be against this. I spent hours mining the map and I was really happy to pull in an impressive haul. Do you remember the first time you, all by yourself, mined a stack of diamonds? I liked that feeling, and I still like it, and it's only because of the relative rarity of diamonds and precious metals/materials that you get that sense of satisfaction. It's basically a grinding mechanic, but it's a really well conceptualized and carried out grinding mechanic, like a good MMO.

Less frequent planned events more spontaneous. This should cut down on the hoarding of materials for planned events such as arena's while increasing spontaneous pvp even if for example an admin chase is planned 6 hours before it happens.

I don't really have a dog in this fight since pvp events aren't my cup of tea. Another building event might be nice, though.

BETTER RULE ENFORCEMENT / more clear rules. There are many rules, mostly based on camping, that need clarification and the amount of people that are let off the hook for combat logging / greifing / other infractions is too damn high.

Logging is up to admins unless directly witnessed by a mod, but I do everything I can to be consistent with rule-breakers. I warn for relatively minor infractions, I kick for chat spam or sassing mods in public chat or hacks (with a ban if warning is not heeded), I tend to ban for griefing and bigoted speech, and I really ban for things like x-ray or malicious grief.

Last but not least advertise.

To what end? More people doesn't necessarily mean better people. And we're the Minecraft server of Reddit, which means we automatically have access to millions of users, hundreds of thousands of which likely play or are aware of Minecraft. I've seen forums advertise to increase activity before, and it's usually a sign that the forum is dying, because word of mouth is how healthy online communities grow. It's not universal in my experience, but common enough that the idea of advertising makes me concerned.