Ideas for reviving the multiplayer community

[Leirnor]

Hello all!
As we all know there is no ETA on a new update to the game. Going opensource may happen first but it's only the beginning of a much longer process that may take even longer than a new update to bring new life to the game.
I fell that there are many old and possible new player who are looking for the Starmade experience and as we all know we can't find it anywhere else(Yeah i know about Evo but its not the same) ,the idea of this thread is to generate some ideas to gather player together trying to resurrect the multiplayer aspect of the game, so that the game is not completely dead by the time it hit opensource or a new update lunches.

Here are some points i think are a problem for people like me who are looking to play the game in 2021 in multiplayer, and i hope more people can collaborate with new ideas. I will update as i think of more.

The main problem to me, to many empty servers, and again, i'm not trying to revive the game, the point here is to save what is left of the multiplayer community and be more accessible to potential new players . Whenever an old or new player tries join a multiplayer server we are welcome by a list of ~20 empty server, some with 1 player(that may as well be a bot). My Idea here is simple, we must reduce the number of servers, if the total active community of the game right now is around 8 players, we don't need to split potential new players with the confusion of "where should i go to play", we should aim for 1~3 servers and center what's left of the community in these.

I think this is the first problem we should focus in order to have a better multiplayer experience because the way it stands now, someone like me who played and enjoyed the game in it's golden age, is never going to go back to the community and new players will not even try the game. And if you don't agree please share why and let's work together to bring more people to the game, i really like this game and i really wish we had more people together in multiplayer.

 

[Tsnonak]

well...

we do know this much: "this will probably be the last update on the non-universe-update version of StarMade."

Funding /player retention / sales and developement are in the cellar...
opensourcing is the talks, which, if we can be serious: really is not a realistic solution (imo*).
Mindustry, is not a good example, nor it is not even close to SM's complexity.
opensourced games ... we all know how it ends.

also...
U2.0 (universe update), java 11, new planets, new universe, new NPCs, new everything etc... it sounds like a whole new game is planned.
and... if we can be serious once more: how is this supposed to happen, it hasn't worked (yet) the first time?

While I do acknowledge and respect the mindset: "take as long as you need"...
SM has been in the works for 10+ years now and looking like a full reset (U2.0) and starting over again...
in another X years will there be a schiney new StarMade U2.0 in the same buggy state...
which, at this rate, I also cannot see as realistic.

back to multiplayer servers: "too many empty servers"...
For StarMade to "be more accessible to potential new players" it needs some serious "fixing up", most loose interest because of bugs, broken features, connection problems, resets (file-corruption) etc...

Most or many of the connection problems are due to X-players + Megabuilds and/or NPCs:
Salvagers with X-thousand groups
Power / Chambers-changes with X-hundred to thousands of blocks.
Shipyards, 200,000k+ mass ships flying around, too many entities, AI/NPCs etc...
(no sane admin wants to see a 500,000k mass 4km long ship at spawn!)!

Servers need to set limits...
and then players all cry: your server broke my creative build freedom!
... as Bill the Cat would say: pfffft!
you are breaking the server!
... it is simply too much server-load in SM's current alpha- state.

In my opinion: the number of servers is not really that relevant, (happy to see any*).
StarMade does not have nearly as many servers as other games and like other games, some offer different configs/Lore/ etc...
which I also find good.


Next I would like to mention the PvP problem (which simply is).
*** true story***
New player just starts on server, (doesn't matter if noob or veteran*).
Sets up homebase and is busy sorting stuff, goes AFK for a bio...
returns to find some PvP dude came for a visit and destroyed the only defense ship (32,000k mass) with his BattleDestroyer (200,000k+ mass).
Welcome to Online-PvP mentality! (gf )!

In the world of anonymous "online-gaming" this is the "norm".
people have "unlearned" how to play a game together.

Servers simply need to be clear:
What type of server:
PvE / PvP / Creative
Limits / rules.
sort/slowdown NPCs, faction-turns / deal with too many entites etc...

thats all folks!

I too would like to see StarMade do better!

 

[Captain Fortius]

I wouldn't hold my breath for that universe update.
What little I've seen from it, the new planets are only somewhat larger and slightly more round, while still working on the same flawed "plates" concept.
The guy does. not. learn.

What'd it take to make the game enjoyable? Revert to power 1.0. Especially to the time when explosive effect had a noticable aoe. It was all downhill from there, in terms of playability and enjoyment - unless you like side strafing the same ship for an hour, blasting each other without anything happening, or stripping out all the system blocks from a spaceship hull repeatedly, because the number of interconnected variables make it impossible to adjust them, or even guess at how much space will be needed for each component.

Sad thing is, if what time and effort was put into all the unnecessary, convoluted, and poorly thought out stuff that came in the following years was instead put to just fixing the bugs, we'd have had a completed game.
Sure, it wouldn't be any more than what it was, but now it's even less.
Also, textures at that time were much nicer. As one of P2.0's less mentioned side effect, the texture guy took his time to turn advanced armor into bathroom tiles and left it in that state.

Textures and code, both are the equivalent of breaking everything at your workplace the day before you quit.
Never mind the sales or the priorities, a halfway decent person would find it unconcionable to leave things in this state. If you're gonna leave for a long time, or potentially forever, first make what fixes you can, or at least don't make things worse.

 

[Leirnor]

The point i was trying to make with this thread was about the things we as players can do to keep playing the game. I do understand the problems mentioned but i believe there is nothing we can do to change that, we can't speed up development and we can't speed up the open source dream. What we can do is work with other players and servers to Unify the community under one multiplayer project, maybe a downgraded version, maybe a moded version, but regardless of that we need people together on the same ship if we want to move forward,
so my main question is, "what can we do?", instead of what should schema do.

 

[Tsnonak]

well...
since you put it like that, I will attempt to re-focus and to the best of my ability, describe, what "we" as a community "can do".
(my opinion, for what its worth*)

1. Modders:
SM is now partially unobfuscated (have not looked into the latest builds to see if more code is unobfuscated*).
Maybe look and try to figure out how to fix "game-breaking-bugs" (independant of pvp or pve*).

2. Server Admin/Mod:
Be clear in server description Anarchy/PvP/PvE/Creative/Lore/Modded/(Language could be a bonus).
Set limits in accordance to the server type in the "gameconfig.xml".
Set rules in accordance to server type.
Be active on the server and helpful to new players / ban as needed, (this is hard because many work etc...).

3. Players:
Choose your server-type wisely and accept the consequences (whatever they may be).
Be helpful to other players (veterans*).
Learn how to play games together again...

New guys starting out do not need PvPers (or pirates) showing up at thier homebase and destroying the first thing they built or spawned from blueprint just because its undocked, (thats not how you play games together nor is it PvP, thats just being a typical-anonymous-onlinegaming-ass for shitsngiggles at the expense of others), which results in less players, (you just screwed yourselves).

New players/factions need time, gather resources, build homebase, defences, members, etc... before they can actually even play-war...
players themselves are often one of the biggest problems.


As far as the rest goes...
as stated above, I disagree that there are too many servers and shared why, all players under one hat is lucid dreaming.
Schine also made it clear... they are not currently looking to attract new players...
connection-lag/broken-buggy-features are simply a major obstacle breathing life into an online gaming-community.
...sorry to be the dud, I tried best I could to reply to the posted text.

 

[Tsnonak]

What little I've seen from it, the new planets are only somewhat larger and slightly more round, while still working on the same flawed "plates" concept.

Seen them too, they are quite large and have a nice topology!
... but to be honest: the current (v0.202.87) planets are not bad!
Better than the old cookies if ask me... if only cores wouldn't get stuck in them... and they reset sometimes.

I even had players totally dismantle planets and build a station around them ...
was not even a problem (I could tell of) on the server, that has improved lots!

Am also getting the impression, not much has changed around here, in all the years...
sometimes a new breath of life does good, new direction, etc.

 

[JinM]

Question: What can a player do to cope with the lack of gameplay?
A: You can just stick to self made challenges and roleplay rules. Lay them out in a thread, and have display modules on your public docking ports and big signs that explain how you want to play the game. Goal: Others join your way of playing the game and do the examples given below together with you.

Its kinda roleplaying the game. But roleplaying means that you play a role. What I try to explain is not roleplaying, its sticking to a challenge with your own rules.

Examples

• Someone wants to trade with you: He has to dock, and he has to use blocks exlusively, you dont accept credits.
• Someone wants to fight with you: you only fight with him multiple times, if you and him stick to the rules (you fight once and then you see if he sticked to the rules, obviously there will be players that will not stick to the challenge, but then you just dont fight again after the first time). e.g. a certain reactor size limit and a minimum mass and maximum thrust value - so my rule would be: the ship has to be minimum 5k mass, maximum reactor level 20, and maximum thrust of 100 - reasons: 100 m/s so you can hit each other easily. 5k because its reasonable to build a special ship between 5 and 10k mass for a certain challenge with alot of detail, if you go for 20k or 100k its impossible to build detailed enough.
• You offer public hangars with public factories and numeric locks for guests.
• You tell everyone that approaches your station that he has to obey the rules of your faction, you give him a link to a forum post where you explain what you expect. e.g. maximum ship size, rotation of the docker and that he has to dock his ship if he wants to insepct your station, way of trading (all of the above), or that he has to use a mini-scooter to drive around your station that uses gravity. You set your faction to be agressive to neutral, and only if people say the phrase that shows that they read your rules, will be friends to your faction.

 

[Tsnonak]

Nice post, JinM always good for bringing another perspective to the table, it may not always be my can of beans, but I like it, kudos to you dude!

Generally I like the initiative, attempting to get others back into playing a game!
I have also tried... it seems to not be easy, to get others to "play" along.

If I may, add / go more in depth, on the aforementioned suggestions...

1. Trade:
As we all know Trade is somewhat broken in StarMade, or maybe better said: simply not working to its full potential.
As a reference point I would like to call the X-series to the witness stand! Economy simulation 1.0...
this is serious stuff, it is also "realtime" game-breaking stuff ^^...
IMO... StarMade doesn't need realtime trade (we got better stuff todo like building new ships!).
... and tbh who cares where the merchandise goes, the Trade Guild needs tons of ships to protect thier precious goods from pirates.
... and I need to get rid of 10,000,000 tons of metal mesh! :D
(tons... feel free todo the math yourselves*)

Shops offer a simple and good way for player-trade (docked or not)...
(options to set who can trade*).
*** true story ****
The other day online I had a player come buy Ice from my shop... seems Shops didn't offer enough for his needs...
to make water, maybe he didn't find enough Shops or for whatever reason...
What it boils down to: NPCs need more credits (only place players can get credits from), TradeGuild / OutCasts / Scavengers in the Trade Network, cannot supply / trade with all players on a MP-server... and the credit limit (variable) needs to be raised, (this Hard-Cap is a vanilla-game-breaking-trade-problem*).


2. PvP - fights:
I think this is a simple one... "sportsmanship", (some may recall the terminology*).
there is simply no point in dude with his 200k battle-destroyer visiting homebases to destroy a single 32k defense ship...
it is not PvP... it was not a "GF"... period.
Patience is a virtue, potential Players will play war when they are ready and have the means...
(which is why resources are an important factor... no resources=no wars).
just pretend you're in the boxing ring... we want to see a "clean" fight, no hits under the belt-line*.

3. Public factories: personally I generally do this, for new players or anyone interested, I like it!
I often leave my first "temp-asteroid-factory " for others to find and use and even make accommadations at homebases (HQ).

4. Passwords on a forum may be a little much to ask (and easily exploitable), but other than that I find it good!
Know your role...
I would tip more along the lines of establishing friendly communications and entering an alliance.
(which simply takes time, fly by nighters, can fly on bye).

sorry for getting a liittle off-topic*

 

[Sol'Varyk]

We need a stable game to advertise. player base will explode, because literally nobody loves nothing more than a game that had next to zero dev rate, to weekly updates to keep the game fair. even if the numbers jump from there now 200+ players to 1000+ will be a major explosion in just the first quarter.

New features that make sense and would add a special challenge to the game such as:

1. Gaseous Fuel(Hydrogen) exploited from Jovian Worlds.
2. An all new way that damage is Dealt and received.
3. What it means to create infrastructure in your faction.
4. Up-To-Date Economics
5. Weapon development and combinations should be revamped and more refined.
6. Et Cetera Et Cetera Et Cetera

Granted that since it's release, StarMade has been a side project, it's just too beautiful of an idea to go unchecked, abandoned, and eventually forgotten. There is no other game quite like StarMade. Nothing as pure as the idea like StarMade.

(Fun Fact::: Careers and special interests, 6 times outta 10 do not pay the bills.)

Stabilize the game, get our numbers up, and revive StarMade.

Thank you,

 

[Tsnonak]

We need a stable game to advertise. player base will explode, because literally nobody loves nothing more than a game that had next to zero dev rate, to weekly updates to keep the game fair. even if the numbers jump from there now 200+ players to 1000+ will be a major explosion in just the first quarter.

New features that make sense and would add a special challenge to the game such as:

1. Gaseous Fuel(Hydrogen) exploited from Jovian Worlds.
2. An all new way that damage is Dealt and received.
3. What it means to create infrastructure in your faction.
4. Up-To-Date Economics
5. Weapon development and combinations should be revamped and more refined.
6. Et Cetera Et Cetera Et Cetera

Granted that since it's release, StarMade has been a side project, it's just too beautiful of an idea to go unchecked, abandoned, and eventually forgotten. There is no other game quite like StarMade. Nothing as pure as the idea like StarMade.

(Fun Fact::: Careers and special interests, 6 times outta 10 do not pay the bills.)

Stabilize the game, get our numbers up, and revive StarMade.

Thank you,

1. No (this is not Eve-online).
2. Maybe
3. Maybe
4. No (this is not XXX-game)
5. Maybe, text is too generalized.
6. yes, there are simply too many problems... fix them and sales/retention would/could explode... StarMade is great "as is".
7. I think this might be the wrong thread for that stuff*

My opinion, but meh, nobody ever listens to me anyways, nothing new...

 

[PriZm]

At this point I think not even an injection of pure adrenaline to the heart of the community would be able to revive it

 

[Tsnonak]

I fear only one of two things can save SM...
1. fix it, release it.
2. sell to microsoft

 

[Nauvran]

I fear only one of two things can save SM...
1. fix it, release it.
2. sell to microsoft

*finish it, fix it, release it

 

[Reilly Reese]

There's really no way to rebuild the community to where it was in 2014. You can build up and harden a small server for RP that is rigorously administrated and active but on a grander scale outside that individual server, you won't be able to do much I think.

 

[IR0NSIGHT]

Im just gonna dump this here:
yet another broken weapons/pvp mechanics/balancing update will not revive anything. we ve had like 10 of them, they never made things better. pvp is gone for good.

pve content can revive the game. what good is a cool ship you built if you cant do anything with it. i personally would like spacecows to farm or that spider thing to tame, but anything in the "gameplay" topic is welcome.

Keep you eyes out for cool mods. Also im quite sure that you could easily make a very tiny mod if you want a specialized server to make rules easier to enforce:
Limit shipsize, only trade when docked, no jumping into enemy sectors etc. idk stuff like that. restricitions are always easy to build.

also in my opinion playing together in a faction should be rewarded, right now bugs and bad mechanics do the opposite. Not sure how that would look, maybe a mining bonus of (combined hours played of all faction member) or something. Lots of potential here. what good is it to play MP if you just sit around alone and build.

 

[JinM]

1. Trade:
As we all know Trade is somewhat broken in StarMade, or maybe better said: simply not working to its full potential.

Thank you for your kind words.

I want to add to the trade: Its possible to trade other stuff too in Starmade:

• Wall patterns and whole station modules that are modular.
• Engine Designs (e.g. a 5x10x3 meter thruster design)
• Interiour props like a table
• Any mechanical design, be a a fridge or a ventilator or a 4x4x4 swing

This small decoration objects can be put on a cargo plate or inside a container, and then those can be bought as pack.
Lets say a player wants to build a station and then he buys an interiour props and a modular props pack, comes over, puts these inside his big cargo freighter and pays with shield blocks for example.

Imagine visitting a station that lets you walk through a big hangar full with differently sized and shaped thruster objects...
Then you buy three of them and the dude lets you carry those into your cargo ships hangar.

There are possibilities.

A server side mod could let station shop owners announce approaching vessels a hail message. A central trade hub could let shop owners pay for a message board place where they advertise their goods (its important to rent a board so the ads are allways maximum 2 weeks old and get deleted after two weeks forcing up to date ads).

And so on...But will it happen?
Nope.
Server Admins are too busy with all the technical details of the broken game, a day only has 24 hours and if its filled with 23 hours of keeping the server intakt...yeye.
And then the absolutely splitted up community can't agree on whats a good gameplay concept.

I tell you how to fix the servers:
Remove all broken game mechanics - NPC shops (you cant fix them by setting correct trade values its not possible!!!!), guided missiles (they dont hit so please reamove them), beams (they are too powerfull as they give 100% accuracy so just remove them or lower their dps to 30% or something compared to a cannon or a missile). set max speed really slow so its possible to use cannons and non aimed missiles. limit maximum ship size to 400m lenght or 200k. done. thank me later.

 

[aceface]

The main problem to me, to many empty servers

Totally agree here with the problem, though I think your solution is not realistic.

Even though a lot of hate exists to StarMade in its current form, imo its better than its ever been as a game and a lot more stable than it used to be. The only thing that made me stop playing now is the lack of players in multiplayer. If there were multiple servers with 40+ players Id 100% get back into action, and I think many of my old friends who I used to play StarMade with feel the same.

 

[aidan99davis]

An update to the game which merges server hosting with the game, by allowing users to pay for a dedicated host from inside the game and choose whether its public or private to decide whether it is added to a public registry of servers accessible from the multiplayer section.
This would not only allow easy access to public hosted servers and make them easy to add to, but it gives the developers an extra source of income if they can get bulk hosting deals from hosting companies or even automatic azure/aws provisioning