So I've been thinking for a little while now whether it would be a good idea to revive XE. On a trip home this week I found a relatively recent version of the script, and apparently it would be easy enough to convert it into 0.4. In truth, it's quite a simple script, but it is one that has been honed and sharpened over about 10+ years to provide interesting, varied, balanced gameplay.
First a little history.
XE was started by Tommis, I believe, in 2006. He wrote the first script using irc. It may have had an MTA incarnation prior to that, but I don't remember exactly. In 2008, as it had become a haven for hackers, Tommis gave head admin status to ULK.HeAD. HeAD recruited a bunch of ULKs and people who didn't like LWs, and started administrating the server properly, putting Prontera and Bishop in the top spots. In 2009, HeAD made SGB the manager, SGB took over the hosting fees, and Aki was appointed a head admin. At the same time, I unofficially started acting as an advisor to HeAD via email, and he started acting as an advisor for SvM. I came back to VC:MP properly in 2010, and found that the XE scripts were essentially broken, there were almost no players, and most of the staff had deserted. There was no one left managing the server, as HeAD, Akiharu, SGB and Sephiroth (who had been brought into management at some point) had disappeared. So ULK.Vinny, myself, Tical and Venkat decided that we should act. I wrote a fresh script, based on the old XE model, in squirrel. The others helped test it, and then helped the relaunch of the server. The relaunch took a little time to gather steam, but after a month or two XE was back on top. Sephiroth and Aki came back, and HeAD started looking at the forum occasionally too. It was at this time, in 2011, that I was officially brought into management. Aki disappeared again, Vinny went psycho, and Venkat focused on his studies, leaving Sephiroth, Tical and I to run the show. It was not easy, as Seph and Tical hated each other, and Seph and I would argue frequently too. After Aki and Bishop came back, shit went very bad, and things imploded a little. There were thousands of behind-the-scenes arguments about racism, ULK bias and general stupidity. Shit went down between VU and ULK, and I quit management, but I left them with my script. Along with me went a lot of VUs and a few ULKs too, leaving the server slightly bare. I decided to leave them with my script, and after that, George was brought in. After that I don't know what happened.
Here's what I propose.
As a community we open and run XE again, with a new admin team, a new forum, and a new host. It will stand for the following values, which HeAD and I agreed on in 2009: equality of judgement (every player is judged on his or her individual merits, not on his or her clan); equal opportunity (everyone is able to apply to become a part of the XE staff, and to contribute to the shaping of the server); free, balanced gameplay (the number one goal in XE was to allow players to do whatever they wanted, as long as it was just as easy for a new player to do the same); openness and consultation (changes to the server will be communicated to the community, and will be open for discussion).
I do not have time to be the day-to-day manager of the server, nor be the scripter, nor be the webmaster. I can however oversee the server staff, including the management and admin team. I understand that people may not like this idea, however in reality I believe this is what it will take for XE to succeed again. I'm also willing to collaborate with George on this, if it is what the community would recommend.
I have a version of the script which was last updated in March 2012. That makes it a fairly recent one. Looking back now, it was not a very efficient or clean script, but it was a solid one. If a dedicated, trusted, active scripter could volunteer to convert it, then this could be easy to get off the ground.
One thing I do know, is that XE can never live again if it is under the current or old management system.
My problems and my questions
I'm a little out of touch. I only know the history of XE up until I left, and after that, I know nothing. It could be that this is a bad idea, and that it would be a better idea to try and support George and whoever else is currently trying to revive the server. I truly believe that is not the case, and that the old framework is broken, but if someone would like to bring to light some facts that might change this point of view, then they should.
So question one: do you know any reason why I and we shouldn't do this?
As I said I don't have time to convert the scripts, or maintain them. So...
Question two: are there any dedicated, active, trusted scripters who would be interested in doing this?
I also do not have time to set up hosting or the forum.
Question three: is anyone interested in this part of XE, of helping rebuild the backbone of the server?
But then, all of this has no point if people don't think there's any need or appetite for XE to come back. Ultimately, whilst XE occupied a unique position in terms of its features and community years ago, now there are servers who have identical and additional features, and communities to go with them to. So...
Question four: do you think this would work? Is there any room in VC:MP for XE today?
Topic: XE (Read 34673 times)