We actually have the system implemented ready to be merged into a future release - but we’re still debating if it really helps solve any problems.
As implemented the changes to the original proposal are:
All beacons get an fixed 2 plot buffer zone. Independent of prestige. (Although potentially this could be locked to achieving the standard 10k prestige.)
The buffer is fixed and doesn’t grow or shrink.
Rules for plotting into another beacon’s buffer zones are:
Both beacon owners must be friends, or
Plotter must be a member of the guild which the target beacon is aligned with, or
The buffer zone is disabled in the beacon’s options.
I think the system does solve some of the reoccurring plotting conflicts, but others argue that is just moves the goal posts.
I don’t claim the buffer zones solves everything, but I do think it allows players to prefer wilderness next to them rather than another beacon.
Personally, I think this would help also. 10k prestige isn’t all that difficult to accomplish even just starting out, and it helps a beacon establish itself as something more than just a “placeholder” of sorts.
Please don’t purely have friends as only requirement, since I find that in this game you get a lot of friends even though you don’t really talk or communicate much. I would say beacon option is the best together with being friends. Otherwise if you turn it off for a minute someone else may take the oppurtunity to grief.
Also don’t want guild involved. May mean someone you don’t want from your guild being able to build there.
However, I reaaaaaaaaaally want this feature. This would be so handy.
I see this as a 50/50, frankly. I’m not for or against the change. It alleviates some potential disputes but it also creates some oddball things and locks off bigger sections of a world once someone leaves the game.
It doesn’t allow a road to connect to someone else’s beacon, instead a 2-plot wilderness gap would exist.
Bottom line, if the Dev’s feel it would make their job easier, then I’m all for whatever lets them focus on adding content instead of mediating griefing claims. I guess I’m just not convinced this is fully going to do it.
@james please add another feature to the beacon buffer zone.
*Allow (player name) to build next to you.
This will help out malls and towns greatly not everyone is your friend not everyone is in your guild but some people may want a plot next to you so being able to give them access to build next to you but not others is a much appreciated feature it allows you to keep your safe zone but give access to the person you choose.
The work around for this would probably be disabling the buffer and then re-enabling it after whoever you want to allow to build next to you lays their beacon.
Unless of course disabling the buffer is a permanent option you can’t change once selected, which would be a different case.
It’s not a realistic work around being able to give one person permission without ever having to meet them in person or having to worry about others claiming while you wait for them to claim the area before you can re activate your safe zone is a much needed feature.
Hello,
I’m a “new” player (don’t remember but something like 2 months I think).
I’m posting here my thoughts about this (great) games:
It will be nice to have more decorations (if we want to create a house we have…chairs and table…that’s almost everything, maybe some item like a bed at least)
I have created several characters, I was really surprise that we can’t ‘merge’ the areas of OUR two characters. It makes it difficult when you want to build something and you have 1 hunter, 1 minor and 1 crafter.
in the original post (Oct. 2018) you had the point 3:
We don’t plan to allow plotting above or below another player’s beacon.
I’m building a castle in the sky and I have a small building near me, but on the ground. I understand that “protection” but it would be nice to have the possibility to allow other people to build (if I want to use the space and let him build on the ground if we don’t want to block the other one).
That’s all for me, I really love this game, very relaxing and lot of options.
Your characters can give each other full permissions so that the whole area behaves like it’s one.
It’s not a real merge though. You still have to switch to the owner to add plots.
But it works. My workshop is a patchwork of plots from 3 characters and most of the time I don’t notice its different beacons.
Another way is to create a personal guild just for your characters, make all characters executives or directors and set the beacons to guild controlled.
But it’s basically the same as with permissions, except you don’t have to set all permissions manually.
It’s not a perfect solution but I think it would be impossible to please everyone or foresee everything. I think this is better than the current situation by far so I am hoping you decide to go ahead with it.
It cannot be a single use choice so people could allow and then change their mind. We need it as an option and a toggle feature.
I think the reality is that this just moves the goal post and the problem will persist in the new context of - this person plotted right beside my 2 plot buffer zone and I am blocked because I needed 3 plots.
We will never solve that problem until we have an incentive in the game to make it in the best interest of people not to plot near another person in any way unless they are friends or a guild or something. Obviously we don’t want that in the game…
Overall, though, when I think about allowing this feature, I ask myself - How does this harm the game?
I cannot think of any reason this harms the game in allowing the buffer. People can friend up , join a guild, or just turn the feature off/on as needed. In fact, it allows you to reserve more space with friends - I plot a 2x2 but actually get a 6x6 and my friend plots beside that their 2x2 but in a way to take up 6x6. So we have reserved a 12x6 area while only spending 4x4 plots total.
I would say we implement it and see how things go. If it causes more issues, just remove it because it hurts no one to remove after we warn the community.
In my mind- the current plot system is perfect and hits every goal it aims for. The problem is the human element. People dont plot the space they want to keep, they make mistakes, or they seek to deliberately be a-holes. It’s impossible to design any system to safeguard against being human 100% of the time without disrupting normal friendly play at the same time.
That being said, if it can prevent most occurrences and have a toggle to turn it off for specific beacons, I feel it can solve more problems than it creates and is a worthwhile change.
