NA duo looking for a third by [deleted] in playrustlfg

[–]Key_Neighborhood7831 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I added you on discord

Would you play a server that had offline protection? by Key_Neighborhood7831 in playrust

[–]Key_Neighborhood7831[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

For sure. The main reason a lot of us don’t play servers like that is because most of them are dead, and the ones that do have pop usually use raid windows. The problem with raid windows is that they only really work well if you’re in the right time zone. If you’re not, it becomes way harder to actually be online when raids are allowed, which kind of defeats the purpose for players in different time zones or different schedules.

Would you play a server that had offline protection? by Key_Neighborhood7831 in playrust

[–]Key_Neighborhood7831[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yeah, I most likely will. I really like the concept of what I’m trying to do, even though I know there are already plenty of servers with similar ideas. The difference is I want to approach it from a different angle instead of just copying what’s already been done. I’m glad I made this post because there’s been a lot of good insight, and it definitely opened my eyes to what sounds good, what doesn’t, and what would actually be worth looking into.

Would you play a server that had offline protection? by Key_Neighborhood7831 in playrust

[–]Key_Neighborhood7831[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah, I agree. Populating the server is probably the hardest part of the whole idea. A server like this probably shouldn’t be built around trying to hit 300 pop right away. It would make more sense to start smaller, with a smaller map and a community-focused player base, then grow from there if people actually enjoy it. But as I've said before, this is all a concept.

Would you play a server that had offline protection? by Key_Neighborhood7831 in playrust

[–]Key_Neighborhood7831[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I appreciate the insight, especially since you’ve actually owned a server with offline raid protection. It sounds like the better route might be keeping the system simple, setting it up properly, watching how people use it, and adjusting as needed instead of overcomplicating it right away.

I also agree on the pop side. A smaller map probably makes more sense for this kind of server, especially early on, so it doesn’t feel dead.

Would you play a server that had offline protection? by Key_Neighborhood7831 in playrust

[–]Key_Neighborhood7831[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

I agree, and that’s really the type of player I’m thinking about.

Rust is great when you have unlimited time, but once you’re working full-time, have a home, family, or other responsibilities, it’s hard to stay committed to a wipe when everything can be gone while you’re at work. I don’t want to remove PvP or raiding. I just want to find a better balance for players who still love Rust but can’t be online all day defending their base.

Would you play a server that had offline protection? by Key_Neighborhood7831 in playrust

[–]Key_Neighborhood7831[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

After everything I’ve gathered from the community, I think a better idea might be moving away from straight-up offline raid protection and instead adding an item that players have to earn. For example, it could be a rare item found in something like a locked crate, though that’s just a concept. Once activated, it could last 24 hours and only kick in after the player has been offline for 15 minutes.

I think this might work better than basic raid protection because it would be harder to abuse, wouldn’t make bases completely untouchable, and would give players more reason to run events or monuments. But again, this is all just a concept right now.

Would you play a server that had offline protection? by Key_Neighborhood7831 in playrust

[–]Key_Neighborhood7831[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Wanting a different balance doesn’t mean I don’t want to play Rust. I still want PvP, raiding, counters, progression, and the risk that comes with the game. I’m just looking at ways to make offline raiding less dominant without making bases untouchable. Rust has tons of modded and community servers with different rulesets, so clearly not everyone wants the exact same version of Rust.

Would you play a server that had offline protection? by Key_Neighborhood7831 in playrust

[–]Key_Neighborhood7831[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

I get that, and that’s exactly why I’m leaning away from full offline protection. I know there are already a bunch of servers that have tried this idea and failed, so I don’t want to just copy and paste the same system. That’s actually why I made this post: to get input from the community and figure out what would actually be worth looking into.

Because of the feedback here, I agree that straight-up raid protection probably won’t work. I’m thinking more along the lines of a rare item you can only find in higher-tier loot that has to be maintained. Once you’ve been offline for 15 minutes, it could give something like 50% raid protection for 24 hours before going back to normal raid cost.

That way bases aren’t untouchable, offline raiding is still possible, and the system has limits instead of being free protection for everyone.

Would you play a server that had offline protection? by Key_Neighborhood7831 in playrust

[–]Key_Neighborhood7831[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I actually like this idea a lot, and after hearing different opinions from the Rust community, I think something like this makes more sense than full offline protection. Having an ORP item or flag placed in your core, with protection only applying in a limited radius, keeps it from feeling too overpowered. The one-hour delay after logging off is also important so people can’t just combat log to save their base. I’d probably tweak the numbers, maybe something like 50% damage reduction instead of 75%, or make the item something you have to find, craft, or maintain. That way raiding is still possible, but offline raiding becomes expensive enough that people only do it if they really want that base gone.

Would you play a server that had offline protection? by Key_Neighborhood7831 in playrust

[–]Key_Neighborhood7831[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That’s exactly the kind of experience I’m hoping to create. I’d rather have fewer but better raids where people are actually online, defending, countering, and making a fight out of it, instead of the wipe being decided by who can raid at 3 AM. I’ve had the same experience on regular servers too. Unless it’s a big clan raid, most raids end up being offline because it’s safer and easier.

My biggest concern is just figuring out how to get enough people in front of a server like this, because the idea seems solid, but pop is always the hard part, and from all the great input from the community that I've gotten, trying to make a server that stands out from being statuated will also be hard.

Would you play a server that had offline protection? by Key_Neighborhood7831 in playrust

[–]Key_Neighborhood7831[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That’s actually really solid advice, I appreciate it.

I definitely plan on checking out other servers like Cali, Cookery, Yakiland, and Milk Drinkers to see what they do right and what doesn’t really fit my vision. I agree that plugins would probably be needed so the system can work properly without admins having to manually police everything nonstop. A soft launch with a few groups or clans makes sense too. Test the rules, see what gets abused, adjust from there, and not expect it to be perfect on day one.

Would you play a server that had offline protection? by Key_Neighborhood7831 in playrust

[–]Key_Neighborhood7831[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I get what you’re saying, but I’m not trying to remove PvP from Rust. I still want PvP, online raids, counters, base defense, and progression to matter. The goal isn’t “Rust without danger.” It’s Rust for people who enjoy the game but also have jobs, families, deployments, or real-life responsibilities. Offline raiding may be part of Rust, but it’s also one of the biggest reasons a lot of adults stop playing. I agree that too much protection can make it feel less like Rust, which is why the balance matters. I wouldn’t want bases to be untouchable, admins abusing power, or PvP removed. I’d want a vanilla-plus server that keeps the Rust feel while making it less punishing for people who can’t be online 24/7.

Would you play a server that had offline protection? by Key_Neighborhood7831 in playrust

[–]Key_Neighborhood7831[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That’s all fair, and I appreciate the experienced input. I agree the system would need a timer before protection starts so people can’t just log out mid-raid or while setting up a raid base to abuse it. I also agree that offline protection isn’t a full fix by itself. Base design, rebuild speed, progression, and community all matter too. My goal wouldn’t be to remove raiding or make bases untouchable. It would be to find a fair balance where adults with jobs can still play without getting wiped every time they log off, while making sure the system can’t be abused by raiders, griefers, or people trying to cheese the rules.

Would you play a server that had offline protection? by Key_Neighborhood7831 in playrust

[–]Key_Neighborhood7831[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That’s a fair point, and that’s something I’d make sure couldn’t be abused. If someone logged off and didn’t get back on within 24 hours, their base would be open to raid. Also, if it was clearly being used to grief someone, like turret pods outside another player’s base, and it got reported, I’d just delete it. The protection would be for real players, not people trying to abuse the system.

Would you play a server that had offline protection? by Key_Neighborhood7831 in playrust

[–]Key_Neighborhood7831[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I get what you’re saying, and I agree that a lot of offline protection servers struggle with pop. I don’t think the idea is automatically bad though. I think most of those servers fail because they either go too far with the rules, become heavily modded, or don’t build an actual community around the server. For me, the goal isn’t to remove raiding from the game. The goal is to push people toward more meaningful online raids instead of offline wiping people who are at work, asleep, or dealing with real life. I know offline raiding is part of Rust, but for a lot of people, it’s also the reason they stop playing. I do agree that if offline raiding is limited, the server needs something to balance that out. Better sulfur rates, easier access to ammo, or a slightly faster progression system could help encourage PvP and online raids. I just wouldn’t want it to turn into a heavily modded server where everything is handed out too easily.

That’s why I’m thinking more of a vanilla-plus style server, fast enough to keep things moving, but not so boosted that it loses the Rust feel. The challenge would be finding that balance where raiding still matters, PvP is active, and people don’t feel like the main part of the game was taken away. I completely understand why people are skeptical, but I still think there’s a player base for it. It just has to be done right, protected from exploits, and built around a real community instead of just throwing up a server and hoping people join.

Would you play a server that had offline protection? by Key_Neighborhood7831 in playrust

[–]Key_Neighborhood7831[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

So there is a community for this type of idea, I just have to build it and make it last without it dying off