How so? Because I didn't expect these tools to become so available so quickly to be honest; after Eleon's recent string of announcements and headlining "News" I pretty much lost all hope of any upcoming release of problem solving logic to come from them in any time quickly.

It's been over a year since The Reach shut down and it's almost monthly that I bump into or talk to a "Reacher" and am reminded just how much everyone truly enjoyed the server despite its terrible, unforseen lack in accountability and (ultimately) balance. I said when I shut The Reach down that eventually I would come back to it to fix what was wrong with it when the tools were provided from Eleon. Then, Eleon didn't fix anything; they just continued adding newer textures and creating customisable "scenarios" and so forth which weren't really needed, but this carried on for over a year.

Now, after a long wait, it seems that Eleon finally got the message and they're FINALLY going back to mechanized development where they're fixing the things that were mechanically wrong/missing in Empyrion. Barriers are gone, planets are spherical, food/medicine is more balanced, stealth (although very shallow and beta) is there, and most important: we have a modding API. I had a very set list of things I wanted to see implemented into Empyrion before I would relaunch The Reach including:

• Parallel movement (moving on a moving ship)
  
• Hot seat logic (sitting in a docked SV on a moving CV)
  
• Various range warp drives
  
• Removed barriers (green/orange barriers actually toppled The Reach more than I'd like to admit - so problematic...remember disappearing ships?)
  
• SDK/Modding API

Some of these things have actually been implemented already and are noted by the strikethrough of the text. However, most importantly is the Modding API; now the documentation is scarce and not the easiest to put together as this API was basically reverse engineered by the Homeworld team (if my info is wrong on that, please let me know), but the ability to add/change actual logic in the server and how it interacts with its players is paramount. Given what must be done in it for The Reach to return, in regards to having this API, the work we have ahead of ourselves is enormous. So, the tool we needed to actually revisit The Reach and find a way to fix what imbalances were there inherently has finally arrived.

I don't want to get your hopes up too high, we're still only a 2 man development team (with 9 - 5 day jobs) for The Reach project and not to mention that Darkmind Games is currently developing its own, standalone game in the lull of The Reach being up from an API/SDK being absent. So, it would be devastating to simply abandon one project to rekindle this; likewise it would also be devastating to now have the tools to rebuild The Reach into what it was always meant to be and not revisit the project.

So, careful steps and delegation must be taken to ensure that this server will return in good faith and that the company isn't stretched beyond its production limits. In the end, we're talking about both now at this point whereas before the conversation wasn't even being had for a while. So, no announcement date of a return yet, but we're at least back at the table with new talks about how to rebuild the server.

So, if you want the [TL:DR] version: new API released, server relaunch...coming when it's ready.

~SLIVER

So I've been thinking...

I know, scary words there huh? But it's true, I've been thinking, as per usual, about what the new Reach will be like. I've seen some servers that just allow for total chaos and anarchy and they're not any fun. I've also seen some servers that have so many rules and regulations that your fun comes into question upon any moment of liberating enjoyment.

I've always strove to make Reach a place somewhere in between: structured chaos. Most of you all already know this, but I'm curious as to where you think the rules may have been too strict or too lenient. I've had a few ideas that I've discussed with a couple of you in private about what things need to change, digress, or update with the new server. However, I want to make this a public conversation at this point because I want to know what kind of server YOU want to play on. I want to know your ideas and what you liked the most about The Reach, what you didn't, and what you'd like to see in the new Reach.

Some ideas like blocking BP builds or restricting BP builds to lower classes such as Class 3 and below have been discussed. I've gotten some feedback, but now I want more feedback from a much broader audience. With exploits trolls use such as the flying-brick-base-destroyer ships becoming more and more rampant, I want to know what you guys think should or could be done to help promote a fun and healthy gaming environment.

Just keep in mind the idea of Reach: structured chaos. I want people to be able to pirate freely, run smuggling rings, grow narcotics, run from the TEC, attack the authorities, rival other factions, run illegal Pentx refineries, keep peace and order among the systems, and trade at starports or in a field full of corndog plants LOL. I want all of these things, but not at the expense of someone using the rules as way to corrupt the enjoyment of the gameplay. Things like hijacking ships, taking and parking those ships in PvE only zones as "trophies," as well as the flying-gun-brick ships sour a server. So how can we fix it?

Let's get the conversation started in the comments below!

Well folks,

Reach Staff is still at today with trying to get needed changes to Empyrion done or at least recognized by their developer, Eleon. Andy and I again had a pow-wow about what the game still needs and this time I made sure to include Eleon by name in the title to hopefully get some well-intended attention. Here's a link to the discussion post: Missing Items List if you'd like to add something to it, mark down that you're a former-Reach player, a legacy player, or active player and list your ideas in the comments. I can assure you that Eleon IS going to see this thread and may even refer to it more than once. I can't promise that last part, but I can promise that they'll at least know about the thread and likely will read it at least once. So, read soon, comment asap and perhaps they'll even take note of your desired changes as well!


Until next time,
~SLIVER

Eleon has done a remarkable job developing Empyrion. So much so that almost everything is currently present for the relaunch of the server. Although it will be a relaunching of the server we all knew, it will be an entirely new server with a new name.

Instead of being called, "The Reach," the new server will be simply called, "Reach." I have even thought about creating mementos and memoirs of "The Reach," in the new server such as: a WDR sanctioned system with a planet named, "Deve" accompanied by a moon named, "WeeMan" which would in turn be satellited by an orbital station called, "Lost-Feanor." (The latter name of course referencing the resulting exchange of power from Feanor during a 'cold war' between WDR and TEC.)

I've also thought about creating (BP) POI ruins of old, abandoned TEC Spaceports and Derelict orbital ships as well. I've thought of including a "Fall of The Reach" memoir upon an LCD screen setup in a new set of POIs called Welcome Centers which will detail the actual and very real corruption the server administration faced with a very real bad cop named, Wally who dishonestly undermined what I had set us (admins) out to do.

Point is: there are a LOT of ideas I have floating around, but most of them are design points and such. Nothing to keep me from setting up and restarting the server again. However, there are a couple of serious pieces of missing logic vital to role play that caused the most confusion and controversy. It's this logic that I'm awaiting for Eleon to implement or give us the tools needed for me to implement in order to fire up: Reach.

The missing pieces of logic are:

• Warrants
  
• Searches

This logic set would be managed by a script or set of scripts embedded in the server itself. However it, more than likely, will require an SDK before I can start the server back up. Given from what happened in The Reach, I feel it's only the most fair and safe to take the permissions of searches OUT of any player's hands. Including the admins, not excluding myself either, because no one should be above the rules.

This is my first act of transparency and as such I'm also deeming everything regarding the iteration known as, The Reach as "Legacy." Everything done in Legacy will be reflected, but improved upon in Reach.

Contraband, regulated items, and narcotics will be such things that are "reflected," in Reach. The TEC will be reborn in a new light which will be more focused on Trade Enforcement and less on Law Enforcement though upholding the law is inherit with the TEC, for now, so one should still expect that from the faction. I hope to find ways of improving the economy to give incentive to those that smuggle contraband and the like. After all a system with law and no crime is just oppressive, not dynamic. Perhaps things like setting a higher market value for lesser available goods that smugglers can beat the prices on is an idea for "incentive."

Let me detail a bit of how Searches (and subsequent Warrants) will be conducted. It's my intention to set up the server so that Searches are requested by a player to the server via script. If a set of strict parameters have been met by the requesting player, the server allows the player to search the requested base/ship. If illegal items are found, the server will then manage the fine's amounts and remediation of the criminal-player. All successful Search requests will send notifications to the player(s) as well affected by the logic. If a player is repeatedly found to have illegal items within a strict time frame and refuses to pay the fines, the server labels that player as a criminal. A criminal-player will have a Death-Warrant placed upon them that will remain until the warrant is carried out.

A TEC Agent on patrol requests a search of John's base, the server receives the request and runs its checks on the parameters. The TEC Agent is allowed to search the base in a very strict manner (again, managed via scripting). Simultaneously, John (who is flying about elsewhere) receives an onscreen notification that his base is currently under investigation by TEC Agent Smith. Agent Smith finds 2 syringes of Adrenaline in his investigation and removes them from John's storage (again under the supervision of the server's script). Smith conculdes his search and leaves and John is marked by the server as a 'crime suspect' for the next 7 days. Smith finds John flying about 2 days later in a smuggler's aerospace and successfully requests a search from the server. During this search, Smith finds 3 counts of Kavae Beans (used to make Adrenaline shot) and again removes these items. The server then places another fine, but at a greater amount on John. If John refuses to or can't pay the fine, the fine is removed and a Death-Warrant is placed in its stead which is then sent to all TEC Agents as well as all Bounty Hunters. Once John is killed by an Agent or Hunter, his Warrant is removed.

Keep in mind, this is a rough draft of the idea I have in mind for the new Searches and Warrants system. As always suggestions, refinements, optimizations, and so forth are warmly welcome.

Following a discussion between me and an old friend of everyone's: SAR's AndyH, I sent an ideas list to the Eleon dev team. You can check out the list here at the new discussion post:

Idea List Discussion

Check it out and let me know what you guys think of our little list.


~SLIVER