possible solution to server hopping for loot?

[d.walker43 196]

Hey guys, I have an idea that could possibly be a solution to the never-ending problem of server hopping for loot. If you've ever played H1Z1, you know that your player is locked to a specific server. While this solves the problem, it creates the new one that in order to play with your friends, you have to create a new character from scratch. So my idea is, why not have a timer that allows you to server hop, but only, say, once per day or something?

 

This way, you could have a main server that you play on, but if you want to join a friend or something, you have the option to hop to a different server without losing your character. However, if you can only hop 1 time per day (or whatever the amount was, I'm just using 1 a day as an example) it would be so slow looting that it wouldn't be worth it to server hop for loot. It would be quicker to just run to the next military base/airfield.

 

the ONLY downside I see is that if you go join a friend or something, then you might have to wait a whole day to get back to your home server. Or you might have to create a new character anyway to go join your friend if you used up your daily hop. Maybe we could have like 3 character slots, and each one of these gets 1 hop a day? That way you could always play with your friend, but you just might have to make a new character. Your characters should not be allowed to interact with each other though, I havnt figured out a solution for that, if anyones got an idea I'd love to hear it.

 

I know theres flaws in this plan, but I personally think it could be at least a temporary solution to the problem. I'll gladly listen to any feedback. Thanks.

[OnionOfShame 138]

Ehh...

I don't like this idea. If you don't like the false dichotomy in gear caused by server hopping on public servers, just play mostly on private servers like I do.

[Baker. 1484]

These ideas will never work. Too many times you join a server and the ping is shit, or your friends want to play on a high pop one for a bit, or the server goes down etc etc etc. The answer is find a reliable private shard end of story.

[Evil Minion 943]

These ideas will never work. Too many times you join a server and the ping is shit, or your friends want to play on a high pop one for a bit, or the server goes down etc etc etc. The answer is find a reliable private shard end of story.

Apparently finding one or more reliable public servers is impossible. It seems like players have to switch servers frequently on the public hive and any hindrance makes the game unplayable while it's totally fine to play on a single private shard and/or start a new character when switching to anyother one.

 

Limiting server switches either by limiting their amount in a certain time frame (e.g. 1-2 switches per day) or requiring some waiting time would discourage server hopping - especially if those limits temporarily get harsher when the player is switching more frequently.

 

However, there should always be the option of simply starting as a completely new character (deleting the old one and all gear) when switching to another server without any further penalty.

 

That being said there might be another way I will call "Island hopping". The basic concept is that servers in the same hive are handled as separate islands instead of several "layers" of the same area. So how do you get from island to island? Surely not by teleporting from the middle of one to the middle of another. Instead you have to get to the coast in order to transfer your character to another island. If you were able to do so you can now join another server - where your character with all the gear he is carrying is spawned just like a freshspawn. But what if I cannot make it to the coast because I can't join the server? Well.. then this condition simply not applies. If your old server is down or full or suddenly passworded or you simply did not play for on it for a while (~a few hours) your character can be transferred just as if he was at the coast. How can I stay with my group? The most straightforward way would be to stick to that server you are playing on. Otherwise there might be a feature that allows players at the coast to join a "party" (via some ingame feature) and then spawn in the same area after switching servers.

 

This would basically combine private shard-ish gameplay off-coast and public hive-ish gameplay on the coast (though you won't be able to choose your exact destination). Though a better spawn system that reduces the chances of spawnkilling would be a requirement here.

Edited July 30, 2015 by Evil Minion

[Chaingunfighter 917]

Server hopping is just an inevitability of using a game-wide public shard - as long as people can bring their character onto other servers they're going to be able to "unfairly" loot extra things from another server.

 

As has been said before, if server hopping is so much of a concern you may as well just find a private shard to play on - none of that exists there.

[Baker. 1484]

Apparently finding one or more reliable public servers is impossible. It seems like players have to switch servers frequently on the public hive and any hindrance makes the game unplayable while it's totally fine to play on a single private shard and/or start a new character when switching to anyother one.

 

Limiting server switches either by limiting their amount in a certain time frame (e.g. 1-2 switches per day) or requiring some waiting time would discourage server hopping - especially if those limits temporarily get harsher when the player is switching more frequently.

 

However, there should always be the option of simply starting as a completely new character (deleting the old one and all gear) when switching to another server without any further penalty.

 

That being said there might be another way I will call "Island hopping". The basic concept is that servers in the same hive are handled as separate islands instead of several "layers" of the same area. So how do you get from island to island? Surely not by teleporting from the middle of one to the middle of another. Instead you have to get to the coast in order to transfer your character to another island. If you were able to do so you can now join another server - where your character with all the gear he is carrying is spawned just like a freshspawn. But what if I cannot make it to the coast because I can't join the server? Well.. then this condition simply not applies. If your old server is down or full or suddenly passworded or you simply did not play for on it for a while (~a few hours) your character can be transferred just as if he was at the coast. How can I stay with my group? The most straightforward way would be to stick to that server you are playing on. Otherwise there might be a feature that allows players at the coast to join a "party" (via some ingame feature) and then spawn in the same area after switching servers.

 

This would basically combine private shard-ish gameplay off-coast and public hive-ish gameplay on the coast (though you won't be able to choose your exact destination). Though a better spawn system that reduces the chances of spawnkilling would be a requirement here.

Yeah you think its a great idea because it solves something you consider to be a pet peeve. Doesn't make it a good idea. It causes more problems than it sovles

[Evil Minion 943]

Yeah you think its a great idea because it solves something you consider to be a pet peeve.

Pretty much - I think it is a good thing to keep connections between servers but do not make them as easy and fast as they are right now as this is easily the aspect that breaks game dynamics the most.

Doesn't make it a good idea. It causes more problems than it sovles

Can you elaborate here? In particular do you mean the "skip switchig penalty by giving up your character" option or the "go to the coast to switch severs" part? Because those are vastly different. The first is basically an enabler for several potential nerfs to server hopping. The seond is an approach that tries to nerf server hopping without keeping you from playing as much as waiting times would.

[Baker. 1484]

Pretty much - I think it is a good thing to keep connections between servers but do not make them as easy and fast as they are right now as this is easily the aspect that breaks game dynamics the most.

Can you elaborate here? In particular do you mean the "skip switchig penalty by giving up your character" option or the "go to the coast to switch severs" part? Because those are vastly different. The first is basically an enabler for several potential nerfs to server hopping. The seond is an approach that tries to nerf server hopping without keeping you from playing as much as waiting times would.

There isn't much point in going back and forth on this. We fundamentally disagree

[d.walker43 196]

Apparently finding one or more reliable public servers is impossible. It seems like players have to switch servers frequently on the public hive and any hindrance makes the game unplayable while it's totally fine to play on a single private shard and/or start a new character when switching to anyother one.

 

Limiting server switches either by limiting their amount in a certain time frame (e.g. 1-2 switches per day) or requiring some waiting time would discourage server hopping - especially if those limits temporarily get harsher when the player is switching more frequently.

 

However, there should always be the option of simply starting as a completely new character (deleting the old one and all gear) when switching to another server without any further penalty.

 

That being said there might be another way I will call "Island hopping". The basic concept is that servers in the same hive are handled as separate islands instead of several "layers" of the same area. So how do you get from island to island? Surely not by teleporting from the middle of one to the middle of another. Instead you have to get to the coast in order to transfer your character to another island. If you were able to do so you can now join another server - where your character with all the gear he is carrying is spawned just like a freshspawn. But what if I cannot make it to the coast because I can't join the server? Well.. then this condition simply not applies. If your old server is down or full or suddenly passworded or you simply did not play for on it for a while (~a few hours) your character can be transferred just as if he was at the coast. How can I stay with my group? The most straightforward way would be to stick to that server you are playing on. Otherwise there might be a feature that allows players at the coast to join a "party" (via some ingame feature) and then spawn in the same area after switching servers.

 

This would basically combine private shard-ish gameplay off-coast and public hive-ish gameplay on the coast (though you won't be able to choose your exact destination). Though a better spawn system that reduces the chances of spawnkilling would be a requirement here.

I like this idea better than my own. The island hopping part. I remember seeing somewhere that one of the devs had briefly mentioned a possible plan to do something like this, but not on the coasts, I believe they mentioned about doing it where the map "ends" and its just flat nothingness forever. You should go make a new thread with this idea if you havnt already. make sure the right people see it. Nicely done.