WorldWar style OTServ - Game Design [Community Release]

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Hey OTLand,

I have been working on a PvP-focused war server running on 8.60 and currently testing core design decisions before a wider release. Rather than launch and patch reactively, I want to get community input on a few choices that genuinely cut both ways. No hype, just questions where I am legitimately unsure about the right answer.

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The Format at a Glance

• 8.60 client, two fixed teams: Blue vs Red
• Shared team accounts — everyone on Blue logs in with the same credentials, same for Red
• All players spawn at level 50, fully geared per vocation, ready to fight immediately
• Death respawn in 2 seconds, full inventory restored + supplies. — reset to level 50.
• Kill reward: 50,000 gold | Assist reward: 20,000 gold
• Equipment tiers upgrade automatically at lv 60, 100, 150, 200, and 300
• Friendly fire disabled - MC XP disabled.
• Global kill streak broadcasts at 5 / 10 / 15 / 20 / 25 kills (KILLING SPREE through BEYOND GODLIKE)

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Five Design Decisions I Want Feedback On

1. Shared accounts vs individual accounts
Shared logins mean zero barrier — you pick a side and you are in. But some players dislike that there is no personal character ownership. Would individual accounts (with team-lock on login) feel more meaningful, or does that friction kill the arcade spirit this format is going for?

2. Automatic equipment tiers vs manual gearing
Gear upgrades happen automatically at level thresholds. Nobody has to grind gold or visit an NPC to stay competitive. The tradeoff is that it removes a small layer of player agency and the satisfaction of manually upgrading. Which system feels more rewarding to you in an arcade war context?

3. Global kill streak announcements
Broadcasts like GODLIKE and BEYOND GODLIKE create hype moments but also spam the chat when the server is active. Should they be filtered after a certain count, moved to a sidebar, or kept global exactly as-is?

4. Starting level: 50
Level 50 puts players immediately in combat with usable skills and spells, without the ceiling of high-level power gaps feeling too wide. Is 50 the right entry point, or would a lower floor (say 20-30) or higher floor (150-200) change the combat feel in a way that matters?

5. Web Client Accessibility vs. Competitive Fairness
WorldWar runs a fully playable web client at website — no download, no installer, just click and fight. Built on OTClient Redemption compiled to WebAssembly, it eliminates the single biggest drop-off point in OTServ onboarding: the friction of finding, downloading, and configuring the right 8.60 client. The question is whether that accessibility gain comes at a cost that matters specifically on a war server. WebAssembly performance is close but not native, and browser rendering pipelines introduce latency variables that a compiled binary simply doesn't have.

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What I Am Not Asking

I am not looking for general "looks cool" replies. Rough criticism is more useful to me at this stage than encouragement. If one of these decisions sounds fundamentally broken to you, say so and explain why.

Server details are in my signature if you want to jump in and test before answering

Thanks for reading.

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Aegon Targaryen said:

1. Shared accounts vs individual accounts

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You can add shared accounts, but an individual account would be left to buy for individuals who really want it.

Aegon Targaryen said:

2. Automatic equipment tiers vs manual gearing

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Personally, automatic + aura at the same time, if this is OTC

Aegon Targaryen said:

3. Global kill streak announcements

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I don't think that message at the top of the screen would bother anyone - maybe a banner system like on RL Tibia?

Aegon Targaryen said:

Web Client Accessibility vs. Competitive Fairness

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If you would keep the experience smooth, web client. It can yield more players

1.) You could gradually move away from having a shared account by having ways to gain levels/equipment/skill in-game.
- Make it much faster paced, EXP earned by completing objectives, which can be anything, think of Capturing Points on the map, Defending capture points from Attackers etc. I would touch killing creatures last, this way you are only focused on PvP mechanics.
-- Make it so that gaining level 30-50 can be done within your first half hour/hour of gameplay if you keep the current Tibia formula's, for me that has always been the sweet-spot to survive
--- It would be great if you could actually do something with small groups before you eventually participate in the war to get some exp and gear going, perhaps first things to do when logging in, is preparing a town for siege? Repairing Towers, stocking the Armory, which also acts as your tutorial.
---- Perhaps keep the Shared Login to be able to log in to characters that are fit to Hold Positions, these are your bodies you can throw to defend points. Imagine these characters to be the "last stand" of both teams.

2.) Perhaps a basic set at first, but there could be treasures/bosses to be found in the world, killing those alone or with a small group may yield new upgrades. This opens up many opportunities for the enemy to steal your kill, to intervene, and makes you want to coordinate more with the rest of your team overall. High drop rates! You can even guide battles this way, by announcing a Boss Spawn, you will know for sure that a battle is going to happen there.

3.) I think Kill/Event announcements can be done to create hype, but move it somewhere to the top right of the client, and only do it during "special" kill amounts or events. You do not want to spam double kills.

4.) I would eventually even start creating Roles which players can choose from, determining the EQ/Spells/Skills they start with

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• Think of other objectives to do; disrupting the enemy is as fun as killing them, perhaps even more enjoyable.
• ONE LIFE (or just a few) for characters, make every action and decision matter.
• Faster overall combat is what you are looking for, not long walls of supply vs supply battles
• Evolving battlefields; environmental hazards should perhaps play a role, fires should spread, gates could be broken, towers could attack the enemy, NPCs could join the fight.
• You could create different Biomes around Thais even however this is an alien idea

For Players:

• You want to login
• Able to prepare a bit, find 2-3 other players to go on an objective run
• Advance your character few levels
• You collide with enemy group doing the same thing
• You survive but your buddies did not and have to start over
• You get angry and decide to join the main frey
• All hell breaks loose as you join the front gates, which are constantly under attack by higher levels
• Due to smart positioning, you managed to get behind them and kill one of their commanders, effectively disrupting the attack for a few minutes
• Alas you had to give your own life for it but your team got back something important: time

Start thinking in pushing and pulling, how a battlefield evolves over time and what actions a player could have to impact that.
You will come up with all sorts of objectives that will make the game enjoyable

Keep the map small and contained, only expand very mindfully, you want choke points, you want sneak routes, you want secret routes, you want high grounds, low grounds, swampy grounds, dirt, mud, war is ugly, and so should be the battlefield.

Another fun idea to make the players dance in combat: Make being surrounded extremely dangerous, makes the game feel more like chess, as you always want to control your positioning, and only ever Push Forward if you are protected from all sides by another player of your team, closing the gap in your defense.