The real problem why EU populations are low?
By
Alvan,
Posted on: 2008-12-07 16:55 in CoH and CoV General Discussions
I think the main reason CoH numbers are falling is because numbers are low in all honesty.
More people are leaving as they find there friends leaving and find it hard to level new charecters without farming.
Merit system is helping a fair bit as far as ive seen because theres not as many people farming influence and more people farming TFs, which I think is a step in the right direction since TFs are just about the only sets of missions with any real diversity in them.
After you have hit level 30, you have most likely battled every villain group there is on most of the maps.
Mission creator should help with this, but its not going to attract a load of people i think because people would also prefer a reward for there missions thats actually worth something, i.e ITF costume pieces.
To get more players in first they will need to stabilise the player base and get a few vets back, that alone should attract a few more players back, mainly end game content.
Currently theres nothing except IOs and not everyone wants them.
If you cant keep your current playerbase happy, you arent going to attract new players simple as.
The real problem why EU populations are low?
Threads like this.
I'm agreeing with Artic here, STOP MAKING THESE [censored] THREADS ALREADY
They won't do that. People like Phantoms want CoX to fail. If he's moving to CO, he wants everyone else to go, otherwise he'll feel a bit of a fool. 
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.
He is a fool anyway, nevermind he'll feel like one.
No reason to start getting personal here.
If you dislike what he has to say don't read it or give some arguements why what he says is wrong.
Just speaking what I know alot of people think.
I never seen him foul mouthing people instead he keeps civil despite everything. He is willing to defend his views. He hardly ever just says something without arguments.
I wish we had more posters like him. You might dislike the message but that is not a good reason to shoot the messenger.
So please, prove that we are a good community and stay civil. Argue about what he is saying dont argue about the person saying it.
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The real problem why EU populations are low?
Threads like this.
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It's really not.
I highly doubt someone who isn't interested in the game is going to go looking on its forums and that someone who is interested in it will base whether or not they'll play it on what people post.
Heck, a lot of people trying it out won't even know that there IS a forum.
[url=http://vox-doom.deviantart.com]Take A Gander At This.[/url]
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Heck, a lot of people trying it out won't even know that there IS a forum.
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Everyone, without exception, is told about the forum. Both when they get their registration email AND every time they start the launcher. They might not GO to the forum, but they know they exist.
@FloatingFatMan
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
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The real problem why EU populations are low?
Threads like this.
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It's really not.
I highly doubt someone who isn't interested in the game is going to go looking on its forums and that someone who is interested in it will base whether or not they'll play it on what people post.
Heck, a lot of people trying it out won't even know that there IS a forum.
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I agree with this. The reason I got into the game was because I read a favourable 4 page review in a gaming magazine and it ticked all the boxes at the time. I didnt look at the forums before signing up. Heck i played for 5 months before i even signed up for them.
These threads are, in my humble opinion, not going to be turning away the number of potential players that you believe.
I believe that the game suffers from being relatively unknown. I know plenty of "gamers" who've barely heard of the old girl. One can imagine that alot of potential players who then hear about the game are then turned away either by the game's age (whether it looks dated or not) or its niche concept - superheroes (no matter how encompassing the game actually is).
All in my opinion of course.
@Jaw Dropper - Toons of all levels so drop me a line!
Imaginary Inc.
Twitter me!
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Heck, a lot of people trying it out won't even know that there IS a forum.
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Everyone, without exception, is told about the forum. Both when they get their registration email AND every time they start the launcher. They might not GO to the forum, but they know they exist.
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I've come across people in-game who have said they didn't know there were forums. Some people just don't pay attention to things like that.
tl;dr remember?
[url=http://vox-doom.deviantart.com]Take A Gander At This.[/url]
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Heck, a lot of people trying it out won't even know that there IS a forum.
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Everyone, without exception, is told about the forum. Both when they get their registration email AND every time they start the launcher. They might not GO to the forum, but they know they exist.
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Everyone is told they aren't allowed to make copyright violating clones every time the start the game, but that doesn't mean they have actually read any of it and know they can't.
Just because someone is given pointers to something, do not assume that they actually bother reading it.
However, to a new person starting this game, the current rash of rather stupid DOOM threads can't exactly make it look like this game has long to live.
A little of column A, a little of column B, as a Phantom-clone said to me last night in-game.
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.
QR
I wish to thank all has a made a constructive post and not "Dammit its The_Phantoms again" and "DOOOOOM" becuase I don't want to start that in the first place! If you don't like the posts, don't go on them. It's as simple as that. So you don't think "DOOOOOOM", I don't want to argue with you here, but I think getting into too much of all that will just start another flame war.
And I have to agree the game looks pug ugly at the moment. Another reason why possible new players are put off.
Also, another note, tbh DOOM threads doesnt put people off the game, because how many people read the forum anyway? If the doom threads had an effect we would've have less players than we do now.
Just trying to get my 2 cents around, hope that doesn't make you go into a big fit.
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QR
Also, another note, tbh DOOM threads doesnt put people off the game
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Once again throwing the weight of a titan around, as if it is fact. I tend to lean towards that the idea that they really don't help. Self Fulfilling prophecy and all that
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Also, another note, tbh DOOM threads doesnt put people off the game, because how many people read the forum anyway?
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I'd expect most people who actually pay for a subscription will browse the forum every now and then. I certainly don't see any reason to assume that less players read the forums than don't.
The contents and tone of the forum can certainly play a part in whether a player sticks with a game or not; the low quality of the game's forum played a large part in me losing interest in Eve Online after a few months of playing.
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If the doom threads had an effect we would've have less players than we do now.
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... Honestly, that's an inane argument.
The problem isn't with those that definitely want to get the game nor is it with those that can't be bothered to find out about the forums but rather those that want to make an informed judgement as to whether its a game worth playing - you know - the ones that are actually likely to stick around once they find a game they like. Every major game and many of the minor ones have forums - some official, some unofficial so people that want some idea of what state a game is in will seek out these and investigate. What do they see when they check up on CoX hundreds if not thousands of threads saying the game is dying so what do you think they are going to do then - that's right go and play WoW.
FOR GOD'S SAKE STOP MAKING MORE OF THESE.
If you have something constructive to add to them then there's no shortage of other threads asking exactly the same thing and one of those - preferably the first one created is the place to put it - there is absolutely no excuse for creating yet another thread spouting on about exactly the same thing.
Mind of Gaia lvl 50 Defiant's first Mind/Storm 'troller.
Deadly Doc 50 Dark/Dark Corr
and lots more on Pinnacle,Union and Defiant
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The problem isn't with those that definitely want to get the game nor is it with those that can't be bothered to find out about the forums but rather those that want to make an informed judgement as to whether its a game worth playing - you know - the ones that are actually likely to stick around once they find a game they like. Every major game and many of the minor ones have forums - some official, some unofficial so people that want some idea of what state a game is in will seek out these and investigate. What do they see when they check up on CoX hundreds if not thousands of threads saying the game is dying so what do you think they are going to do then - that's right go and play WoW.
FOR GOD'S SAKE STOP MAKING MORE OF THESE.
If you have something constructive to add to them then there's no shortage of other threads asking exactly the same thing and one of those - preferably the first one created is the place to put it - there is absolutely no excuse for creating yet another thread spouting on about exactly the same thing.
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Happening upon a 'doom thread' and deciding not to play it is not making an informed decision, playing the game for a couple of weeks and finding out what it's like whilst looking up as much info as you can is making an informed decision.
And there are not hundreds or thousands of these threads, there are a few.
I don't particularly like threads about how this game is dying or whatever either, but I just don't believe that they're a major contributing factor to a low headcount.
[url=http://vox-doom.deviantart.com]Take A Gander At This.[/url]
What bugs me is i just dont see the point in these doom threads. if you hate the game so much why play it? if you dont hate it but feel its lacking somthing why not post a suggestion?
But why o why post the drivel that gets posted
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And I have to agree the game looks pug ugly at the moment. Another reason why possible new players are put off.
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It does? Are you playing the same game as me? 
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I don't particularly like threads about how this game is dying or whatever either, but I just don't believe that they're a major contributing factor to a low headcount.
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They can't help. On the few occasions I've looked for a new game, I always do some research first to see what the people actually playing it are doing/thinking. The official forums for the game are one of the things to look at. If half the threads are saying the game's dying, I'm not going to bother going any further.
Forum population is not a direct representation of server population, as those who forum are often a minority compared with those who don't.
Presently, lesser populations in-game could be related with the global broke-ness of the playerbase, with people cancelling subs to save an extra few of their local denomination each month. (As a side note: Gizzajob!? Night-shifts preferable, have counterbalance forklift license)
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I don't particularly like threads about how this game is dying or whatever either, but I just don't believe that they're a major contributing factor to a low headcount.
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They can't help. On the few occasions I've looked for a new game, I always do some research first to see what the people actually playing it are doing/thinking. The official forums for the game are one of the things to look at. If half the threads are saying the game's dying, I'm not going to bother going any further.
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Have you noticed what happens to anyone that feels the games population is low in the EU on these boards?
They get jumped on and ridiculed, then the thread tends to get locked.
So anyone having a read will also get to see that actually all is well, because of the vocal haters of these threads, and in fact the people that see Defiant villains at peak time, just after a new issue with 103 players on line, were in fact imagining it.
What some people see as drivel, some people see as a problem. Hence the amount of these threads.
I think starting new ones on the same subject is a bad idea though, but when it happens i can understand why.
People don't jump on people because they believe that saying the server populations are to low is "drivel"
THEY JUMP ON PEOPLE BECAUSE THREADS LIKE THIS MAKE THE PROBLEM WORSE.
I really should do something about this signature.
There's also the matter of marketing publicity (my personal bugbear with CoX). WoW banner ads appear on almost every MMO related website. I think only EvE can possibly claim to match them in raw coverage. Add to that the publicity boost gained from media frenzy on releasing a new box expansion and you have something that is very hard not to have heard of.
The odd CoX advert opposite the fan news page in The Amazing Spiderman or a handful of interviews every five months isn't even trying to compete.