My simple solution to the emptiness
By
Aett_Thorn,
Posted on: 2009-10-22 15:13 in Suggestions and Ideas
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Oh, here we go.
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Originally Posted by CrossFusion
Now if you've played recently I'm sure you've noticed it has become difficult and at certain times extremely difficult, to find/form teams.It's not too bad to find sewers or AE teams but TFs and arcs and especially my favorite patrol teams are dead. My simple solution, if possible, is to combine some servers.
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This has nothing to do with server populations. This is all about half debt inside missions, mission-end bonus rewards, and arc-end bonus rewards.|
Originally Posted by CrossFusion
patrol teams are dead
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As for the suggestion, not only "no", but "hell no". Consider:
1. Most people don't think the servers are empty
2. Some people prefer lower population servers
3. Name collisions during server merge
4. Server merging is a white flag to the MMO community indicating imminent death of the entire game
5. The only commonality between all the teams you can't get on is you
I'm sure I'm missing some, and Bill will come along with his copypasta, or else someone else will quote him. But...
Short answer:
No
Long answer:
Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooo
http://www.fimfiction.net/story/36641/My-Little-Exalt
okay you're entitled to you're opinion but you are very rude and you must think 100 is a big number (can you count to it?). And most people do think the servers are down i cant log on without people talking about how dead it is and thats in AP on Freedom on friday night.
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What does that have to do with anything?|
Originally Posted by CrossFusion
you must think 100 is a big number (can you count to it?)
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Originally Posted by CrossFusion
And most people do think the servers are down i cant log on without people talking about how dead it is and thats in AP on Freedom on friday night.
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How about we deal with facts, hm? Instead of baseless speculation?
1) From launch to today, the net population of the entire game worldwide has dropped approximately 50,000
2) There are 15 servers
3) 50,000 across 15 servers is 3,333 people per server (I realize the distribution is not even, but it's an average, not a direct sampling)
4) There are approximately 130,000 active subscriptions to the game today
5) 130,000 across 15 servers is 8,666 people per server (again, average, not direct sampling)
Conclusion: The number of remaining players on <your server of choice> is more than 2.5 times the number of people that have left.
Corollary: There are people on Freedom. There are teams on Freedom. You can't find teams on Freedom. The only connection between all the teams you can't find is you.
http://www.fimfiction.net/story/36641/My-Little-Exalt
My solution to the Emptiness:
Don't rely on Search or Broadcast alone to find your teams. (people hide from search a lot).
When you team with people you like, GLOBAL Friend them. (keep track of them instead of just hoping to find someone each time you play)
Join an active Global channel for your server. No matter where you go, you will have people to talk to.
Find an active supergroup, helps accomplish the same thing.
I never feel lonely, and I only use part of those options. They work. Use what you've been given instead of asking for something that is just going to piss a lot of people off.
"Null is as much an argument "for removing the cottage rule" as the moon being round is for buying tennis shoes." -Memphis Bill
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Re: Difficulty finding teams: |
Originally Posted by CrossFusion
My simple solution, if possible, is to combine some servers.
Highest average online + lowest 2nd high + 2nd low 3rd high + 3rd low 4th high + 4th low 5th high + 5th low Of course I would settle for combining down to seven servers for now and see if things maybe pick up when its easier to get teams. Because from 10 to 5 is a big leap but something must be done. |
*Have you tried joining a Global channel or two? (Just curious)
*Are you flagged as LFT or just spamming Broadcast in the zone you're currently in? (No offense intended, but some folks just don't fully utilize the LFt function.)
Anyway, a part of the resistance against merging servers will be:
*Folks don't want to lose thier character names, or get some stupid-looking number added to the end of it.
*Some folks want to be on a low-pop server. Remember, some folks love NYC, some folks like Billings, MT.
*Some folks like bustling zones, others like lag-free performance.
Other reasons are likely to come up as well, but in short?
I must politely disagree with your proposal for the reasons listed above.
Now where is that post? ... oh, this will work:
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Credits as usual to Memphis_Bill.
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Why server consolidation is not a good idea. Welcome to the forum. You have posted one of the oft repeated suggestions, "Consolidate the servers." Disclaimer Yes. This is a cut and paste reply that I keep handy, as well as a quick bit of instruction on how to search. Neither are meant to cause fights or to be insulting. The search instructions are in, not just because forum rules say flat out to search, but to help you and anyone else reading this use the search tool effectively. The body of the cut and paste reply is the way it is because we've seen these arguments numerous times before. They're a summary of the salient points that come up each time. They are not here to insult you, make you feel stupid or otherwise "bring you down a peg." Instead, they are meant as instruction and information. Please read through the points and the explanation behind them to see the issues that are commonly brought up in response. They may not always match your suggestion 100% - in fact, you may have explained around one or two of them - but they're there for consideration and refinement of your idea. Yes, I do look forward to the time, with some of these suggestions, that someone not only addresses all the points, but does so exceptionally well. It'll probably be added to the end of the cut/paste reply, with credit. For now, though, read and consider the points. They really are just there to help you, and move discussion along to help ideas evolve. If you're going to see this and say an "evil forum vet is just shooting down your idea," or "You think you're the last word because of your post count," you're wrong. Heck, if you say the second, you've just worried more about my post count than I have in the last four plus years. Tongue-in-cheek comments in here are meant as hummor, not put downs. TL,DR section. First, my stock answer, one which I stand by and repeat with all due fervor. HELL NO. Searching effectively 1. Click on "Search" up at the top of the forum. 2. On the left, under "Forum(s) to search," select "Suggestions and ideas." 3. On the right, Keyword Search Terms. This is probably where your problem was if you did search. Try the following, exactly as typed: +server -pvp -"re: " This will search for anything with "Server" in the title, including Servers, Combine Servers, Consolidate Servers, and The Server At Mcdonalds Is Rude. it will eliminate "PVP," so you won't see PVP server requests, and the -re: portion of it removes replies, so you'll see the root of every thread that comes up, letting you see just how many threads there are on this. (The last helps for other subjects, as well.) 4. Click the "In subject" radio button. This is a search, not a cute blonde in a bikini. Here, you want to ignore the body. 5. Leave Username Search blank. 6. Date range, Newer Than, change the 1 to a 3, and the time to Months. 7. Result format doesn't matter. Click on "Submit." As I try this now, (12/3/08,) we have: Consolidate Server Server Stats RSS Feed $server modifier ofr chat Fix the forum server Earlyissue server Merging low population server Combine slow server Server status Global chat on the Character and Server Screens Rated M server Add Ponies, Nerf Vills, merge Servers, PistolMelee Server Visiting Display Central Time on Server Status Page Ignoring the smartalec reply, that's three full discussions about this topic. You should have read one of them if (inevitably) something similar comes up in your search. Now, on to the topic at hand.... Why server consolidation is not a good idea. 1. Just because YOU like living in New York City doesn't mean I can't like Kansas. Yay, you love having huge lag spikes as you get near the black market/wentworths and a busy broadcast. Congrats. Enjoy Freedom. Some of us - many of which you will get replies from with this subject - like *low population* servers. If we *wanted* to be on Freedom, we'd *be* on Freedom. I have characters on Freedom. I rarely play them (and actually moved a character OFF of Freedom to finish leveling it to 50) because *I DON'T LIKE FREEDOM.* I dislike the banality of broadcast, the high percentage of *horrid* teams I've come across there, the lag around any gathering point- and I've got a decent connection and system. For much the same reason, I typically startin Galaxy City instead of Atlas Park - I don't *want* to log in to a costume contest with several 50s spamming powers and nonsense arguments in broadcast. Some of us *like* nice, quiet servers. 2, Kansas, part 2. In addition, servers have their own personalities. No, I don't mean that literally, there's no AI to worry about if you start hearing "Daisy, Daisy" over your speakers or headset. Freedom's a crowded mess. Virtue is the RP server. Pinnacle is the "Drunk" server. Others have specific communities, such as those from Australia/NZ, Europe, etc. 3. "I only saw one other person. World of Conancraft has eleventy billion!" So what? We don't run around camping spawn points in this game. People are in missions. People are spread across many zones. Search on a map or do a /whoall and you'll miss those in missions, as well as those who are, for whatever reason, on /hide. Your "search" there didn't give you a full picture, not in the least. I understand the "feel" of things being "not very populated," but take a good look around when you're in game. Typically, you don't really have a lot of visibility. Standing in steel canyon, there could be multiple, full 8 person groups surrounding you, and it's likely you'd never see them. We have buildings, walls, architecture, trees and more limiting our visibility. Yes, it can make you feel more alone... but that's rarely the case. Add to that that the population is spread between many, MANY zones, most quite large, and among two sides... well... 4. "I put up my LFT flag and nothing happened!" Learn to search. Don't just wait. Form a team yourself. 5. "I AM SPARTACUS!" No, not any more. Remember logging in and seeing all those slots? Everyone has those - some buy more than the base 12, you get an extra one each year, you could have a total of 36 on any server. Everyone does. Every one has a character with a unique name. Maybe not a *good* name, but a unique one. Every one has a character with a unique name. Maybe not a *good* name, but a unique one. Now merge servers. Suddenly, CoolBlasterDude from server 1 is getting merged with CoolBlasterDude from Server 2. Who gets to keep their name? Nobody has been able to answer this with any degree of satisfaction. Add a number? But I am NOT CoolBlasterGuy1. And what if the name's too long? Does the older character keep it? What if they're not as active? People are *VERY* attached to their names. They are, quite obviously, part of their character. 6. "This Is SPARTA!" Sorry, Sparta exists already. You are GenericSG 8734 287 9798. What else has a name? Supergroups. And I can *guarandamntee* that the same name is in use on multiple servers. Sometimes it's 'branches' of the same SG, sometimes it's coincidence. But with *everything* involved in an SG - from its identity and reputation on the server, to everything stored in the database about what it owns, what its base is like and such, this would be a disaster in the making. And no, auto merging them when the servers merge, even if they have room to, is not an option. This, of course, assumes that they *CAN* move supergroups as a unit. More than likely, it'd just be a mass character move, with bases, prestige, anything stored in bases and all SG affiliations just gone forever. 7. "I am... where'd Spartacus go?" Remember all those slots? Well, you start with 1/3 of the available ones. You can buy up to 36 total (24 on top of the ones you get initially.) Now, what do you suppose would happen if you merged two servers, and someone has, say, 20 characters on each? Not unusual. In fact, before those extra slots, I had *filled up* several servers. Do those characters just disappear? Do they move? Free move to another server sounds great, right... well, except you now kick them from their supergroup, remove them from their friends lists and more. This makes for angry and unhappy customers. Or rather, ex customers. 8. I will play where I damn well want to. And you can too. And that should be blunt enough. If I want a crowded server, I'll go to Freedom. If I want an RP server, I'll go to Virtue. I do NOT want to be shoved onto another server I *don't* like. If I wanted to go there, *I'd be there.* If the server you're on isn't "busy" enough for you, you have two options that won't bother anyone else. (A) If it's low enough, reroll. You have a ton of character slots for a reason. (B) If you don't want to reroll, server transfers are available, and relatively cheap. They also finish fast - you should be up and running and being spammed to join someone's SG on the new server in a few minutes, in most instances. So YOU can go to the server of YOUR choice without screwing ME over. 9. "It'll free up server hardware for Freedom!" No, no it won't. Freedom, because of the load it tends to have, already has more resources dedicated to it than other servers. And ALL of the servers have been upgraded multiple times. The servers are not allocated exactly the same. The servers that handle less of a load have less dedicated to them. So this argument doesn't fly. 10. DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM! Last but not least (at least until better points come along to be added,) server consolidation is widely viewed in the industry as an MMO going on life support. No, we don't have WoWs numbers (and you should actually pay attention to when and how they got those.) They're an abberation in the MMO industry. COH has had and does have a very successful, sustainable population even at its lowest points, so there's no economic need to combine anything. The flip side of that, of course, has been suggested above - you crowd people together, break up their SGs and friends lists, cause characters to go missing and poeple definitely *will* quit, both out of annoyance and a sense of "The game is almost dead!" In conclusion.... As stated before, when it comes to server consolidation... HELL NO. |
Sorry Cross, but...
- I don't find it difficult to find teams
- Combining servers invokes a number of issues: contention for names, problems with groups, pushing players onto servers too loaded for their PCs (or tastes).
- And frankly, requests to combine servers because a given player finds it difficult to team as easily as he might like can be parsed as "Please inconvenience all the players to make more of them available to play with me when I feel like it."
So no, disagree. Bad idea.
My scrapper doesn't need an AoE. She IS an AoE.
Merging the servers would be a very bad idea and the moment that they Devs do this, then we would know that the game was about to implode.
If all you knew was the AE farm days, then I can see why you would think the servers are empty. The PLers don't need anyone to pad their missions now days. Because of the lack of broadcast LFM, it would seem like things are bad. The reality is that it's been months or even years since it's been so easy to find teams. You just have to change your way of finding them.
�Let there be truth, happiness, and waffles�
-Vagabond, Dark Lord & Avatar of Gnarr
The Justiciars
Is it just me, or are all of these complaints recently about the servers being dead coming from people on Freedom? It seems to be a trend. People on other servers seem to be reporting that server pops are up, but Freedomites are saying that they're down.
Not saying that's good or bad, just a trend I'm seeing.
Let me never fall into the vulgar mistake of dreaming that I am persecuted whenever I am contradicted.
~Ralph Waldo Emerson
"I was just the one with the most unsolicited sombrero." - Traegus
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You mean like AresSupreme? |
Originally Posted by Aett_Thorn
Is it just me, or are all of these complaints recently about the servers being dead coming from people on Freedom? It seems to be a trend. People on other servers seem to be reporting that server pops are up, but Freedomites are saying that they're down.
Not saying that's good or bad, just a trend I'm seeing. |
I think it's a large number of the jerk players suddenly finding out that people are ignoring them because they ARE jerks.
I've noticed over the past several months that many players don't realize that everybody sees changes to the globalname. I'm aware of several task-force griefers and whiners that have changed the global, then tried to approach me, or other players, as a completely new person to the game.... only to be shocked when we point out we know who they are.
My simple solution to facing the darkness:
"I hate to advocate drugs, alcohol, violence, or insanity to anyone, but they've always worked for me."
- Dr. Hunter S. Thompson (1937-2005)
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Abso-*******-lutely not. the amount of chaos that would cause would be insurmountable and the game would not last that long after. no one wants to street sweep anymore because of the reasons that fleeting described. |
Originally Posted by CrossFusion
Now if you've played recently I'm sure you've noticed it has become difficult and at certain times extremely difficult, to find/form teams.It's not too bad to find sewers or AE teams but TFs and arcs and especially my favorite, patrol teams are dead. My simple solution, if possible, is to combine some servers.
Highest average online + lowest 2nd high + 2nd low 3rd high + 3rd low 4th high + 4th low 5th high + 5th low Of course I would settle for combining down to seven servers for now and see if things maybe pick up when its easier to get teams. Because from 10 to 5 is a big leap but something must be done. Please do not rely on "Going Rogue" I realize I might be the only one who liked patrol. This is just an idea, please don't get mad. |
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| okay you're entitled to you're opinion but you are very rude and you must think 100 is a big number (can you count to it?). And most people do think the servers are down i cant log on without people talking about how dead it is and thats in AP on Freedom on friday night. |
join global channels, use sg/coalition chat to form teams and global friend the people you play with.
Not trying to be rude, but in the future, please do a quick search before posting anything. Someone might have posted the same thing.
If I had a dollar for every time someone posted this suggestion, I'd have a lot more money than I do now. This suggestion has been posted too many times to count, and it always gets the same response. HELL NO.
Right now, I've got the name Smash Zone claimed on freedom. It is my name (technically), and nobody else has the right to take it. Now, lets say we combined Triumph with Freedom. But, Uh oh, someone has the name Smash Zone on Triumph too! Who gets the name? same for supergroups, what happens then? There are just way to many problems that would arise with the implementation of this idea, that it would actually have the opposite effect of why your doing it in the first place.
Sorry, but this suggestion is most likely never going to happen.
Arc ID: 348998 - Becoming a villain
Arc ID: 373341 - To Save a Hero
Got Inf?
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... what about those of us who paid to move characters OFF OF FREEDOM to other servers.. such as Triumph. Not like we'd want to go back.
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Originally Posted by Smash_Zone
Not trying to be rude, but in the future, please do a quick search before posting anything. Someone might have posted the same thing.
If I had a dollar for every time someone posted this suggestion, I'd have a lot more money than I do now. This suggestion has been posted too many times to count, and it always gets the same response. HELL NO. Right now, I've got the name Smash Zone claimed on freedom. It is my name (technically), and nobody else has the right to take it. Now, lets say we combined Triumph with Freedom. But, Uh oh, someone has the name Smash Zone on Triumph too! Who gets the name? same for supergroups, what happens then? There are just way to many problems that would arise with the implementation of this idea, that it would actually have the opposite effect of why your doing it in the first place. Sorry, but this suggestion is most likely never going to happen. |
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My favorite part was how he combined "you are very rude" and a childish insult in the same sentence. That takes a special kind of... something.|
Originally Posted by Sharker_Quint
ok. just so you know, personal attacks are against forum rules.
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I've just thought of something brilliant, though. What if we got all the people who post saying the game is empty together? They could form their own supergroup and blame each other for ducking out of team-ups and TFs instead!
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That too. Someone moves a character off of server A to server B, then they merge server A and server B. That's $10.00 wasted right there, and one less subscriber to the game. Now, lets say about 300 players did that... BAM! 300 less subscribers. That's also $3000.00 stolen from the players too.
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Originally Posted by je_saist
... what about those of us who paid to move characters OFF OF FREEDOM to other servers.. such as Triumph. Not like we'd want to go back.
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Arc ID: 348998 - Becoming a villain
Arc ID: 373341 - To Save a Hero
Got Inf?
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i think that would be an awesome idea. |
Originally Posted by Captain_Photon
My favorite part was how he combined "you are very rude" and a childish insult in the same sentence. That takes a special kind of... something.
I've just thought of something brilliant, though. What if we got all the people who post saying the game is empty together? They could form their own supergroup and blame each other for ducking out of team-ups and TFs instead! |
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It also demonstrates exactly why the OP can't find a team on Freedom.
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Originally Posted by Captain_Photon
My favorite part was how he combined "you are very rude" and a childish insult in the same sentence. That takes a special kind of... something.
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Since (as usual, it seems) I don't even have to hunt down my long explanation -
Countersuggestion: Shut down Freedom and force the players to move elsewhere. Don't like that? Then don't suggest that *I* should deal with the hassle and everything *I* would lose for *your* benefit.
Oh, and:
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You assume. And you assume incorrectly.
| Now if you've played recently I'm sure you've noticed it has become difficult and at certain times extremely difficult, to find/form team |
I read this far:
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Originally Posted by CrossFusion
okay you're entitled to you're opinion but you are very rude
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Originally Posted by CrossFusion
you must think 100 is a big number (can you count to it?).
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Point of clarification, you only see those changes when you're both members of the same global channel(s) and online at the same time.
| I've noticed over the past several months that many players don't realize that everybody sees changes to the globalname. |
"Null is as much an argument "for removing the cottage rule" as the moon being round is for buying tennis shoes." -Memphis Bill
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And once again I'd like to add that if Freedom does get merged with another server that the one chosen be Vigilance the French speaking EU server. Doing this will not only give both the Freedom and French players more people to team with, but it will increase the number of players on the EU servers.
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Originally Posted by Memphis_Bill
Countersuggestion: Shut down Freedom and force the players to move elsewhere.
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Now if you've played recently I'm sure you've noticed it has become difficult and at certain times extremely difficult, to find/form teams.It's not too bad to find sewers or AE teams but TFs and arcs and especially my favorite, patrol teams are dead. My simple solution, if possible, is to combine some servers.
Highest average online + lowest
2nd high + 2nd low
3rd high + 3rd low
4th high + 4th low
5th high + 5th low
Of course I would settle for combining down to seven servers for now and see if things maybe pick up when its easier to get teams. Because from 10 to 5 is a big leap but something must be done. Please do not rely on "Going Rogue"
I realize I might be the only one who liked patrol.
This is just an idea, please don't get mad.