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Request for Comment on MU Online hardcore server

Newbie Spellweaver
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Dear Community,

I'm tired of not a single no-reset server offer the difficulty and fulfillment of a progress I had on webzen server more than 10 years ago.

As I might be biased to my own ideas, I'd love your honest opinion on the concept and whether its worth pursuing or not.

  • This is NOT an advertisement of a server
  • This is NOT seek for team
  • This is request for comment on the concept below
  • This is a list of ideas you might want to add to your server too


This is a short version describing key differences of to default configuration.
It only covers differences, but does not explain the reasoning behind.
For a full version please see this Document (comments enabled).

You can view the same text available on (with markup and better formatting)

Philosophy
Relevance - Challenge - Economy
Relevance: all game content has to be relevant, at any level. No rush to the maximum level.
Challenge: struggle and fulfillment in killing each monster or completing event.
Economy: control inflation, and ensure key economy assets are valuable. That is Zen, Jewels.
Relevance
Step by Step progress (Stages)
Each stage is to approximately take one to two months for players to complete.

Stage consists of: a globally forced limitations on level and features. In order to complete stage a common goal has to be achieved.

Benefits:
  • Increase lifespan of the server
  • Make each content level relevant (no blind chase for 900 level)
  • Linear progress. No 0-200 in 1 day, and 300-400 in 30 days.
  • All Set Tiers are relevant (instead of only latest - Bloodangel or whatever)
  • Reduce the gap between players, keep them in a competitive range.

First Stage
Exp Rate: 0.7x. Maximum level 100. Expected time 1 month.
Highest available location: LT5, Atlants 3.
Objective to unlock next stage:
  1. 20 players to reach 100 level.
  2. GM Supervised event.

Second Stage
Exp Rate:
  • 1.2x 100-150 level. To maintain linear progress curve.
  • 150 level maximum.
  • 1.8x for 0-100 level. To help new players catch up.

Consecutive Stages
Other stages to follow the same idea as above.
Other improvements for Relevance
  • Higher tier items to require approximately same level as monsters it drops from.
  • Items that monsters drop to be the source of basic equipment.
  • Excellent and similar items to be very rare.
  • Remove Boxes with great items from global drop completely (excluding bosses / events).
  • Competitive equipment is a must to fight same level monsters, PvP, events.

Challenge
  • Potions being sold at 3x per stack. No 100x stacks.
  • Warp require significantly higher level. That is, if you want to farm Dungeon2 at level 40, you’ll need to warp to Dungeon1 and walk on your own.
  • AFK Farming worse than “online” farming: walking around the map. Visiting events will yield even more experience and drops.
  • Event locations to have higher experience rates.
  • Events require teaming up and ideally Energy Elf in order to succeed.
  • Golden Invasion need teaming up. Tank and a healer (EE) are likely needed.
  • Agility to provide more defense.
  • Vitality to give more health.
  • SD fully disabled for PvP - relying more on defense (gear + agility) and maximum health (vitality), instead of damage alone.
  • Final PvP damage to be reduced to compensate missing SD - to avoid 1-hit deaths.

Economy
  • Single account per person.
  • Warp to be expensive
  • Shops to be stripped from all custom stuff. Only a few sets with +0 (no luck).
  • Only basic spells in shops.
  • Zen to be in a demand.
  • Trade limit on items can be traded to fight inflation.

Please share your thoughts either via comments, RaGEZONE forum, or directly contacting me.
If you find this setup interesting, please have a look at the full document.
 
Newbie Spellweaver
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I remember first mu server was "vigomu", Exp x25, Drop 50 version 0.99b. Was my best MU experience.


After that, i played high rate servers, in the start i liked reset system but after a time, i saw this unnecesary. I can believe this is made for have a "endgame progression"? I prefer servers with NO reset system, with a balanced experience's curve (not leveling fast or slow).


I coincide with you to make a warps only to dungeon's entry, because for example in Losttower the majority of players only use Losttower (1), Losttower3 and Losttower7, the rest of levels are clean (maybe some players go to the rest of levels in events, but by normal way not)

i made weeks ago a idea (idea they had more players) to make a MU offline, and more focused in hack&slash part or ARPG part (like Diablo), kill a lot of enemies and not hunt spots zones with MU Helper.

With MU Helper, the game is only a Bot Simulator, farm and get experience with bot, have fun in pvp side.

Maybe your idea is good in old seasons like 0.97 or 0.99b, this "epoch" was gold for me. Also is good to see different feels of mu players :)

Good luck with your project if you will go to do it!
 
Junior Spellweaver
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Current players won't play any hard mu server.

Most games are now easy to play because gaming is changing. Making a game hard even on low levels will make new players to think they won't be able to reach old players, and that's a problem (and maybe true because game keeps evolving, unless you won't apply any updates).

If you attempt to do something hard and also being that a copy of a game that is not yours, i'm sure you won't get any good results.

I think like you, but sometimes we can't just set settings as we want. We need to set settings for players, to keep old and add new.
 
Newbie Spellweaver
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I remember first mu server was "vigomu", Exp x25, Drop 50 version 0.99b. Was my best MU experience.


After that, i played high rate servers, in the start i liked reset system but after a time, i saw this unnecesary. I can believe this is made for have a "endgame progression"? I prefer servers with NO reset system, with a balanced experience's curve (not leveling fast or slow).


I coincide with you to make a warps only to dungeon's entry, because for example in Losttower the majority of players only use Losttower (1), Losttower3 and Losttower7, the rest of levels are clean (maybe some players go to the rest of levels in events, but by normal way not)

i made weeks ago a idea (idea they had more players) to make a MU offline, and more focused in hack&slash part or ARPG part (like Diablo), kill a lot of enemies and not hunt spots zones with MU Helper.

With MU Helper, the game is only a Bot Simulator, farm and get experience with bot, have fun in pvp side.

Maybe your idea is good in old seasons like 0.97 or 0.99b, this "epoch" was gold for me. Also is good to see different feels of mu players :)

Good luck with your project if you will go to do it!

Thanks - that gives me some hope.
 
Newbie Spellweaver
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Current players won't play any hard mu server.

Most games are now easy to play because gaming is changing. Making a game hard even on low levels will make new players to think they won't be able to reach old players, and that's a problem (and maybe true because game keeps evolving, unless you won't apply any updates).

If you attempt to do something hard and also being that a copy of a game that is not yours, i'm sure you won't get any good results.

I think like you, but sometimes we can't just set settings as we want. We need to set settings for players, to keep old and add new.

Thanks for sharing your opinion.

A few notes:
> new players to think they won't be able to reach old players, and that's a problem (and maybe true because game keeps evolving, unless you won't apply any updates).

After players succeed at the current Stage (Goal - see my initial topic) the experience multiplier will be increased for lower levels significantly - which is a method of letting new players catch up with old players.

That is - old players fighting at low exp rate, and new players at higher exp rate (until the given level, so its not completely unfair to old players).
I've gone into greater details how Stages work on my "Full" document , but that's if you are interested and have time.

I agree with everything else you mentioned. That's an uphill battle - less and less players appreciate struggle in games, they want hack-and-slash ease of Diablo 3 like gameplay.
 
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I really like your public documentation. Such effort was made in composing it, Wow.

I am currently developing my concept of the game from my Mu Online experience. That would include zen and jewels to be really medium of exchange and joining events to be a basis for character progress, I hope you would visit my server which i will be opening soon.
 
Newbie Spellweaver
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I really like your public documentation. Such effort was made in composing it, Wow.

I am currently developing my concept of the game from my Mu Online experience. That would include zen and jewels to be really medium of exchange and joining events to be a basis for character progress, I hope you would visit my server which i will be opening soon.

Thanks :) Yeah why not - I'm sure this would be a learning experience for me. Can you Private Message details ?
 
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Junior Spellweaver
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Thanks for sharing your opinion.

A few notes:
> new players to think they won't be able to reach old players, and that's a problem (and maybe true because game keeps evolving, unless you won't apply any updates).

After players succeed at the current Stage (Goal - see my initial topic) the experience multiplier will be increased for lower levels significantly - which is a method of letting new players catch up with old players.

That is - old players fighting at low exp rate, and new players at higher exp rate (until the given level, so its not completely unfair to old players).
I've gone into greater details how Stages work on my "Full" document , but that's if you are interested and have time.

I agree with everything else you mentioned. That's an uphill battle - less and less players appreciate struggle in games, they want hack-and-slash ease of Diablo 3 like gameplay.

I agree with you.

The main goal is to make players believe they are winning and advancing. At the end of the day it won't matter how perfect your server settings are if your players are not getting that feeling. Currently is harder and harder make that.
 
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I think you must find those specific players who like hardcore servers and ask them what exactly makes them love the server, what exact features and so on and so on. Then you will know exactly what you create.

I still believe servers with 3x/5x can be succesfull! depends though on the concept/season/strategy/if there is webshop etc/ activity with gms/features/ and all the stuff that keep the game running. So players dont have to just do all the boring things like just exp and party to level up, instead they have bonus features like exp events, BC, specific exp events and such things.

its possible man! do it if its a burning idea inside u.. u will never know untill u try.. and don't listen to me or to others.. the outcome comes always mostly different.

my 2 cents
 
Newbie Spellweaver
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Thanks everyone for the replies.

Done Boy One, you make a great point. I've talked with another hardcore lover player and he had similar opinion. I think I'll initially start with significantly simplified / less drastic changes that includes the main concept of "Step by Step progress", and then see how people react to it.

KarLi,
> So players dont have to just do all the boring things like just exp
Agreed. Ideally the gameplay has to continuously prompt users to stay active and interactive, as soon as they go AFK grinding for a few days the server is dead.
 
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Ideally the gameplay has to continuously prompt users to stay active and interactive, as soon as they go AFK grinding for a few days the server is dead.

The thing about nowdays is that most users will tell you over and over that they dont have time and want to use a bot or so so when they go to work or whatever they leave their players AFK, i dont like that much but what can you do? wait for players that are not adults and can play all day? thats not an option. Although it depends how you allow them to afk, just using skill and minimizer or giving them more robotic options like pick up this item or that etc.

I only agree with auto left and right click (left for points adding or walking to specific coords) right for afk ofcourse.
minimizer is important for many users to let some of their chars afk while they open a second mu window and do the same with 1-3 accouns (3 characters)

The thing is... what version are you going for? cuz season 6 and higher have muhelper which does all the 'above' things that i personally don't find that appealing cuz its like not playing at all.
season 1-4 dont have muhelper and are good versions for that.
but then we go into another conflict.. that most users are playing nowdays Season 6 / 9 and latest version.

You need to find those specific users that want to play a lower version or a specific version u want to open and ask them why they want that and what they like exactly from that version etc etc etc. Then sum up wiht all the opinions and feedback ideas and u will come to conclusion on what ideal server u want to open.

Also plus, most players dont trust servers who are just simply made with noobish configs or stupid website or no antihack etc. So make sure... you know what you doing and u got IT. And create professional server with protection and all this stuff to avoid wiping/relaunching etc (been there more than 6 times).

PS: Team is very important, dont go alone... atleast 2 admins who will work on server . Web coder/designer would be good.. but u can still buy dmncms or muonlinewebs.
then a programmer for the files bugs/client side aswell.
and most importantly GM Masters so they can check in game and do stuff or support the players.

there are 10000000000 things to say.. but the only 1 thing i can tell you is to stop waiting or depending on anyone else to tell what how to do or what to do or what they think. Start taking action and the answers will come.
 
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