New ALFA role: 'Live Builder'

[Dorn]

So there was a major debate about 'lite' DMs who can DM and play in an area. As far as I can see it basically went along the way that everyone things we could do with a bit more flavour on servers, everyone wants more DMs, but some people don't trust others not to cheat.

So I'm going to propose something incrementally more to the 'safer' side. But that allows us to try and keep the 'persistent' world going.

I want to play on TSM as I enjoy the setting. I do not want/have RL time to DM on TSM or elsewhere,

1) I would like to be able to:
- change scenery/add things for general flavour (eg maturing crops in a certain area, a bunch of fairies are swarming in the river, caravans and carts block the road as harvest finishes, convoy of ships is passing highold, a temporary barracks of Legion set up at Quaervar training the locals) - ((i've thought about laying down snow to reflect winter in some areas, but this could be a bit hard))

- change the build to reflect events (eg barricades around Settlestone, broken ballistae and dark mists in Fouthpeak, a camp of BLack Lion tribes set up near Winters Edge after fleeing the fourthpeak area, Mithrall Hall Dwarves set up guardposts along the road from Settlestone to aid refugees)

- potentially put in set and forget spawns with no loot (probably high level stuff that would kill my character but be interesting for the level 9+'s around) - loot could be begged from the proper DM staff, this is about fun

- put rumours into the IC thread on the forums re all of above


2) I would not be allowed to:
- interact with players (which means no exp awards, item awards, NPC possession etc)
- spawn loot
- hit the spawns i put into the mod

3) The HDM would be responsible for making sure i don't cheat (PS I have no idea if Curm would support this anyway).

Thoughts? Do we still think the benefits of having a more interesting PW for players and DMs alike is outweighed by the possibility that one bad apple will make their own PC a bit stronger in a world where CvC is very very rare.

[Arianna]

Are you talking about coming in on the DM client and tossing down placeables?

or are you talking building changes to the areas themselves?


Just curious as I know that a plethora of DM dropped placeables will 1- disappear at reset and 2- cause excess lag to the Whole server not just the area its in.

If you want to build "flavor" you can always set up placeable spawns that only show up at specific times/ days/ months etc

I know some HDMs will let you play and Build on the same server as long as your not logging into the DM client.

[Dorn]

Good point, I should have been clear.

Both. I have built for TSM in the past, but I was thinking about more 'live' activity as well.

[Zelknolf]

Well, the build half is already provided for-- you're allowed to build for a server that you play on if the HDM allows it.

The DM client half seems like it would be a hard sell. Promising no interaction still exposes folk to a lot of information, and dropping spawns is providing loot/XP as soon as anyone kills it (and I might remind that the XP for killing things that are close to your level is pretty crazy good; if we're talking about the double-digit-level crowd, that easily gets to be a hundred per kill-- more if a party gets the kill-- and a kill from a low-wealth highbie can drop some reasonable magic items [not world shattering, but folk who remember the last Greengrass: those prizes were all random drops]).

[FoamBats4All]

Happy to see people interested in building. If you have any questions, hit us up in #alfa-tech.

As for DMing where you play, no. However you phrase it, it never works out. People can, will, and more importantly have abused it before. Good to learn from previous mistakes. Who is going to moderate these "Live Builder" DMs?

[shad0wfax]

New builders and returning builders are always welcome. You may play where you build.

New DMs and returning DMs in good standing are always welcome. You may not play where you DM.

[Dorn]

IA - "no", LA - "no" .......*refers to charter*

Isn't this a DMA call?



just kidding..i couldn't help myself

Fair nuff. I'll see what can be achieved through the more arduous toolset, load erf, pester HDM, load mod process. But less inclined to do this and log into DM client and quickly drop fun and interesting things/effects with a simple click. Ah well.

[Zelknolf]

The LA has the authority to say "no" to any admin decision, barring an override vote. If you're calling one, the TA votes no and the issue fails to acquire three administrators to begin the process. The issue is settled by the Charter.


Also, all of our modules are on Git. You have to pester the HDM once, to be added to the build team. Thereafter, adding to the module is a few clicks; updating the module on the server is also a few clicks (except in the case of walkmeshes; we didn't ever finish an automation tool for that. So, yeah, still cumbersome to add new areas. I'll grant that. Doesn't sound like what we're talking about though).

[Dorn]

well that sounds much easier than...yesteryear

[FoamBats4All]

well that sounds much easier than...yesteryear

That was the hope. You no longer have to worry about uploading files to FTP and waiting for the HDM to import it into the model. The HDM says who he trusts, and adds them to the team. He (along with the host) also says who he trusts to pull updates onto the server to make them go live. This eases the burden on a select few people. As an added bonus, I no longer need to bug people to update their backups, because GIT handles all that for us.

There is of course the issue of transparency. An intrepid poker-arounder can go and peek at commits to try to metagame content. This is now harder to fix, but is not a new issue by any means (as the backups were always available to anyone who has ever been a DM, and those have all the metagamey files in them). We can improve it by using private repos, but even that wouldn't stop someone who -really- wants access. Just the nature of an open volunteer project like ALFA. It always has been, and always will be, an issue.

I have written an Introduction to Git, and Wynna has her own notes in her Dummies Guide to Updating a Server with Git if you are interested and get on as a builder.

[Dorn]

Draft post for a new 'builders- getting started' intro sticky a following sticky will include compilation of tops and guides. I think then I might do one (if you as IA feel it would be useful) for DMing, another for new players, and another for awesome new features for DMs to use (eg infestations). I think there's a whole bunch of stuff that hasn't translated from the hak updates, and wiki to common knowledge so perhaps a few stickies and cleaning out some of the old posts in key areas will help people realise the tools you guys have and direct them to the wiki and elsewhere. I also think we have stuff spread all over the shop (eg changes to cleric domains, powers etc) and a consolidation would be good.


Draft:

'Building' can be easy, and can range from adding some aesthetic content to liven up some existing areas, refurbishing a temple, creating whole new areas and dungeons with fully scripted events. Sometimes little, easy to make, things in heavily used areas can be enjoyed by many people just for the dynamic feel it gives the server.

The ALFA team have made it very easy for a trusted builder to see their work appear in the module automatically, without having to go through the normal route of FTP, emailing HDMS to update mods, etc.

This means you can be a player, but also contribute to a dynamic world for your own and other PCs to enjoy, AND free up DM time to..well DM us.

To change the persistent world we play in you should:
1) Contact the Head Dungeon Master of the server and ask if you can:

• a) build something and send it to them on email (for a one/few off effort)
  b) be added to the server builder team (for regular building efforts)
  c) be given permission to pull updates onto the server and make them go love (for building that needs to be quickly loaded - eg for a DM to use in a campaign) This last one will obviously rely on the HDM knowing and trusting you a fair bit!

2) Download and open the basemod so that your build will work in ALFA and has all the latest whiz-bang features and additions without you having to load them manually. Simple instructions here ALFA Build Module

3) If you have permission to auto-update, quickly learn how to:

• a) Introduction to Git
  b) Dummies Guide to Updating a Server with Git

4) Build awesome stuff and get it into the mod and watch other people enjoy it.

5) Go to #alfa-tech in IRC chat for live help

[Arianna]

Did TSM ever get updated to Full Git use ?

I know Wynna's guide took into account some oddities that the other servers did not have to go through

[FoamBats4All]

@Dorn: I'll add more when I get home. Any guide or bit to help improve knowledge of our platform is useful. If nothing else, going through all this and writing about it will help you understand it better and be able to build using our tools. One note: You use the base buildmod for most minor things. If you are working actively on a server, you probably clone and dev directly on that module.

Did TSM ever get updated to Full Git use ?

I know Wynna's guide took into account some oddities that the other servers did not have to go through

AFAIK all servers are not on Git. Wynna was using it and she seemed to be the last active TSM builder.

[shad0wfax]

You are correct, Dorn, it is DMA domain regarding play where you DM. I would also veto a decision made by a DMA to allow play where you DM.

On a much brighter note, BG, WHL, and MS are fully Gitified, and I've never turned down a builder request on BG. Even Duncan was a BG builder. (I do watch commits with varying degrees of scrutiny.)

Foam, Basilica, and Zelknolf have provided information via posts snd wikis that teach one all about server setup, server hosting, server building, quest authoring, and even some scripting. #alfa-tech in IRC is a great resource as well and everyone is always happy to help provide information to builders.

If anyone is interested in building for any server, please speak up.