Events Do Not Make Up For Content!

[Crono]

Is anyone else here sick and tired of seeing the same server over and over which only has events to keep it's name up? I'm seriously tired of the same server over and over with a giant 1000000000000 level events house with 320948092.9 events. It's so stupid. To make up for nothing to do, they add events!

It pisses me off when players EXPECT events. Events were originally rare things held to get the graal community together and shove some competition up everyone's bums. Now it's just players wanting 5 events a day on any given server. It's really taken graal and is not doing it any good.

Speaking of players expecting events...

A great example would be Zone. Players there expect us to host everyother day, whether for an item or not. Events are not something you ask for. They're something you should appreciate getting even if it is once or twice a week.

I just wish servers would stop thinking that event houses are a vital part of server development. I'd rather see a server be more flexible and implement "events" into their OW.

Examples would include Xone's kingdom wars, constant server wars between Sanstrata and Mithica, and such. It's so much better then placing a 50 foot event house.

[Chicken_l33t]

I agree, and perhaps introduct player hosted events back into it like on Graal 2001 how they had CS and you could play yourself (from what I recall )

I think questing should be braught back into play more. Shaded Legend had done this really nicely, but ruined it in my oppinion with the skipping of quests =[

[Malinko]

I agree.

I mean, I guess "new age" GraalOnline has become accustomed to having events on their worlds. I think Valikorlia is the creative one because events there are big and just aren't won for some sort of benefit to gain additional items.

I remember on Unholy Nation a long time ago, I thought it would be cool for guilds to claim some random flag on the overworld and challenge other guilds to get the flag. Whether from player killing or NPCs, I thought it would be fun just to see who can hold the flag longest. There wouldn't be an end either, just to claim "superior" status.

[CidNight1142]

Well, events do have some other value on some servers. For example, on GK, events are often used to balance the economy. By releasing ECs into the population (hopefully to both noobs and oldbies, but that's up to us to balance the events correctly) you effectively force the price of both EC's and any EC based items down. Same thing with releasing brutals and GK's. Its an important balancing factor.

[Crono]

Exactly Cid. Events -shouldn't- be there to balance economies. I'm so tired of stupid event prizes being the only source of fun npcs. What happened to those good ol NPC stores where you can buy lame PKing npc books for 5000 gralats (of course after obtaining 100k from a hacker)?

Events are ruining our servers. Theres nothing to do.

[Warcaptain]

It makes me nervous about making a playerworld that really doesnt use events every 5 seconds to entertain its players.

[konidias]

It's a double-edged sword. On the one hand you say events are making up for lack of content. On the other hand you say events are things that "get the community together".

Events, technically, ARE content. Anything on the server is content. It's just that events use the same content over and over, with different items and such as prizes. Events on these servers have to be used as frequently as they are because Graal playerworlds are not big time games with huge professional teams and lots of funding. They can't release new content every day unless these people threw away their lives for nothing but your entertainment.

The reason the events exist is mainly so that developers have time to work on content while players have something to do on the server.

It's a poor reason I know. But what can you do about it? You provided no solution, just a lot of complaining. It's not as easy as to just "make more content and hold fewer, more rare events".

[Mogwai]

I don't know about this... I've seen more than just events on servers. When it comes to online interaction events seem to work great in my opinion. Not every server is developed around a leveling systems, events are just time killers that are fun.

The problem I am seeing are the various copied versions of events. Like every server has capture the flag and once a server comes out with something original many other servers just tend to copy.

As for economy... I don't see it effecting anything unless the manager doesn't know how to control it.


Edit:
Also events are simple to make, and if you consider the amount of support playerworlds get for complicated systems... it works best in this situation.

[Crono]

Originally Posted by konidias

It's a double-edged sword. On the one hand you say events are making up for lack of content. On the other hand you say events are things that "get the community together".

I understand this, but if they are held too often (let alone in the same place) it begins to lose it's value and becomes more of a stupid everyday thing.

Events, technically, ARE content.

I understand that they are content but people seem to think that events will cover up for nothing to do. Sure they may be getting away with it now, but people like me are sick of it because every server is the same.

PK, Spar, Event house.

Quests are like, meh.

It's just that events use the same content over and over, with different items and such as prizes. Events on these servers have to be used as frequently as they are because Graal playerworlds are not big time games with huge professional teams and lots of funding.

Im sorry but Xone, Sanstrata, and Delteria did just fine back in 2001 without a bigshot events house. As a matter of fact I don't remember Xone and Sans having event houses. Delteria is a maybe.

They can't release new content every day unless these people threw away their lives for nothing but your entertainment.

I'm not asking for this. I'm asking for something that entertains the player for a long enough time to produce other things. I.E on Graal 2001 people worked hard for days to earn money. The staff had one week to release something players could buy.

The reason the events exist is mainly so that developers have time to work on content while players have something to do on the server.

The developers should develope content beforehand.

It's a poor reason I know. But what can you do about it? You provided no solution, just a lot of complaining.

Provide more content. Look back at older servers and see how they did it. For me, it's all about random npcs being released, apartment system, fun quests, etc.

It's not as easy as to just "make more content and hold fewer, more rare events".

Uh, yes it is.

[Warcaptain]

mainserver never had events.. and it was the ****.

[konidias]

Okay, but these are just your opinions. The servers wouldn't hold so many events if it didn't keep the players there. Obviously they are doing what they feel is keeping players on the server... and holding many events seems to work. You can't fault them for that.

As far as playerworlds in 2001 surviving without tons of events... yeah, that was in 2001. Lots of things change in 5 years. Graal is nothing like it was 5 years ago... I'm not saying that's a good or bad thing, I'm just stating a fact. You can't expect things to work the same way forever.

Your idea is sound... Make content ahead of time and then work on more content while players enjoy what you've made so far. But that requires a dedicated team of people, and most servers don't have that. You can't expect high quality stuff from a handful of volunteers.

It really isn't easy to just make tons of content... If it were, there wouldn't be the problem you're describing now. If it's really that easy, feel free to make a server that has a ton of content and then keep it constantly updated. Tell me how easy it was compared to just tossing some events out there.

[Crono]

Originally Posted by konidias

Okay, but these are just your opinions. The servers wouldn't hold so many events if it didn't keep the players there. Obviously they are doing what they feel is keeping players on the server... and holding many events seems to work. You can't fault them for that.

Hell, they might as well make a server with just an events house. I'm sure it'll be the same thing. No wait! Even better! Each server dedicated to one event! I'm sure it's the same thing!

As far as playerworlds in 2001 surviving without tons of events... yeah, that was in 2001. Lots of things change in 5 years. Graal is nothing like it was 5 years ago... I'm not saying that's a good or bad thing, I'm just stating a fact. You can't expect things to work the same way forever.

Apart from a lower playercount, what type of change?

Your idea is sound... Make content ahead of time and then work on more content while players enjoy what you've made so far. But that requires a dedicated team of people, and most servers don't have that. You can't expect high quality stuff from a handful of volunteers.

No, it requires a normal amount of staff. If a server does not even have staff that can develope something for the public server in a year, then it shouldn't even be on the classic list. Right now the classic list, excuse me, sucks. It's so bad. No one developes, they just sit there and go "ya we r developing on our dev servers lolol".

It really isn't easy to just make tons of content... If it were, there wouldn't be the problem you're describing now. If it's really that easy, feel free to make a server that has a ton of content and then keep it constantly updated. Tell me how easy it was compared to just tossing some events out there.

Obviously if I payed for a server, I would first gather up an experienced and loyal team. I'd then develope ahead of time and plan out future things I want to make. I'd then make the **** and finally when I go classic, I'd begin working on new content bit by bit. Every few weeks or so there would be a unique event where people have fun. Not some lame race that every single god damn server has.

[konidias]

Originally Posted by Gerami

Obviously if I payed for a server, I would first gather up an experienced and loyal team. I'd then develope ahead of time and plan out future things I want to make. I'd then make the **** and finally when I go classic, I'd begin working on new content bit by bit. Every few weeks or so there would be a unique event where people have fun. Not some lame race that every single god damn server has.

I'm sorry but you really don't understand how difficult that is. Gather up a loyal and experienced team? You made me laugh out loud. That's almost impossible. Like I said, these people volunteer their time. You won't find anyone loyal unless you're paying them. It's harsh, but true. I went through staff like they were going out of style. I think I've had nearly every well known scripter work for me at one point in time and they all bailed out. It's a LOT easier said than done.

It's obvious you don't have experience with this so it's better that you don't make a fool of yourself by saying things like you just did. You can't just release a server and dedicate your time to working on new content. You have to do so many other things as manager that you're hardly going to find time to work on anything new. You have to worry about bugs/glitches, hackers, corruption among staff, player disputes, making sure players like the content you DID develop, finding out what the players want you to make, keeping your staff active and interested in the project, etc etc etc.

You can't just release a bunch of stuff and be done with it and start working on new stuff. It's just not that simple.

If it was, this thread wouldn't exist, and neither would the problem that you're bringing attention to.

[Crono]

Originally Posted by konidias

I'm sorry but you really don't understand how difficult that is. Gather up a loyal and experienced team? You made me laugh out loud. That's almost impossible. Like I said, these people volunteer their time. You won't find anyone loyal unless you're paying them. It's harsh, but true. I went through staff like they were going out of style. I think I've had nearly every well known scripter work for me at one point in time and they all bailed out. It's a LOT easier said than done.

I'm pretty sure Wan would help me out with levels. I'm pretty sure Malinko would help me with scripting. I'm pretty sure my danish friend would help with gfx. That's all I need. Wan alone spits out high quality worldmaps in no time. Malinko works when you want him to, my friend most likely does the same.

It's obvious you don't have experience with this so it's better that you don't make a fool of yourself by saying things like you just did. You can't just release a server and dedicate your time to working on new content. You have to do so many other things as manager that you're hardly going to find time to work on anything new. You have to worry about bugs/glitches, hackers, corruption among staff, player disputes, making sure players like the content you DID develop, finding out what the players want you to make, keeping your staff active and interested in the project, etc etc etc.

You're right, which is why I'm not going to pay 100 dollars or offer to be manager like other people. The ones that HAVE released, though, have to put some work into their servers. They can't sit around and act like the server is going to evolve itself. The manager does not have to put up with player disputes, glitches, etc. That's the job of an admin.

You can't just release a bunch of stuff and be done with it and start working on new stuff. It's just not that simple.

Which is why I said you develope this privately BEFORE GOING CLASSIC. You ensure you have content which will last you a while.

If it was, this thread wouldn't exist, and neither would the problem that you're bringing attention to.

It's not my fault managers are being so slow. Hardly anything's changed since 2003-2004.

[konidias]

No offense, but you're just being an armchair quarterback and you don't really have the right to tell people how they show run their server... especially when you don't want to attempt it yourself.

As far as having content ready for release to last you "a while". How long is "a while"? Development takes time, and it's not so easy to estimate releases. What happens if the content runs out and you're not ready to release new content? That's where events come in. Ah, now we're getting somewhere!