What I'm Looking For When I Join Your Server

[Grimmeral]

Hello everyone! I wanted to post this for server owners so they might get an idea of what someone looks for (and does not look for) when they join their server. When I look into a server, I'm looking for a place to settle down. I want a good, reliable server that I feel confident about going back to and I'm not second guessing my decision, thinking there's something better out there. They have certain things.

#Keep in mind these best apply to PvP or RP servers, not so much build servers.#
Here is the best way I can simplify it:

#SPAWN#
This is the first thing I see. It is also the first thing I want to get away from. Besides knowing the rules, I want to leave spawn as soon as possible so I can get to playing. If I can't find the way out I'm going to leave your server and find a better one. If the way out is tedious I'm going to leave your server. If the spawn is built beautifully I'm going to appreciate it but it's not like I'm ever really going to come back. Vastness and beauty is a waste of time on spawns, save it for your faction sectors.

#BALANCE#
If you start me out with 1000 armor blocks, 1000 thrusters, and 1000 power reactors, I'm probably going to leave. Such a thing is so gilded. Any ship I build with that handout isn't going to feel like mine, and since I did not spend any time getting it, even if I do stay and build I'll feel no remorse leaving it to rot when I get bored of being coddled. If the "lucky!" rewards give me 50 raw resources I'm going to instantly be brought out of immersion and feel guilty like I'm cheating. That's a little much.

However if you start me out with 1 ship core, 2 thrusters and a healing beam I'm out the door as well. I want to be able to reap what I sow but I want to be building and having fun within the hour, although I don't need to build the Starship Enterprise to be having fun. An X-wing (even a "mini" one) is fine for a first ship, and I don't mind having to scrounge a little to finish it. It allows me to put my name on it. The same thing with "starting ships" in blueprints. I'm not fighting a pirate station with it, and I already have a ship core and enough thrusters to go just as fast, so why are you giving me the ship and enough blocks to build a ship that works just as well until I get where I need to go? I feel compelled to fly it into a pirate station and bail so I can have fun watching it burn into nothing.

#PERFORMANCE#
When it comes to the amount of players on the server and the performance, I'm taking performance. Having players on the server increases the multiplayer experience, but that experience is ruined if I can't harvest resources or fight effectively (when actually engaging other players) because the ping is so bad.

#If your server does not have these things: an easy spawn, good balance, and decent performance, I will leave along with other players. Keep it simple and respectable, and that will get you far. I hope this helped. Good night.#

 

[The Judge]

Good evening (For me, it's 10:24 at least)

This is a very bold statement.

Nobody likes/cares for this kind of post, and the Server subforum is reserved for server reviews and Server advertisements. (I could be wrong, but shouting what you think servers should be like is a waste of time.)

 

[Crusade]

It generally is a wqaste of time - as many people look for very different things in servers. I myself love complicated spawn stations, infinite resources and I'm generally not bothered by slower server performance, since all I do is build. It's all up to the individual players tastes.

 

[hzzzln]

I think it was a well structured and informative post. I'm not a server owner, but if I ever set up an RP server, these are all points I would consider valid.

 

[Gasboy]

You will probably catch a lot of flak for the post, though it is well written. What you have here is a good guideline for people who are considering starting their own server now, or in the near future. Seasoned server admin will probably shrug, they have something already that works for them, and they can simply bump their thread in the servers section.

I want to note something about your balance paragraph. If the server has been up for longer than a month, with 10 or more players, the spawn area, and the sectors around it have been picked completely clean. Giving you a large chunk of starting resources is a service, so that you can put together a ship and be able to actually get to where the resources are plentiful. Don't feel bad or guilty about the gift of resources. If you're on a build server, you'll be able to ask for more resources at any time, there is little, if any, resource gathering going on there. If you're on a server that has PVP outside the spawn sector, chances are those gift resources are going to get shot out from under you. :p You should only worry that they don't give you enough, rather than they give you too much.

 

[Grimmeral]

Good evening (For me, it's 10:24 at least)

This is a very bold statement.

Nobody likes/cares for this kind of post, and the Server subforum is reserved for server reviews and Server advertisements. (I could be wrong, but shouting what you think servers should be like is a waste of time.)

Believe me, I was very careful in figuring out which section to post this in. The way I figure it, this topic relates to servers. If I post it in any other section the right people (server owners) are not going to see it or care.

The point of this post is saying if you want some insight on what someone might look for joining your server, here it is. The basics of it is that I don't want your server to make it hard for me to play the game, and I want to feel like it's not a waste of my time to play on that server rather than another.

It generally is a waste of time - as many people look for very different things in servers. I myself love complicated spawn stations, infinite resources and I'm generally not bothered by slower server performance, since all I do is build. It's all up to the individual players tastes.

Should have specified this was intended for RP/PvP servers, thanks! Don't get me wrong, I marvel at what people manage to build when I'm still struggling, but if the complexity of the spawn station gets in the way of me being able to play (i.e., getting out of it) it's pointless. As long as it's not a labyrinth, I'm usually fine (the reason I mentioned it in the post is because many of them are, actually).

I think it was a well structured and informative post. I'm not a server owner, but if I ever set up an RP server, these are all points I would consider valid.

Thank you! I'm glad someone was able to get something positive I intended out of this post!

You will probably catch a lot of flak for the post, though it is well written. What you have here is a good guideline for people who are considering starting their own server now, or in the near future. Seasoned server admin will probably shrug, they have something already that works for them, and they can simply bump their thread in the servers section.

I want to note something about your balance paragraph. If the server has been up for longer than a month, with 10 or more players, the spawn area, and the sectors around it have been picked completely clean. Giving you a large chunk of starting resources is a service, so that you can put together a ship and be able to actually get to where the resources are plentiful. Don't feel bad or guilty about the gift of resources. If you're on a build server, you'll be able to ask for more resources at any time, there is little, if any, resource gathering going on there. If you're on a server that has PVP outside the spawn sector, chances are those gift resources are going to get shot out from under you. :p You should only worry that they don't give you enough, rather than they give you too much.

Actually, I've started out in a PvP server and built literally a ship core with 2 reactors and a few thrusters attached to the back and flown 100s of kms through open space without any trouble all the way to my decided system. There were lots of people on too, at least 10.

However, I don't want servers to fall into a DayZ mod syndrome, where they think the only way to get players is to give them everything and strip away the meaningfulness of the other game elements. In reference to DayZ, it was looting and getting gear, so server owners just gave everyone literally everything they would need when they spawned in and no one had to loot. It was a survival-horror mod that had very weighty looting mechanics. In Starmade, I don't want it to get to the point that *PvP or RP servers* remove the element of resource gathering from the game since it's such a big part of actually PLAYING. That's not just perspective--like I said, if people do nothing on your server because they have everything, it's easy to leave or throw it away because they know they can get it back with a simple client restart and name change. Their place on your server, it's not worth much, and you are inviting people who just want to screw around and ram giant pieces of armor and stone into another ship to crash your server. After all, they can just go find another server that gives them everything, eh?

Slightly unrelated in response to resources being picked clean.... What I would really like to see is the ability to allow players the choice of whether or not to spawn in an unclaimed sector instead of having to fly through a bunch of faction territory to get to anywhere worth a second glance. However that's something I would put in the suggestions section, not here.

Thanks for your reply!

 

[Winterhome]

The things that make me leave servers instantly are strict restrictions on things like docked entity counts and badmins.

If your admins support illegal activities that harm other people, myself and my faction are gone. If your admins support harassment by turning their heads away when there's a problem, myself and my faction are gone. If your admins show up at the base unannounced and start spawning shit in, myself and my faction are gone. If your admins insult players regularly and unjustly, myself and my faction are gone.

If your server restricts ship and station construction in such a way that doomcubes or other various sorts of bricks (poorly hulled, barebones solid system bricks) are encouraged as the only valid combat ships, then myself and my faction are gone.

 

[Grimmeral]

The things that make me leave servers instantly are strict restrictions on things like docked entity counts and badmins.

If your admins support illegal activities that harm other people, myself and my faction are gone. If your admins support harassment by turning their heads away when there's a problem, myself and my faction are gone. If your admins show up at the base unannounced and start spawning shit in, myself and my faction are gone. If your admins insult players regularly and unjustly, myself and my faction are gone.

If your server restricts ship and station construction in such a way that doomcubes or other various sorts of bricks (poorly hulled, barebones solid system bricks) are encouraged as the only valid combat ships, then myself and my faction are gone.

Hey, thanks for your post! The subject of admins, specifically "badmins" is a valid area. I've never had those problems thankfully so I appreciate you adding that insight for something I've missed.

 

[Winterhome]

Hey, thanks for your post! The subject of admins, specifically "badmins" is a valid area. I've never had those problems thankfully so I appreciate you adding that insight for something I've missed.

I've seen it in a number of top servers, in a small subset of the adminships. Most players do not run into these problems, however, I feel that even witnessing admins behaving poorly towards others is justification for taking your friends and leaving.

 

[gamesaucer]

I want to start a small server someday soon, and these kinds of things really give food for thought, especially considering admins. Being an admin, to me, is not a position of power but one of responsibility. 'Badmins' seem to forget that they are caretakers, not leaders.

 

[RoyalWolfe]

OK guys we respect that you have an opinion, but please for the love of decency if it is going to be expressed in a negative or offensive way please don't. telling him the post is a waste of time is a great way to get told off. your all acting like a bunch of deaf hermits and the Chinese saying goes. "If you have a problem with the world, shut your mouth, close your eyes and ears. and go live like a hermit."

respectfully I ask only this, if it going to be taken in a negative way.
PLEASE KEEP IT TO YOURSELF!!!!!!!

 

[mikesheen]

I like Grimmeral's post. What I'd like even more is for Grimmeral to visit some servers and provide a review of those servers in how they meet / do not meet the desired qualities sought in a server.

 

[StormWing0]

At least I'm not the only one that hates bad admins. As for the large starting resources issues you seem to have if a server has been up long enough with no fast gates to the unmined areas you are going to be going for a long time to get to anywhere that might have anything so starting with a large number of resources and maybe a starter ship that accounts for this might be handy. I'd like at least enough jump drive computers/modules to get as far as I need to, and enough power for them and a jammer. As for exact numbers of anything else I don't care as long as I can get ahead of the mining fleets.