Solitude - Questions answered

[Malcovent]

Right, given the proximity to release i thought i might quickly run through a few questions I've been asked and provide answers, so without beating around the bush...

Is this a permanent server or an event server?
This hasn't actually been decided. We'll release it initially as an event server however depending on if it goes well, we may progress towards making it a more permanent member of the blocktopia family. If not, we hope to at the very least learn something about this that we can utilize on other servers.

How big is the map?
Around about 5200*5200 blocks, not including the border which will cut off approximately 320 blocks either way.

Could you describe the map?
Big, brown, mappy.

Is this server going to have any staff?
No visible staff if we can help it. The idea is to keep it borderline minimum, with only the staff we need to add new content to the server or maintain existing content and the storytellers (see below)

Is this server going to have a story?
The idea currently, although we're yet to work out how it'll be implemented/announced, is to break the server down into four chapters. Each chapter will progress with a series of server-wide events and a large finale event at the very end of each chapter. We'll let you know more when we know more.

I don't understand the storyteller role, could you please explain?
If the specification didn't answer it, hopefully this'll make some progress towards doing so. The storyteller is a way of allowing us to do two things.
- Effect the course of gameplay by interacting with players (we are the 5% chance a creeper will spawn when you least want it to, or that you'll find a treasure chest in that hole you're digging!)
- Design and host new interactive content for players, this can be from small-scale events for settlements such as "fight off the invading bandits" to the server-wide player events mentioned earlier. And everything inbetween.
Again, this is something new so bare with us while we try refine the role and learn from it.

When will the server be open to the public?
Initial plans are to put the map up this friday (the 16th), owing to social drama on my end and a few issues we may push this back to the 23rd, if so you'll be informed immediately and compensated for my TOTAL FAILURE.

Hey malc, someone killed me. Im upset so im going to fabricate a complaint about him so that i can wreck his gameplay as revenge for being a sore loser.
You, yes you, I hate you.

Hey malc, im still riled up that i got killed. Im going to call my killer out on other servers and flame him/her on the forums
We respectfully request in the interest of peace that 'bitch be cool'

How long is the deathban?
Six hours as it stands,

 

[cheatyface]

Big, brown, mappy.

This is all that's important in here. I'll be there.

 

[_4_]

Lol 6 hours is gonna be a lot different from 30 minutes haha.

It'd be cool if the deathban increased in amount of time by the amount of people you've killed. Maybe like 20 mins or something per person? Just ideas

 

[Pikmon2]

Lol 6 hours is gonna be a lot different from 30 minutes haha.

It'd be cool if the deathban increased in amount of time by the amount of people you've killed. Maybe like 20 mins or something per person? Just ideas

I'd be waiting weeks

 

[Jivvi]

Lol 6 hours is gonna be a lot different from 30 minutes haha.

It'd be cool if the deathban increased in amount of time by the amount of people you've killed. Maybe like 20 mins or something per person? Just ideas

I'd be waiting weeks

karma

 

[Danni122112]

Only 6 hours deathban? :L

I myself had hoped for 12-24.

 

[Shinyshark]

What...

This community really is weird. In the previous versions you all complained that the time was way too long so I said "Two hours should be fine. It's long enough not to get bored and keep you excited to play, but long enough to cool you off". Six hours is a whole lot of time. You can watch three movies in six hours, maybe even four.

 

[Danni122112]

What...

This community really is weird. In the previous versions you all complained that the time was way too long so I said "Two hours should be fine. It's long enough not to get bored and keep you excited to play, but long enough to cool you off". Six hours is a whole lot of time. You can watch three movies in six hours, maybe even four.

Different people want different stuff you know

 

[Xfolo]

6 hours...? :c

 

[Jivvi]

What...

This community really is weird. In the previous versions you all complained that the time was way too long so I said "Two hours should be fine. It's long enough not to get bored and keep you excited to play, but long enough to cool you off". Six hours is a whole lot of time. You can watch three movies in six hours, maybe even four.

Different people want different stuff you know

6 hours...? :c

Consider your point proven
x3

 

[Shinyshark]

What...

This community really is weird. In the previous versions you all complained that the time was way too long so I said "Two hours should be fine. It's long enough not to get bored and keep you excited to play, but long enough to cool you off". Six hours is a whole lot of time. You can watch three movies in six hours, maybe even four.

Different people want different stuff you know

6 hours...? :c

Consider your point proven
x3

I wasn't going to waste my time saying this, but thank you for saying this for me.

 

[77thShad]

I agree. 6 hours...

 

[Jivvi]

I agree. 6 hours...

Depends on how assholish your friends and/or random passers-by are!
^-^

 

[Faliara]

Big, brown, mappy.

This is all that's important in here. I'll be there.

I seriously expected the blue thing to lead to a song called 'I'll Be There'... Don't judge me.

 

[Deleted member 4601]

Well, 6 hours is a but too much for me. I play 2 hours each time and I don't play twice everyday. But that's just for me. Other than that, thanks for the clarification :D

 

[MintyRogi]

YAYAYAYAY Hopefully this comes out today... and not next week. 6 hours seems *A tad big very little small steep waiting time* Meh, I'll deal though xD

 

[DarkHender]

Gah... I'd rather it be 2 hours than 6.. :s

 

[Mikey]

6 is way too much. As shiny said did we forget the fact that everyone complained of to long of a deathban?

Goodluck maintaining a playerbase whatsoever with a 5+ hour deathban.

 

[Jivvi]

While the 6 hour ban seems long, do remember that you won't die nearly as much (ideally) on the full server. Unlike the testing server, you won't spawn in Blue territory (i.e. the whole map) and get spawnkilled. The ban may actually make clan wars more fun, even, because you can't just jump back in in 30 minutes, you get got and you're down for the count.

 

[Refrigerated_Elements]

Im fine with a 2-3 hour death ban but a 6 hour death ban Just no. Mobs are very deadly. Even leather / iron armor you can get killed by mobs rather easy. There was one time Jappa and I got wiped out both by the same groups of mobs during the teaser

 

[Danni122112]

Im fine with a 2-3 hour death ban but a 6 hour death ban Just no. Mobs are very deadly. Even leather / iron armor you can get killed by mobs rather easy. There was one time Jappa and I got wiped out both by the same groups of mobs during the teaser

Just be careful, if unsure if its too many mobs or not find another way, before you got iron armor/iron sword. You might as well dig down before the sun goes down, and log off, wait 8-10 min and then come back on.

Solitude is deadly, be careful.

 

[Friendy]

I don't know why everyone is complaining about it being 6 hours long, the teaser server was incredibly small so 30 minutes fit that map size, as does this death-ban time with the current map size. I mean, I would understand if it was 6 hours on a relatively small map such as 2500x2500, but 5200x5200.. You are barely going to see anyone for the majority of the time, and when you do, who cares? It's only a few hours and you can easily pass the time by doing something else.

I mean, the people complaining about 6 hours are just over-reacting, the death-ban times are fair and if you are honestly going to complain about 6 hours then you shouldn't die or shouldn't play.

 

[cheatyface]

Im fine with a 2-3 hour death ban but a 6 hour death ban Just no. Mobs are very deadly. Even leather / iron armor you can get killed by mobs rather easy. There was one time Jappa and I got wiped out both by the same groups of mobs during the teaser

Just be careful, if unsure if its too many mobs or not find another way, before you got iron armor/iron sword. You might as well dig down before the sun goes down, and log off, wait 8-10 min and then come back on.

Solitude is deadly, be careful.

If you can't handle some mobs, start making a dirt wall between you and them.

And really, 6 hours isn't bad at all. For someone like me, who'll have limited time to spend on the server anyway, it makes dying mean I can't play till tomorrow. A significant improvement over the previous 24 hour death bans, where dying later in the session meant not playing tomorrow.

 

[DaniNomsYou]

Im fine with a 2-3 hour death ban but a 6 hour death ban Just no. Mobs are very deadly. Even leather / iron armor you can get killed by mobs rather easy. There was one time Jappa and I got wiped out both by the same groups of mobs during the teaser

Just be careful, if unsure if its too many mobs or not find another way, before you got iron armor/iron sword. You might as well dig down before the sun goes down, and log off, wait 8-10 min and then come back on.

Solitude is deadly, be careful.

If you can't handle some mobs, start making a dirt wall between you and them.

And really, 6 hours isn't bad at all. For someone like me, who'll have limited time to spend on the server anyway, it makes dying mean I can't play till tomorrow. A significant improvement over the previous 24 hour death bans, where dying later in the session meant not playing tomorrow.

I believe in the very first Solitude you only had 2 lives and that was it (there may or may not have also been a 24 hour wait between them, or at least a wait of some length, I don't remember). The teaser server map was tiny, hence a 30 minute death ban. 6 hours for a map of this size is fine, imo.

Think of it this way; if the wait is too long for you, use it as motivation to be more cautious and efficient in your game play so you don't die. Alternatively; if there's anyone you've got a grudge against, be it from them killing you, looting your base, etc., get them and make them suffer through the wait.

But really, unless your spawning circumstances are incredibly unfortunate, or you're just reckless, not resourceful, and aren't smart about your decisions, odds are you're not going to be dying all that often. I, personally, am quite pleased to see it's only 6 hours as I was expecting the full 24 again, but that's just me. Considering the time was so short on the teaser and we grew used to dying more often and a smaller map there, I can understand the frustration of it not only being only ~2 hours.

 

[Refrigerated_Elements]

Just be careful, if unsure if its too many mobs or not find another way, before you got iron armor/iron sword. You might as well dig down before the sun goes down, and log off, wait 8-10 min and then come back on.

Solitude is deadly, be careful.

If you can't handle some mobs, start making a dirt wall between you and them.

And really, 6 hours isn't bad at all. For someone like me, who'll have limited time to spend on the server anyway, it makes dying mean I can't play till tomorrow. A significant improvement over the previous 24 hour death bans, where dying later in the session meant not playing tomorrow.

I believe in the very first Solitude you only had 2 lives and that was it (there may or may not have also been a 24 hour wait between them, or at least a wait of some length, I don't remember). The teaser server map was tiny, hence a 30 minute death ban. 6 hours for a map of this size is fine, imo.

Think of it this way; if the wait is too long for you, use it as motivation to be more cautious and efficient in your game play so you don't die. Alternatively; if there's anyone you've got a grudge against, be it from them killing you, looting your base, etc., get them and make them suffer through the wait.

But really, unless your spawning circumstances are incredibly unfortunate, or you're just reckless, not resourceful, and aren't smart about your decisions, odds are you're not going to be dying all that often. I, personally, am quite pleased to see it's only 6 hours as I was expecting the full 24 again, but that's just me. Considering the time was so short on the teaser and we grew used to dying more often and a smaller map there, I can understand the frustration of it not only being only ~2 hours.

You all have a very good point but keep in mind they have buffed mobs so much since the last solitude.