Over the last couple days, there’s been many discussions going about plots and settlements. I think after reading through those, I can get the general idea and can summarize it to a few points.
Plots that allow for other players to interact on it, but disallows world regen.
Plots that allow interaction to any player, but disallow world regen or breaking of things. You can set the permission to only machines, only signs, etc. That opens up for many ideas.
Beacons able to opt out of auto merging into a settlement. That would prevent the current phenomenon of roads absorbing smaller settlements. And that would make much more important to make an agreement with others. There will still be incentive for a settlement due to foot fall and capital status.
Renting plot usage.
Limiting settlement size, I personally don’t think it’s a great idea.
I think that’s the main points, but other than that I’ve heard devs mention that once a settlement reaches a certain point, they will not auto merge. But it’s not yet implemented.
Please add on to this topic, so we can keep everything in one place for the devs to catch up
Unf. the only idea I have reading this, is that if we had graded plot types, it could look like this:
A placed beacon could reserve a huge amount of land around it. No one else is able to place their beacon inside, or build inside the reserved area unless you give permission.
On the other hand, everything inside your beaconed area still needs to be plotted, which means you can beacon a giant piece of land, but everything you build or chop inside vanishes again due to world regeneration, unless it has plots inside.
Another idea would be, a beacon which is crafted by multiple players - the more players add up to the beacon, the bigger the size of its radius becomes. It would be kind of a beacon - guild system for friends planning to build a project together.
A big problem would be: If you had a beacon with huge radius, and you try to place it, and it won’t work because other land is beaconed already - how do you find out where you actually are able to place it, which landmasses still are unclaimed and wide enough for a beacon, crafted by 30 or 50 players. It would force the implementation of a map.
Crazy idea somehow, since it is a bit different to what it is like atm. And not sure what you guys think of it. Everyone is expecting different things from the game and how it is playable.
After reading through your post and the myriad of emotions on the “Ridiculous Roads” thread, I started thinking about how real world communities and settlements grow … They grow organically, from the center outwards … most definitely not by an excessively long road connecting faraway places so they can be part of the same group of buildings.
So, here’s my take on an idea…
A player builds their home and finally hit the base prestige requirement to become a “settlement”.
They now need to craft a settlement charter, marking themselves as the future settlement Mayor.
This charter needs to be co-signed by 4 (more?) other players, making them co-founders of the new settlement.
The new Mayor then places their freshly signed charter inside their primary beacon control marking their beacon as a fully-fledged settlement.
The main focal point for the new settlement is now on the plot which that primary beacon control resides in. This plot now has an “area of influence” (or AOI for short ) associated with it.
As prestige increases, so does the size of the AOI. Every whole plot within the AOI is considered part of the settlement. Any plot partially or wholly outside of the AOI is not considered as part of the settlement. (I would expect the AOI to grow block-by-block and not plot-by-plot).
Any plots considered wholly within the AOI (not just the Mayor’s build) will be added to the settlement prestige, further adding to and increasing the AOI.
Plots can still be added outside of the AOI, facilitating roads and outlying buildings etc. but they are not considered part of the settlement until they fall within the AOI. This allows roads to still link places together, but not be part of a settlement (thus negating some players just building roads to absorb other players builds for prestige).
Other players builds, however, can still be absorbed into a settlement if they fall under the AOI (sorry but at least it would be due to organic growth and not to some excessively long ugly road).
If the AOI reaches another settlements borders, well, this is where it can get a bit sticky…
I would say that higher prestige settlements would absorb part of the the smaller settlements border by a percentage of the difference between the two.
Example: The settlements both share a 10 block overlap on their border. If both settlements had the same prestige, they would each only have 5 blocks (not the full 10).
If, however, one settlement had 20% more prestige that the other, it would mean they would gain an extra block from the smaller settlement.
For a settlement that has 100% or more prestige than the first, well that’s a power house settlement growing right there, and you either built too close to one another to start with, or it’s a pretty large city developing!
This scenario would still allow smaller settlements to try and push back the encroachment of a larger settlement (depending on their size), should they garner enough support from other players to join them.
If a settlements primary beacon (containing the charter) is absorbed by a larger settlement, then it’s charter is removed and it’s settlement classification is revoked.
If you wanted to take it further, you could also use the “area of influence” as a reservation buffer for the settlement too, so no player could beacon a plot that is wholly within the AOI without them first being added to the settlement citizens list (with organically absorbed players being added to that list automatically).
This for me, solves quite a few of the issues I’ve seen crop up over time - such as…
Mayors and founders of a settlement being ousted by another player that has racked up more prestige than them.
It prevents excessively long windy roads being built with the sole purpose of absorbing other players builds.
It would prevent large settlements on opposites sides of a planet being able to join up with a simple road - making them the same place (i.e. Florida is now also London 'cos I built a road to it).
Organic growth - settlements would actually have an epicenter.
Settlements can still be joined together with roads!
Edit: Now that I’ve spurted that out of my brain, I can see a few issues - such as being able to move the charter (or removing it and adding another at a different beacon location, thus allowing your settlement to absorb another more easily).
There’s probably quite a few other cases I’ve not thought about as well, but the idea is there to expand upon or shoot down
Wow, this is amazing. Some of your thoughts are genius, actually. And I think it’s wonderful you’ve put so much thought into it. I hope the devs see this.
Since the new higher prestige would change the effective AOI, would this not be a circular loop? I am picturing 3 settlements with beacons equidistant fight to build away in an effort to absorb the 2 nearby settlement blocks with some very odd calculations happening. I am also imagining strategic placement of the most valuable blocks closer to the epicenter to avoid the prestige being absorbed by outsiders.
Edit: I guess this would be the point. It would be very interesting to see how something like this plays out.
Really like that idea! Seems like it’d be a great foundational system to build upon, too:
Large cities could be composed of multiple AOI’s (boroughs, neighborhoods, whatever)
This might also avoid the one-person-takes-all that we have with mayors currently (the “mayors” of each inner AOI might be more important than the overall city one, actually)
…might be an interesting mechanism for community organization, too
Hell, make it a requirement: in order to reach city status, multiple AOI owners must band together?
Pretty straightforward to visualize & understand, I think—highlight plots within each AOI in a different color, or even display the border directly (as an extruded shape/cylinder)
Yeah, that bothers me too. Maybe AOI’s have to grow over time too? If you move it: it starts over, and slowly gains prestige (even if you’ve got an incredible build)? Maybe that can be boosted if other beacons within the eventual region opt into the AOI?
I want more that that. I want being part of a settlement to be on invitation. What if you build a settlement with your friends and then somebody else build some gem tower next to you and take over your stuff. If you just opt out what used to be your little village is now split up.
Plus all the villages I see built everybody always know each other. There is no reason to make it automated. If the mayor is not there to add people to the settlement, then the village is probably dead and nobody want to join it anyway.
Maybe add the option to authorise other people to invite to the settlement. For community villages where the mayor might stop playing when other core members stay.
I was wondering, what happens when the owner of the founder beacon stops playing, and eventually the beacon goes wild, and someone else fuels the beacon? Who gets what?
Good point - it’s something that would definitely need to be taken into consideration. Maybe one of the co-founders get’s the option to take over the expired beacon as a priority before anyone else.
i also dont think its a good idea… but maybe something similar to make things a lot fairer for all…
As a lot more planets are planned??? to have Greg576 be able to become leader of them all? (currently as long as we have enough prestiege whe can be mayor of every single planet at the same time…) - maybe then it would be great if somehow… Gre576 can only be leader of Berlyn… and then once he is over shadowed by someone else and becomes the next mayor… he can then become mayor of Munteen… - essentially only being able to be mayor/leader/king/god of one single planet at a time
as said above i don’t think limiting siezes is a good idea… but… neither is having one person/group covering a single planet in plots so no one else can live there unless they buy a spot…
essentially only being able to be mayor/leader/king/god of one single planet at a time <<< but i guess the way prestiege works says he can be god of the entire universe and can be knocked down at any point by anyone… i guess this is the entire point of the game? as far as prestiege is concerned?
again you have the issue of forcing a community where some people wont want that… if it would even work…
An idea would be… have guild beacons… where, as you say, it would take a certain number of people added to the beacon to for the guild and take control of a set/chosen area
expanding on this also (for solo players) they can still build where and as they wish (as long as there is a free spot to do so ofc) - now… have the plotting system work on a capped limit >>> max level = 100-200 plots (capped) for all… with an example of a Guild Plot cap of say 100 members making a total of 1k plots allowed? with 1k being the guild cap?
That way… not only is the 200k other players able to build anywhere they are able to do so… but also… this will leave room for nature/regen etc… so there will always be an ability to gather/explore… because as it stands now… if any one person/guild takes control of an entire planet… that plnet is essentialy devoid of any resources… unless Re-gen bombs get intorduced (whoever they will work)
or as you said… have each beacon take control of a set radius… someone told me that there was a point when the devs had to plot an area for you personally… you just had to tell them the diameter of it, but you were automatically given from the lava layer to max height… maybe something like this (but without the need for james to code it in every time someone wanted a plot… or wanted to move :P)
Addition - or maybe something along the lines of having some kind of crafting option when making the beacon - like an overlay would open where you could customize the size/shpe/length/etc - and as long as you had enough plots fro the size and shape etc, you craft it… place it wherever… and hey presto pop-up beacon!
the only issue i see with he AOI route… is… so ok… i am 100% solo on an alt… that alt becomes my main (or i get a new main who is solo only) - once more there is the … Bah you come under my AOI… join me or GTOF!.. no… you GTFO! i was here first!
Settlment wars all over again… most of it is a good idea thoguh
Under the system you described, the charter would still be “bound” to the co-signers. So perhaps there could be a mechanic that would prevent anyone that does not have their name on the charter from picking it up/fueling the beacon.
If one name is removed from the list, then another would need to be added.
On the topic of plots, I wonder how a system where plots “cost” more the further you get from your settlement’s beacon would work.
Personally, I’d prefer the concept of having a possible unlimited amount of plots - it would give me the feeling of having the option to build and shape something huge on a planet. And it would rather preserve the appeal of freedom and limitlessness, which again is an illusion to me which is impressing and doesn’t really guide, but makes up a bit of fun.
On the other hand, is it necessary at all?
I can build and have fun with sth. smaller as well, and see what other possibilities the game has to offer, especially if it has a community one can interact with.
I have seen a settlement which appeared so peaceful and nicely arranged which made me forget that we are in need of a beacon or plot system.
Stretchious’ idea appears to me as if it might spark the competition between settlements or even regions.
Although, it is very complex and seems to be well thought out in detail, I would need to have another read of it. Quite possible I misinterpret it. Don’t mean to be offensive.
I rather wonder how fast some builds get formed into existence. (I need ages for mine, and so far, at my current level I had no chance surviving on a lvl. 2 or 3 world without being in a group.)
plots costing more the further they are from beacon! this would be awesome! (cost as in either coin tax for distance… or 2 plots = 1 etc)
@Bokke - i was not implying that i do not like the unlimted plots… oh i more than love it… it means that if i wanted to… i could try and take over an entire planet on my own… the issue is this… HOW can i take control of an area/planet… if the game favours groups … ahhh well join a comunity!.. as i said… i love the comunity aspect… but i also love the solo aspect… if one group can become… God… why not… One person?
Unlimited plots =… unfair to the little guy especially when massive groups can pool all their plots together and build one HUGE highway in the sky… or etc… and then suffocate said little guy by surrounding him etc
Unlimited is good, yes… but balance??? fairnes???
Addition - just so i make myself 100% clear (to everyone) i love groups… i love communities, i have always said this… they come in handy when meeting people… going hunting… building etc… but i am mainly a solo player… - you see, i prefer sticking my head out of my house with a morning/afternoon guys, we hunting today? need to get those levels!.. room for one more? or… *hey guys… come look what i have done to my garden in the village!8 etc… where as at other times… when i am solo… i try to do my own projects and increase my asthetic skills… like the park i am trying to build in Therka…
Or mining!.. i love solo mining (no arguments then) and its also amazing to kill a few hours with some music… - people will be thinking now why not just join a community… and then do those things solo when and as you wish? my answer is… because i don’t always want to be forced guilded
Let’s think about how cities grow and expand in the real world. They tend to expand outward because of a need for space. There’s too many people in a given area to live comfortably (too many people, not enough plots). The population needed to support that expansion is present, presumably before the expansion is necessary. So it doesn’t make sense in Boundless for these settlements to expand seemingly endlessly if there isn’t a burgeoning population living within that settlement to support the tax requirements. But cities and towns tend to grow up as well as out, so that is an aesthetic issue that needs to be addressed by Mayors and builders. “How do we expand upwards without turning our settlement into a hodgepodge of randomly placed stairs and buildings.”
But that doesn’t really address what would happen to smaller settlements that still get absorbed or penned in by a larger settlement that does grow organically and legitimately.
) associated with it.
especially when massive groups can pool all their plots together and build one HUGE highway in the sky… or etc… and then suffocate said little guy by surrounding him etc