Instant 120 Server...Would it work?

[lancy1214]

I was just wondering if an instant 120, all exclusive PvP server, would work in Atlantica Online?

[Flabble]

Its called a private server! They have a whole bunch of them in other games, such as WoW or MapleStory.

However, AO is very new, and I doubt they have any private servers up and running. Furthermore, it is a much larger file, making it hard to edit. (than MapleStory, mind you. I don't know how big a file WoW is.)

I believe, in the next few years, that such servers will appear. However, they will be illegal, and if given enough competition to Ndoors, Ndoors will most likely move to shut it down. Also, owning such a private server makes you prone to lawsuits. If anyone plays MS, a server called OdinMS, located in Germany, was sued by Nexon for making a private server. Not sure how that ended, though.

[amidomaru]

one problem that i could foresee if this server comes into fruition is that it eliminates the need for players to play on the other servers at all. At least, to some extent. One of the major attractions for any RPG game is the sense of progress; you fight monsters/do quests/whatever, and you gain experience. This kind of work to reward experience is what defines an RPG in a fundamental sense. (of course, that's not all an RPG is about, but it makes up a large portion of its charm)

Now, say you take away all the work, and instead give players an instant max-level server. They would not have to work for a long amount of time in order to achieve a good character; it would be provided for them. Of course, as you said, some forms of progression could still be implemented; however, the bulk of the game content would be lost. I can foresee people who come to this game, to the instant-120 server, just to try out all of the mercs at their maximum levels. This, as you may see, would limit the attraction and the long-term health of the game.

Of course, this is all from my personal experience and opinion, and the outcome could be the complete opposite. However, I do not really support this idea.

[Zpirit]

I know wow offered similar server in the form of tournament servers.

However, they only last for the duration of the tournament qualification and in order to enter, you had to pay a fee on top of the monthly cost.

Players would usually go back to their regular server after a couple of weeks unless they're one of the top contenders.

[Rate]

for my own experience of private servers, it nullifies any enjoyment you get from the legitimate game, i never enjoyed private world of warcraft as it eliminated the need to work hard for stuff, same applies to any game really, no enjoyment in it if you have easy access to everything, would be no different with AO imo.

(that said thats not applicable to all, some people just enjoy having everything immediately, although they usually get bored after a few days and move on to the next game)

[Involution]

There is a game that successfully implemented a system like that: Guild Wars. They even offset your concern that everyone would skip to the pvp server and not pve by making the skills and items easily unlockable if you pve (the other way is by doing a ton of pvp battles and gain points to unlock the skills and items but good luck pvping with basic skill set lol). It could work if they do something similar, whether they do it or not is a whole other issue.

[Taikan]

i think is a good idea actually. Unlike other mmo's, in which there are limited top tier builds/options, this would take away all the fun, since the only strategy would be to get all the high lvl imba gear and skills and thats it; no fun to it, since there is rly no choice other than doing that.
The case with AO is different; since a great part of pvp succes is determined by the build u use, and with more mercs appearing on regular basis, the posible combinations grow a lot. That would allow to try different builds more easily without the pain of having to re-lvl your mercs bcause u just realized your current build sux. The idea of having instant high lvl mercs to try every build possible is just awesome.
Also as for the gear, its diversity forces player to take a different aproach on choosing their stuff; its not just picking the full depreaved set and u r rdy; there are still some choices left to it, since there are some interesting weapons in AO, like the sealed dragon's fang, the stormbringer, officer's shotgun and so on; and i think as they come up with new effect-gear it would become even more interesting.
Well... it does sound like a good idea to me

[Flabble]

Unfourtunatly, it would not be a good idea

A. It would take away a good chunk of the main player base, as metioned above somewheres

B. Cmon, its Ndoors. You know they'd charge like 1k gcoins for 48 hours of that server :-x

[antraz]

Wow got ruined cause of that mentality. it has become like a private server but payed ,you rly dont have to put that much on it anymore .i´ve been playing that game for almost 3 years and i left because devs gave casuals what they were asking. arena has become a joke dungeons cant even match the definition of a joke they completed destroyed that game, and now even casuals complain about how easy the game is.
if they were making a 120lvl server with no need to lvl do you think new players would start from lvl1 that would be the dead of normal servers. i dont understand the need that ppl have to reach lvl120 i dont have much time to play either and i still have a great time
this casual shit that x or y type of players have limeted time to play so lets make the game even more easy is gettin old

[MrSharp]

Interesting idea.

Perhaps not make it a server where you play "instead" of on the main servers but in addition to.
Like a tournament style server perhaps where everyone gets the same amount of money to buy mercs/skills/armor etc.
Did anyone play homm5 online duel system?

And they could make event one you could only participate in by achieving something on the normal servers. Like a tournament entry quest?

Another idea... what about actual pvp leagues? like where everyone fight everyone else in their league once.
I would find the results of that interesting.

[howlinghobo]

Wow got ruined cause of that mentality. it has become like a private server but payed ,you rly dont have to put that much on it anymore .i´ve been playing that game for almost 3 years and i left because devs gave casuals what they were asking. arena has become a joke dungeons cant even match the definition of a joke they completed destroyed that game, and now even casuals complain about how easy the game is.
if they were making a 120lvl server with no need to lvl do you think new players would start from lvl1 that would be the dead of normal servers. i dont understand the need that ppl have to reach lvl120 i dont have much time to play either and i still have a great time
this casual shit that x or y type of players have limeted time to play so lets make the game even more easy is gettin old
Casual players do not complain that wow is too easy.
If you hate having a way easy way out, you are probably not a casual player.
When wow had a ptr that let players play with maxed out characters the majority stayed on normal servers, after they tried the ptr.

[Elphatae]

GW quite suceeded in creating such possibility (creatin a max lvl pvp char) and i don't feel it ruined the game. Most of people preferred not to use this option...

[Blues]

Been working on DAoC Freeshards, the basic emulator aswell as my own and other shards. Most of them got rid of all the pve stuff, gave instant max lv, some standard equip and equip you could buy with pvp rewards (like battle point exchange at pointry).
This concept is still working well, though daoc is a pvp/rvr based game with a lot of content for it. AO does not really have any pvp content, if you take away the pve here you would have to rework the pvp and add way more to it otherwise people would just have nothing they could do.

Someone wrote that it might be harder to write a "private server", what would be an emulator, for AO than for other games. That is not true, compared with other games i`d say this one has even more stuff in the client, that means you have to handle less things on the server.