Reguarly Re-set the main world

This is something we used to do and I think it worked really well.

The main world of TF I think should be regularly re-set and pre-loaded maps restored on to the server. I've been noseying around the MB World for example and there are so many great builds that could be put as part of an actual map, and used as a spawn overworld.

This is something that we used to do on TF back when we had Clanforge, and is something I was doing for a while when we had the temporary server, and people seemed to enjoy exploring new maps in the overworld.

We can now if we want to programmatically delete the overworlds coreprotect data, restore a map backup and make the old overworlds available to download if people want, and schematics are already persisted as well.

It feels like a good way to spice things up a bit, while still fostering an environment for building.

Any thoughts?

@elmon#201 TF was never originally a building server, there are millions of those out there. I'm not saying to re-set all the worlds, but with our current setup it's just not sustainable I think never to refresh worlds.

We still would have a plot world and Flatlands world people can build in, and given we were getting a lot more players when we were wiping builds and such it feels like something that could well attract more players back in. There are loads of great maps we can be showcasing and letting people explore, and frankly they can go and abuse them as well if they really want, at the end of the day it's disposable then. If people want to just crack on and build they've got a plot world to do it...

@zeseryu#224 There are two worlds... One is the overworld which is what I'm proposing we wipe, and the other is Flatlands which I'm proposing we don't...

@zekurt#226 And yet, when we were doing it last week due to it being a temporary server we were averaging 30 players... If there is nothing new for players to do, why would they keep coming back? Different worlds make there actually things players can do, and if they want to just build, then they can...

@lyicx#227 I think we already have too many worlds running to be honest, and it's not sustainable. I've got other thought on how to fix that but I don't see why the overworld isn't something we're in a position to be able to restore if we so wanted to... It feels like an excellent way to actually get people engaged and interested in new stuff and can show off the builds.

I don't really see the issue with having 1 world that's regularly re-set and one that is far less frequently re-set. At TF's peak we would re-set both worlds potentially multiple times a day...

@Panther#232 But we're not a creative server... There are a million other creative servers out there, many of them probably more appropriate for people that just want to play in creative. The fact we save builds at all surprises me, because that's never been the point of TF, the point's been to do what you want, but be aware stuff needs to get wiped.

There are a lot of other good reasons to regularly purge worlds anyway, or at least tidy them up. I think it looks awful that most of the time when you join the server, the entire area around spawn looks like it's been destroyed, and if I wanted to be on a creative server, the first thing I'd do is log off and go somewhere else at that point.

Ultimately if we want to be a creative server, then we should be, but if we're going to do that, we should be dropping TFM and the whole everyone's an OP thing and totally re-brand ourselves into something different, because TF != Creative Freebuild server...

@fssp#234 The server is not advertised nor has it ever been advertised as a creative server? Players can come on and choose their gamemode and do as they please? If they want to PVP in survival then they can, but that doesn't make us a survival server?

The server is a "FreeOP" type server, however you want to word it, if people genuinely wanted a creative free-build server why would they come to us? There are a million servers out there dedicated to that, the fact is yes you can creatively build on our server, but it's not the main thing the server has historically been known for. Now, if the intention is to change what the server's core setup is, then that's fine. But we should be removing TFM, de-opping everyone and rolling out a standard perms scheme, and all sorts of other things.

Until that happens though, I maintain my argument that there should be some level of variety and things to do on the world. With pre-set overworld maps it gives players who don't want to come on and build places to explore and maps to interact with, that's the entire point of them being a thing. The reason we stopped doing it wasn't because players hated it (Most never had much to say on it) but because it got technically difficult to do when we lost Clanforge and later more so when we added CoreProtect...

The current worlds on the server I don't believe is sustainable, they're massive worlds for one thing, which doesn't help the servers performance, and frankly they always look an absolute mess. Why would you want to stick around on a "Creative Freebuild server" that looks like it's just been greifed constantly... Which is what the area around whatever spawn always looks like. At least with pre-set overworld maps you have a clean (or somewhere that can be clean) and tidy environment that welcomes players, rather than giving a rather shite first impression.

@fssp#235 While I agree that has something to do with it, as it always would have, I disagree that it was the entire reason... We had OP's regularly exploring the new world files that were uploaded and getting to play in there. I'll also say the server run a shit tonne better with those substantially smaller worlds (Oh what a surprise).

The ownership policy has nothing to do with this suggestion, and I'm also not saying we should be forcing it through. I've raised the suggestion now because I think it warrants a discussion, certainly shouldn't be implemented until the new owner comes in to force, the same as all the suggestions. It's the role of the executives to maintain the server as a collective while the process is ongoing...

@fssp#292 By that same logic we're also a survival server, PVP Server, Factions Server and all sorts of other things, because players can do all of those things? I'm really sure what the point you're trying to make is other than to disagree with mine... My issue is we're not a creative feebuild server, and we've never ever advertised as one from what I can see, so I'm not sure why we're suddenly clinging to this idea?

That makes sense, and I'm not asking for it to be approved right here and now, and I agree that we shouldn't be implementing suggestions until we have a new owner, In fact I'm not sure that's entirely really allowed, the entire point right now is to just keep the lights on and the owners seat warm while we appoint a new one. All I want is people to think and consider what I'm suggesting. I don't think it's all that "out there" of an idea, and if it is that people suggested the other way, then that's fine, but suggestions can change and be re-visited by new ones. Otherwise we'd need to make a hell of a lot of changes to make it back to how the original suggestions for half the servers functionality works...

My view is as long as it's clear the overworld is not a permanent world, and if you build in it it's at your own risk if you don't bother saving it as a schematic, this should only add value to the server by making it look more tidy and welcoming and giving people like myself who aren't interested in building and never have been, something else to do other than sit somewhere on the server and just chat in the chat...