Idea: Time Limited servers.

[stick100]

Planetside is all about getting into the game quickly changing the game would and accomplishing something for your faction correct. But what happens when you log off and go back to the real world. There is a good chance the way that you affected the world (ie taking over 3 bases) will be undone by people while you are away. What about the fact that the amount of difference for you side can roughly be summerized as SKILL OF PLAYER * TIME PLAYED. Now I like the idea of a persistent world in which my actions have measureable differences, but I will only be able to play limited period of time (like almost everyone).
So here are 2 different ideas I would like to propose.

1. A server that only runs certain times of the day for example 8-10 pm Pacific time(and possiably more hours on the weekend). This server would allow skilled 14 hours a week players to have as much affect on the game world as a skilled 60 hours a week player. Also this server would allow you to be involved in the world for the entirety of the time the world exists. So under no circumstances would (if you played the 2 hours a day its up) any game action occur (losing your favorite vehcile station) that you were not in the game to witness/stop/perticiape in. Once the server closed for the day you could continue to play on another server. I think no matter how much I played if a server like this was available I would play on it because I could be a powerful presence without a terriable time draw from the "real world".

2. A server that would only let you play for a set number of hours per day or per week. This server would allow the skilled 14 hours a week players to have as much affect on the game world as a skilled 60 hours a week player. However it has ALOT of problems. 1: Outfits would have diffictly operating because members would occasionally run out of thier "time" and be kicked out. 2: Players with alot of $ to spend could have an advantage by buying multiple accounts and spending more time in the game world then should be allowed for one person. 3. Your little sister/wife/whatever could accidentially/intentionally create a character on this server and waste your "time". Also actions on this kind of server could occur without you being there. In total I don't think this is a great solution, but it would in someways equalize the reletive power between the people with little time to play and the people with all the time in the world to play.

In conclusion I hope one of these server ideas is implemented or something like it because I would like to be able with my busy life style to have even reletivly as much impact on the game world as someone with all the time in the world. Servers like this should not be too hard to create, as the game server saves the state of the world. A daily server (ex. 8-10) would have the day "stop", this would mean that players could analyize the actions of the day and have these "news reports" mean something because the world can't change for a while, also this system would heavily encourage outfiting/outfits/teamwork because players they don't have much time to accomplish the daily goals. Also except of the additional scripting/programming work to set-up the startup and shut down of the servers/timelimits this idea should appeal to SOE because there is a good chance that people will spend less time playing cutting down on thier bandwidth cost. Also this solution will allievate casual players if they start to believe that thier actions have no consequences on the world becuase the play 1/10 as much as thier opponents.

[Hamma]

This would mean its no longer a persistant world sure maybe what you and your outfit did 12 hrs ago may be undone, but thats the fun of it, its ever changing. Always a surprise

[PSI Dr X]

what's the use of an MMO if u have no lasting impact on things?

[Unregistered]

Personally the idea that things may not be the same as I left them is one of the things that I find atractive aout the game. It lends to the realism of the game.

Think about it like the real world. I watch the news at night and everything is fine. I wake up the next morning and find out that some country invaded some other country.

If the game saved like you suggested it would not be too difficult for one empire to completly crush the others.

[Zarparchior]

Well... I feel this isn't a good idea either...

My reasoning behind this is because there would be too many limits on the players. You can only play a certain amount of hours? Whoa... that's WAY bad for business. Players won't like that, players won't pay for that, thus programmers won't make it that way. It limits your fun.

Also, this is slightly more realistic. People make night attacks for the sole purpose of surprise and lack of opposition. If you're asleep in bed, you can bet your base isn't safe. And when they're asleep, same goes for them.

[Hamma]

Yea, the idea of covert ops while everyone is sleeping would be non existant if everyone was in there trying to attack at once

[stick100]

I would like to emphesise that you don't have to play on this server if you don't want to. This is a server that I want to play on but I would proboably also play on the other "unlimited play" servers also.

[Hamma]

this is a good point hehe

[PSI Dr X]

so your willing to pay a double subscription.....

The word nub comes to mind...

As I said on PSI what in the world is the use of an MMO if it's non persistant, might aswell go play quake or OFp or something like that.

[stick100]

Originally posted by PSI|Dr-X
so your willing to pay a double subscription.....

The word nub comes to mind...

Your telling me that we can only play on 1 server for a subscirption?

[Arglaar]

As I said on PSI what in the world is the use of an MMO if it's non persistant, might aswell go play quake or OFp or something like that.

No .. you said that here....

On PSI you asked if he wanted to change it into Tribes 2 or something.

[eMaGyN]

Welcome to our forum Stick

You've already displayed great insight and made some constructive critisim... I'm looking forward to hearing more of your ideas


eMa

[PSI Dr X]

yes I am on 1 subscription u can get 5 character on 1 empire on 1 server.

Unless I remember incorrect that is

[afex]

i'm pretty sure it was 4 characters per server (only on one empire to prevent sabotage)

you can have ppl on all the servers if you'd like ( just like eq)

[Zarparchior]

Bingo.