The Lands of Arda

Gupps · Joined: 07 Feb 2007 Posts: 485

Planning on putting the Arda Server I have online at various times for oldtimers that are still here and a load of people who have never seen it from the guild I run in the current MMO I play.

Have ironed out crashes and issues with gamespy etc, its not the newest version of Arda but it works and has none of the issues that were experienced when we got near the temp limit. (It just pre when the ORD/Fire ammy summoning was added).

Decided to do this as NWN is now $10 on GOG.com

I cannot host this as a persistent world as I cant be leaving a computer on permanently, If someone else would like to host it so it is availale permanently it may be an option if their is enough intrest.

The vaults will start empty. You would all need to create new characters, also makes it a better experience if the new people I asked to take a look decide to, rather than having you all run around them with crafted items.

Aiming to launch it around the release of the hobbit.

Server will probably be available a few nights a week for a few hours a day and see how that works.

There u go anyhow if you fancy some nostalgia watch this thread

oulu · Joined: 31 Jan 2007 Posts: 188 Location: Finland

Heya mate!

This is some nice news for the holidays!

Gupps · Joined: 07 Feb 2007 Posts: 485

K I have server stable with windows 7 and XP. What a bitch that was.

Mate has mentioned he may be able to host it. But for now I will just have it up a few nights a week. If anyone has the most upto date version of the server I could take a look at getting it working and hosting that one, but I would need any new haks etc.

The version of the server im running uses the haks posted on here. (I believe the most current version by Madwak has working horses).

There are a couple of bugs in the server I need to iron out, the main one been some of the transitions are fooked. I will look at sorting them if I can remeber how the feck to script boxless transitions on maps. (Its been a long long time since I scripted for Arda and to be honest the complete lack of any organisation or naming rules in Arda's haks makes me dread the task doing this a forboding one!!!)

*Shudders* at the thought of Ardas mess of script where door=worg, spider=Isaacs, table=shelob -- If you scripted arda you know what I mean, clicking through a list of 2000+ Items trying to find the one you want that is not named anything like it should be!

Thorgal · Joined: 10 Feb 2007 Posts: 706 Location: Switzerland

The rise sounds really nice. i m glad you work hard to make it run.

i wont have much time to play though - i got busier than ever now (family, kid, work, volunteer firefighters (2 eves a week) and still 5 weeks army duty per year). if i can manage to play once a month for 3-4 hours, then it will be already much time spent on arda...
this leads me to ask you about beginning to play with an empty charactervault: i dont think i might spend my few moments of "free time" in rebuilding new chars.
i d very much (really VERY much) like to play just for fun (i m dont want ti be running after items, i d rather venture in the new areas, MM, or butt kicking sauron) and this will simply not be possible with a new char which can grow stronger only one eve a month - not even talking about gathering some adequate equipment.

i understand that you would make a new start, but having old characters being able to be played by their former creators might even lead old players - and therefore more ppl - to join.

what do you think? what are your feelings about this?
_________________
May my Sword shine in battle with courage and honour.
May each of my actions and deeds give honour to my ancestors, each of my blows honour to my Gods.

Gupps · Joined: 07 Feb 2007 Posts: 485

Well, heres where I stand with this

Most importantly The version of Arda I have to be honest is a mess. I dont mean to step on anyones hard work but it should never have gone live and I desperately need a working version of the Arda mod (maybe newer than one I have) If someone has the mod? This is a request for a version of ARDA, does anyone have the mod.. Specifically one with working transes around the Mithlond area. (Not the one where someone has made a mess of the trans scripts for going South and East from mithlond).

The version of Arda I have someone has tried to start adding some new areas around mithlond and inadvertantly not stuck correctly to the mapping rules. This has resulted in crashes and broken transes when people are around mithlond. Ive managed to disable some of the transes and stop crashes but its not ideal. If someone could check for a version with the transes working and email me it, id be very greatful.

To be honest the biggest issue with Arda is that people who have added recent stuff have done so opening the toolset with high spec graphics cards and without turning multicore processing off. This has resulted in Arda becoming more and more corrupt over time. The logs are littered with scripting errors that have been ignored but it has got to the stage now that it is extremely hard to work with arda in the toolset without it becoming corrupted. Adding insult to injury because the rig at the moment is not very compatible with old OpenGL games when I open Arda to fix something, 9/10 the mod corrupts on the save!!

So please please... can you send me your copies of arda guys anyone who reads this, so I can get a more stable version up and running. Someone must have a copy where the mithlond transes arent broken and the low level maps have been sorted!

Onto happier news

I "borrowed" a copy of arda when I thought it was going to no longer exist. I didnt take any of the dm vaults or anything so I cant restore any characters from before. This is just for fun, I understand peoples position I currently have a baby and family and will struggle to grind out characters. I intend to play with everyone from level 1 and experience the low level areas again.

Because I have some new people playing I dont want to trvialise the experience by having kitted out people giving them gear/power levelling them. I may aswell just delete everywhere up till mordor if we have lv 10's running about with beast rings and cracks bracers.

If people struggle and get severly left behind by other players I am not adverse to boosting them up a bit so they can play with their mates. However when we launch the server there is no point in kitting everyone out so they can do MM when all other players are still exploring moria. Plenty of fun to be had in low level areas and they are just as hard in appropriate gear as MM is when you are fully kitted out at 40.

Unless I get a newer version of arda off someone the newer areas wont exist anyhow.

Anyhow thats your update guys.. May have something sorted for a persistent server now hosted by mate. Its 99% working with xp/windows 7 (in sp3 mode). But I need a copy your copies of Arda please so I can try and get a newer vesion running (with sauron in maybe?) especially one without screwed mitlond transes.

SerraAvatar · Site Admin Joined: 29 Jan 2007 Posts: 573

Heya Gupps,
nice you are back, and Arda apparently as well. If you pm me your email adress I´ll check my hard disk for the the latest version of Arda I have.

I think back then, I even fixed the transistions in around the Mithlond areas (among others). I had worked out some master scripts that read out parameters from items placed in the area with certain tags. So I could use always THE SAME transistion script for EVERY AREA. Check this thread, there I explained what I was doing:
http://arda2forums.s4.bizhat.com/viewtopic.php?t=283&start=0
Having masterscripts for commonly used scripts vastly reduces the number of "items" in the temporary folder of the mod. By applying these to existing areas one could create lots of space.

Im happy to answer any upcoming questions. But as I remember it was you who is the scripting god Smile

Gupps · Joined: 07 Feb 2007 Posts: 485

Well if you have a newer version of arda I can grab and get working that would be spot on. Saves me having to feck about with mending the version I have. Would also be nice to have new areas in and Sauron I guess...

However mate, do the versions you have require any other hakpacks than

http://nwvault.ign.com/View.php?view=Hakpaks.Detail&id=5601
http://nwvault.ign.com/View.php?view=Hakpaks.Detail&id=5602
http://nwvault.ign.com/View.php?view=Hakpaks.Detail&id=5604
http://nwvault.ign.com/View.php?view=Hakpaks.Detail&id=6045

Posted on this forum. Reason I ask is I have already got people to DL these haks and dont want to have to mess about with others if poss..

I pmed you my email addy btw to send me a copy accross..

Gupps · Joined: 07 Feb 2007 Posts: 485

Direct connect IP is 88.97.130.150:5122

oulu · Joined: 31 Jan 2007 Posts: 188 Location: Finland

Here you can find the latest we played on the server Agility hosted:

http://sdrv.ms/1bOsm8q

There's also that one hak Serra made some time ago which is required to play this mod.

Mod file is currently uploading so it might take a while before its available....

Has Sauron implemented and Vords and some HELP for the early levels. Quests which reward with a bit of a crucial damage resistance!

SerraAvatar · Site Admin Joined: 29 Jan 2007 Posts: 573

Neat, then Gupps can host even the latest mod Smile

Gupps · Joined: 07 Feb 2007 Posts: 485

Aaaannndd. This version of Arda will go live tonight!

Connectivity will be a bit hit and miss for a week or 2 until we have the new persistent server set up. But for now you can connect to the IP posted above, server will be up some mainly at weekends and evenings GMT, until we have persistent server running.

Thorgal · Joined: 10 Feb 2007 Posts: 706 Location: Switzerland

nice

_________________
May my Sword shine in battle with courage and honour.
May each of my actions and deeds give honour to my ancestors, each of my blows honour to my Gods.

Thorgal · Joined: 10 Feb 2007 Posts: 706 Location: Switzerland

playing again with new chars is somehow fun... but it gets annoying with the time – especially when u don’t have much time to play.
i was wondering how i ll play arda now that the holidays are over. This year will bring many changes and ill have less free time to spend on my hobbies. I definitively wont have many occasions to play arda, (as many of us, we have many other things to attend, especially the family).

i ask again about adding the old player files. For sure this will motivate old players to join again - even if it is to play once in while.

I mean i can understand that adding old player files while there are other new players might not be seen as fair, but for arda it will be only an enrichment in quality and quantity. Not only there would be more ppl online (because many don’t wanna restart from the beginning), but the playing would be more fun with a variety of different other characters.
Playing alone as a rogue isn’t really fun... but in a party sure it is – but i guess there are not many rogues made at first choice... old players have tried out different chars.
Furthermore the old players would surely be glad to support the new guys with whatever might be needed: gp, named or even forged.

Can we hope to see in the future our old players venturing on arda again?
_________________
May my Sword shine in battle with courage and honour.
May each of my actions and deeds give honour to my ancestors, each of my blows honour to my Gods.

Gupps · Joined: 07 Feb 2007 Posts: 485

I cant see this happening for a while.

For the following

1. We dont have everybodies characters. Sure we have partial files from the last server however amny who have created characters do not have a file here.

2. The split playing the server at the moment is 19 people. 6 are completely New. 4 are old players from waaaay waaay back who we have no files for, 2 did not play on the last server and we dont have player files for. This only leaves 7 people for whome we have player files.

3. I have chatted with 3 of the 7 who we have files for and 2 of them specifically asked me NOT to provide their old characters as thats is what removed the fun from the game for them originally. Reducing it to a grind and camping session. -- If people simply log on to park their character in a dungeon to camp I would rather they not bother even logging on.

4. An influx of old characters and Items would totally unbalance the server. Already new players are complaining they feel like charity cases with people giving them items they would rather obtain themselves. Kitting people out so they can go to deepsouth by lv 14 is NOT fun for them and bypasses massive parts of the game. --remember how it was when you started to first play, the fun is in the exploration and difficulty level of the game.

5. Please try and see this as a fresh opportunity to explore arda, especially the lower areas. Once you are all kitted out you are limited to 6 dungeons that are fun, enjoy levelling and there are hundreds of levels to have fun in. It is not a grind you are not competeing against each other. If you are massively desperate to level fast get to lv 20 and have a mates drag you up the acid towers a few times lv 20-32 one tower will give you a level, you all know the tricks if you need levels fast.

6. I dont know the people you speak of who would come back if we gave them their old characters? We have emailed all old players and all that have expressed intrest in coming back have done so with a new character.

All this said, I am not totally adverse to considering giving people characters back / a free lv 40 (reincarnate) in the future. I just want things to settle first and see how it pans out with the new people.

Thorgal · Joined: 10 Feb 2007 Posts: 706 Location: Switzerland

ok i understand

i appreciate your last sentence about giving chars in time.
hope dies at the very end - i ll keep hoping to get the old chars back.

keep in mind: i still have over 300 mb of over 1350 playernames stocked in my harddisk so if we can use them - or at least some of them - gimme a call.
_________________
May my Sword shine in battle with courage and honour.
May each of my actions and deeds give honour to my ancestors, each of my blows honour to my Gods.