SERVER CLUSTERING
To alleviate the problem where lower population servers often do not have enough players logged in simultaneously to foster a stimulating RvR environment, we have developed server clustering. The intent of server clustering is to give players more friends and enemies in RvR, but not change the home server's community unless the players seek to do so.
- To test server clustering, we have created a new server to cluster with Pendragon. This server, Hector, is composed of characters copied over from the live server, Palomides. The new server will appear on the test server login screen, along with Pendragon. To log into the server, simply double click the server name. If you had characters on Palomides, copies of your characters are available on the new server, Hector. If you do not have characters on Palomides, and therefore not on Hector, you can copy your character to Pendragon and test out clustering.
- Hector is composed of a snapshot of characters from Palomides as they existed late last night (1/25/05). No changes on Hector will affect live Palomides characters in any way, and no changes to characters on Palomides will affect Hector characters.
Traveling to a Clustered Server
- In order to travel between servers, we have added new Channeler NPCs to each of the main cities. These NPCs are the "travel agents" for the realms, which will teleport players between servers in the cluster.
Camelot - Channeler Kho'unas
Jordheim - Channeler Jith
Tir na Nog - Channeler Galia
- (Catacombs Client) When a character zones into a new area on a clustered server, the server name is printed in the center of the screen.
Character and Guild Names
- Names currently in existence are not guaranteed to be unique for players or guilds. New characters or guilds created are subject to name duplication restrictions, but existing names are unchanged.
- Newly created guilds are subject to emblem duplication restrictions. Existing guilds with duplicated guild emblems will not be changed.
- If you have two characters with the same name on the cluster, you communicate with them by appending the server name if they are not from your home server. For example: If you have Bob of Pendragon and Bob of Hector and you're from Pendragon, /send Bob or /send Bob-p will go to Bob of Pendragon, and /tell Bob-h will go to Bob of Hector.
- In all chat messages, if a player is from the same server as you, the text you see will remain unchanged. If they are from another server, their name will be printed as "Name-ServerName:" (the same format you would use to /send to them).
- In any shared region kill spam messages, the kill spam will always contain the server name information of the two players (eg: Bob-Pendragon was just killed by PlayerX-Hector).
- Names over the heads of players will display as "Player of Server" to players on other servers in the cluster. Players from your home server will display normally as they always have. Realm Enemies will display normally as they always have (Race and Realm Rank Title).
Zone Sharing
- Based on player feedback, only New Frontiers, the Battlegrounds, Darkness Falls, Passage of Conflict, and Summoner's Hall will be shared in the server cluster. Trials of Atlantis and Catacombs zones will not be shared. Clustered servers will maintain separate versions of Trials of Atlantis and Catacombs zones - players from other servers on the cluster can use the "travel agent" NPCs to migrate to another server, and then travel to that server's Trials of Atlantis or Catacombs zones.
Bind Points
- Bind points will be server dependent. For example: If you bind at Tir na Nog on Hector, then go visit Pendragon and die, you will release to Tir na Nog on Hector.
- Releasing to your house bind will teleport you to the server the house is located on.
Restrictions
- Characters will only be able to purchase lots on their home server.
- Characters will only be able to join guilds from their own server.
- Guilds will not be able to join in cross-server alliances on their server cluster.
- When clustering occurs on live servers, there will be a timer in place to prevent cross-realming characters. After logging a character into one realm on the cluster, you will have to wait some amount of time before being allowed to log into another realm on that same cluster. Because Pendragon is an open test server, this feature will not be enabled at this time.
