Bring back AoD

[Mastersten]

Hey,
Some of you may know me as Mastersten13 or Demonic_Mstrstn, I was an active Player at Army of Darkness before it was closed and now I play a lot on KR

As everyone reads in this thread title, this is about army of Darkness and I want to hear opinions about it closure and about re adding it in the server list.

First I will post my opinion in the spoiler below so everyone can get clear view about how I think about it and what I think that needs to be done.

Spoiler

everyone here is familiar with the intense, nerve wrecking, competitive minecraft game mode Army of Darkness, playing with your team of survivors to resist the hunters and survive the Darkness so you get rewarded and honoured by the other players. Sadly this game mode was removed from the community in February 2015 even tho many players wanted it to coexist with the other servers. Now with the official removal of Infection, the community needs a new Player VS Player game mode to ease the tense of constant battling which cannot be satisfied enough at the other servers.

at first, a pvp server is vital! Currently the most popular minecraft servers are pvp based servers which means that players WANT these servers in fact, 7 of 10 mine craft players prefer a competitive PvP server above other game modes. Going further: they want Unique pvp servers.

secondly, competition: everyone wants to be the best of the server, beat the rest and become king of the hill. Army of Darkness provides this all!

of course, as everyone knows, Army of Darkness was slowly losing interest so it is understandable that it wasn't transferred to the new lobby but that had a good reason: it needed change. The last big update was long ago and it needed new features, temporary events or optional gamemodes.

Summarising this all would mean that even tho Army of Darkness wasn't really popular at the end, this community really needs a pvp server to ease the battle tense and satisfy the competitive players amongst us.

Then secondly I hope that everyone will fill in the poll and not only Press a 'like' or 'optimistic' button but truly give their thoughts about it and if the admins need to consider adding it again.

At last I want people to think about things that could improve Army of Darkness so you would be comfortable to join and play the game.

Thanks for reading
-mastersten

Sidenote: this is just a discussion thread about Army of Darkness, I don't mean to offend anyone or question the head staff's decisions, I only ask to discuss this decision

 

[Velzerat]

Pretty sure they're working on AoD 2.0, which will come back once it's done.


"You already know my plans for AoD 2.0, which we intended to start as soon as Sponge came out. With Mmarz as Developer now, I do believe he will have time to see this project out. The current server is old and outdated though, and as a result of that doesn't have the highest player count at all times so I can understand why it may be removed." - ryandodd
http://escaperestart.com/forum/threads/under-discussion-removal-of-some-minecraft-servers.17467/

 

[Mastersten]

Pretty sure they're working on AoD 2.0, which will come back once it's done.


"You already know my plans for AoD 2.0, which we intended to start as soon as Sponge came out. With Mmarz as Developer now, I do believe he will have time to see this project out. The current server is old and outdated though, and as a result of that doesn't have the highest player count at all times so I can understand why it may be removed." - ryandodd
http://escaperestart.com/forum/threads/under-discussion-removal-of-some-minecraft-servers.17467/

I'm pretty sure I read in a thread that the servers that aren't transferred, will be added as an event server some day. If It is popular enough, it will be kept If not....well I guess you know what happens

 

[YouWould]

Yes. As far as I'm aware, at least, AoD 2.0 is still being worked on vigorously. Once it returns it'll stay as long as it's popular, just like Kami's. Past that, I don't actually know much about it. I don't think it should be kept after it's popularity dies. It's impractical to keep a server just for the hell of it.
But yeah, AoD is coming back.

 

[Mastersten]

Yes. As far as I'm aware, at least, AoD 2.0 is still being worked on vigorously. Once it returns it'll stay as long as it's popular, just like Kami's. Past that, I don't actually know much about it. I don't think it should be kept after it's popularity dies. It's impractical to keep a server just for the hell of it.
But yeah, AoD is coming back.

But when? And why not bring the old AoD back until 2.0 is released ?

 

[Notme]

But when? And why not bring the old AoD back until 2.0 is released ?

Old AoD was 1.7

 

[YouWould]

But when? And why not bring the old AoD back until 2.0 is released ?

I cant give you an actual timeframe, my best guess is before winter for sure. Also, as raxo said, AoD was 1.7, meaning the coding isn't compatible. The server was also very old and, for lack of a better word, rusty.

 

[Duffie]

Sorry if I scared you with that disagree. It's not a full-blown disagreement about the whole thing.

I'm mainly disagreeing with your opinionated section, solely with the facts portion of it... Maybe because I'm in the minority, based on what you've said about everyone being competitive in nature, wanting to be the best and all that. That's definitely not true in my eyes, but... It definitely is a popular thing, I suppose.

Which brings me to say... Well, I have no opinion on whether Army of Darkness is brought back. If a decent majority wants it back, I'd say why not? Perhaps that server, and possibly all of our Minecraft servers (or ER servers in general), just need some advertising? Eh, that's a topic for another day.

But, yeah, however pointless this post was, I just wanted to clarify my rating, since most people either take it the wrong way, or shoot an array of bullets towards people who don't explain their negative ratings.

Tally ho.

 

[ShadeSlayer98]

Well I hate to be a downer but I can only assume AoD 2.0 has been stopped or complete abandon. Ryan is no longer Director so that's another person down the drain who wants AoD to raise again. Unless we get Mmars to confirm it's still in the workshop or trash. I still think a minecraft server needs three main games which is smp, building and pvp. When you mix smp with pvp at first everyone is yay. Then after a clan like air start becoming an raid only clan everyone isn't yay anymore but really tired of getting the shit beat out of them. What I'm trying to say is we need a pvp server.
Edit: I'm not trying to make fun it hate on the new smp. I enjoy it, I was just pointing out things. You can see example of people not enjoying the pvp style with that settler rank.

 

[YouWould]

Well I hate to be a downer but I can only assume AoD 2.0 has been stopped or complete abandon. Ryan is no longer Director so that's another person down the drain who wants AoD to raise again. Unless we get Mmars to confirm it's still in the workshop or trash. I still think a minecraft server needs three main games which is smp, building and pvp. When you mix smp with pvp at forest everyone is yay. Then after a clan like air start becoming an raid only clan everyone isn't yay anymore but really tired of getting the shit beat out of them. What I'm trying to say is we need a pvp server.

I asked Marz ~1 month ago, he said progress was still coming along, just slowly.

 

[ShadeSlayer98]

I asked Marz ~1 month ago, he said progress was still coming along, just slowly.

That's good to hear but there is one last problem. We have a small crowd of people who want AoD back so, unless we get more support then the directors will not see a point in adding it.

 

[Mastersten]

Sorry if I scared you with that disagree. It's not a full-blown disagreement about the whole thing.

I'm mainly disagreeing with your opinionated section, solely with the facts portion of it... Maybe because I'm in the minority, based on what you've said about everyone being competitive in nature, wanting to be the best and all that. That's definitely not true in my eyes, but... It definitely is a popular thing, I suppose.

Which brings me to say... Well, I have no opinion on whether Army of Darkness is brought back. If a decent majority wants it back, I'd say why not? Perhaps that server, and possibly all of our Minecraft servers (or ER servers in general), just need some advertising? Eh, that's a topic for another day.

But, yeah, however pointless this post was, I just wanted to clarify my rating, since most people either take it the wrong way, or shoot an array of bullets towards people who don't explain their negative ratings.

Tally ho.

I understand that and totally agree with you, not everyone is competitive and not everyone is eager to see it coming back but you can only know this if it does return, now we can only discuss about possible scenarios that could happen if it returns and things that need to change to make sure it becomes and stays popular (like advertisement, as you said)

 

[Jayfeather]

uh oh

 

[Sploorky]

uh oh

jay pls explain

 

[Terre936]

yes please

 

[Jayfeather]

jay pls explain

Here's a basic rundown since you're meming on me


1.) We're splitting the tiniest player base over even MORE servers if we bring this back. It's not feasible.
2.) Furthering our roots in Minecraft will bring the end times - we already brought back more than I think most people expected

 

[Mastersten]

Here's a basic rundown since you're meming on me


1.) We're splitting the tiniest player base over even MORE servers if we bring this back. It's not feasible.
2.) Furthering our roots in Minecraft will bring the end times - we already brought back more than I think most people expected

What exactly do you mean by the tiniest Player base? Do you Mean the players that like To see AoD back or the players that want a pvp server cause if so, that tiny Player base doesn't really look tiny to me .

I'm not exactly sure but I remember reading that the servers that weren't transferred, needed to update so they can possibly be re-added in the future. Then of course you are right, then we are Right back the beginning before the overhaul but I'd llike to show this image:

It shows a design cycle. You can put in any kind of design you want and follow this cycle for example: The servers
- analyse and describe the problem
- make a list of demands (things that need to be done)
- test the 'design' and evaluate it
- start again with step one and keep repeating this

so I basically mean that the upper staff should have a deeper look into the servers and evaluate how It wenT after the overhaul and what can be changed/improved/added

 

[Jayfeather]

What exactly do you mean by the tiniest Player base? Do you Mean the players that like To see AoD back or the players that want a pvp server cause if so, that tiny Player base doesn't really look tiny to me .

I'm not exactly sure but I remember reading that the servers that weren't transferred, needed to update so they can possibly be re-added in the future. Then of course you are right, then we are Right back the beginning before the overhaul but I'd llike to show this image:

It shows a design cycle. You can put in any kind of design you want and follow this cycle for example: The servers
- analyse and describe the problem
- make a list of demands (things that need to be done)
- test the 'design' and evaluate it
- start again with step one and keep repeating this

so I basically mean that the upper staff should have a deeper look into the servers and evaluate how It wenT after the overhaul and what can be changed/improved/added

We have about 30 active players total, and they span VAST timezones. Whether or not you give me a stock photo of a Google Chrome logo - we don't have the people to populate an AoD server that was proven to be playerless before the overhaul

 

[YouWould]

We have about 30 active players total, and they span VAST timezones. Whether or not you give me a stock photo of a Google Chrome logo - we don't have the people to populate an AoD server that was proven to be playerless before the overhaul

I disagree. AoD became less popular because the game wasn't updated majorly. I think the way the original plans for 2.0 were, AoD could be a great server.

Mmarz11 may be interested in the thread too. After all, AoD 2.0 is his code baby.

 

[Vrgin]

Bring it back but it will cost money so yea idk

 

[Baker93]

While we appreciate that many members hold strong desire for AoD, or just a PvP server in general, it remains a fact that, conceptually, the server mechanic became flawed.

As pointed out elsewhere in this thread, our playercount leaves much to be desired, such that supporting huge server lineups just isn't on the cards at the moment, and hasn't been for a while. Nobody wants to join a PvP server with nobody online - there's simply nothing to do in the meantime but wait around - it is that reason that AoD was sent back into development with a goal to provide a gamemode that is fun no matter how many people are there. In short, we were not providing a service that we were satisfied with Army of Darkness, and saw little merit in continuing to pour the time and resources that were being pumped into it. There were a lot of flaws, and it was simply easier to take it out of the lineup, than waste time in fully updating it to 1.8 (with which would come a whole new host of issues). That decision was not so much about low playercount, as it was wasting the time of our volunteer staff team.

The process outlined in the stock design cycle proposed earlier is all well and good, but that process is a particularly time consuming one. Even more so when we rely on the generous donation of time from developers and staff testers that perform solely on a volunteer basis. While we do continue working towards releasing AoD 2.0, or PvP equivalent, nobody is working on it as a full time job! I will however take a look to see if I can organise a 'simple' PvP event server in the near future for those with bloodlust in the community.

TL;DR: We are working to deliver a PvP server of some description, but a job worth doing is a job worth doing well.

(To clarify a common misconception, opening servers never (directly) costs money, we do not run on a per-server bill. It does however take a great deal of time as well as dedi resources.)

 

[Jivvi]

If I might have my two cents, the pvp mode I think has worked best for our community was the beta-test-trial-thingymajig of Jube's solitude. The map was pretty small, but it was good-looking, and there was plenty of depth to it. Players formed impromptu factions and fought against each other for little to no reason. The half-hour death penalty kept you out of the action for a bit, which kept fights moving in a balanced way. Nobody was really massively overpowered; everyone started with a kit that could sustain them for a short time, and improved gear was hard, if not impossible to find. I personally had barrels of fun on that server, and would definitely frequent it were it to be brought back.

 

[77thShad]

If I might have my two cents, the pvp mode I think has worked best for our community was the beta-test-trial-thingymajig of Jube's solitude. The map was pretty small, but it was good-looking, and there was plenty of depth to it. Players formed impromptu factions and fought against each other for little to no reason. The half-hour death penalty kept you out of the action for a bit, which kept fights moving in a balanced way. Nobody was really massively overpowered; everyone started with a kit that could sustain them for a short time, and improved gear was hard, if not impossible to find. I personally had barrels of fun on that server, and would definitely frequent it were it to be brought back.

This, this and this.

 

[Catcocomics]

I just want a pvp server (in the relative present) so that the big crowd of pvpers don't feel it necessary to govern all the mechanics of our smp servers. No offense guys, but some of the "pvp oriented" changes made to KR kind of ruined it for me.

I'll admit though, I did actually enjoy AoD (to an extent) for many of the same reasons I enjoy playing Super Smash Bros, though smash bros doesn't let me get enchanted swords with custom names that appear in death texts when I kill people.

But again with the present, I'm kind of burned out on pvp and I (was) looking for more of a smp experience (which KR tried and failed, due to being too "pvp oriented"), though I guess now, I just want to share adventures with my friends.