Starter kit

[Yukar9]

I've discussed various ways to make it not-so-impossible to survive on this server with Antypodish.

We came to the idea of a simple starter kit, every person gets whenever they die and go to spawn (but not beds)

Starter kit will be:
5 rotten flesh
5 bones
5 saplings

We feel that these items are valueless enough to be spawned by plugins, but still enough to give new players a start. The rotten flesh will hold new players over while they make their to the location of their new would-be base, bones and saplings can be used to grow trees and get seeds to make more food. This way they all have to work to get started, instead of just receiving free wood and the such for no effort, but it won't be as hard to start as it is now.

Opinions please.

[Antypodish]

Indeed

We went through few options and this seams to be best one of does we had.
My main argument is, that many of players here are rather old members of this server. When they (you) started on simpvp, there was much easier to begin, find a tree etc. Now you need to travel a bit to find a hope, Of course, it is still possible to survive for more experienced players. But lets make survival bit more 'possible' for wider range of ppl at the start.

I think that approach will give for new gamers, a field to think, and challenge and at the same time, it will filter unwanted players.

Also I hope, that it would motivate my mate to come back here ;)

[RevStoningpot]

first off i just want to say, I spent some time helping newbs at spawn. It's not hard to get started at all. I could do it over and over again. People just need to stop sucking ass. If you're really going to go through with this, give only one of each. Also keep in mind 1 bone is 3 bone meal. You want to give people 15 bone meal! But since the starter chest is going to be a new vanilla feature I can't really say this would be too unvanilla. But seriously only one of each, but maybe make the food better if there's only one, like a loaf perhaps. Maybe even give them a wood sword to help the PVP.

[Gnatogryz]

Hmm the positive side of a starter kit would be shutting up some of the noobs asking for free stuff... But it kinda conflicts with the server's philosophy. How about we just spawn some trees once in a while?

[Antypodish]

Gnat, yes I spoke about that with Yukar and I thought it would be not so bad idea, but like 300 - 400 blocks away from spawn. Issue we encountered is the fact, that no problem with the trees is, but more-less with getting a food, so people could get to any trees.

Apples from trees are very rare, and grass for seeds is not so common in spawn area. Ok, we can hunt zombies during the night for food, or go down to the mine, in hope that somebody will find zombie, but not skele, or creeper :p

Also aspects of the area griefed are, that it scares many ppl. Good thing about it is, that many unwanted ppl quits very quick.
By leaving spawn area as it is (or more-less as it is) and giving a starter, we should expect 'good' players joining to us.

Here are my updated thoughts about the starter. Maybe 15 bone meals seams a lot. But planting one or 2 trees + getting grass + getting any seed from it + grow acceleration of wheat, so finally we can get a food, will take some bone meals easily. The positive side effect what we could expect, may be that, we will see some grass and trees near the spawn area :) In fact, I would stay with at least bone 3 or 4 bones, as one bone would be not enough in my opinion. I also thought about saplings, which maybe 1 or 2 should be fine. And as we would be able to get food from grass, or apples (hopefully), I think that meat may not be required as a part of the starter. This should keep player interesting and challenging.

And Rev, yes I agree you are at the spawn and helping newbies on this server and this is great thing, but you won't be there always, or 24/7. So wee need some kind of self-sufficient system.

Uff, that my thoughts atm.

[mitte90]

i say (im gona get killed i know) a map reset would fix the problem

[RevStoningpot]

first off i didn't mention my helping newbs as an alternate way to get people started, just to say i've been there and done that and it's not hard at all. As for the giant amont of bone meal; only an idiot would waste bone meal on a sapling, trees grow quick during the day. 3 bone meal will definitly get you enough grass for at least 1 seed and one seed is all you need to grow a whole garden. just like one sapling is all you need to grow a whole forest. And if not, it would seem by this idea, they can just die and get more. If you want 15 bone meal then just die 5 times and build it up. So, i still say less is better. And no reset mitte. The people that play here do so cuz we like it the way it is. Change has done nothing in the past but kill the server.

[Gnatogryz]

i say (im gona get killed i know) a map reset would fix the problem

Or we could reset the area, say, 250 blocks around the spawn

[Chuck Norris]

I approve of starter kits. I think they would be a great idea in helping out new players and help our server be more attractive. I think 5 bread would be a better Idea than 5 rotten flesh because of the large and ever-increasing distance between spawn and until trees appear. It would be nice if Admins did some tree planting within 500 blocks of spawn every now and then..

[RevStoningpot]

Who's the wise ass^? We would have to reset 250 to plant trees since it's almost all rock 200 out. Food and nothing but sounds like a good starter pack. People love bitching about trees but when they find one do they replant the area? hell no. Re planting isn't a solution people destroy trees and saplings to make it hard for others on purpose.