Your Thoughts on Axios

[ARCHITECUS 4788]

Just now, Jonificus said:

Too many islands, too shitty biomes, legit had no idea we even had lore or story for this MESS. I want a new map for christmas.

Speaking of christmas...

 

For why purpose? Make everything snowy or make nothing snowy.

[Pandan 1452]

Just now, _pok_ said:

Then perhaps a way of fixing this problem would be to limit the development time? It feels like the time of development for each map gets longer and longer, and that ultimately leads to changes occurring that in reality don't really need to happen. For example, Asulon was developed probably in the span of about 3 months, and that was one of our largest maps. I don't think a new map needs to take a whole lot of time to create, especially if we allow more players to get involved in the development of the map rather than keeping it a very vague and obscure process. 
 

 

 

 

I'd say quite the opposite. Players standards have significantly risen since the days of Asulon, if you were to provide such a map without any context it'd be taken more harshly than anything else.

 

It's all about time management and ensuring you actually keep to it. Map (Don't do the three map system again, I was told its premise was to help remove lag, however, it, unfortunately, did not work!) needs to be done as soon as possible, not even to pay something but to provide enough time to drastically improve it by hand. We started planning in December but didn't receive a tangible map since May, the next came June and the final July. Time is everything. 

 

Edit: The community also had to be considerate towards the lack of experience of people in charge of map development. I thought I could make a great map until I started making one. If I were to do it again I'd do so much differently and have no doubt it'd be 100% better than what we have currently. But.. well, bluntly put **** that. 

[WuHanXianShi14 0]

We've honestly had droves of people complaining about every map. Back in Anthos people lamented about the good old days of Aegis, and now of course we're on Axios, people are calling for a return to Anthos.

 

Axios has flaws. Literally every map we ever make will have flaws. But, it gets the job done, it looks decent. I agree it shouldn't be so big, but I believe that improved fast travel systems can fix that.

 

Otherwise, Axios as a map is a big improvement over the fringe (which was cluttered and hideous), Athera (way too crowded and small), and Vailor (too plain).

[_pok_ 1768]

Just now, 吳憾戰士14 said:

We've honestly had droves of people complaining about every map. Back in Anthos people lamented about the good old days of Aegis, and now of course we're on Axios, people are calling for a return to Anthos.

 

Axios has flaws. Literally every map we ever make will have flaws. But, it gets the job done, it looks decent. I agree it shouldn't be so big, but I believe that improved fast travel systems can fix that.

 

Otherwise, Axios as a map is a big improvement over the fringe (which was cluttered and hideous), Athera (way too crowded and small), and Vailor (too plain).

I agree that every map is gonna have problems, but this map has several glaring problems that most of the community can reach a consensus about. There will be complaining about every map we ever make, but I think those complaints about Axios are more substantial than those made about previous maps. 

[WuHanXianShi14 0]

Just now, _pok_ said:

I agree that every map is gonna have problems, but this map has several glaring problems that most of the community can reach a consensus about. There will be complaining about every map we ever make, but I think those complaints about Axios are more substantial than those made about previous maps. 

Not at all, Vailor and Athera had a ton more people complaining about it than Axios. We've been in Axios for 4 months and this is the first feedback thread I've seen made and it was done by an admin.

 

Compared to past maps this one has been relatively smooth than the others, but people will always love to complain. Axios has flaws, but they're managable flaws which can be fixed by adjusting the infrastructure a bit. Don't throw out the baby with the bathwater.

[_pok_ 1768]

1 minute ago, Pandan said:

 

I'd say quite the opposite. Players standards have significantly risen since the days of Asulon, if you were to provide such a map without any context it'd be taken more harshly than anything else.

 

It's all about time management and ensuring you actually keep to it. Map (Don't do the three map system again, I was told its premise was to help remove lag, however, it, unfortunately, did not work!) needs to be done as soon as possible, not even to pay something but to provide enough time to drastically improve it by hand. We started planning in December but didn't receive a tangible map since May, the next came June and the final July. Time is everything. 

 

Edit: The community also had to be considerate towards the lack of experience of people in charge of map development. I thought I could make a great map until I started making one. If I were to do it again I'd do so much differently and have no doubt it'd be 100% better than what we have currently. But.. well, bluntly put **** that. 

I disagree, I think most people would be fine with a map that looks fine and keeps nations relatively close, but with some breathing room. Asulon DID have a lot of lore within the map, but a lot of that was based upon the nations themselves, and we could do that same thing with a move back to Anthos.

What made Asulon so great, in my opinion, was that it did not have a whole lot of stuff generated by the staff outside of the Cloudlands and the surrounding area. The nations were tasked with building their environments and terrain, as well as for developing the lore of that area. For example, the Orcs based their city upon a former race of Orcs that were wiped out by giant worm monsters living within our desert. Orcs built the ruins themselves and ran events, with some staff help, themselves. This happened in most other nations as well, especially with the Elves who had the Mori and all that.

I really do believe we can make a very good map in maybe 3-4 months time, if you task the nations with doing a boatload of the work, and allowing some of the most creative people on the server (who, frankly, aren't all staff) to work their magic like they did in Asulon. 

This would be even easier if we return to Anthos as we already have some pre-established lore for the map. Let the nations build the ruins of their old empires, and give them the option to either move into those ruins, or preserve them for the sake of history. I think you could save a whole lot of time by tweaking Anthos's terrain and giving the nation leaders and those beneath them the bulk of the work. 

[WuHanXianShi14 0]

Another thing to keep in mind is the silent majority. People who are content are naturally less likely to be open and vocal than people who have issues to complain about. And of course, people who simply don't care either way will remain silent.

 

I am not denying that there are people that genuinely believe there are fundamental issues with this map (there are, but they're easily fixable IMO, this map should be given a chance), I'm just saying that you shouldn't let yourself be exposed to the most vocal group and by influenced to believe they make up the lion's share of people.

 

There is no mob with pitchforks and torches calling for major reforms. Not yet, anyways. Let's not jump the gun, let's focus on minor changes and tweaks to alleviate people's issues instead of taking several leaps further than we need to.

 

Btw, fix the Christmas box around Johannesburg. That's just gross

[El Ricktador 1394]

Just now, _pok_ said:

Orcs built the ruins themselves and ran events, with some staff help, themselves.

 

This wouldn't fly in this day and age. We were having a player-run event in Urguan and we caught **** for it from the ET saying that we weren't allowed to do so apparently. A lot of people who'd been at the event had their mood killed when this happened. I wasn't there for it because I expected something of that sort to have happened because it'd happened to me in Athera, Vailor and Axios.

 

Additionally, even though there is technically more freedom with player-made lore these days. I think we're still at least somewhat expected to run things through the LT. Even if they were the most lenient LT in the history of the server, people would still feel apprehensive about approaching them with their ideas.

 

Edit: I liked Asulon, Vailor and Axios. All of these maps have been bigger than other maps. I think the map size is fine. My only problem right now is the disgusting spawn. It really just needs to be remade. This should be pretty easy since its in its own world. We should just be able to make a new world file for the spawn and put it in place of the current one right?

 

[WuHanXianShi14 0]

Just now, El Ricktador said:

Even if they were the most lenient LT in the history of the server, people would still feel apprehensive about approaching them with their ideas.

I've compiled everything we have on Axios history lore here. It's not complete, but it's public, no more of that hidden lore saving it for the big reveal which never comes BS. If you want to add to it then either write a lore submission or just PM one of us with your ideas.

[Fishy 2709]

 

25 minutes ago, _pok_ said:

Then perhaps a way of fixing this problem would be to limit the development time? It feels like the time of development for each map gets longer and longer, and that ultimately leads to changes occurring that in reality don't really need to happen. For example, Asulon was developed probably in the span of about 3 months, and that was one of our largest maps. I don't think a new map needs to take a whole lot of time to create, especially if we allow more players to get involved in the development of the map rather than keeping it a very vague and obscure process. 
 

The development time for maps has actually been going down over the years, Vailor and Axios were hardly a two or three months at best, but had significantly less people working on them. 

 

Start new map development now so people can start working on it over the winter break. Aim for a summer release so you have nearly half a year to work, release it early at spring break if possible. Let nations prebuild their capitals on the server so they can fix up their terrain to be as they need it and we don't end up with nation's having to rush their builds which end up 20 blocks above the ground. If Hiebe Irongut's cousin is caught filling a mountain with diamonds again just ban him for the duration of the map and delete the materials. 

 

Most importantly though, the map needs to have an actual design behind it like Asulon, Anthos, or Athera, less so Athera. If you look at these three they very clearly have a particular road network and spawn placement that lead you through areas of rp rather than everything just being a dead end. Anthos did this well and every nation and city was strung together through the roads meaning you would actually be going through places to get elsewhere. The land for each race should be allowed to be designed by them so it can suit their needs, however, they should all still be apart of a greater road network in something like a circle or the foursquare hook design Anthos had, not the single road design Athera had. 

 

If Anthos is being rehashed it should be remade from a blank slate version of it, keeping the same placement of the mountains, rivers, lakes, and other features, but the worldpainting redone, maybe even raise it up a few blocks so there's more land for new areas and add in a few new waterways possibly. Then once the map is redone, host Anthos in its final stages with a dynamap and implement some but not all of the old builds and have ET or their old owners turn them into ruins. 

 

EDIT: A finite amount of land would also be good, the nations should take up all of the land except for particular event areas similar to Anthos' North. The main way for player groups to get land should be through the nations, splitting off to form their own nations should be through roleplay circumstances rather than by a charter asking for payment and everyone and their mother being able to sign.

[Vege 4804]

in one word

 

****

[neopsychedelia 207]

anyone with sense would turn away from the server as soon as they realize that they spent 15 minutes running from one city to another just to realize there's no one there.

 

player retention hello is it not obvious enough?????

[Hiebe 2493]

Actually having more then 6 people working on the map would help speed things up and fI'll the map in. et didn't touch these maps cause they were told they were getting removed after the map change

[Archbishop 1784]

Can't we just go back to Anthos?

[Gone 869]

Too big.

The multiple islands are annoying not to mention I can never remember their names.

Honestly don't know what this map's lore is or if it even has lore.

Spawn is a disappointment for the older players and confusing for the new ones.

Still too many settlements that are empty most of the time if not all of the time.

Empty and bland roads that are ridiculous to move along unless you have a horse and even then can be annoying especially with mobs about. Some roads you can't even tell where they are because they're just dirt or grass paths.

Also a lot of people think the wood elves are on their own island because their fast travel boat is way off on its own for some reason. Why it wasn't put near the Oren/Dwarf boats I'll never understand.