I know this isn't completely development related but I think it is extremely important.
Making a successful Perfect World private server requires a much more than putting the game on an open port and telling players to “Come on in.” It also requires an understanding of these questions:
Why do people play the public servers?
Why do people leave the public servers?
Why do people join private servers?
Why do people leave private servers?
People begin playing Perfect World because it is visually appealing, there’s advanced character customization, there are several classes to choose from, and there are thousands of players to interact with. You will interact and work with these other players in order to advance in the game. It truly lives up to its “multiplayer” label. These servers are company owned so people can feel relieved knowing that any problems will be resolved by a team of professionals.
Why do people leave then if the game is so great? Well PWI has its flaws, the main one being that this game becomes “Free to play, pay to win” as you reach higher levels. If you want to reach “end-game” content you either have to spend real cash or grind for months on end. In fact, real money is required for the majority of the game’s content. If you aren’t spending real money then you’re getting your stuff from someone who is. Another flaw is the repetitiveness of the gameplay. Major updates are scarce and it isn’t guaranteed that they will bring any new and exciting changes.
Private servers offer a solution to the cons of PWI. They offer higher rates which means you won’t be forced to spend ridiculous amounts of time (or cash) trying to reach maximum level with fully refined TT99/Rank/Nirvana/etc. gear. You won’t have to spend 40 bucks to get married on a video game. Private servers grant players a feeling of accomplishment that they don’t have to sacrifice their social life for. There’s also a chance for a customized content. If they’re run right then private servers have the potential to simply be better than the real thing.
What’s the downside then? There’s not any one flaw that ruins private servers. Some of the problems arise in private servers lacking the content that PWI has, including instances, seamless integration of Tideborn/Genesis maps, the Tideborn/Genesis races, fashion, mounts, and other extras. People get bored and leave either because they find leveling up and obtaining gear is a little too easy, or because there are not enough players to interact with. Another issue is drama that goes unchecked. Lastly, donators who have an unfair advantage over other players because of their gear and their ability to get away with rule breaking due to GM favoritism.
I will discuss some tips and outlines for maximizing the chances of success for your private server.
Building The Server
You’ll first start by “building” your server. Odds are that you aren’t starting from scratch so you should have enough client files to get you started. You’ll have the older map but it is also important that you succeed in integrating the newer ones as well. This includes being able to access them, having them seamlessly integrate on the world map, and adding their waypoints.
Quests: Quests should be made available and any known bugs with them should be fixed. They don’t usually offer a large reward but they provide players with something to do during their downtime.
Instances: Implement every instance possible. This includes Cave of Sadistic Glee, Cube of Fate, Dragon Temple, all FBs from 19-99, Frostcovered City, Nightscream Island, Nirvana, Twilight Temple (TT), Warsong, and Wedding Chapel. Implementing the Arena, City of Abominations, Forest Ruins, the House, Lunar Glade, Old Heaven’s Tear (OHT), Rebirth, and Snake Isle instances couldn’t hurt either. These would give the game a more complete feeling and maybe provide additional areas to put events in.
Cultivation: This is something that varies greatly between servers. You're striving to be better than other servers, though, so you can't do the same things they do. It is advisable that cultivation be implemented. This will not only give players something to do, but it will give them time to learn how to effectively play their class. Reduce the requirements some parts though. For example, delaying cultivation until a certain stage (i.e. FB39) or reducing the requirement during monster-killing parts would be an ideal compromise. Feel free to experiment to find a solution that works for you.
Territory Wars: TWs are another basic necessity of a private server. All TW tiers should be made available. Even people who normally avoid PvP tend to enjoy territory wars. This is yet another event for people to participate in and enjoy. It also provides players with constant room for improvement and incentive to do so.
Advanced Gear: Frost, Legendary (molds), Lunar, Nirvana, OHT, TT, and Warsong Gear should all be made available to the players. They'll need something to work toward and a sense of accomplishment when they obtain it. These gears should be improved/modified as necessary.
Extra Content: This includes the much needed aerogear/flying mounts, as well as some of the less essential things like fashion, marriage items, mounts, pets, and smilies. Having all of this content up to date will give players a better experience.
Marriage: It’s pretty self-explanatory. Implementing marriage will definitely leave a good impression on players. Allowing same-sex marriage and fixing any known bugs can only work in your favor.
Rates: Another feature that varies from server to server. 500x rates for experience, spirit, and coins with a mid-high drop rate is usually a solid choice. This is especially important if you decide to require players to farm/run instances for materials. You can go higher or lower but be reasonable.
Advanced Properties
You have all the basics in place. Or at least you should at this point. You’re free to put some of the game’s more advanced features into place or edit what you already have.
NPCs: Everything you have should serve a purpose. Everything you implement should have a relevant and/or useful function. If an NPC will not be used then you may get rid of it for the sake of streamlining. You may add additional NPCs if you feel the need. The choice is yours but don’t go overboard with removing, editing, or adding content.
Monsters/Bosses: You may remove, edit, or add monsters/bosses into the game. Avoid modifying any of the standard monsters. If you can utilize the ones from the public server then do that and leave them in their designated places. While people enjoy new things they also enjoy some familiarity. If you can’t do this however, and this will typically apply to the Tideborn/Genesis areas, then you may have to get creative. These could be areas where one could level if the level cap is raised. World bosses are a completely different matter. You may do whatever you like with them. Just be sure it will be practical and beneficial to the server.
Gear: Customizing the looks of armor and weapons will work to your advantage. People will most likely spend most of their time wearing fashion to notice how armor looks but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t put effort into it. While they may not say it, people will appreciate it.
Donation: Running a private server should be a hobby, not a business. You should do it for fun. Turning it into a business is not only illegal, you'll also give players the impression that you're a "pay to win" server and therefore no better than the official version. If you do decide to accept donations then follow these tips:
- Don't allow donators to have any unfair advantages
- Make donation items reasonably obtainable in-game
- Not everyone wants to have to spend half a paycheck to get items on a video game.
Voting: If you’re registered with a “Top 100” site, then votes are going to be how you rise up in the ranks. A higher rank means greater chances of bringing in even more people to your server. While people should do it for the sake of supporting the server, most of them won’t unless some sort of incentive is provided. You’ll have several options here. Among them is the option to reward players with events should they reach a certain number by a set deadline. You can also choose to reward them with cubi. There’s also the option to do both, this isn't recommended.
Finishing Up
The game is ready, but you’re not done yet. There are a few loose ends to tie up.
Web Site: You’ll need a web page for players to view. The page should consist of a description your server and what players can expect. It should also contain links to register, download, forums, voting, and donation. Add more links if you need to. Make sure it looks clean and well-designed and that all the links work. Eliminate any spelling and grammar errors. While players themselves act less than professional, they want a professional-looking layout.
Forums: This will allow for a high level of communication between admin and players as well between the players themselves. You’ll be able to post rules (which are crucial) and announcements, and players will be able to post complaints and suggestions. These are only a few of the options the forums will provide.
Rules: Ah the dreaded concept. If you want things to run smoothly, however, you need to set some rules for your players to follow. They should be clear so there can be no misunderstanding what is and isn’t allowed, but not so strict that players have to worry about every word they say and everything they do. Players should feel free to have a good time but not afraid of someone else ruining it. Post these rules where they can be viewed easily. If you appoint moderators then their guidelines should be made publicly available as well.
Final Checks: Tests of your game and website should be done before the release. If you find problems then you’ll have the opportunity to resolve them before other people encounter any issues.
Opening the Gates
Now you are finally ready for people to come enjoy your server. Don’t think you’re off the hook now though. There’s a whole new list of responsibilities.
Monitoring: You have rules (hopefully) and you’ll need to make sure they’re being followed.
Bugs/Glitches: Players will sometimes bring these to your attention, but you can’t always rely on them. This is especially true if said bug/glitch benefits them. It is because of this that you’ll want to take some time every so often to search for them yourself.
Crashes: This is a more serious matter. If the server as a whole crashes, you will be bring it back up and running in a timely manner. Additionally, you should attempt to find the cause of the crash and make some modifications to ensure it doesn’t happen again. It would help to post an announcement in your forum regarding this issue.
New Content: In order to keep players interested, you might want to occasionally add in new content. This could include fashion, mounts, or a variety of other things. It doesn’t necessarily have to be anything major.
Maintenance: Sometimes you’ll need to fix something in the server or add new things to it. Doing this will require that you take the server offline. Should the need to do this arise, it would benefit everyone for you to announce it at least a few hours in advance. Post it in the forum and/or on the main page so people will know. If you have a test server (which would be of great use to you) then you’ll want to test the patches before you release them to the public.
Website: Keep this up to date with current, accurate information.
Forum: You can (and should) use this to post important announcements. Also check for any posts by the players. Answer any questions, comments, or concerns they have. Lock threads that have gotten old or out of hand. Keep the rules in mind and enforce them whenever necessary.
Moderators: These are the people who maintain a presence in-game, on the forums, or both. They will enforce the rules and help with any issues that players are experiencing.
Advertisement: Get the word out about your server.
Do: Listen to what your players have to say. Take their questions, comments, and concerns into consideration as you strive to improve your server. You should make players feel welcome and appreciated. Offer small rewards to people who go out of their way to help you and other players. Take time to go through both the site and game, even after release, to find any problems or inconsistencies and fix them. Be firm in enforcing the rules.
Don’t: Give in to every whim of your players. What they suggest/ask/beg/demand usually involves instant gratification and isn’t always good in the long run. Lose your temper. Abuse your power as the server “God.” You expect players to show you respect so you should do the same in return.
I hope this will be useful to you. If not, at the very least I hope it made for interesting reading
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Originally Posted by Swoosh91
