[Rant] The Enshittification of Silkroad

We are in the "Enshittification of Silkroad" age now (although it's not exclusive to SRO). It feels like every other server in pserver advertising is either AI-generated slop or the same recycled cash grab with a different logo, 30 "unique" events and a $10,000 prize pool.

I mean... Just look at [Only registered and activated users can see links. Click Here To Register...] (he's not the only one [Only registered and activated users can see links. Click Here To Register...] [Only registered and activated users can see links. Click Here To Register...] [Only registered and activated users can see links. Click Here To Register...] [Only registered and activated users can see links. Click Here To Register...] [Only registered and activated users can see links. Click Here To Register...], he just produces the biggest crimes I could find. At this point it's just commercial AI slop or how he calls it the "AI era".
We might need a drivers license for a Claude subscription at this point.
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^^ You can't make that shit up ^^

But honestly, I think the problem is much bigger than AI. AI just accelerated something that has been happening to this community for well over a decade.

It's like [iSRO becomes flooded with gold bots] -> [People start playing Private servers] -> [Public vSRO leak] -> [PServer flood] -> [Commercial services like vSRO Plus start to exist] -> [People complaining about every vSRO Plus server being the same] (< at this point a lot of people were already talking about enshittification) -> [Every server now has "seasons"] -> [10.000$ PRICE POOL] -> [AI Slop era]

It's ironic that we originally created private servers to escape what iSRO had become and now we have basically recreated the same thing, except worse and with 5 new grand openings every Friday.

It feels like we're approaching Silkroad's death as a game rather than just as a commercial product. It feels like most of the people that are still actively playing the game are just playing for profit - not because the game is fun.

Server owners are adding fake players ([Only registered and activated users can see links. Click Here To Register...]), stuff that no one needs or wants (like for real - who the fuck asked for a Battle Pass?), and the biggest thing that incentivises players is the $$$ of the "price pool". Servers die after 2 weeks - 1 month and the cycle repeats.
Basically the private server scene has become a worse version of what iSRO was for the last 15 years.

And now we also have what feels like 20 different slop rewrite projects :pepeclown: (now in Unreal, Unity & Godot), completely ignoring the fact that a rewrite does not automatically add any gameplay benefit (besides some technical bits like 64-bitness) compared to the original game + devkit. You can't even argue that having a new engine gives you better control because you're not the ones controlling shit, your AI agent does.

The main question you should ask yourself is what any of that actually adds to the gameplay, and whether people even want "different" gameplay for a game that most people only still care about because of nostalgia at this point.

I don't know when we reached the point where everybody wants to recreate Silkroad, but seemingly nobody is particularly interested in making Silkroad a better game.

To be clear: I am absolutely not against AI, new features, selling your work or game-rewrites. I am against confusing the quantity of slop produced with actual progress. It just feels like there is a huge disconnect between the private-server owners (not calling them developers on purpose) and the actual player community. It's really nice that your server has a new engine, new race, new map, "overhauled" interfaces and even more complicated systems. It's a race of who can advertise more features, more events and more ways to monetize the game. I can't imagine playing on a server without Last man standing, defend the tower, pvp matching, unique matching, lucky party (because it's one of the most fun mechanics to create and delete party matching entries), lucky stalls (because it's fun creating stalls!), lucky global (because it's fun paying real money for a global for the small chance to win some silk), trivia questions with the same 100 answers, Jackpot, 10 different versions of survival arenas, tower defense, battle royale and of course League of Legends (because what would Silkroad be without the MOBA aspect???).
Meanwhile, the actual systems that made Silkroad interesting in the first place (trading, tri-job, guild rivalries, progression you had to 'work' [;)] for, economy that does not reset every 3 weeks) - are treated like afterthoughts (or not at all).
We've somehow reached the point where your Silkroad server can have 30 custom events, 15 different rankings and a literal casino, but the most interesting thing you can do as a trader is still walking from Jangan to Donwhang with 5km/h. But hey, at least I can participate in the 67th trivia event by typing "Sydney" to a bot while my character slowly walks across the map, watching my pet potions disappear one by one while being chased by 10 NPC thieves. That's what Silkroad really was missing

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^Sick editing skills btw. Don't call it Beta / unfinished if you already charge 2000$ for it.

or

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or

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this? Like... YES! GREAT! I WILL PLAY THIS SERVER BECAUSE IF I PAY MORE MONEY, I BECOME MORE POWERFUL! THAT'S THE GAMEPLAY I AM (literally) STARVING FOR!!!

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Yes please. Magic POP was not enough gambling for me yet. Please add literal slot machines in every city. I want to play Book of Ra and inside my fantasy MMORPG. Maybe you can get a sponsorship from Stake or something.

@ServerOwners Can we also please make Auto-Equipment more powerful? I feel like I should be able to start in Hotan with level 1, can insta-kill every mob for my daily quest, instantly become level 120 and take away the whole game from my game and only focus on selling my drops in my silk stall so I can sell it for real money because that's the whole reason of the "Open Market" system and the minimum Silk $ price you're mentioning in your rules. But let's only allow Macro bot because having phbot & SBot ruins the whole game experience.

At some point you should stop rewarding people for announcing half-baked AI slop and start rewarding people for actually finishing something properly. Otherwise I don't see where this community is going.

AI can help you build things, but AI can't make your server fun.

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Spot on! The endless cycle of server hopping and cash grabs has completely overshadowed what made Silkroad special in the first place. Also, the VIP system is so funny to me xD. Want 20% more damage? Just donate $500 a month!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Grumpt Spot on! The endless cycle of server hopping and cash grabs has completely overshadowed what made Silkroad special in the first place. Also, the VIP system is so funny to me xD. Want 20% more damage? Just donate $500 a month!

what's wrong with paying 500$ a month for extra 20% power? Genuinely asking.

Quote:

Originally Posted by leo2111 what's wrong with paying 500$ a month for extra 20% power? Genuinely asking.

Nothing wrong with it. Personally, I think chess would be much more fun if you could pay $500 a month to have your pawns move like queens.

Imagine having to actually play the game (and be good at it) to get an advantage instead of just pulling out your credit card.

Quote:

Originally Posted by goosecrypt Nothing wrong with it. Personally, I think chess would be much more fun if you could pay $500 a month to have your pawns move like queens. Imagine having to actually play the game (and be good at it) to get an advantage instead of just pulling out your credit card.

You're comparing chess, a game where everyone starts with identical resources, to an MMORPG, where character progression, gear, and stat advantages are literally part of the game.

Someone who grinds 12 hours a day can have a massive advantage over someone who plays 2 hours. Does that automatically make them more skilled? No.

Paying $500( exaggerated amount anyway ) for 20% extra power doesn't magically make a bad player good, just like having better gear doesn't guarantee a win.

You can argue that buying power is unfair, and that's a valid opinion. But comparing a 20% stat boost to turning pawns into queens is a ridiculous exaggeration.

The real question is whether MMORPGs should reward only skill, or also time and money invested. Or maybe we should start questioning those who invented mmorpgs, why they did not design the game, as same as a chess game....

Quote:

Originally Posted by leo2111 You're comparing chess, a game where everyone starts with identical resources, to an MMORPG, where character progression, gear, and stat advantages are literally part of the game. Someone who grinds 12 hours a day can have a massive advantage over someone who plays 2 hours. Does that automatically make them more skilled? No. Paying $500( exaggerated amount anyway ) for 20% extra power doesn't magically make a bad player good, just like having better gear doesn't guarantee a win. You can argue that buying power is unfair, and that's a valid opinion. But comparing a 20% stat boost to turning pawns into queens is a ridiculous exaggeration. The real question is whether MMORPGs should reward only skill, or also time and money invested. Or maybe we should start questioning those who invented mmorpgs, why they did not design the game, as same as a chess game....

$500 wasn't an exaggerated amount. 5,000 Premium Silk is literally $500, and that's the threshold for Platinum on iSRO.
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I am well aware that this does not automatically mean that server owners have the same silk price or thresholds.
But +20% bonus damage is reserved for the top 10 spenders, so you could potentially spend significantly more than that and we both know that people are spending way above 1000$ on servers...
And yes, OBVIOUSLY chess and Silkroad aren't the same game. The analogy was exaggerated on purpose to illustrate how ridiculous buying a direct competitive advantage can be.
Nobody said MMORPGs should reward skill alone. Grinding, luck, alchemy (which is also luck lol) and better gear are all part of SRO gameplay. That's literally the whole point of the game.
Someone spending 12 hours grinding for better equipment is participating in the game's progression system. Someone spending $500 to receive a direct stat advantage is purchasing power outside that system.
And no, paying for 20% more damage doesn't automatically make a bad player good. It doesn't have to. It gives them an advantage over an otherwise equally equipped and equally skilled player simply because they paid more.
If we both had the exact same skill level, same gear, same class and I only win because I spent 500$, that's just bullshit.
That's the difference.
And the reason so many MMORPGs have ended up with P2W systems isn't because spending money is an essential part of the genre. It's because selling power is profitable.
If server owners would make the exact same amount of money without introducing P2W mechanics, most of them wouldn't bother implementing them in the first place. Let's not pretend these systems exist because they make the game better. They exist because they generate more revenue.
And if buying combat power was somehow a fundamental MMORPG mechanic, why doesn't WoW simply sell a +20% attack buff to its biggest spenders?
I'm not defending WoW here. The WoW Token arguably introduces P2W elements by allowing players to purchase gold, and character boosts let players skip parts of the progression. But there's still a huge difference between monetising progression and directly awarding exclusive combat bonuses based on how much money someone spends.

The same goes for games like FFXIV or GW2. Neither is completely free from questionable monetisation, but they don't need a VIP system that rewards the biggest spenders with additional combat stats.
And inventing increasingly ridiculous ways to monetise Silkroad instead of improving the actual gameplay was literally one of the main points of my post.
Instead of asking how to make trading, PvP, progression or the economy more fun, we're discussing whether someone should be able to buy 20% more damage.

The fact that we're even having this discussion is a good illustration of how absurd this kind of monetisation has become.

Edit: fixed a typo

Quote:

Originally Posted by goosecrypt $500 wasn't an exaggerated amount. 5,000 Premium Silk is literally $500, and that's the threshold for Platinum on iSRO. [Only registered and activated users can see links. Click Here To Register...] I am well aware that this does not automatically mean that server owners have the same silk price or thresholds. But +20% bonus damage is reserved for the top 10 spenders, so you could potentially spend significantly more than that and we both know that people are spending way above 1000$ on servers... And yes, OBVIOUSLY chess and Silkroad aren't the same game. The analogy was exaggerated on purpose to illustrate how ridiculous buying a direct competitive advantage can be. Nobody said MMORPGs should reward skill alone. Grinding, luck, alchemy (which is also luck lol) and better gear are all part of SRO gameplay. That's literally the whole point of the game. Someone spending 12 hours grinding for better equipment is participating in the game's progression system. Someone spending $500 to receive a direct stat advantage is purchasing power outside that system. And no, paying for 20% more damage doesn't automatically make a bad player good. It doesn't have to. It gives them an advantage over an otherwise equally equipped and equally skilled player simply because they paid more. If we both had the exact same skill level, same gear, same class and I only win because I spent 500$, that's just bullshit. That's the difference. And the reason so many MMORPGs have ended up with P2W systems isn't because spending money is an essential part of the genre. It's because selling power is profitable. If server owners would make the exact same amount of money without introducing P2W mechanics, most of them wouldn't bother implementing them in the first place. Let's not pretend these systems exist because they make the game better. They exist because they generate more revenue. And if buying combat power was somehow a fundamental MMORPG mechanic, why doesn't WoW simply sell a +20% attack buff to its biggest spenders? I'm not defending WoW here. The WoW Token arguably introduces P2W elements by allowing players to purchase gold, and character boosts let players skip parts of the progression. But there's still a huge difference between monetising progression and directly awarding exclusive combat bonuses based on how much money someone spends. The same goes for games like FFXIV or GW2. Neither is completely free from questionable monetisation, but they don't need a VIP system that rewards the biggest spenders with additional combat stats. And inventing increasingly ridiculous ways to monetise Silkroad instead of improving the actual gameplay was literally one of the main points of my post. Instead of asking how to make trading, PvP, progression or the economy more fun, we're discussing whether someone should be able to buy 20% more damage. The fact that we're even having this discussion is a good illustration of how absurd this kind of monetisation has become. Edit: fixed a typo

You're missing my point.

I never claimed that paying $500 for 20% extra damage is fair to someone who doesn't pay. Of course it's an advantage. That's literally what you're paying for.

But why do you automatically consider spending 12 hours a day grinding for better gear a legitimate advantage, while spending money is somehow unacceptable?

You say grinding is part of the game's progression system. Fair enough. But who decides what that progression system should include? The server owner does.

Silkroad has never been a purely skill-based game. Gear, alchemy, builds, time investment and luck have always influenced PvP outcomes. Two equally skilled players can already have completely different results because one has better equipment.

Your argument essentially comes down to believing that investing time should be rewarded, but investing money shouldn't. That's a preference, not some universal rule of MMORPG design.

And let's not ignore the reality of private servers. Hosting, development, protection, maintenance and advertising cost money. Players want stable servers, frequent updates and quality features, but someone has to pay for all of that.

Could a server survive purely on cosmetics? Maybe. But that doesn't mean every Silkroad community would financially support that model.

As for WoW, FFXIV and GW2, comparing established games backed by major companies to privately funded Silkroad servers isn't particularly convincing.

I'm not saying a 20% damage bonus is perfectly balanced, or that every server should implement it. I'm saying that if a private server openly advertises its monetisation model, players understand what they're getting into and willingly choose to participate, what's inherently wrong with that?

You don't have to like P2W. Nobody is forcing you to play on such a server.

But there's a difference between saying "I personally dislike paying for advantages" and claiming that nobody should be allowed to enjoy a game that offers them.

Not every server needs to follow your preferred definition of fair progression, as a server owner, ppl will never be satisfied with your server options...

I'm a silkroad veteran player, as well a part of a team which is a server owner, I've seen many things, as well the so called fairness , nothing worked... Hurts tons to see what SRO turned into, within this private server community, that's why my reply was to the guy who commented your post, I agree with whatever you posted and the topic...