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Forum » General » Chatterbox » Spartan Philosophy
Spartan Philosophy
ArtemisDate: Tuesday, 2011-01-04, 11:55 PM | Message # 1
True Spartan
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If you wish to participate, STICK TO THE TOPIC AT HAND. DO NOT GO BACK TO ANOTHER TOPIC!

Some of you may know this already, but for those who don't, I'm something of a host. Hosts are probably the most misunderstood of all possible Staff for a game. Depending on the game, a host can either just be a server, or be an active staff member for a game, perhaps a Naruto fan-game of some sort. This post is all about the latter, but some points apply to the former as well.

1st Topic - BYOND - The Host

What is a host?
A host is a person who lets you, the player, take up their computer space so you can have fun. You take up computer space whether or not there are saves stored. You are causing CPU usage to increase, slowing the host's computer. Now most hosts are like, "Ok. Necessary evil. I can deal with it."

Why do hosts host?
It depends on the host. Some hosts are paid to host (for some odd reason) but for the most part, hosting is a charity deal. As a host, you get nothing out of it, except company. And I guess a sense of responsibility. As a host, one does have responsibility, but I'll return to that latah. The point you need to understand now, is that hosts host out of the kindness of their heart.*

*If they have one...

A Host's Obligations
As a host, one has a special job. Their job is to provide an environment for those that wish to play. It can be any environment, but obviously some are preferable to others to the common player.

What BYOND Players Want:
A lagless server - BYOND players don't like lag. It's a PITA to try to play a game through lag. (My servers are well known for being lagless!)
Fairness - BYOND players want to be treated equally. Playing favourites is a good way to get a bad rep. Treat all players the same.
A Good Environment - BYOND players don't like having spammers, advertisers, idiots, and the like in the server. It's just bad for morale. As a host, it's YOUR job to remove these people from the game.

I broke it down into 3 simple things for you. Now with today's standards, it seems like all hosts get some form of Game Moderator status. This is good, this helps them control the server to some extent, and in another edition, I hope to have Yurokei explain what being a Game Moderator should be. Again, another topic. Staying on topic...

Hosts with GM
This is generally a good idea. It affords the host more ability to control the server. Which is what the host should be able to do. Mute spammers, boot advertisers, and ban repeat offenders. However, a common idea that seems to go around is that with a Host as a GM, you should ask them to give you stuff. Why would a host give you stuff? For what reason? Just because you asked? Let me make this clear.

THE HOST DOES NOT NEED TO GIVE YOU ANYTHING. THE HOST'S ONLY OBLIGATION IS TO FOLLOW THE DUTIES OF A HOST, MAINTAIN A SUITABLE ENVIRONMENT FOR PLAYERS! THIS DOES NOT INCLUDE GIVING YOU MONEY, RANK, OR STATS!!!

So when you log in to a game, don't ask the host for stuff. It's a pain to put up with. The answer will be no every time.

On Banning Players
Why do hosts ban people? Because they hate the person! Duh!

Actually no, not really. A host is sometimes required to remove people from the server forcefully. The reason being this person is such a nuisance, that they are destroying the morale of the server. Believe it or not, many people would leave the best game on BYOND because of a bunch of spammers in it. No one wants to be in that environment. So the host's job is to remove these people to save morale. The host will have to ban the spammers, so they can no longer disrupt game-play. Now the duration of the ban is completely rule dependent. But banning is a necessary part of hosting. If you, as a host, do not want to break hearts and ban, you should hang up your cape now. You will fail if you lack the ability to ban people. I'm not saying you should WANT to ban people. I'm saying you should be able to if the need arises. The ban button is like a gun. You shouldn't go around waving your gun because you might hurt someone or even yourself. But if someone shows up with a machete at your friend's throat, you better be ready to pull that trigger and remove the threat.

That will conclude today's post. Feel free to discuss.


A hero is not one who never falls, but one who gets up, again and again, NEVER losing sight of one's dream!

 
ArtemisDate: Monday, 2011-03-14, 10:20 PM | Message # 2
True Spartan
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2nd Topic - BYOND - Servers

Servers
In BYOND there are 2 general types of servers. There are MAIN Servers and there are PLAYER Servers. Now I bet you're thinking, "How do I know which is which? What's the difference? Is one better than the other?" I'll answer all these in due time. The first thing I need to do is go over what a server is!

A server is an environment in which the players of any game interact. That's pretty much the definition of a server. You'll note that every game has a "server" and if they have multiple servers they might even let you pick which one you play on! Runescape, WoW, Fly for Fun, Maplestory, all of these games have different servers on which you can play. Your lag to the server is generally determined by how far away you are from the source. If the server is in Capetown Africa, if you live in LA, CA you are going to have a little lag when you play. Lag, as you should all be aware, is the delay between action input and server output. It is generally measured in milliseconds (even in the United States! We got that one!) Technically it's a latent period, but the technical terms aren't important. Now on to our main, main topic.

BYOND Servers - The Main
The Main Server is the server hosted by the staff. This is the server that belongs to people who made the game. It is run their way. Usually the more serious players flock to the main, and there are many reasons for this.

MAIN SERVERS
- Advantages
-- The server is less likely to go offline, less likely to be hosted sporadically. It will have a set schedule (and if you're lucky, it'll run 24/7!)
-- Less chance of it being run by complete !@#holes. If a person spent 1-2 years coding this game, odds are they're serious about it enough to want to run it right, rather than have some 14 year old moron who can't even do algebra run it. There will be much thought put into how it is run.
-- More people to play with. Most people are going to play on the main. Sure, the player servers might offer free goodies, but they'll only get the dumb population to play on their server. You want serious, competent players? Look to the main.

- Disadvantages
-- Less Freedom. While the staff is going to be running their server pretty well, you as a player have less freedom with "Big Brother" watching over you. You will constantly find yourself being suppressed.
-- Glass Ceilings. If you're not in the first crowd or a grinder, you may find yourself to be caught under a "Glass ceiling." Play daily to get high rankings or don't get them. And there's nothing wrong with this system at all. It's just that with a constant flux of new people, there will be more people there to get in your way (and more people to crush!) on the way to the top. So if you want Lvl 99 Raids with your friends, your only shot is to grind or play all day, every day!

PLAYER SERVERS
- Advantages
-- More Freedom. Player servers aren't watched over as much as the Main. It's not Stalin's Russia. You generally have more freedom as these servers are set up by the rebels of the main. Not playing it for whatever reason
-- Higher glass ceiling. The servers are not played as much, so you have more room to sow your oats! You don't need to grind as much to maintain that Espada rank.

- Disadvantages
-- Sporadic hosting alert. The hosts to player servers aren't committed. They can up and quit whenever they want.
-- Poor staff. Many player servers are run by the rebels of the main. They are the teenagers that the main refused to worship so now they run their own server so they can be worshipped!
-- Less People. Let's face it, the Main is where the action is at. The only people playing on your player servers are those who have lost their shot in
the Main.

Personal Opinion
Personally, I think the Main is in general better. But I say that as a Player Server host. I try to be a beacon of light in a cold, cold world. I wouldn't say that either is ALWAYS better. A server is a server in the end. It really depends on who you want to put faith in to store your save file. In the end, it doesn't matter which you choose because the game is the same in both.

Picking a Server
Pick a server that fits YOU. The staff, the community. Make sure everything is nice for you. If you don't like the staff, you're always gonna butt heads and you might wind up getting yourself banned. If you don't like the community, why are you playing with people you don't like? Can't find a server that fits you? Start your own with a friend! While you two are having fun, others will pop into your server and you will have a large public server in the end after all!


A hero is not one who never falls, but one who gets up, again and again, NEVER losing sight of one's dream!

 
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