- Thread starter Victor
- Start date
Well I'm sure a few will have some suggestions to this, but with scripts as FS Taming or Owltr -which contains quite a few custom ores and wood no special client is needed. People who might play a few different servers I found keep a game client for each one. If they can download and install a patch easy (with out having to think about it) as I think AssitUO does now or will? ListUO will allow patches also for any one connecting to your server will download them auto. We had a highly custom server with custom art/armor/weapons/ hair plus custom ridables and we found they were excited to get the patch so they could view all the new stuff.
Same with custom/froze area's for a client patch.
I guess it might boil down to how simple you want to be able to update your server -lets face it some will love custom stuff while others might hate it 🙂 Just my opinion
Same with custom/froze area's for a client patch.
I guess it might boil down to how simple you want to be able to update your server -lets face it some will love custom stuff while others might hate it 🙂 Just my opinion
OP
Victor
Member
Well im trying to develop a server with a lot to do. And it seems like creating custom items, graphics, etc is the way to go. But now looking at RunUO there is a wide array of people who think its a waste of time. Im still at the begining stages of my server where spawning is a priority at the moment. But when its done custom items, quests, new rideables like drakes or wyrms, possibly races will hopefully be added.
Also i was curious about servers with custom maps, they dont seem very popular what so ever.
Also i was curious about servers with custom maps, they dont seem very popular what so ever.
so you decided to hand spawn the world instead of using Nerun's Distro? 🙂
Any ways, custom maps can be pretty neat, the worst part I found was setting up the regions for the whole custom map/ guard zones, treasure map areas and such
Any ways, custom maps can be pretty neat, the worst part I found was setting up the regions for the whole custom map/ guard zones, treasure map areas and such
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OP
Victor
Member
Nerun's Distro is useful, but out of date. A lot of the spawns werent right, or way too clumpy. Spawners in walls and black areas where no creatures will spawn. So ive been having to go through them all and set them correctly. Increase monsters, spread them out, etc. Taking a lot of my time.
Insanity
Member
I would suggest starting with a custom map. Either by adding a new extra one with Live Map Streamer & Editor, or by replacing an existing one completely. Doing it this way would allow you to get by without requiring a custom client. You would still need players to download t
he addon if you use the Map Streamer. Although they wouldn't need to download the map right then and there depending on how you have it setup on your end. Here's a link to the system, I tried it many moons ago...before it's current incarnation. So I'd imagine it's a little more stable now, plus it doesn't require Razor now.
http://www.runuo.com/community/threads/ultima-live-map-streamer-and-editor.533772/
Replacing an entire map is also possible, but you would have to send your players your entire map file and statics all before they play on the shard.
he addon if you use the Map Streamer. Although they wouldn't need to download the map right then and there depending on how you have it setup on your end. Here's a link to the system, I tried it many moons ago...before it's current incarnation. So I'd imagine it's a little more stable now, plus it doesn't require Razor now.
http://www.runuo.com/community/threads/ultima-live-map-streamer-and-editor.533772/
Replacing an entire map is also possible, but you would have to send your players your entire map file and statics all before they play on the shard.
Insanity
Member
Correct. With the addon above, it is possible to do. Or at least it was in the previous version of the addon. It allows you to add new EXTRA maps (back when I used it, it would even allow you to add a map that could be way bigger than Tram/Fel) without replacing an existing map. Give it a try and play around with it. It does more than just add extra maps. It allows you to edit maps live, and stream changes to your player live. Without making them download new patches and reconnect. For example...you could wipe buildings in game and players would see the building vanish piece by piece if they watched. Some pretty neat shit.
FingersMcSteal
Member
Generally speaking I've always found that unless people can find an easy way to connect & patch to your shard they just don't bother.
Over the years I've messed round with RunUO I've built custom maps / towns & cities, changed resources and added lots of weird and wonderful things but never managed to get the players to come to the shard and stay long. Back when UOGateway was the main connection app my shard got a lot more visits, asking players to download and manually drop files into the correct folders always been a pain and a great source of confusion most of the time.
Other problems were always people running different client versions etc etc etc, you get the picture.
I think if there was a decent working launcher app which patched in the same way the older ones did then the UO free shard community would be helped greatly.
Over the years I've messed round with RunUO I've built custom maps / towns & cities, changed resources and added lots of weird and wonderful things but never managed to get the players to come to the shard and stay long. Back when UOGateway was the main connection app my shard got a lot more visits, asking players to download and manually drop files into the correct folders always been a pain and a great source of confusion most of the time.
Other problems were always people running different client versions etc etc etc, you get the picture.
I think if there was a decent working launcher app which patched in the same way the older ones did then the UO free shard community would be helped greatly.
@OP
IMO, Origin provides enough fresh content with the stock UO client these days without the need for shards to adopt custom patches, although fresh new maps are a pretty sweet deal.
In general, I think people are sick of shard-hopping when it involves patching customs, they'd much rather just change IP, log-in and get going straight away - hence the increase in number of shards offering GM starting skills and generous starting items.
The first shard I ever ran was heavily custom, the patches were around 500mb, this was back on UOR client 3.0.1 when you needed UO_RICE and verdata.mul was still a supported option.
The death of custom-based servers began after client 4.0.5b was released, with the official removal of verdata.mul support.
Consensus is right though, there is a strong need for a fresh ConnectUO style app, if Victor @ http://uoisnotdead.victornogueira.net/ decided to take that software further, it could probably be a big hit.
IMO, Origin provides enough fresh content with the stock UO client these days without the need for shards to adopt custom patches, although fresh new maps are a pretty sweet deal.
In general, I think people are sick of shard-hopping when it involves patching customs, they'd much rather just change IP, log-in and get going straight away - hence the increase in number of shards offering GM starting skills and generous starting items.
The first shard I ever ran was heavily custom, the patches were around 500mb, this was back on UOR client 3.0.1 when you needed UO_RICE and verdata.mul was still a supported option.
The death of custom-based servers began after client 4.0.5b was released, with the official removal of verdata.mul support.
Consensus is right though, there is a strong need for a fresh ConnectUO style app, if Victor @ http://uoisnotdead.victornogueira.net/ decided to take that software further, it could probably be a big hit.
Custom shards aren't an issue generally speaking, IF you allow for easy patching. Offering a full custom client download is a start, but the make things easier you need to keep patches small rather than changing maps, animation and gumps all at once, that causes your patches to grow leaps and bounds, just pick one at a time and go with it for that patch release. Then as time goes on, move into another area and make updates and release that, etc.
I was against patching at first, but once I realized that OSI couldn't keep up with me and never will, I moved into patching a custom client. With just about everyone and their brother having broadband connections these days, it takes what, maybe 5-10 minutes to download a 1GB zip file? That's nothing, go grab a drink, use the bathroom, come back and it's done. What's the point of every single free shard all being the same, with the only changes being to scripts they are using? Scripts will get you a fair share, but being creative with custom content helps more. 😉
I was against patching at first, but once I realized that OSI couldn't keep up with me and never will, I moved into patching a custom client. With just about everyone and their brother having broadband connections these days, it takes what, maybe 5-10 minutes to download a 1GB zip file? That's nothing, go grab a drink, use the bathroom, come back and it's done. What's the point of every single free shard all being the same, with the only changes being to scripts they are using? Scripts will get you a fair share, but being creative with custom content helps more. 😉
