OFFICIAL NEWS

Totally agree with this. People enjoy and value different parts of their experience in Ryzom. We're not clones.

Another precedent--and a very important one at that--is Myst Online: URU Live. For a while that game existed only on user-run shards accessed via a login server maintained by one employee of Cyan Worlds. That was enough to keep it alive until new commercial interest was found. When that commercial interest eventually failed (because of the publisher having plenty of money but not enough patience), Cyan gradually open-sourced portions of the game (or did they open all of it? I don't remember that detail) and once again ran their own server with the ongoing help of donations. Currently that official shard coexists with user-run shards.

I'll take the fact that we're not being censured as a sign that this might be ammenable.

For this to occur at any time in the near future, at the least we would need the existing server configs. They're considering deleting them anyway, so I don't see much of a loss there...

They could release the individual character/account configs to each player reguardless. Unique keys/encryption algorithms could be used to prevent (or make very difficult) altering of said character data. Retention of said keys until the character was used would be even more secure. This would offer at least some return on the player's time, effort, and monetary expense.
However,
Please consider this as a last resort.

If the current publisher will reconsider and take more considerate and professional measures towards its players, these options might have a chance to be implemented in a much more intelligent and professional manner--not to mention ethical, and artistic. It would seem that the idea of artistry has been lost on them recently.

Furthermore, any (or all) of the ideas expressed in the threads pertaining to this merge can/could be used at a later time in any number of ways that are better (and far less rushed) than this.

Atys (Axys) is alive. Living things should be preserved, and allowed to live out their existence...not destroyed.

I for one would love to get involved with a development team of friends from in-game to work on content for the game...and would resub for the ability to do so...and would add every bit of what I helped with to my CV.

^^ +1, but only if we get to keep our characters and shards, also making the transition to a new shard more story driven is almost a necessity...

edit:
wanted to reitterate that these options, though creative and innovative, are far less desirable than a unified effort concerning a server merge--arguably merging to an existing server (my preference is Aniro--largest player base, multilingual assistance etc.) would go much more smoothly and require a lot less work... Either way thanks for the response, as it shows WG that we can and will go it alone if we have to...

Well, in this case the variety of "levels" found in our existing characters becomes a boon for testing means...not many alphas get to start with such a diverse testing group. We then would have a choice to play our characters on the experimental server, or start over on the more stable official server that is allowed to cherry pick the best developments from the experimental server as well as receive official development.. Preferably people would be able to create and play new characters on both as a way to try and vote on new features.

I like the idea of WG combining the servers...after a period of cognitive dissonance, we will find equilibrium. And our stories will converge. The increase population will only be for the better in my opinion. I wish they would leave the leveling rate as is and cut the unsubbed rate in 1/2 though. And I am not against the removal of cats, I never really used them anyways except for crafting.

Maybe a combined effort from WG and a community server with events would be a good way.
Take the ideas of some horrible plague or massive Kitin invasion drove Hominkind to a new land.
The hard part would be for WG to make a player wipe on the Ryzom proper server correlate to a story line.
Maybe a retreat of the remaining Homins to Silan to regroup and gain ground to fight back when the Kitins think it is over. (rough ideas but I think that could be a starter point for other creative thoughts).

This would support the idea of a player server based off open source needs to be "new" to comply with the open source license.

"..... it frightened me. I saw myself standing there in my refugee outfit with no weapon, no amps, no armor and (ugh) no TPs. "

I wish advanced players could remember the great team play and the relativity of skill level. A job your size is always doable. As a level 20 player, there are still opportunities to help other players and practice one's own strengths. Many of us newbs (me less than a year) have appriciated a skillful player our own levels helping us with good strategy more than some advanced help based on brute strength alone. And it is in the trekking over land that Atys' beuaty is brightest. I say all this because although I have always appreciated so many players helping me, I have also had toons hurt by elitism. I speak emphatically because if we are so unhappy with the idea of being a newb, it might contribute to more pity than respect for those that are newbs now.

a testing server would save time and support costs, but do you really think paid players are going to stand for their characters being relegated to testing when an option to transfer them existed?? I think not...

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no, not in favor of "twinking" or "power lvling" just to gain levels quickly (which is the type of play the current plan encourages). ryzom has and can do much better than that...

This might be Laom, but I have been playing Ryzom since a year after release and I only have one skill over 200...and it is not a Master...because I do not play to grind nor grind to play. I play to have fun and if levels happen, great. I think it is important to remember that not all vets are advanced players are elitists...nor do they all have 60 masters. But, even though I might not have any masters, I do have 5 or so years of gained experience with my character. I have no interest in either grinding or waiting another 5 years to enjoy the content I can enjoy now. And I have only found the necessity for team work and cooperation increase as I have gained levels.

Read most of the posts here, and yeah, the wipe idea kinda sucks... but...

I could certainly get along with the idea of restarting if a few other things change as well.  Material locations, critters, etc.  That'd be the only way in my mind to make it fun again, and even the playing field a tad for vet and newbie alike.

One of the fondest moments I have of the game goes way make to November of 2004, right around Thanksgiving time.  Was bored and killing some time, met up with Gfunk and we tried to run through Loria...  Now a days a walk, or rather tour, of Loria will also include mat locations, watch out for this critters path here, that one over there and so on.

Move everything around, change zone levels, add some rare hard to get to supreme spots above ground, have a KP occasionally visit the stables for a snack...

No need to say it, I'll head back to my corner now.

Times sure have changed. I remember when Ryzom was going thru bankruptcy a lot of us were just hoping we'ld get Ryzom back in some form.
At least Winchgate isn't ( as far as we know ) waiting till they are out of money and have to go into bankruptcy.
I doubt Winchgate is doing this lightly or just to maximize profits, they most likely feel they really need to do it in order to have a chance to develop Ryzom they way they would like to.
It's very hard to take a character wipe, certainly gonna be tough for me.
However, after I just accepted that Winchgate would most likely go thru with their stated plans -- I sort of got excited about the prospect of starting up new on a fresh server, and I'm getting more and more excited about it myself.
I just remember it could be a lot worse with maybe a year tied up in bankruptcy courts and then a new company ( if we are lucky ) and then maybe a fresh restart anyways.

That is a good point Glaz...while I have no interest in starting over, I wish those who think it would be fun the best of luck...and if they decide to continue along their planned trajectory, I wish the community and WG the best of luck.

My concern, if that is your interest...starting over, even if they let us keep our levels, you are always welcome to delete them and start over if that is what you are excited for. One option allows for both...the other limits options to the most limiting one. Why you would not err on the side of allowing customers the greatest options is beyond me.

I hate to say this as Ill just get flamed again im sure but someone needs to...

Ryzom will _NEVER_ be what WG wants it to be. It will Never be popular. It was always be novelty. This is the year 2012 folx. The competition will just smash ryzom into utter obvlivion without even trying. The MMO on my phone has 100x more subscribers lol.

None of this is a bad thing. Its what I love MOST about Ryzom. I dont want to login to Ryzom and have it feel like im in Stormwind. But the thought that WG has a chance here and thats the reasons for these changes is just unreasonable.