The real problem why EU populations are low?
By
Alvan,
Posted on: 2008-12-07 16:55 in CoH and CoV General Discussions
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Now someone's gonna shout "GR SAID NOT TO DISCUSS IT!" but this is a why it's low,
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I blame the incessant, pointless and badly argued doom threads giving the impression that the EU servers are dead and barren.
doooooooooom! + 1
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Day Jobs: Don't think newbies should be making 23 alts just yet
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Speaking from personal experience, I spent the first month of my game time making alts before I settled on a character I like. Alting is a big part of CoH, so I disagree here
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Merit System: The newbies probably dont even understand Story Arcs/TFs/GMs yet.
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Given that newbies to CoH, aren't necessarily going to be newbies to MMOs, there's a good chance they'll understand about contacts and the missions mechanic. Given also that in i13 you get a big message when you log in saying "Joe Bloggs wants to talk to you", it shouldn't take them long to grasp the idea, and once they've done an arc, got the reward for it, the rest they can probably work out for themselves.
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Levelling Pact: OK it might, but it would take a while to figure out this.
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No different to any of the other more complex game mechanics. It's a game "feature", and not one any other MMO has (at least afaik)
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New Cimerora Stuff: I'm sure no-one got to lvl 35 in about a week of first time playing or so.
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True, but it means that the zone is rich in content and things for them to do when they DO get there
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Multi Builds: Yeah, I'm pretty sure they won't use this instantly either.
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Neither will I. I'm not leaving any time soon either.
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New Powersets: Yes, they will use this. I can't deny it. But there is a LOAD of other powersets...these are two.
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Adding to the possible combinations and increasing the likelihood of players finding something they like, will settle with and thus keep playing.
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Base and PvE and PvP Changes: I'm not sure people get involved with Bases early on, and PvE and PvP numbers will pretty much confuse new players.
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Why? If they're new, they've got nothing to compare it with. Additionally new players don't really care about the numbers, just "If I hit him with this power, what happens?"
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So...do you see? There seems to be little to attract new players to the game in I13.
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I will agree that i13 is a little on the light side in terms of shinies, but not every issue in CoH's history has been one to bring out the brass band and fanfare it's greatness. Like every issue, it has a little bit of something for everyone. New powers, new badges, new content, some nice little "extras" and QoL stuff. You might not like the additions, but there could plenty of other people that do.
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Personally, and this is just my far from expert opinion here, but one of the problems stopping newer players coming and staying are the stupid amount of threads of this nature, always claiming that the game is in real trouble, that the up coming competition will wipe out the community as we all move on to CO or the DC comics based equivalent (which is so awesome I can't even remember the name of it) and the like. Seriously, it's getting really old.
Recently Tabula Rasa shut down and the players were, IIRC, given game time for any of NCNC's other online games. A similar thing happened at Memo' this year, with masses of CoV collectors edition's being handed out. Now, how many of the people who thought they'd give CoX a try do you really think are gonna stick around if all they heard are cries of doom and failure? The Tabula Rasa crowd are far from likely to hang around waiting for another game to close from under them so they'd head off, I know I would in their shoes after reading some of the tripe that seems to make up the bulk of the doom posts.
Why not give it a rest and try pointing out some of the games better features? Sure it looks dated, and the same old office map can and will get boring in short measure, but why tell that to someone you want to stick around when you could be telling them about how awesoe a group of AoE crazy blasters look as they hide the map with cool, shiny explosions and powers that actually make the player gasp in wonder at the sight?
How about highlighting the insane number of possible characters that can be made within any single AT, never mind across the entire range? Why not mention the community organised events like costume competitions, the beach parties, hell just the community in general since it's by far and away the best I've been a part of since starting with MMO's back in '95 on Ultima Online
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@FloatingFatMan
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
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Why not give it a rest and try pointing out some of the games better features? Sure it looks dated, and the same old office map can and will get boring in short measure, but why tell that to someone you want to stick around when you could be telling them about how awesoe a group of AoE crazy blasters look as they hide the map with cool, shiny explosions and powers that actually make the player gasp in wonder at the sight?
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Good point, Ves.
Alright, question for anyone wondering if there's any 'fun stuff' in this game compared to other MMOs: In how many other MMOs can a group of "H34L0RZ" go on an insane rampage literally walking through everything that is thrown their way? Ves will know what I'm talking about. For those who don't, a short while ago a group of us decided to a) play on Defiant (ZOMG!) and b) all roll Defenders, every week, regularly. We're currently around 24th level, and we just wiped Nocturne out without breaking a sweat. Again.
Now, I'm pretty much an MMO virgin, with very little exposure to any other than this one, but, from my limited understanding, the breadth and depth of the ATs in this game puts other games to shame. It's not heavily formalised, it's not based around "L337" spec - it's about having fun, with what you have and what you make. I've never not had fun learning a new powerset combo. Maybe that's because I know that Tanks don't suit me so I'm not going to roll one in a hurry, but that leaves me a LOT of scope for other possible characters.
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The EU side of CoX may be limited in its size of community but the overall quality of the community beats pretty much every MMO I've ever played and I've been playing MMOs a long long time.
As yet I've not got a character past level 30 due to the fact that this game is made for those of us that love alts.
Sure its not the newest of games and in parts it might be a tad dated but it is great for unwinding after a long day.
Also love the fact that pvp (not my personal fav) isn't forced upon those that don't want to do it.
You can group as much as you want or you can pretty much solo to 50.
At the end of the day everyone can play this game how they want at their own pace...sure there are some FOTM builds but you don't have to use them to enjoy yourself.
I am really glad that CoX had the reactivation weekend, because tbh it was getting a bit boring trying to find a MMO that I could just sit back and relax with.
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Recently Tabula Rasa shut down and the players were, IIRC, given game time for any of NCNC's other online games. A similar thing happened at Memo' this year, with masses of CoV collectors edition's being handed out. Now, how many of the people who thought they'd give CoX a try do you really think are gonna stick around if all they heard are cries of doom and failure? The Tabula Rasa crowd are far from likely to hang around waiting for another game to close from under them so they'd head off, I know I would in their shoes after reading some of the tripe that seems to make up the bulk of the doom posts.
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From several i spoke in TR, many are waiting for the beta-acces of Aion. (all payed subs got beta acces and 1 month free-play in Aion, along with LA2 and COH time). When i did mention CoH, they made a fair point.
The game lacks QoL features. Traveling longer then actualy doing a mission is basicly retarted, crosszone teleporting is kinda impossible. The ammount of 'repetative' missions is beyond 'infinitive', Tabula did beat CoH on that point.
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Dang, I really thought this thread might be a joke that would cheer me up on this dreary morning. Instead it's another badly thought out DOOM thread. Ta ta.
Disclaimer: The above may be humerous, or at least may be an attempt at humour. Try reading it that way.
Posts are OOC unless noted to be IC, or in an IC thread.
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The game lacks QoL features. Traveling longer then actualy doing a mission is basicly retarted, crosszone teleporting is kinda impossible. The ammount of 'repetative' missions is beyond 'infinitive', Tabula did beat CoH on that point.
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Aside from the crosszone teleporting, WoW is FAR worse a culprit for these, yet manages about 12 million subscribers.
I'm pretty sure the QoL features have nothing to do with it; it's the genre. Superheroes or scifi combat just aren't as popular as swords and sorcery, and that's unlikely to change.
@FloatingFatMan
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
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The game lacks QoL features. Traveling longer then actualy doing a mission is basicly retarted, crosszone teleporting is kinda impossible. The ammount of 'repetative' missions is beyond 'infinitive', Tabula did beat CoH on that point.
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Well, i only played TR in beta so i dunno how i ended up being. But there were LOADS of tedius running in TR from mission objective to mission objective.
And to be honest, City of Heroes is not bad in that aspect really. World of Warcraft, Warhammer Online, Everquest etc are all far worse when it comes to travelling.
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Duskwallow Marsh: The sea monster fight.
Zul'Farrak: The top of the temple bit.
Honor Hold: The exorcism quest, the bombing runs.
Ebon Hold: The ship, the frost wyrm...
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All unavailable to new players, Z.
Disclaimer: The above may be humerous, or at least may be an attempt at humour. Try reading it that way.
Posts are OOC unless noted to be IC, or in an IC thread.
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IIRC correctly we'll be getting a graphics boost next year.
Was mentioned in one of Posi's interviews but my search-fu fails me right now.
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Interview at TenTonHammer: http://www.tentonhammer.com/node/49237
Some hints at what's coming for next year, as well, now that the new staff are settled in 
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Traveling longer then actualy doing a mission is basicly retarted
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Only a problem up to about lvl 5 where you can go of and get your raptor pack and then Zip from mission to mission and considering it only takes at most a hour to get to lvl 5 its hardly the majority of the game.
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The real problem why EU populations are low?
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Got the same game over here as they do in the US. Maybe there are less people playing over here becsuse there are simply more people in the US who want to play games online.
Or maybe it's because potential players looking for more information on CoX come to the forums and see DOOM! posts like the OPs and think, "This game is failing I'll go to WoW instead."
Bravo The_Phantoms! You're making things worse!
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Or maybe it's because potential players looking for more information on CoX come to the forums and see DOOM! posts like the OPs and think, "This game is failing I'll go to WoW instead."
Bravo The_Phantoms! You're making things worse!
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*Applause* (And the reason why I find 'doom' threads unhelpful.)
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Why should you? Theres more players on the US side: Well thats because these servers are our home servers. I tested out the US servers on a trial and while yes there are a lot more players, the welcome i received from the majority of players there was NOT to my liking (compared to here). Here in the EU, if you let yourself be known then you get to become part of the family and make a lot of friends, while in the US (in my short experience) you easily get lost amongst the crowd as such.
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I couldn't agree more.
Defiant:
Cunundrum, Defender (Generic Supergroup 101)
Other servers too.
New Global: @cunundrumEU
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Why should you? Theres more players on the US side: Well thats because these servers are our home servers. I tested out the US servers on a trial and while yes there are a lot more players, the welcome i received from the majority of players there was NOT to my liking (compared to here). Here in the EU, if you let yourself be known then you get to become part of the family and make a lot of friends, while in the US (in my short experience) you easily get lost amongst the crowd as such.
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I couldn't agree more.
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Noticed exactly the same in the US...
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Or maybe it's because potential players looking for more information on CoX come to the forums and see DOOM! posts like the OPs and think, "This game is failing I'll go to WoW instead."
Bravo The_Phantoms! You're making things worse!
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Don't forget they also see the "I'm of to the American servers because they have more people there" and so probably think to them selves "why should i join the EU when the US servers are better" and so do join the game but not on the EU servers
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Now someone's gonna shout "GR SAID NOT TO DISCUSS IT!" but this is a why it's low,
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I blame the incessant, pointless and badly argued doom threads giving the impression that the EU servers are dead and barren.
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This.
The rest of the OPs post is barely worthy of comment. I'm surprised it's generated as much interest as it has, frankly
Thelonious Monk
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The rest of the OPs post is barely worthy of comment. I'm surprised it's generated as much interest as it has, frankly
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I'd have to agree. I don't see anything there that's EU specific. Any comments about I13 not having much for new players would apply equally to new players in the US.
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The game lacks QoL features. Traveling longer then actualy doing a mission is basicly retarted, crosszone teleporting is kinda impossible. The ammount of 'repetative' missions is beyond 'infinitive', Tabula did beat CoH on that point.
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Aside from the crosszone teleporting, WoW is FAR worse a culprit for these, yet manages about 12 million subscribers.
I'm pretty sure the QoL features have nothing to do with it; it's the genre. Superheroes or scifi combat just aren't as popular as swords and sorcery, and that's unlikely to change.
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In gaming terms, probably, yeah. But I think part of the reason that WoW is so big and we aren't is that WoW was based on an already popular franchise and came out at a time when the fantasy MMOs already out were 'old' by MMO standards.
From there it just grew and grew due to word of mouth, then they stuck out some tv ads and now they're just so big that they don't even have to bother advertising, seeing as they get so much coverage everywhere.
If NC had made some good 'offline' games for a few years based on CoH, like Freedom Force or Marvel Ultimate Alliance, and then released CoH, it could possibly have done the same thing.
A single player action RPG based on CoH using Rockstar's city tech with an added Assassin's Creed style movement method for those who don't want to use the other travelling methods, if it's good, would do wonders for subs I think.
Though, you'd then have a bunch of new subscribers annoyed at the game not being as dynamic as the single player version, so you'd then have to upgrade the game, or release a sequel.
Would cost a lot too.
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I like the "not too busy, not too quiet" servers we have over here. We'll never reach the numbers of the US and everybody knows that really but like iv said in all of the 5000000 threads like this. . . . . . i prefer having a decent size community in which if you get a pug together that your almost guaranteed that 80% of the team will be decent PEOPLE.
Last month everyone knows that the game went through a dry spell with people getting bored but that happens every year at the same time (didnt help with this issue taking so frickin long). Everyyear its the same . . . .
October/november: Doom threads everywhere. OMG I ASKED 5 PEOPLE IF THEY WANT TO TEAM AND ONLY ONE REPLIED. This game is dead because a new MMO is out (every year).
November/december: Woo love this game threads. Congrats to the devs threads. Actually threads about people having fun.
December/january: Threads about winter event/ski slope challenges. Threads about the next issue + valentine event.
Early febuary: Mini doom threads (mini because theyr usually of poor quality).
Late febuary: Event threads + omg the devs hate the eu threads.
March: We all love this game again threads.
Every year its the same cycle and every year its the same answer.
A lot of us enjoy playing here on the EU side of the pond.
Why should you? Theres more players on the US side: Well thats because these servers are our home servers. I tested out the US servers on a trial and while yes there are a lot more players, the welcome i received from the majority of players there was NOT to my liking (compared to here). Here in the EU, if you let yourself be known then you get to become part of the family and make a lot of friends, while in the US (in my short experience) you easily get lost amongst the crowd as such.
Then the devs should market the game more to increase EU subs: We'r already getting an increase in webbased advertising and constant reviews in magazines. In one magazine (pc gamer i think?), they have a MMO pull out section every month which rates every MMO out there. Know what it says about COH? "one of the most fun MMOs you'll play". Now if thats not good advertising (every month) then show me what is. <<I know really whats needed is a poster/shelf presence but that'ld be for a big update surely>>
What do new players have to gain from joining EU side now? Apart from one of the best communities out there? Well (from union pov) theres a lot of highly active regular players that interact with the "newbies" a lot to make them feel more at ease, people like myself - healer hero - tenshi yami - deep earth - varla santana - lightning blaster and many more. By having people like these its easier for the new player to interact with people who are familiar with their "culture" as such. Every region has its own sense of humour as we all know.
The new content isnt enough though: We all know that issue 13 is way too light on content. Issue 14 with the MA will 100% fix any sort of content issues for both new and existing players. Like others have already said, it was hard for a new player to play through all the content from lvl 1 - 50 2 years ago! Now its impossible pratically. Im levelling up a new character (lvl 28 atm) and im struggling to decide which arcs i want to do before i outlvl them.
Merits are an awesome new reward system once you get used to it. Its now VERY easy to get a ton of money low level due to this and i for one am going to be using it a lot! (best merit comeback iv worked out so far is i can get 20 - 30 merits per hour on certain arcs)
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