Custom Server - Can this be done?

[reefcrazed]

I was never a DAoC player, never really liked PvP at all. I have always been a PvE person. I have done a lot of game developing, been doing it for five years now, I am very fluent in C++, C#, Lua, Perl, php and MySQL so I am not afraid of getting my hands dirty so to speak. Before I start digging into the database and code, I am hoping someone can answer this and save me hours of getting familiar if the base game cannot do this.

I have thoughts of setting up a pure PVE server but use the realm vs realm aspect in a different way, yet to be determined. So on to the question. What can be changed as far as the existing classes and races? Maybe it has already be done, maybe not but can you change the makeup of classes, stats, spells, abilities? How about the naming of the classes on the client? I would imagine the entire database could be cleared of NPC's and done from scratch, including pathing of said NPC's.

Now on to the second question. This game has always been PvP, or I should say RvR. Has anyone launched a pure PvE server and did it fair well? If I put time and effort into this I would at least want a small amount of players, I would not expect 50+ but would it attract a constant 30+ when done?

[Graveen]

Naming of classes is IIRC possible - but need to be checked.
Recipes on craft are client side.

[Dinberg]

All class abilities/specs/skills are defined in the database/code, so these can all be customised

[reefcrazed]

Sorry, I missed this last reply. So you can actually change what the player sees under character creation?

[dargon]

Under character creation. No. Ingame. Yes... custom races can also be done using and ingane npc (which i have a working npc to do so) infact most of what i do is custom. If you wouls like i can show you around somr of whay ive been working on Forsaken Worlds which is a pure custom server. And i can share with you tips, and code to help you on your way

[reefcrazed]

As I mentioned, I was never a DAOC player. So with the current engine what can be done? I have no issues coding, I can code in most languages, very fluent in MySQL. The biggest thing is what can be done in the current engine. Was player housing every implemented in the game? How many NPC races / textures currently exist? How is NPC pathing, is it currently fluid or choppy?

[dargon]

server side ANYTHING is possible. Your limitation is the client. Its illeagal to mod the client. There is like 50some classes and maybe 20 races currently? Adding more is easy but to become one in the game has to be done after character creation not before. The ingame world can be a daoc copy or a whole new game with enough imagination time and code.

Npc pathing is choppy, we lack server side wall boundries, but their AI system is pretty fluid allowong anything again to be possible (i've even seen NPC Gamemasters that can correctly respond to appeals and fix basic ingame issues)

[reefcrazed]

Thanks!

So another question. I see where there is an official server where NPC's hold areas. Is this currently coded in or will I have to do that?

[dargon]

If a keep is held by realm 0 on a RvR server its held by npc's keeps on pve servere and pvp servers are not properlly implemented i believe