I think basing server population on the number of people sitting in Atlas doing nothing is somewhat shortsighted. How many people showed up on /search?
@Demobot
Also on Steam
I'm actually basing server population on the fact that the only other people I saw were actually at Wentworth's in Steel Canyon and even then there was only three of them. Besides seeing a sole hero here and there but not often.
And honestly, I do believe measuring a server's population solely by just looking at atlas park at any given time is a good indication on how busy that server is. It may not be completely accurate but it gives you a pretty good idea.
You've been with CoH a lil while longer than I have, tell me you haven't noticed a decline in teams and people in general. That's all this thread's about, if anybody else has noticed this and any reason why it's happening.
Quote:
No since there are people that play vills side which increases the server pop. A lot of people could of been doing a TF since that is popular on a Friday night or maybe a raid or maybe in another zone.|
Originally Posted by Stuffd_Crust
And honestly, I do believe measuring a server's population solely by just looking at atlas park at any given time is a good indication on how busy that server is. It may not be completely accurate but it gives you a pretty good idea.
|
There is a lot of stuff for people to do that might be occupied, or maybe just maybe people could have themselves on hide due to the RMT problems that was here.
Pretty much using on zone (which could turn into multiple instances) as an indicator of pop per server.
...it's the holidays.
Nuff said.
Paragon Wiki: http://www.paragonwiki.com
City Info Terminal: http://cit.cohtitan.com
Mids Hero Designer: http://www.cohplanner.com
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Dispari
I don't know why Dink thinks she's not as sexy as Jay was. In 5 posts she's already upstaged his entire career.
|
Quote:
Most obvious answer to the most answerable question.
|
Originally Posted by Aggelakis
...it's the holidays.
Nuff said. |
My Going Rogue Trailer
Virtue (blue) - Wes The Mess
Virtue (red) - Jess The Best
@Razoras
Given that it was New Years day, a lot of people are spending time with family and friends, or recovering from last night.
I haven't really noticed a drastic change in server population. Give it a few days, things will pick up
@Radmind - Justice Server
ClintarCOH - Twitter
ClintarCOH - Twitter
[/center]
Quote:
And that's where you made your first mistake.|
Originally Posted by Stuffd_Crust
I'm actually basing server population on the fact that the only other people I saw were actually at Wentworth's in Steel Canyon and even then there was only three of them. Besides seeing a sole hero here and there but not often.
|
Quote:
| And honestly, I do believe measuring a server's population solely by just looking at atlas park at any given time is a good indication on how busy that server is. It may not be completely accurate but it gives you a pretty good idea. |
Quote:
| You've been with CoH a lil while longer than I have, tell me you haven't noticed a decline in teams and people in general. That's all this thread's about, if anybody else has noticed this and any reason why it's happening. |
Then there is the fact that the devs removed the level restrictions on zones like RWZ and Firebase Zulu, and the new sidekicking feature means one level 50 player can sidekick 7 people on his team. That has drawn tons of low level characters into doing Rikti Mothership Raids, co-op AE missions, and Winter Lord teams are roaming high level zones like PI because that's where the best XP is.
Gone are the days when teams were forced to struggle to get 4 high level characters in order to sidekick 4 lowbies.
Quote:
Depends somewhat on whether that's number of people sitting in Atlas on one particular occasion, or whether it's noticing it over an extended period of time. If it's based on wandering into Atlas that one time then yeah, can't deduce much from it. If it's over an extended period of time you've got two possible explanations: people don't like to sit in Atlas anymore (i.e. there's the same amount of people as ever, they're just elsewhere), or there's fewer people in the game (and so fewer engaging in all activities, including sitting in Atlas).|
Originally Posted by Demobot
I think basing server population on the number of people sitting in Atlas doing nothing is somewhat shortsighted.
|
At the moment, with the holidays and events, the former will be having a definite impact. But I think if you're looking at a timescale of a year or more, I'm definitely seeing an element of the latter. I've noticed even Freedom and Virtue being a little sparse at times, but I tend to play off-peak when a small decrease is more noticeable (for me, a year or so ago even off-peak /search for any given 10 level range on those servers would always get truncated, but these days it frequently isn't; sometimes I can even specify a 20 level range and it's not).
That said, for me the new sidekicking has meant I've probably seen an increase in teaming overall since while I do believe there's fewer people playing, that's trumped by the fact that for any given level there's a greater range of appropriate teams/recruits.
Quote:
Atlas Park is a pretty bad measuring stick for a variety of reasons. For one, it assumes that people loitering and NOT actually playing the game are a flat percentage of the population, so a higher population density will invariably produce more loiterers. While I have nothing against them, this is not a given in any sense of the word. Secondly, the developers broke the back of Atlas Park loitering with the Architect changes. When they instituted the Architect, the crowd moved to the Atlas Park Architect Entertainment building, because they could both loiter and powerlevel, so it made sense. When they kicked the Architect in the nuts, the easy money ran out and people left, but they never really returned to Atlas Park. See, people hang out under Atlas's butt out of habit and tradition. Once that was broken, few had a reason to return, and even those who did left when the many didn't.|
Originally Posted by Stuffd_Crust
And honestly, I do believe measuring a server's population solely by just looking at atlas park at any given time is a good indication on how busy that server is. It may not be completely accurate but it gives you a pretty good idea.
|
Finally, trying to judge player population by one single location is, to be quite honest, unreasonable. Easy question: what location would you measure City of Villains population by?
Quote:
| You've been with CoH a lil while longer than I have, tell me you haven't noticed a decline in teams and people in general. That's all this thread's about, if anybody else has noticed this and any reason why it's happening. |
As far as the Winter Event goes on, people have complained that not enough show up a lot of the time, and I have a very good reason for that one, too - both dislike events AND I'm sick of being invited to take down the Winter Lord. No, I very much DO NOT WANT to fight giant monster or take part in events. And I know I'm not alone.
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Arcanaville
Samuel_Tow is the only poster that makes me want to punch him in the head more often when I'm agreeing with him than when I'm disagreeing with him.
|
Quote:
While personally I'd be more inclined to use /search than a location, the most obvious location to me would be Cap Au Diable black market. |
Originally Posted by Samuel_Tow
Easy question: what location would you measure City of Villains population by?
|
It's similar to Talos (which maybe saw fewer idlers than Atlas, but did/does see a lot of traffic) in being a nexus point and the market is the main focus point of the zone since it's near the market (edit: I just re-read my post and realised how "duh" that first item is...), university, base teleporter and main ferry. (I know it doesn't cover all player types, but it's a sizeable enough portion of the playerbase to be affected by overall population trends).
You can't measure anything by the amount of people standing around(my bunny says that just stupid).
Try the search functions in the game and chat channels,couple of additional things population depends on server,ppl on hide,and IT'S THE HOLIDAYS!
Also,try the "search" option on the forums threads like these sprout up by new players like weeds.
Sorry if this came off like a rant but,the vet bills for my bunny are starting to get alittle out of hand.
You were surprised at a lower apparent population in a single zone on NEW YEAR's DAY?!
Really? Really?
You may have noticed that not only was it a holiday, following a traditional all night party, there was also some "good" football on (Yay, Buckeyes beat the Ducks!) - in the evening, no less.
In addition to what others have said about instanced game, people don't hang in AP following the fiasco of AEBaby chatter, Winter Event going on in Pocket D, etc.
I'm pretty sure we didnt need another thread on this, did we?
Altoholic - but a Blaster at Heart!
Originally Posted by SpyralPegacyon
"You gave us a world where we could fly. I can't thank you enough for that."
I wasn't surprised at all, Friday night? as in New Year's Eve? I thought I was the only one online on Champion just cause I was watching the kids so the lady could go out, not to mention a 5am shift to ring in the new year. not too many came up on /search but honestly I was expecting to have the server to myself....lol
EDIT: nvm, that was NYD, not NYE, maybe I need some more sleep XD
Quote:
There's always rabbit stew...
|
Originally Posted by The_Larker
Sorry if this came off like a rant but,the vet bills for my bunny are starting to get alittle out of hand.
|
Of course the fact that Pocket D Ski Lodge is one of the current hang around places skews the Atlas numbers as well.
@Catwhoorg "Rule of Three - Finale" Arc# 1984
@Mr Falkland Islands"A Nation Goes Rogue" Arc# 2369 "Toasters and Pop Tarts" Arc#116617
Can't speak for the masses, but I've been plowing through the giant pile of discount games I picked up during the Steam holiday blowout sale.
Oh, and doing that holiday family thing....funny how real life can play heck with your gaming schedule. =P
The Nethergoat Archive: all my memories, all my characters, all my thoughts on CoH...eventually.
My City Was Gone
1) It's around the holidays. Lots of people are visiting family and still away on vacation. Lots of people are also still shooting of fireworks or getting drunk.
2) Friday and Saturday nights are usually sort of light. I noticed this when I started to plan weekly events. Sunday nights yielded the best results. Friday and Saturday, people tend to go do stuff outside of CoH. Like go get drunk. 
3) The Winter event is only going on for another 3 days and people are trying to finish off whatever they have planned.
4) Subs always dip off a bit during the Winter months.
5) We're between issues and waiting on a major expansion. I know a number of people who are on vacation until GR. I myself often fall victim to pre-issue blues once something lands on beta.
6) "People in Atlas" is a terrible way to judge population. Especially because of #3; most people are hanging out in the D right now.
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by PRAF68_EU
Dispari has more than enough credability, and certainly doesn't need to borrow any from you.
|
I second the 'there's a HUGE sale going on Steam!' and 'it was New Years Eve'.
Seriously Steam has got so many good games at great discount prices I'm working my way through them.
Done Fallout 3 now...hmm Torchlight or Saints Row 2 (both 7.99)?
Must be some people around....there are already 19 replies to the question with the reasonably obvious answers.
My Deviant Art page link-link
CoH/V Fan Videos
Played last night on Freedom, 7pm til midnight, and was on a full team of eight 90% of the time.
Did the /search thing too in Steel Canyon and the list showed 98 players. Truncated
No time in the D, just running missions in Steel Canyon and Talos Island
There is no such thing as an "innocent bystander"
I don't know. Probably going to get a knuckle rapping for saying this, but here goes anyways...
Though I agree that a quick zone search, glance at Atlas or a few anecdotal accounts of a night here or there where few to no invites come in are all inconclusive and relatively poor means of assessing current mean and median server populations--if you really believe that there has been NO noticeable attrition of the active playing population you're just sticking your head in the sand.
We're in our sixth year here. There's a lot more elbow room out there, many more solo SG's and VG's, and it does take a little more legwork and initiative to find or forge teams at many hours of the day. I'm not calling for a server merge. Or saying that the game is on its deathbed. But in the past three months, I've witnessed more than the usual end-of-semester-into-holidays lull that I've seen over past years.
I know the plural of anecdote is not data, but in my experiences, unless it is during peak hours I'm just not seeing anywhere near the population levels in game I saw even a year ago.
Quote:
No good; when Elmer Fudd reached that conclusion, his MEDICAL bills skyrocketed.|
Originally Posted by Slashman
There's always rabbit stew...
|
Of course, I suppose that depends on WHICH rabbit you are trying to make into stew, but just sayin'.
"How do you know you are on the side of good?" a Paragon citizen asked him. "How can we even know what is 'good'?"
"The Most High has spoken, even with His own blood," Melancton replied. "Surely we know."
Well, I think they'd rush for their toys!
And then! Oh, the noise!
Oh, the noise! Noise! Noise! Noise!
That's one thing I hate!
The NOISE! NOISE! NOISE! NOISE!
And they shrieks, squeaks and squeals
racing around on their wheels.
They dance with jang-jinglers
tied up to their bells
They blow their floo-flounders,
they bang their tong-tinklers.
They blow their who-hoovers
they bang their jang-tinglers.
They beat their tram-tookers
they slide their sloo-slunckers.
They beat their flam-fluckers
they whack their who-wonkers.
They play noisy games like Zuziv Ka Zev
a Roller skates tapler "La Crosse"
And then they make
year's pretty noises the lux
on their great big electro-who-cardio-flux.
Then the Whos, young and old,
would sit down to a feast.
And they'd feast!
And they'd feast!
And they'd FEAST!
FEAST! FEAST! FEAST!
They would start on Who-pudding,
and rare Who-roast-beast
Roast-beast is a feast
I can't stand in the least!
And THEN
They'd do something
I hate most of all!
Every Who down in Who-ville,
the tall and the small,
Would stand close together,
with Christmas bells ringing.
They'd stand hand-in-hand.
And the Whos would start singing!
/Fah who foraze, dah who doraze
/Welcome, Christmas, come this way
/Fah who foraze, dah who doraze
/Welcome, Christmas, Christmas Day
/Welcome, welcome, fah who rahmus
/Welcome, welcome, dah who dahmus
/Christmas Day is in our grasp
/So long as we have hands to clasp
/Fah who foraze, dah who doraze
They'd sing!
And they'd sing!
AND they'd SING!
SING! SING! SING!
So... that's what they were doing.
Speeding Through New DA Repeatables || Spreadsheet o' Enhancements || Zombie Skins: better skins for these forums || Guide to Guides
Everyone moved to Freedom/Virtue during the free transfer period.
Branching Paragon Police Department Epic Archetype, please!
It's Friday night, and I'm wrapping up a night of playing. Then, it hit me, I didn't get one blind invite tonight. Matter of fact I haven't got any invites at all.....wtf mate? I've been away for almost a year, but at least then I saw people. What happened, I remember when Atlas Park was the place to be, you'd see at least 10 lvl 50's just hanging out shooting the ****. Costume contests going on every so often how you'd feel bad for those with a later model PC as every has some sort of power running cuz they thought it made their character's boots look badass....but seriously, what happened? CoH is now City of NPC's. I was looking forward to tonight because i thought there would be people on since it's Friday. Is the economy really this bad that there's not but 10 people per server? is WoW pulling more people away? or are people just bored and CoH is headed towards retirement?
I do remember having 16 people in one place at one time for a WL, but i just remember there being so much more responding to a WL broadcast. But I just don't get it.