Other Where We Are, Moving Forward, and an Apology

Velzerat

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Regarding advertising, I really think the servers should be in a better state so that people get interested when the see the advertisement and want to keep playing after hopping on the server.
Agreed, except for RoF. RoF seems perfect to me right now (except for having no developer). Ogarci showed that recently when he (temporarily?) revived RoF by bringing back classic. However, I doubt it'll be able to survive for long without a developer.
 

Vatumok

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RoF and AoD both have their faults. AoD is not a bad server, however, it is not really much different from just a PvP server which players can get somewhere else. RoF is pretty tricky because it is a lava survival server but then with quite passive gameplay, on one hand it is a very chill server to chat and have fun with some people but on the other hand it lacks the attraction factor for people that want a more active server.

ER could really use a signature server to bring in new players before it can afford to have a few more standard servers. A server that is unique in a sense that it is hard to find the same (or of the same quality) elsewhere and also one that is fun to play with little and many players as a playerbase is not built up overnight. We talked a bit about this in a private converation and Da Jinks came up with a pretty good idea but in the end there seemed to be too little motivation to continue. If people are still interested about it or other server/guideline ideas in the conversation you can PM me.
 

Psycho

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Hi. If you guys have any crazy suggestions... or normal ones.. that you feel warrant a separate thread for further discussion then feel free to post them in the Overhaul Suggestion Forums. It'll make it easier to sort out your suggestions to help improve EscapeRestart. Also, I locked the majority of the past suggestions in that forum, but feel free to link an old thread into your post if you feel that it can be continued!

I would really love to see what you guys come up with!
 

Fragile

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Ok, this will probably coin some eye-rolls and sound overly repetitive, but I beg you, bring back AoD.

I think that getting AoD back has to do more with the actual developers of the server than yelling at the server admins, and I don't know who to talk to. I unfortunately can't do anything about developing and coding, but honestly, the ideas for AoD 2.0 were great and I will lead the way to get it back into our servers if I have to. I didn't realize how much it meant to me when it was still there, but I've lost most of my interest in minecraft and I will still come back for AoD.

I'd love to talk to the devs and/or admins about getting AoD back and I'll definitely help, but please bring it back i love it so (also sorry for the shitty post idk if this was confusing or not but I'm a bit tired)
swim 4 director 2015
I'd like to see AoD come back, too. People can say it's just a normal PvP server all they want, but I've played many other PvP servers, and I've never seen anything like AoD, (Actually, most PvP-based servers are Factions or Prison for whatever reason) and I think AoD is very unique. I know issues with too many plugins have been adressed, but I think it would be good if we at least had an Infection gamemode, Juggernaut, and possibly a TNT gamemode. A lot of the changes discussed with AoD 2.0 would change the gameplay quite a bit. I remember we discussed changes to the monetary system, an item shop, a build team, and some other things as well. Either way, I firmly believe that AoD 2.0 is going to happen, or at least finish development.
 

Jayfeather

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Actually quick question - do plugins still work? Like, any of them? All I've heard since Bukkit (Bukket?) tanked a year ago is that literally every one is gone now is there actually anything salvageable?
 
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Jivvi

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really though, how much of minecraft is still separate from the massive servers that are run like a business. i'm did think the consensus was made long ago that more minecraft was not a productive answer, to the point where fun would frequently be poked at those who would naively suggest that their favourites be brought back.
 
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SirComputer

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Ok, this will probably coin some eye-rolls and sound overly repetitive, but I beg you, bring back AoD.

I think that getting AoD back has to do more with the actual developers of the server than yelling at the server admins, and I don't know who to talk to. I unfortunately can't do anything about developing and coding, but honestly, the ideas for AoD 2.0 were great and I will lead the way to get it back into our servers if I have to. I didn't realize how much it meant to me when it was still there, but I've lost most of my interest in minecraft and I will still come back for AoD.

I'd love to talk to the devs and/or admins about getting AoD back and I'll definitely help, but please bring it back i love it so (also sorry for the shitty post idk if this was confusing or not but I'm a bit tired)
The staff must be getting sick of me saying I could help code this.

Also, congrats Psycho and Lee! Both have well deserved positions and are very dedicated in the community.
 

paceboys

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Ok, this will probably coin some eye-rolls and sound overly repetitive, but I beg you, bring back AoD.

I think that getting AoD back has to do more with the actual developers of the server than yelling at the server admins, and I don't know who to talk to. I unfortunately can't do anything about developing and coding, but honestly, the ideas for AoD 2.0 were great and I will lead the way to get it back into our servers if I have to. I didn't realize how much it meant to me when it was still there, but I've lost most of my interest in minecraft and I will still come back for AoD.

I'd love to talk to the devs and/or admins about getting AoD back and I'll definitely help, but please bring it back i love it so (also sorry for the shitty post idk if this was confusing or not but I'm a bit tired)
My problem with this is that AoD isn't a good server to bring in people. If someone went looking for a PvP server, they'd find AoD, try it, realise that it's not actually PvP, and leave. It's unbalanced kits and gimmicky maps; they're looking for kit PvP servers, where gear is at an equal and it is 100% skill based, not hide and seek with iron armor against someone with a wood sword and 5 arrows. That server will never be balanced because of the nature of it, that hunter kits are supposed to be weaker. It relies on the survivors to be idiots and kill themselves, or have there be a huge imbalance of skill between the hunters and the survivors. Maybe that's just the way I see it but I put a lot of time into it when it was relatively new, then more time later into the server and it was still just finding iron armor then putting everyone on a tower and just waiting for a hunter to go kill themselves into you. It's just not PvP, and definitely not the PvP potential new community members are looking for.
 
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Arachadonic

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swim 4 director 2015
I'd like to see AoD come back, too. People can say it's just a normal PvP server all they want, but I've played many other PvP servers, and I've never seen anything like AoD, (Actually, most PvP-based servers are Factions or Prison for whatever reason) and I think AoD is very unique. I know issues with too many plugins have been adressed, but I think it would be good if we at least had an Infection gamemode, Juggernaut, and possibly a TNT gamemode. A lot of the changes discussed with AoD 2.0 would change the gameplay quite a bit. I remember we discussed changes to the monetary system, an item shop, a build team, and some other things as well. Either way, I firmly believe that AoD 2.0 is going to happen, or at least finish development.
Agreed! When I say AoD was removed I was devestated as I still have yet to find any similar mode on any server. It was the only last remnemt of classic zombie after Caznowl (rip2urname) shut down. I would hate to see what happend there happen here, I.e stuck in the past with generic servers and lack of advertising. Just telling your friends isnt enough anymore.

Really though AoD would be perfect. The old server had a good mix of a passive chilled game (lava), a build server (creative) and then PvP (AoD). There was something for everyone.
 

paceboys

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Really though AoD would be perfect. The old server had a good mix of a passive chilled game (lava), a build server (creative) and then PvP (AoD). There was something for everyone.
Except that AoD is gimmicky and not what 99% of people searching for PvP servers are looking for. It's a very small market you're 'selling' to with AoD, and is not the greatest server to attract players with. PvP servers need to be skill based, not a MASSIVE handicap of no gear and not being able to climb a tower with 15 people ontop of it 1v15. A PvP server isn't a bad idea at all, because like you said, it would make it so that there's something for everyone. But AoD is just too gimmicky to attract people.
 

755someone755

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the average age in the community has decreased
I saw a man post a status update saying he's going to be a dad.
"Veteran" users are going into college and are finding jobs.
I am surrounded by old people.
... and hipman500.
incredibly toxic to other members
Who would be the judge?
I mean, obviously staff, but this is a very subjective matter. Take me for example; I'm a general asshole, but I know people (staff) who would vouch both for and against that.
bring back AoD.
This whole server closing/opening thing in itself is a big circlejerk.
We keep "slimming down" what we offer as a community, yet we expect people to join. They don't, so we slim down further etc. With the current MC server lineup, people may as well find servers that provide the same (or nearly the same) content, but have more people.
Like people said before me -- we need a server that represents ER to bring in new players, and stop closing what we have. Find somebody with a crazy innovative idea for a server that people will like, find people who can write the code and execute the idea so that people will like it, and publish it. TNT had that, as did AoD and the classic servers. I'm not saying the servers are bad, it's just that each of them seems to miss one thing from the above equation.
 

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why does it feel we're going to do the opposite of what the entire overhaul was supposed to do, and we're going to focus on Minecraft rather than the other servers

the TTT server needs updated
the Jailbreak server needs released
wtf happened to the starbound server

stop focusing on Minecraft please and thank you
 

IQD

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Except that AoD is gimmicky and not what 99% of people searching for PvP servers are looking for. It's a very small market you're 'selling' to with AoD, and is not the greatest server to attract players with. PvP servers need to be skill based, not a MASSIVE handicap of no gear and not being able to climb a tower with 15 people ontop of it 1v15. A PvP server isn't a bad idea at all, because like you said, it would make it so that there's something for everyone. But AoD is just too gimmicky to attract people.
pretty much all the reasons i became absolutely livid with aod compared to other pvp servers

id like my deaths to be at least 75% my fault, not because the mapmaker thought archer kits were an ok idea against a bunch of iron armor guys at the top of a tower 150m above the ground
 

paceboys

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pretty much all the reasons i became absolutely livid with aod compared to other pvp servers

id like my deaths to be at least 75% my fault, not because the mapmaker thought archer kits were an ok idea against a bunch of iron armor guys at the top of a tower 150m above the ground
It has good intent and isn't in a bad direction, but there needs to be reworked rules/buffed hunter kits. Never understood why a survivor could be full iron and a hunter could be no armor wood sword. One viable way to balance it is make the actual hunter much stronger, like permanent double speed, double jump, str 1, reg 1, etc. Survivors have numbers, hunters have gear. Makes perfect sense to me.
 

Friendy

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Who would be the judge?
I mean, obviously staff, but this is a very subjective matter. Take me for example; I'm a general asshole, but I know people (staff) who would vouch both for and against that.
Sorry let me clear up the confusion, what I meant was that only Head staff are responsible for this, not the operators, not vetops nor controllers. ER needs to abolish the users that are dragging the community through the dirt with their childishness, i'm sure the CAs are already aware of a few, this doesn't necessarily mean they need to be removed, but they need to be dealt with because some of the abuse is really unnecessary!

But hey don't worry about it, I'm sure half the staff here wanted me banned at one point as I noticed a threat bitching about me in the staff forums when I was promoted; but at the end of the day, they want you gone on their grudge, or opinion on you not because you've actually broken rules.

As for unique ideas, I recently pm'ed ogarci about an upgrade to rof but I can see it as a potential server idea so I'll give the ca's a shout to see what they think.

As for this: the quality of maps dropped as the server got older, most likely because staff lost motivation to look at the maps and ended up just giving them a +1 if they were just below par, because I saw a lot of bad maps that had good potential, it was just the balancing that was shit.

There were a lot of maps where hunters got OP kits and survivors got nothing, realistically we should try going back to basics, no iron or diamond armour, only iron weapons, no enchants etc.
It has good intent and isn't in a bad direction, but there needs to be reworked rules/buffed hunter kits. Never understood why a survivor could be full iron and a hunter could be no armor wood sword. One viable way to balance it is make the actual hunter much stronger, like permanent double speed, double jump, str 1, reg 1, etc. Survivors have numbers, hunters have gear. Makes perfect sense to me.
 
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myusername22

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why does it feel we're going to do the opposite of what the entire overhaul was supposed to do, and we're going to focus on Minecraft rather than the other servers

the TTT server needs updated
the Jailbreak server needs released
wtf happened to the starbound server

stop focusing on Minecraft please and thank you
I'm going to agree that the other servers definitely need more support, but abandoning our Minecraft roots is a very dangerous move at this point in time. We don't have a strong foothold in any servers other than Minecraft right now and our TTT servers player base has taken a hit from The downtime. Besides that most of our current players are Minecraft players so abandoning the servers entirely could easily alienate a very large portion of our community.

In all honesty, I've looked at other servers and spoken to a few server owners about advertising strategies and they are surviving absolutely fine. Our problem isn't that Minecraft is dying, but that nobody has made an attempt to inform people of our servers. We haven't run ads in several months and unsurprisingly very few people have joined.

What's happened to our TTT server is disturbing, but there isn't a reason we can't support all of the servers.
 

Jayfeather

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I saw a man post a status update saying he's going to be a dad.
"Veteran" users are going into college and are finding jobs.
I am surrounded by old people.
... and hipman500.
These are like two examples though, I think in general if we removed the "83" outliers that have 0 posts we would find a stark contrast from the 18 or so average seen 3 - 5 years ago

pretty much all the reasons i became absolutely livid with aod compared to other pvp servers

id like my deaths to be at least 75% my fault, not because the mapmaker thought archer kits were an ok idea against a bunch of iron armor guys at the top of a tower 150m above the ground
I think if we end up having to make AoD again like we were forced to due with classic zombie then we need to disallow skybridges up to a certain height and stress that natural structures be easy to reach because the immediate meta of camping was often not exploited by the kits, but rather encouraged
 
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Love

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I'm going to agree that the other servers definitely need more support, but abandoning our Minecraft roots is a very dangerous move at this point in time. We don't have a strong foothold in any servers other than Minecraft right now and our TTT servers player base has taken a hit from The downtime. Besides that most of our current players are Minecraft players so abandoning the servers entirely could easily alienate a very large portion of our community.

In all honesty, I've looked at other servers and spoken to a few server owners about advertising strategies and they are surviving absolutely fine. Our problem isn't that Minecraft is dying, but that nobody has made an attempt to inform people of our servers. We haven't run ads in several months and unsurprisingly very few people have joined.

What's happened to our TTT server is disturbing, but there isn't a reason we can't support all of the servers.
cutting this post into bolded points

1st: a grand total of 12 users isn't a strong foothold in the first place, and it isn't even "abandoning" our roots. It's just shifting more focus towards the other servers. We can dedicate some time to our Minecraft servers, but we need to make sure we also dedicate time to other servers. I don't really care if m u h r o f i t e m s, if we want to thrive, we need to refocus on the other servers.

2nd: How do we fix our TTT playerbase? Focus on the server.

3rd: *glances over at the League playerbase in TTT* okay...

4th: Minecraft is struggling as a whole, it might not be dying, but it's on a thin strand.

5th: I'm not saying we shouldn't support all the servers, I'm just saying we need to put less focus on Minecraft to aide in the community growing. Putting all that weight on one resource is just gonna kill us more.
 

JtTorso

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I don't think Minecraft is nearly as viable as people seem to think, on top of requiring developers which we severely lack for the most part Minecraft isn't even as popular as the last time we had this conversation, I couldn't even tell you who the big names on YouTube or Twitch are.

Since the overhaul we've had a TTT server and a Starbound server and no others to my knowledge, I'd like to see servers of other games under the Escape Restart umbrella meaning that it is publicly endorsed by our Admins and information regarding those servers is available to the community even if those servers aren't necessarily being run by a SA or CA (Though I think it probably should be), having our name in other games even as a foothold is important, there's no reason why we can't have our own guild in WoW or our own crew in GTA Online.

A lot of people seem to be hammering in the idea of fortifying our Minecraft servers but do most people even want a new Minecraft server?
I always see people talking about losing interest in Minecraft and I am definitely one of those people but I would jump at the opportunity to get on, say a Terraria server.
 
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paceboys

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TTT servers player base has taken a hit from The downtime.
The server's playerbase has taken a hit because the league of legends "group" stopped using it. There are 4 other people that use it. Even if it was up, there would be ~4 people on it usually and ~12 at times when the league of legends "group" goes on.