Let's make these servers popular again

[Kidd2000]

Whats the answer I wanted?

The answer I'm not giving you.

[Juwayyid]

Well then here's a serious one.

If we do happen to become popular really suddenly, will we be prepared to handle a wave of new players?  I'm talking not only classic, but retail as well!  Grief will be harder to handle there and how would the creative server accessibility work?  Would that be open to all new players too?

[Jahona]

Grief is easier to fix on retail over classic.

[Krawkyz]

Grief is easier to fix on retail over classic.

That explains the squirrelman grief.

[Juwayyid]

Yea...  Classic sure seems easier to me...

[bren4q]

The anti-grief plugin we've used up to now, Hawkeye, has been hit and miss. It didnt work on WorldEdit stuff and rarely fixed lava bucket grief (e.g. TheSquirrelman). There is another grief-repair plugin called CoreProtect, which I have used briefly and it seems a lot more effective - being able to rollback lava, broken signs, and other quirky things.

Fixing grief would still be slower in retail (it can be fixed so quickly in classic) but if it was reliable then it might not be so bad. Having the confidence in being able to fix grief would make us more inclined to advertise and get more new people onto the servers.

I'd still lean towards the idea of having a server that was more autonomous, that we didn't have to be constantly checking for grief and repairing. Something like the grid plugin where you get a predefined plot of land, or the ProtectionStones plugin, where you claim a radius of land by placing a special block, might be better for us. In either case, we can solve the problem of having to walk for miles by setting up portals or warps at regular intervals so people can quickly go to a part of the world near a free location.

dynmap (the live map) has an optional plugin which makes it show WorldGuard regions on it. You see a colored border on protected regions. Perhaps it is possible to show claimed areas of land so that people can see what parts are free and go there relatively quickly through a nearby portal.

The trouble with this type of server, where guests can just join and start building/mining, is that the landscape will probably end up looking like crap as guests harvest everything in sight. We would need to make sure to restrict the area that guests can mine.

[Emperor_Quimby]

How about we do it like this:

We make a world, wher no one can break, burn and blow blocks. You as a players can go around, chat and challenge friends in fights (like they can tp to PvP areas like: taverni.) Then you can get money for winning and buy armor, food, pets and houses. Also if they wants to create a building or something on there own, they could go to  a map (flat map perhaps) and create a building. When the building is accepted by the moderators or admins, it can get placed in the main map, and be owned by the creater of it. Fighting would not be the only way to get money, also trading or perhaps jobs and do it too.

"How do we do all those things?" you probally think, well let me expalin:

First: We could make the world in one of the corners of our main map (Which of the server is up to you) and place the building away from the rest of the map (I mean the dark, unexplored areas.)

Then we make a spawnpoint/city which have followed:

-Trainstation: soo players can get far out to diffrent areas. And since we allready have a transport master i think he should do it (Nickykim )
-Info: Of course, soo they players know where they are and what they have to do.
-Moderator and admin room: Just to the admins and moderators have a meeting place.
-Town hall: Which have info and the moderator and admin rom inside.
-Shops: where we "TRAP" villagers in small houses or make a trading system (throw something in and a dispencer throws a item out) as players can come and buy things at.
-Auction house: where you can trade items (I have made a system by my own where you can trade items safety, can be seen in Emperia auction house basement.)

Then we make a PvP system where you get money (emerald) every time you win a fight/battle.
And that would be the hard and impossible part of all, but I'm sure we can get some creativ ideas from you guys.

Soo it basic a world where buildings are under control, unconsustency but friendly fights with friends and where the nature would't be damaged.

Again this is alot... of things... but ahamm think about it and read it again. I think it could be a good way to start a player area and where buildings in under control when the moderators and admins decides where the buildings should be placed.

[bren4q]

if they wants to create a building or something on there own, they could go to  a map (flat map perhaps) and create a building. When the building is accepted by the moderators or admins, it can get placed in the main map, and be owned by the creater of it.

What would stop people from griefing on the other world/flat map?
Where do people get the materials to build if they are unable to mine blocks on the main world?
It would be extra hassle for everyone involved - players would have to wait for a Mod and ask them to copy their build, and Mods would have to be constantly having to deal with player's requests to copy stuff.

I think this style of play is too far from the normal Minecraft experience of being able to do things with the freedom to mine and build as they please.

[Emperor_Quimby]

What would stop people from griefing on the other world/flat map?
Where do people get the materials to build if they are unable to mine blocks on the main world?
It would be extra hassle for everyone involved - players would have to wait for a Mod and ask them to copy their build, and Mods would have to be constantly having to deal with player's requests to copy stuff.

I think this style of play is too far from the normal Minecraft experience of being able to do things with the freedom to mine and build as they please.

Well i'm glad for you questions bren:

See the flatmap is a creativ map (as we all use.) players will have diffrent areas where they have eternal blocks (short spoken: creativ mode.) This area's size will depend on how much money they give for it (In that way we don't get like a wave of request to buildings, if they have to pay emerald for it.)

We mark the area (height and wide) with a block kind that can't be broken by the players (no grief), even when they are in creativ mode. I believe that we can create such a thing which only admin and moderators can create and break. And I didn't say the players would have their buildings accepted at once. They must send a message about it and wait for the staff have time. And if we should be soo luck this get's a succces and overuned with players, I think the moderators will come with the succes too then!

Also yes not a free minecraft, but a way to control the buildings.... we could also just make it simpel and say 10 blocks atleast away from each others building. But I don't think it would save the landscape.

Also as I said before there could be jobs: minning ores, farming, wood cutting, monster killing or animal catching/treatment.
Basic jobs where you can sell wood, wool, ores, wheat, beef and all those farm things. Now wheat and such will grow back, tree can get planned, animal will respawn and monsters too. The only main problem is minning where the grounds would be empty in matter of time. Also a thing we could work out: should the undergrounds or ores get respawn? or should we send them further and further out of the map?

Oh yeah before I forget: When you have a job then you get rights to break only those look you need.
Like miners: stone, all ther ores, dirt and gravel.
Farmers: wheat, melons, potatos, pumkins and carrots.
and lumberjack: all sorts of wood, leaves, liana, coco beans, sapplings and apels.

I think the ranks system can do that. So we have Lumberjack, farmer, miner as a rank.

But I have to remind you: this is just an idea. a crazy one but still a though out of the box.

[bren4q]

We mark the area (height and wide) with a block kind that can't be broken by the players (no grief)... They must send a message about it and wait for the staff have time.

To be successful this would need Moderators online nearly all of the time, and we cannot guarantee that. Even if we end up getting extra Mods, there will be times when people are away, in bed, or just busy doing something else. If there are new players online and no Mods then all they can do is PVP. They won't be able to build until a Mod has granted them some build space. I think we need a system that doesn't rely entirely on Mods.

[Emperor_Quimby]

To be successful this would need Moderators online nearly all of the time, and we cannot guarantee that. Even if we end up getting extra Mods, there will be times when people are away, in bed, or just busy doing something else. If there are new players online and no Mods then all they can do is PVP. They won't be able to build until a Mod has granted them some build space. I think we need a system that doesn't rely entirely on Mods.

Nononono

They can still build but moderators have to accept them... and give them a area, that's all.

[Emperor_Quimby]

Moderators only have to give players areas so they can build peacfully, then they shall accept the building and copy into the main map. With the no blows, break, place or burning blocks and a wall covering the area of the building area, no grief would happen.

[bren4q]

moderators have to accept them... and give them a area, that's all.

Right. A moderator must give someone a piece of land to build on first. So if a Mod is not around they cannot build. Isn't that it?

Or can players build anywhere they like? If thats the case then it will be unprotected and open to being griefed.

[Emperor_Quimby]

Player gives a valvue of emerald to moderator - moderator gives area to player - player can go to area (warp) so much player wants wants and build what ever it should be - when player have done his building player send message to moderator - when moderator have accepted and thinks the building looks good he copy it and paste it in a peacefull place on the main map and take the area back again

[bren4q]

I think you are missing the point I'm making.

When there are no moderators online and a player joins the server, what can the player do?