Community for people who prefer custom servers

[Samuro]

Hey,

During my active time on open-tibia (on and off since 2011-ish?) I've developed Ramurika/Therran and grown a small community around it, but nothing in size of the bigger servers that exist. I've been wondering about the amount of active people who enjoy playing custom servers. Does there even exist a population high enough that custom servers have a place in open-tibia? Is it worth trying to create one? (and if so, how?)

Many great mappers here like to show off their stuff in a personal thread, but barely any of them get to see the precious light of gameplay. I'd like to see an encouragement towards putting them online.

My suggestion is maybe a forum or a board-collection specifically for custom servers, because these kinds of servers really deserve their own place in the sea of tibia clones with high-exp. The way this forum is formed (without category) leaves no space for smaller communities to grow.

I leave this thread open for discussion.

Cheers!

 

[Sentielo]

Well I could be interested. I think the best way to start a custom open tibia server is to start with a small size and without using custom sprites. On the first levels it should be quite easy for players to get cash, while it should also be a pleasure to keep on hunting when they obtain a higher level. Else they will go for random pk's. A client which prevent people from using bots should be more then welcome. I also prefer long and wide huntspots (with at the end of huntspots a quest which containts better weapons and cash).

I don't have to tell you how to map, because Ramurika was great looking .

I am also wondering wether it's possible to create just one great public server with the "whole" community. Insteed of creating a whole map with just a few people, people will be just able to forward their pieces to one person which creates the content.

 

[Marcus]

The problem with players today is that they're lazy sheeps.
They herd at whatever server grows huge number of players.

And barely none, will every look into a server themselves but rather ask over TS/Skype/Discord "what serv you guys joining?".
And that's very sad.

As long people are like this, rather joining crowded servers and are too lazy to never even bother to read a small content of server info, custom servers will have it incredible hard to get a community large enough to actually support the server to stay up.

I've had so many customs projects, that just went completely dead due to the facts that players today doesn't like the part that they don't know shit about the custom server map.
10 years ago, I had one custom 7.6, it went quite well, a lot of people was curious about it and liked to explore it.
2 years ago I had a 8.0 custom project, 2 players logged in.. so that project went to the dustbin pretty quick.

The day players stop being such lazy ass follow sheeps, this community will become greater than ever!
When they stop feeding download and run rl maps, and "famous OTs" with owners that barely know how to maintain the server, we will see an increased amount of hardworking people that actually give birth to masterpieces and not only by maps and gameplay, but by advanced coding and much more!

That day will also be the day that people who runs OTs only for the sake of earning money, will be gone.
Waaaay to many OTs out there, collecting donations but never does anything OT related with them <.<

 

[2Rec]

I'm a fan of customs too. Love the uniqueness and creativity, but even custom servers are starting to be repeatable and becomes a 'clones' aswell.
You can see the same features everywhere, the same gameplay, "unique" mechanics, the same maps, lore and vibe.
So, lately i've got lower margin about what's called a custom server.
You don't need custom sprites, just make some original use of the old one.

About forum issue.
Discussion board serves well for many of custom servers 'development threads'.
Unfortunately, they're often never getting finished or don't get enough interest.

I'll also suggest to check out this: Unity3D client?.
I's gonna be a game-changer.

 

[Sentielo]

A development thread in combination with a minimap (including monster locations) could be solutions for the "laziness issue".

 

[2Rec]

I've had so many customs projects, that just went completely dead due to the facts that players today doesn't like the part that they don't know shit about the custom server map.

So they weren't really a customs fans. Exploring is the best part.

I think to overcome this, the key is to erease every part known to player from RL Tibia.
So, mostly custom monsters, but not just a different name and stats, but implementing some simple AI and combat mechanics to each of them.
And, getting rid of grinding, so players would care where's most effective spot to exp.

 

[Marcus]

So they weren't really a customs fans. Exploring is the best part.

I think to overcome this, the key is to erease every part known to player from RL Tibia.
So, mostly custom monsters, but not just a different name and stats, but implementing some simple AI and combat mechanics to each of them.
And, getting rid of grinding, so players would care where's most effective spot to exp.

No, but generally speaking, there's lack of players that actually would put down time on custom servers atm.
This might change in future but as for now, those who's interested in "customs" for now only appreciate them in RL map servers with additional custom parts

 

[Yellowhat]

I'm always willing to lend a helping hand to custom servers! Any out there? xD Even though it might not pay off in the end I don't care anymore. For me it has come to a part where I learn more developing it, skills I have had use later.

I also think that making a server custom you need to niche something that people can relate to. Pokemon have or had their fan base just due to this niche.

It's really hard to market a whole new custom server to people. Especially in an OT if they don't know if it's time well spent or if it's gonna go down 3 months later as it has been over the years not naming only Therran now but it's just a fact that custom server don't finance themselves that easy.

Well if anyone need help, let me know


PS. I would like to see more projects try to become their own game. We have the tools and people experienced enough ^^ it just never happened.

 

[Magnetico]

I wasn't aware that @Samuro was still active, I'm glad to see that

The discussion at hand is one that I have with myself every time I open RME now; I try to make original shit but I lack the motivation for it when I see what Tibia has become and also what the Open Tibia community (OTLand included) has also become. We once had a great community whose highest point was (IMO) the release of Ramurika Online (or World of Therran).
I have tried several times to make a whole continent by myself but that is really hard. I've been innactive from mapping and from OT life for like 2 years now, I'm playing several OTs now with custom maps and I have got to say their maps are complete shit, their game is not immersive and as I've read in the comments, people who play OTs and/or Tibia are lazy sheeps who are not really worth our time.

Leaving aside the depressing pessimistic shit, one of my life long dreams is to open a custom server (talk about underachieving), an immersive game for people to explore and feel like they're inside it; that is a feeling that we as mappers can bring to people who want to play this kind of servers.

But the question is still open: is there really enough people for us to make a custom server knowing the TONS OF TIME that it takes?

 

[Flatlander]

There are plenty of players that will put time on custom servers.

The issue is: What type of custom servers.
A difficult low-rate custom server has a lot less potential than a high-rate one.

Players generally want fast servers where they go strait to the top and full blessings with little deathloss and lots of pvp.
If you want to make something challenging, slow, and custom, you have to live with a smaller playerbase (at least at first) and grow it over time.