Server frustrations

[RedEagle_P1. 905]

Let's post all the issues we are having with servers here so we can see if we can fix them. 

 

As players what do you have issues with? 

1. A lack of resources
   1. Clay
   2. Ylandium
   3. Iron
2. Confusion:
   1. Where can I build?
   2. Are these people standing around online?
   3. Will my base get raided/attacked
3. Performance issues:
   1. Lag
   2. Bugs
   3. Disconnects
   4. Resets
4. Game issues: 
   1. Why can't I see? (Dark monitor/night)
   2. Map resets in multiplayer

 

 

As server hosts what do you have issues with:

1. Hardcore players use up tons of ram with mining drills etc. 
2. Users get disconnected
3. Greifers & trolls

I want to do a better job making my servers the ideal home for people but first I need to work out what the biggest issues are. 

I would love your help listing these. 

[handofthesly 214]

Spawning in fresh on a new server or dieing at night time and not being able to see or do anything

Edited January 30, 2018 by handofthesly

[Baz Foobar 102]

13 hours ago, handofthesly said:

Spawning in fresh on a new server or dieing at night time and not being able to see or do anything

I've tried to address this on my server by lighting a brazier at the starting point (and leaving some flint lighters around in case it dies out) and having a crafting station right there with some starting supplies for new players to gear up and have a fighting chance without being naked and blind.

I tried the method of putting a starting role on a generated map that starts with a few basic items including a torch, but then you lose out on having a protective barrier orb, and random sites/caves, so that's not ideal.  If we can simply have a custom player role defined on the exploration map, that'd be perfect.

Edited January 30, 2018 by Baz Foobar

[bojo2736 1016]

1 hour ago, Baz Foobar said:

I've tried to address this on my server by lighting a brazier at the starting point (and leaving some flint lighters around in case it dies out) and having a crafting station right there with some starting supplies for new players to gear up and have a fighting chance without being naked and blind.

I tried the method of putting a starting role on a generated map that starts with a few basic items including a torch, but then you lose out on having a protective barrier orb, and random sites/caves, so that's not ideal.  If we can simply have a custom player role defined on the exploration map, that'd be perfect.

I loved the crafting station.  I chose to build nearby partly because it is there. But also to meet other players. 

[Energritz_ 107]

As a server operator i have to deal with:

• Daily clean up
• Up to 2hrs everyday checking all ylands briefly for issues
• Lack of garbage collection
• Non re-spawning plants, animals
• Non re-spawning of Resources
• Lack of a Linux server option
• Watching server ram reach 90% and then freaking out

What i need for the Editor:

• The ability to teleport to players       
• The ability to use game menu option on DS generated maps
• The ability to change day length
• As other have said , custom map with Protective barriers
• Starting area that's configurable, aka, safe zone for new players for a brief time, shelter etc

Edited January 31, 2018 by Energritz_

[Whane The Whip 99]

13 hours ago, Baz Foobar said:

If we can simply have a custom player role defined on the exploration map, that'd be perfect.

I would rather see the PB added to the editor so that it can be included in the inventory of a role, then we can use other logics in MP too, not just roles. The editor is perfect for creating MP maps, it's just missing the PB. There is a long list of things I can do with a MP map using the editor that I can't with the explore map. At the very least, Aleš is aware of this need and agrees that it makes sense to add the PB to the editor as indicated in the post below.

[EDIT] The random sites only benefit the first person that finds it, so when it comes to MP, I find them to be a bit unfair rewarding only the person that manages to find them first. However, dynamic sites that can reward everyone that finds it is possible with the editor. Crystals can be resolved in the same way, and they don't have to be in caves (though caves are easy to make with the terrain tool). And the biggest pain for a DS admin running with an explore map, is managing the cleanup of all those islands in order to extend the life of the server. A single large island, or smaller cluster of islands near each other is much easier to manage and requires much less time. For all of this, the editor works. That is why I still prefer a map made with the editor, over an explore map, even without the BP. But hopefully we can get a PB added to the editor, that will afford us lots of options... as well as a diversity of servers for the community, as apposed to nearly every server being an explore map.

Edited January 31, 2018 by Whane The Whip

[Baz Foobar 102]

I concur with All of your points except a single large island or small cluster. I do enjoy sailing the vast unknown and finding  other islands. That's not mutually exclusive with your proposal though, so still good. 

[Whane The Whip 99]

5 hours ago, Baz Foobar said:

I do enjoy sailing the vast unknown...

I do too. In fact I like ocean play more than islands. I especially like the ocean during a storm when the waves kick up. And when you go far enough out the waves do seem to increase by a notch (no warning about sailing off into the deep with an editor generated world). I even created a Water World scenario that I'm planning to update sometime after the 0.7 update. The main issue I have with the explore maps used on a DS are the restrictions they place as apposed to what I can do with a world generated by the editor and that the size of an explore map seems to contribute to lag as the world is explored. The save file can get quite large too which has been known to cause issues.

[EDIT] One more thing, players can always create their own islands too, RP pirates do this some times because its a good way to hide your base... out in the deep somewhere. Two players on my DS did this too (but then they lost their island, and the main island too). Here is a screenshot they took, keep in mind this is all in survival mode, the only one with a cube is myself. I have not yet been able to find this island:

http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1286636972

Edited January 31, 2018 by Whane The Whip

[RedEagle_P1. 905]

I would love to be able to add a larger PB to editor maps! Imagine a solid 100x100 area for a decent base! 

[WijkagentAdrie 384]

As soon as MP is working reliable I think this game is gonna get so much more players and communities I can't wait! Regarding the problems, for the players it's mainly resources (including space, as there's not much space for a larger playerbase), griefing and performance. Hosting wise being an admin isn't easy now, it's all manual labour to get everything sorted.

[RedEagle_P1. 905]

My biggest issue is ram. I can't run the game properly atm so checking up on servers is hard. 

I agree that the game has a lot of potential. I look forward to seeing what it becomes. 

[mid endian 37]

My issue is with the "host unreachable" problem that leaves the spawn point crowded with characters. 

Edited February 1, 2018 by mid endian
Misspelling

[Whane The Whip 99]

2 hours ago, RedEagle_MGN said:

I would love to be able to add a larger PB to editor maps! Imagine a solid 100x100 area for a decent base! 

Ha! I would love to just be able to use the standard PB in an editor map. Hopefully we will get this when BI goes to work on the editor after 0.7. That being said, there is an option in the editor to set the HP of items, this could be useful for building spawn location. However it doesn't seem to work. When I placed a lantern with an HP of 20 and changed the HP to 15,000 (which is what a ships HP is at), I was still able to destroy the lantern in-game with just a couple of punches.

I would love to see a toggle next to HP for "indestructible" and then the only way to remove it would be through the annihilator or the editor. But if they got the custom HP's to work, it could be effectively indestructible, even if annoying to change the HP for every item in a specific area. But I suppose this would still not prevent terrain grief and its far easier to ruin things with that than destroying blocks. Maybe what we need is a "protected area" logic that works like the PB, but a little better to stop theft as well.

[RedEagle_P1. 905]

1 hour ago, Whane The Whip said:

Ha! I would love to just be able to use the standard PB in an editor map. Hopefully we will get this when BI goes to work on the editor after 0.7. That being said, there is an option in the editor to set the HP of items, this could be useful for building spawn location. However it doesn't seem to work. When I placed a lantern with an HP of 20 and changed the HP to 15,000 (which is what a ships HP is at), I was still able to destroy the lantern in-game with just a couple of punches.

I would love to see a toggle next to HP for "indestructible" and then the only way to remove it would be through the annihilator or the editor. But if they got the custom HP's to work, it could be effectively indestructible, even if annoying to change the HP for every item in a specific area. But I suppose this would still not prevent terrain grief and its far easier to ruin things with that than destroying blocks. Maybe what we need is a "protected area" logic that works like the PB, but a little better to stop theft as well.

This is actually an issue with only glass items atm. Just add 99999999 to all others and they will be unbreakable. Windows and such will break easy no matter what. 

[Whane The Whip 99]

7 minutes ago, RedEagle_MGN said:

This is actually an issue with only glass items atm. Just add 99999999 to all others and they will be unbreakable. Windows and such will break easy no matter what. 

Oh?! And it just so happened that the item I tested was a glass item. Thanks for that headsups, I'm going to test it out later.

[handofthesly 214]

I have a small, silly pet peeve I have with the in-game Menu. A couple of times I have accidentally clicked on Return to Main Menu instead of Close and then logged myself out of the server which can be really dangerous. I do realise I can just use the Escape key but I haven't got in the habit of using it all of the time yet.

[Whane The Whip 99]

22 minutes ago, handofthesly said:

I have a small, silly pet peeve I have with the in-game Menu. A couple of times I have accidentally clicked on Return to Main Menu instead of Close and then logged myself out of the server which can be really dangerous. I do realise I can just use the Escape key but I haven't got in the habit of using it all of the time yet.

I have done the same thing way too many times. The reason is because I'm in the game, hit escape, usually to see who is online, then click "return" because "return" usually means to return from where you came.. I.E. a game session. It should read "return to game" or "exit to main menu".. not "return to the main menu".

[handofthesly 214]

11 minutes ago, Whane The Whip said:

It should read "return to game" or "exit to main menu".. not "return to the main menu".

Exactly! It confused me the first few times but now I'm also miss clicking because they are so close together.

[kimbuck 746]

@ Energritz ... i am  getting tempted to  join in on your server. What i  would  like to do is  to  find a shallow area  around a  Yland and  create a   new low level  Yland there  as an island base,  and  gradually   expand it  and   re forest it, plant  crops  etc   and eventually  connect it  via a causeway / roadway to a nearby  Yland. Of  course,   a non- aggressive  resident.

 

Just give me  time  first to  get my  act  together after the 0.7  update

[WijkagentAdrie 384]

30 minutes ago, kimbuck said:

@ Energritz ... i am  getting tempted to  join in on your server. What i  would  like to do is  to  find a shallow area  around a  Yland and  create a   new low level  Yland there  as an island base,  and  gradually   expand it  and   re forest it, plant  crops  etc   and eventually  connect it  via a causeway / roadway to a nearby  Yland. Of  course,   a non- aggressive  resident.

 

Just give me  time  first to  get my  act  together after the 0.7  update

My strategy exactly, I just tend to build far away from any island so nobody will accidentally find me and I build on wooden poles instead of make my island  I'm also looking for a server to join as soon as the server/community gameplay becomes fun  

[kimbuck 746]

@ Wijk etc ..    Also the reclaimed land  shows on a map as brown and  easily  to locate  when returning with  booty  after sailing 

With a  house on poles  next to a  man( person? ) made island   with crops and  stuff ....  you  can place a forest of  wooden  spikes around the  shoreline to  deter  seaborne  invaders.   And use a door as a drawbridge from a pier to access  your  house.

Whats  frustrating me is  ..its already  2  Feb here ...  just you guys are a day behind me    and its   sooooooooo    frustrating   But i don't  want to start  building  or  exploring until i can  access the   new lands  after the  update . 

[WijkagentAdrie 384]

1 minute ago, kimbuck said:

@ Wijk etc ..    Also the reclaimed land  shows on a map as brown and  easily  to locate  when returning with  booty  after sailing 

With a  house on poles  next to a  man( person? ) made island   with crops and  stuff ....  you  can place a forest of  wooden  spikes around the  shoreline to  deter  seaborne  invaders.   And use a door as a drawbridge from a pier to access  your  house.

Whats  frustrating me is  ..its already  2  Feb here ...  just you guys are a day behind me    and its   sooooooooo    frustrating   But i don't  want to start  building  or  exploring until i can  access the   new lands  after the  update . 

Wanna be my neighbor?  

[kimbuck 746]

Lol    why not!  ..just make  sure  our  cannons  are pointing  away from each other 

[kimbuck 746]

For the record ..i am on a i3 cpu computer with a  nvidia gtx750card ..i  just kinda meet the min spec. for this game to  play it  fluidly,  but to add to my woes i live in  small country town  connected to the   network  on adsl2  via  what appears to be   wet  knotted string,  iIt is  adequate  most days  however  the  mains  power supply  creeps in on a spur line over some mountainous  regions where  mating  birds,  winds, and  storms like to play havoc   with the power supply! Its  not uncommon  for me  to get offline a hurry  because a  dirty big  thunderstorm is approaching  spitting hail and lightning in all directions.

Hurry  up  Ane  and  Ales ....    getting impatient  here 

[Whane The Whip 99]

They probably have the update ready to deploy. Just waiting for that magic minute to hit the button. They probably have the post written up too.

@WijkagentAdrie I like to do the same with an oceanic platform base. With a pier on one side to have a safe spot for the ship to rest inside the BP perimeter.