a multiplayer game of parenting and civilization building
You are not logged in.
Does anyone know how to create or modify a custom server so that it is not affected by the activities of the main and other custom servers?
I've heard that it is the default behavior for both custom and main servers to be reset by any Apocalypse on any of the main servers.
I was hoping to play a little OHOL today. Unles Jason quickly sobers up and reverts this catastrophic update, the keyword there would be "little". I'm willing to create my own server and play solo but don't want to be stuck there without a paddle as well.
In general, does anyone know how to create a custom server (possibly with a custom version) that is truly disconnected from all other servers? If I'm not mistaken, the current default behavior is complete BS.
I just read that Apocalypses are currently disabled. Of course, they might come back with other issues. The general feature of tying all servers together is unfortunate. I'm still interested in a server that is actually disconnected from the others' activities.
Regarding point 2) in OP.
Please see the relevant suggestion I made on the subreddit:
https://www.reddit.com/r/OneLifeSuggest … ees_maybe/
Currently, I think every member of society needs to constantly be aware of the possibility of rampage. If there isn't a knife or bow and arrow within quick reach (or two weapons, in case the murderer uses the first), the murderer can simply destroy the settlement, killing everyone who doesn't flee. People need to be actively on guard for the quick draw and retaliating blow. Hopefully then only a few villagers die.
Maybe an alternative is that everyone flees in different directions. But then the antagonist can do whatever they want to blend up the settlement and take/use whatever they want. Doesn't seem like an attractive option.
A guilty fantasy of mine is that groups of murderers start to form in the meta. I really want to see how large scale conflict can break out -- could a strong enough village form a militia fast enough to survive a multi-person murder squad?
But all of these things seem absolutely terrible for the rest of the game. Even with optimal response, many people would be killed and much time and attention used dealing with training and preparedness. I'm with the camp that says that nerfing murdering would improve the realism, enjoyment, and progression of the game.
Is there any plans on how to handle it or do we have to expect
that immature children will always be able to go on a killing spree.
There are several solutions floating around the forums and the suggestions subreddit. I might make a post reviewing them tomorrow after some sleep. I don't know if the developer has any significant plans for tackling the problem beyond the recent update (adding a murder sound effect). I think this is an interesting and maybe important long-term problem so I'm glad people are still talking about it.
Using the hunger bar as your health is a simple way to handle the problem with minimal new coding or complication. There are a couple of problems though.
Since that suggestion is like adding an HP system and mashing health and hunger together, I'll first give my take on why HP isn't the solution here:
Weapons should be able to kill a person in one hit, even if they were fully "healthy". This is currently a feature of the game and is great. But it should be possible for the player to prepare for an attack and thus be able to mitigate it. While a typical HP system could implement the latter, it would also remove the former phenomenon (if it did fix the latter).
The problem is that a typical HP system simulates injury, which is really a separate issue. That is, usually HP either restores very slowly or increases when applying some healing method, not quickly increasing or decreasing depending on the immediate situation. I would be happy with an injury system, but that is not the problem we are facing. Yes, injuries probably should impact one's ability to prepare for an incoming attack, but this is an extra feature. The core problem is that even without any injuries people should be able to be killed instantly. But they should also be able to mitigate the attack if prepared. Typical HP systems aren't designed to handle this.
In contrast, the vulnerability system described above retains the ability for instant kills (again, a good feature that shouldn't be removed). But it also allows people to prepare for attacks, solving the original problem without trampling other features.
As for using the hunger bar as a health bar:
- As with all video games, it's awkward to mashup health with hunger. Eating instantly restores health? Strange. Most survival games (eventually) separate the hunger bar from health bar for good reason.
- A hungry person should not be more vulnerable to violence (unless, perhaps, they're starving). Besides also being an oddity, this incentivizes overeating, which could be a big problem in this game.
So, if you present these two choices:
Learn to do a 50 step process, but you only need to perform it once and you're done.
OR
Learn to do a 5 step process, but you need to do it dozens of times before you're done.
Most people in the world will take the 5 step process. It's 'brute forcing' a problem over 'thinking your way through it'. Both work, but take different kinds of effort.
Which method are you most likely to actually observe? The simplest method. Even if the other is actually better, not many people will learn it because they're less likely to even observe it. Even if both methods were equally common, it's more likely that the observer will get distracted by hunger, danger, etc, and miss part of the longer method. One's thought process is not the limiting resource -- its experience. More complicated methods are naturally harder to learn.
Here's another possible solution to the murder-griefing problem. It has been posted to the suggestions subreddit here: https://www.reddit.com/r/OneLifeSuggest … e_victims/.
I'm interested to hear what you think.
The Problem:
It is very easy for someone with a knife or bow and arrow to kill massive amounts of people, even if the people are all well-aware of the continuing onslaught. All that is required is that the aggressor click on a person (and grab the arrow if using a bow) and move on to the next victim. Finding a weapon is becoming easier with time and is easiest in settlements where the potential damage is most catastrophic. The damage can be extraordinary and easily destroy a city's community. This amount of power in one person for so little effort is peculiar. Lacking a decent ability to defend a town from a sole aggressor is very unrealistic.
Suggested Solution:
In order to successfully stab or shoot someone with with a bow, the victim has to have the status of "vulnerable". This status could be caused by one of the following "vulnerabilities".
Possible "Vulnerabilities":
- Holding a crafting item -- simulates being preoccupied with an activity, e.g. using tongs to prepare a kiln, watering farms, or threshing wheat
- Being a baby, child or elder -- too weak to defend oneself
- Holding a baby -- makes the person preoccupied
- Having too recently set down a preoccupying item -- it should take time to gather oneself
- Surviving an attempted attack within the last several seconds -- it should take time to regather one's strength and dexterity after an attack
Discussion:
Besides solving many of the worst case problems with murders, this automatically adds a very interesting dynamic. If a murder occurs in a village, the residents will be alerted, stop what they are doing, and prepare by ridding their vulnerability. By the same token, if someone wants to murder several people, they will have to be sneaky and try to kill only when others won't notice, or when they are all especially susceptible.
I agree, PVP should be made much harder or eliminated.
Right now it is very difficult to protect yourself against other people. It's a who-clicks-first. But with all the lag, that's pretty much a random outcome. Besides, carrying a weapon around for self defense is a huge burden that is surely not worth your only free hand. If you are unlucky enough to encounter someone who wants to kill you, they almost certainly will.
With players gaining more experience, the number of competent people who want to kill for a cheap laugh is growing. Knives and bows and arrows are getting easier to get as well. Unfortunately they are not accessible enough for otherwise busy players to use them quickly in self defense.
Nothing takes you out of the game like a death so random and malicious. Much of the charm of this game is the community spirit -- knowing we will die if we don't stick together. To enable trolling so easily puts a huge strain on that spirit. I fear people will abandon the game in recognition that trolling is too easy and that the cost is just not worth it.
While PVP here is a good idea in principle, the current implementation casts a looming shadow over the success of the project.