2/16 Update Changes:
Good afternoon! I’m going to only briefly touch on the changes in today’s update, as Rustafied has a pretty good summary on their blog post. Much bigger news today is the change coming to our server and how we stay alive!
In today’s update, we’re getting a few new items:
- New Refrigerator item (Very little functionality right now)
- Metal Shop Front (Secure trading between players!)
- Vending machine fixes
- Semiautomatic Pistol nerf
- Semiautomatic Rifle buff
- Python buff (!!!)
- Fish is better food
- Bear traps (inside your build privilege) can be picked up or repaired
- World models for components
So that’s cool–more good stuff coming along, promoting trade, commerce, and economy within the game.
Server Support/Store:
As many of you are aware, last week we had to very suddenly find a new server host. We had to scramble to borrow money to get the server back up and running, but we’re here for a few months. Going forward, we’ll be looking to the community for funding–but also changing how the administration of the server works. Everything about the server: Map sizes, game modes, game events, and so on will all be decided by the players. You literally get to choose everything that happens from now on. Rather than being someone who quietly sits back and doing work to make things happen on the server, you get to choose what happens, and how. Basically, since you’re the ones that are paying for it, I’m your employee, and will do what you want with YOUR server.
In order to help make some of that more immediately real within the server, each wipe, I will be constructing a small store that works with the in-game vending machines. Those people who contribute to the server, whether volunteering their time to share the forum on other servers, those who recruit new players, those who are active on the forum, and those who donate to keep us up and running will receive a form of in-game currency that can be used to purchase materials and items in-game. Duct Tape can also be won in events and contests we’ll be having in the future. We’ll be watching closely to avoid making this pay-to-win. Our aim is to add convenience and comfort items primarily, though nothing that involves real money doesn’t get immediately decried as pay-to-win.
People who donate their time or money to the server’s operation will receive an amount of Duct Tape, which can be used to purchase goods from the vending machines. Duct Tape exists in the world, can be traded freely with other players, or stolen in raids or lost to PVE elements. Guard it well! Players with access to a Duct Tape allotments can request it at any time in the first week of a wipe, giving them some time to build up a secure location to keep their treasures.
At this time, the Duct Tape store will include 2 vending machines, selling some basic survival items, as well as convenience items to help donors get a head start. The Duct Tape store currently sells: Wood, Stones, Metal Fragments, Small Furnaces, Black Raspberries, Blueberries, Candy Canes, Armored Doors, Tech Trash, Rifle Bodies, Medical Syringes, Large Medkits, Hazmat Suits, and Pookie Bears.
Another vending machine will be set up that exchanges goods that players have farmed for crafted items. These sales are intended to aid in convenience, so that folks who are able to farm loads of stone, for instance, but live somewhere that wood or something else is hard to come by.
The final vending machine will be for items you collect in the world. In this case, Anti-Radiation pills can be collected and traded for rare or special items, including old-style Radiation suits, Pookie Bears, and the M-249 LMG.
A separate page will be set up on our website to show current store contents, our PayPal link, and of course, a link to the feedback thread on the forum where you can let us know what you think, recommend new items for the store, and so on. Your feedback is crucially important to making all of this work and in keeping the server running the way you want to see it run. I look forward to hearing from you!