I know people are having issues with the buffer plots system. I have a question I would love some advice on.
If we had to solve only this problem: How do we help protect a person’s land claim for an area from someone building literally right beside them. What would that system look like (that can’t be exploited)?
Said in another way: How can we adjust the current design so that it is simpler to achieve but gives the person you claimed land for a build “first” the ability to protect themselves in some way from someone building right beside them (blocking their expansion) and have some authority on the area around them.
Let’s go back to the drawing board and provide the Devs some ideas on how we can make this system work. No scope creep here please… Focus on the ask. Please all ideas are valid.
I think an option for a ‘settlement’ buffer that could be turned on would be a good start. It needs to be a settlement and all plots around the settlement edge would gain the protection. Plots inside the settlement could still be freely worked with.
Needing to be a settlement would make it harder to grab mass amounts of plots.
(Not being sarcastic, actual Q:) Is that possible with the current design of this game? They created the plot system as = if you want the space, you must plot it.
Perhaps if you get enough prestige or people together in a space or a guild, the entire area could automatically generate a “force field” around the whole thing and any new players, towns, etc, must agree yes/no if they want to join?
What if the person is not a settlement. For me I am trying to just solve the basic situation:
I move into an area and start plotting stuff for a build.
Someone else moves in and plots beside me.
How to I help protect the person that came first since (especially newer players with low amount of plots) that haven’t even really started their build but now are blocked off.
I’d really like to ignore “settlement” needs and other hard things… just keep is simple.
Yeah we have the constraint of the current system unless we can find a way to easily change the system without causing other problems. But the devs are trying to solve a problem and they need help… the first attempt didn’t go well. So we can help give ideas on fixing it because here is the real reality: turning it off will not stop the problem I am presenting. We need to help solve that problem.
Interesting idea. But almost like the existing buffer. How do we protect the person that was there first because even this idea kind of results in the same problem we have in current settlements.
We could try to put a timer on this feature but what happens if you take a month off and then come back to your build and found out people built around you… same problem.
Yes that has been the common process we have up to date. Many of us agree with it… But let’s look at the reality of the people that quit or complain constantly that someone moved in beside me and then I report the issue to the Devs and complain and quit.
How do you solve that or at least lower the person’s frustration with the situation of someone moving next door?
Maybe size limits, we are given too much control right now therefore we are able to do what we want but not always right away. This would be very unpopular but is fool proof way would be to only allow a set amount of plots per account per planet. This would suck but it would remove any idea of expanding pass a certain point.
I hope someone has a great idea that they can use.
I agree that just turning it off won’t solve any issues we had before, nor the new ones.
I think the new system needs to be extracted/removed/rolled back 1st - so we don’t end up going further down the rabbit hole than it has gone. At some point, it may not be fixable with all of the layers of “fixes”.
Why does someone that plotted yesterday suddenly need to receive more protection than the person that plotted there today? If it’s plotted, it’s plotted. If it’s not, it’s not.
I don’t really know if there will be any way to protect someone in the current way of plotting is working. Even that new buffer zone does nothing much more. I think people will have to make a “mud” hut until they have enough plot for their project.
Maybe it is something that could be implemented in the tutorial. Like save for now to have the plot size later if that makes any sense. I think just changing the way to approach it could solve many situation.
But not matter what they do, you will eventually get blocked somewhere and have to get over it.
So is it a 1 time allocation? Or does it scale as your level scales until you hit the top and nothing else.
Meaning I can get 1000 plots on X planet from the start. Or I get 200 to start and 1000 by the time I am level 50. How I spend that 1000 is ok but never more than that.
Is there a way to make that help stop me from plotting beside you if I haven’t spent my plots yet?
I was thinking more only 100 on a tier 1, 200 on tier two, and so on but you still got to earn those plots. Very strict very unpleasant but it would remove people always trying to expand. I am against that simply because I like freedom but with freedom comes great responsibility…
But then how do we reset their expectations or stop the complains to the Devs or bad reviews where people complain about this problem?
Are we maybe focusing on the wrong question - protecting first come and land of builds and should instead focus on how to get people to understand or enjoy “land grabs” or people building beside you?
Is the only real answer this: Deal with this until we have private planets or single install game?
Is the problem created because people just want to build solo? Maybe the issue is a SOLO game problem and not a MMO problem?
From what I can tell, it looks like the majority of players prefer to mainly build on low level lush T1 planets. Those are starting to become full and the residents are starting to step on each other’s toes. Perhaps instead of having numerous T3+ persistent planets, they should add more lush T1 planets and allow people some room to spread out.
I won’t speak for James but based on the comments I have seen and what is being focused on and what isn’t even being talked about by them I think it is pretty safe to assume that the primary goal is to focus on “authority” over your space and the complaints around that versus the settlement issues.
Agreed. I think it is too extreme and will cause problems with the existing set up. But I greatly appreciate the idea because honestly right now we never know where one idea might help lead us to the actual answer.
In the end I think overall this falls down because it is like @Gorillastomp and @majorvex and others have basically said: This is a player MMO so where people are on the same world. Sooner or later someone will somehow plot beside you and if you wanted to use that area (one decade) you will be mad and report it and possibly give bad review.
I think we need to find ways to maybe just help people understand that and lessen it the most.
My idea was a small 5-10% free plot allocation (based on overall plots) that you could apply anywhere but never build on it. It isn’t perfect but at least gives people “some space” and can’t be exploited as bad as the current system can. This way a person has some ability to help their claim to a spot… but even then it will end up with a fight if the wrong person moves next door.
Maybe a bit more in the tutorial about how other players my settle near you, kinda ease in that interaction. Also a way to earn plots quicker early on so players can claim the area they want quicker. Maybe it should be 300 cubits every level. Why should us vets be able to claim land faster?
