The Sentinel Alliance's Public Server - All Welcome

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    MossyStone48

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    Matt_Bradock very constructive. you have a real germ of an idea there. it's worth its own thread tbh. get a topic going to compile the best practices for managing and setting up PvP, PvE/PvP and a challenging 'pure' PvE server. once there's a consensus in that thread then start a new one for each scenario with the first post being what consensus was reached by those who participated.
     
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    these are good ideas, but theyve all been suggested already, and some are already done.

    but set a mass cap. Say, 50K,
    they have a 50k mass cap currently

    This would also allow veteran PvP players to upload their "broken OP" designs to the server. However, if you retain that PvP must be consensual, this can be managed.
    i dont think this is a drawback at all, as it took a few hours tops to have 50k capped ships on server with no uploads. this way will just make stuff more refined. besides the op pvp ships are generally much larger than this.

    - Deploy correctly set up pirate waves and amp up the AI accuracy.
    yes please dear god. been begging the server admins for this to give something for people to doafter they progres past hour 2 of learning the game.

    Some careless players could run into the better pirates and die. It's part of the game.
    drawback or feature? =D
     
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    these are good ideas, but theyve all been suggested already, and some are already done.



    they have a 50k mass cap currently



    i dont think this is a drawback at all, as it took a few hours tops to have 50k capped ships on server with no uploads. this way will just make stuff more refined. besides the op pvp ships are generally much larger than this.



    yes please dear god. been begging the server admins for this to give something for people to doafter they progres past hour 2 of learning the game.



    drawback or feature? =D
    We are currently looking into getting some tougher pirates, we are just figuring out the coding as Schine doesn't like to make it easy but once we've got that sorted we should be able to buff the pirates quite considerably.
    [doublepost=1503181271,1503180958][/doublepost]
    So, instead of bashing the server staff, I'm gonna be actually constructive here, and propose a server environment that's focused on PvE yet keeps challenging new players to actually learn to build efficient, learn which weapon/system combo works best for a certain purpose, and to cooperate:

    - Enable blueprint uploads, but set a mass cap. Say, 50K, but 100K max for ships and 10x that (including docked) for stations.
    I have seen servers that set up an automatic system that disabled any ship over the mass cap that didn't have a -1 faction ID (Pirate) until it had enough mass removed to fall below that threshold, where it became functioning again.
    What this achieves: I never learned as much about building efficient or balancing function and form as on mass capped servers. It becomes a necessity, as you arrive at a point where you can't just throw in a couple thousand more blocks and win by sheer size difference. You gonna have to think about where and what to place, and balance out your build. This also keeps the server load relatively low, but the mass range has plenty of beautiful ships on the community content to browse, small enough to be relatively fun to fly, also large enough to allow full roleplay quality interiors, as well still offering the option to dock your fleet to your homebase or set up large, well defended bases that are big enough to be hard to siege so you're not forced to just sit at your invulnerable homebase.
    Possible drawbacks: This would also allow veteran PvP players to upload their "broken OP" designs to the server. However, if you retain that PvP must be consensual, this can be managed.

    - Deploy correctly set up pirate waves and amp up the AI accuracy. 6 easy (Isanths and similar ships under 500 mass), 3 medium (1K-3K size ships, up to 3-4 per wave maybe with some small fighters), and 1 epic wave (the last containing a single capital ship that's twice or more over the mass cap, and small fighter escort). This'll guarantee that there's only a 10% chance (at most) for the Big Bad to spawn so it will be a rare sight.
    What this achieves: Not only does this make the PvE aspect of the game more challenging, but the unique pirate roster makes the server unique as well. We have seen enough of the defaults. Every single one of us. Especially that they haven't been updated since forever.
    Also, the chance to drop the Big Bad will create more incentive to get better at building, learn to pilot better, and to cooperate with other players to take it down, as it cannot be beaten by sheer size. This'll boost player-to-player interaction OTHER than PvP, and also gives a source of useful blocks that is way more entertaining to obtain than asteroid and planet mining.
    Possible drawbacks: Some careless players could run into the better pirates and die. It's part of the game. Man best learns from mistakes. A child won't believe that the pot on the stove is hot until their hand gets burnt by it. If they can't handle losing a ship, I recommend a build server instead of a survival one.
    Firstly thank you, these are some brilliant ideas and I agree with many of your points. We are currently trying to setup stronger pirates (and help would be very much appreciated) Im not sure how we would go about allowing the pirates to have larger mass ships than the servers baseline though... (something we'll have to figure out). I very much agree that if we try to make everyone happy then we will make nobody happy so Im for making much stronger pirates even if players get stomped by them.

    Finally as we've mentioned earlier we do want to add this to our server, we have much to learn if we are going to make this work but we will get this working.
     
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    Calhoun

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    Ok captain video game. Your analogy is also kind of off. I seem to remember a very clear post about what kind of party this is and what you can and can't bring to it.

    Plus. . . who's that guy right now standing outside yelling "your party sucks" but also not going home for some reason?
    Why am I still here? Because I hate lying, and that's basically what has happened.

    Lets have a look through the ad post shall we?

    The classic StarMade that everyone enjoys with PvP enabled plus very few rules on building. Just play and enjoy.
    First of all, it's not just vanilla Starmade, Half the pirates don't even have weapons and just poke you randomly. AI accuracy is set to a whopping zero, so even if they had weapons they couldn't hit you anyway. PvP Enabled? What a hoot, but we'll get to that later.

    No Random Killing and Griefing
    PVP is allowed on this server but don't go about randomly killing and picking on people, engage in war on a grand scale for a good reason, if someone wants to build let them build. No picking on the smaller people.

    You will only be banned for major infractions of this rule but beware you will always incur the wrath of the larger factions for breaking this rule.
    PvP is allowed. Sure, it is. But you can't actually attack anyone or you'll be banned. Engage in war on a grand scale? Again, try it and you'll be banned. As for only being banned or "incurring wrath"? Ask IKindaCrashAlot about "incurring wrath". Oh, and as mentioned above, you'll be banned whether you're shooting at an abandoned hulk or someone's prized shuttle.

    Keep Spawn Clear
    Spawn is a protected area for a reason, keep it mostly clear of ships and absolutely don't kill people around it. Go find your own place, there is a whole galaxy out there.
    Spawn is a cluster-fuck of lag inducing entities left by a bunch of plebs who can't lay a powerline let alone pick up after themselves. Are they warned? No, the admins are to busy banning people who fire weapons in someones general direction.

    But you want to know the real kicker? You aren't even on this server. You haven't even seen the things discussed in this thread. You say they can run the server as they want, and that is true. However, if they want to run it without hassle and without people, like me and whoever, calling them out then they should advertise it properly.
     

    IKindaCrashAlot

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    Oooh I was mentioned heh. Yeah this "incurring wrath" bullshit is just a ploy by the admins. Basically how TSA's "incurring wrath" works is

    step 1. Evaluate the target,
    the admins look at the mass of the enemy ship and determine wether to ban hammer because they know they can't win. Or fight.

    Step2. Take action. This is where the TSA admins engage or ban. If they choose to engage since they think that they can easily win since They out mass you 5:1 then they will likely deploy bathtubs and 50k "carriers". If they don't outstandingly win the fight they will ban half way through just because they can't win. For example, an admin attempted to attack me out massing 5:1. Then he started completely losing and in the voice chat heard by kulbolen he says "hurry up and ban him! I'm taking block damage/ I'm about to die".

    Step3. Straight up ban.
    If the admins already know you because you've completely thwarted their offensive in the past while being outmassed then they just straight up ban you. In order to keep their status to the plebeians of TSA as God like rulers they can't lose! And if they do start losing or know they can't win then banhammer. This technique was used on Aceface and Zoro before they even had a chance to play, just because the admins knew they were about to get turbof**cked by experienced players.


    I think that should be edited to "wrath of the banhammer if we can't beat you no matter how much we out mass you by" in their server page
     

    Az14el

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    Wheatons law bro, simple stuff!
    it even has an instructional meme that's 100% objective and ez to follow

    and a "knowyourmeme" entry because thats exactly what it is

    Last time i logged in here I homebase camped for over an hour while stream sniping and got about 8-10 kills btw, shit was so cash, and i wasn't being a dick at all at least not by my understanding of it. So no worries!
     
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    Calhoun

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    Wheatons law bro, simple stuff!
    it even has an instructional meme that's 100% objective and ez to follow

    and a "knowyourmeme" entry because thats exactly what it is

    Last time i logged in here I homebase camped for over an hour while stream sniping and got about 8-10 kills btw, shit was so cash, and i wasn't being a dick at all at least not by my understanding of it. So no worries!
    TBH that was pretty funny though. Your pleb brick quailed in the face of my glorious cannons however! (((
     
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    Oooh I was mentioned heh. Yeah this "incurring wrath" bullshit is just a ploy by the admins. Basically how TSA's "incurring wrath" works is

    step 1. Evaluate the target,
    the admins look at the mass of the enemy ship and determine wether to ban hammer because they know they can't win. Or fight.

    Step2. Take action. This is where the TSA admins engage or ban. If they choose to engage since they think that they can easily win since They out mass you 5:1 then they will likely deploy bathtubs and 50k "carriers". If they don't outstandingly win the fight they will ban half way through just because they can't win. For example, an admin attempted to attack me out massing 5:1. Then he started completely losing and in the voice chat heard by kulbolen he says "hurry up and ban him! I'm taking block damage/ I'm about to die".

    Step3. Straight up ban.
    If the admins already know you because you've completely thwarted their offensive in the past while being outmassed then they just straight up ban you. In order to keep their status to the plebeians of TSA as God like rulers they can't lose! And if they do start losing or know they can't win then banhammer. This technique was used on Aceface and Zoro before they even had a chance to play, just because the admins knew they were about to get turbof**cked by experienced players.


    I think that should be edited to "wrath of the banhammer if we can't beat you no matter how much we out mass you by" in their server page
    The only bathtub we had was made by a player in our faction who has no admin powers and had no help from any admins, we have never spawned in any such ships, if a player is caught breaking the rules they get banned, sorry that you thought rules don't apply to you.
     

    Matt_Bradock

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    Matt_Bradock very constructive. you have a real germ of an idea there. it's worth its own thread tbh. get a topic going to compile the best practices for managing and setting up PvP, PvE/PvP and a challenging 'pure' PvE server. once there's a consensus in that thread then start a new one for each scenario with the first post being what consensus was reached by those who participated.
    you have a real germ of an idea there
    Not sure if that's your general sarcasm, WarSong or a typo and you actually meant that.
     

    Matt_Bradock

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    We are currently trying to setup stronger pirates (and help would be very much appreciated)
    If you'd like, I could take some of my smaller (and bigger) ships and re-fit them for AI usage.
    Anyone else who want to join me on this one, here are some guidelines on making fun and yet potent pirate ships:

    - No defensive effects, logic weapons (unless you save with an actice clock cycle) and aux power - AI cannot use these.
    - Make sure the weapons+thrust are power stable even if you go full retard - AI will FIRE EVERYTHING! at once, and really sucks at managing power.
    - No long-range weapons unless you deliberately want to design a sniping pirate ship that's a real pain in the ass - AI will always back off to the edge of its longest ranged weapon's range. So, try to avoid (full) beam support on weapons. Just the computer gives the lock-on for missiles, you can use pulse instead for high alpha beams and cannons. It's all fine and dandy to use full beam support on turrets though.
    - No swarm missiles unless you intend to set up the ship as the only one spawning in its wave - I definitely recommend it for a "boss fight" capital though.
     

    MossyStone48

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    Matt_Bradock ah. don't blame you. germ as in germinate. an early stage of a plant's growth cycle from seed. it is often called germination.
    you have the beginning of something that could, with a lot of care and effort, turn out grand. #holdthesarc
     
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    If you'd like, I could take some of my smaller (and bigger) ships and re-fit them for AI usage.
    Anyone else who want to join me on this one, here are some guidelines on making fun and yet potent pirate ships:

    - No defensive effects, logic weapons (unless you save with an actice clock cycle) and aux power - AI cannot use these.
    - Make sure the weapons+thrust are power stable even if you go full retard - AI will FIRE EVERYTHING! at once, and really sucks at managing power.
    - No long-range weapons unless you deliberately want to design a sniping pirate ship that's a real pain in the ass - AI will always back off to the edge of its longest ranged weapon's range. So, try to avoid (full) beam support on weapons. Just the computer gives the lock-on for missiles, you can use pulse instead for high alpha beams and cannons. It's all fine and dandy to use full beam support on turrets though.
    - No swarm missiles unless you intend to set up the ship as the only one spawning in its wave - I definitely recommend it for a "boss fight" capital though.
    That would be awesome! Ill talk to sentinel about creating an area for submissions somewhere and thanks for the support!
     

    Az14el

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    AI Can indeed use Aux now, it defaults to 'on' state these days and is pretty well used on drones, though your pirates don't really need to pass 2m e/s to be "strong", in waves this is more than enough, just being pedantic,
    far as turrets I'd recommend not having them on wave spawning AI at all (one single turret triples entity count and guarantees collisions calcs breaking up combat, not worth)
     

    Calhoun

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    If you really want to have stronger pirates, for the love of me turn up AI accuracy. When Veilith and I had a pop at each other (I won, ur a scrub Veilith) his turrets couldn't, no wouldn't hit me from 50 metres away.
     
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    - No defensive effects, logic weapons (unless you save with an actice clock cycle) and aux power - AI cannot use these.
    - Make sure the weapons+thrust are power stable even if you go full retard - AI will FIRE EVERYTHING! at once, and really sucks at managing power.
    - No long-range weapons unless you deliberately want to design a sniping pirate ship that's a real pain in the ass - AI will always back off to the edge of its longest ranged weapon's range. So, try to avoid (full) beam support on weapons. Just the computer gives the lock-on for missiles, you can use pulse instead for high alpha beams and cannons. It's all fine and dandy to use full beam support on turrets though.
    - No swarm missiles unless you intend to set up the ship as the only one spawning in its wave - I definitely recommend it for a "boss fight" capital though.
    AI Can indeed use Aux now, it defaults to 'on' state these days and is pretty well used on drones, though your pirates don't really need to pass 2m e/s to be "strong", in waves this is more than enough, just being pedantic,
    far as turrets I'd recommend not having them on wave spawning AI at all (one single turret triples entity count and guarantees collisions calcs breaking up combat, not worth)
    the smart people are talking
     
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