What is the general consensus on server emptyness?

Y'know, I had several friends tell me anecdotal evidence is perfectly acceptable.

**runs away**

LEGION OF VALOR - Be a part of the Legend!

Isn't it possible that the declines in population have nothing to do with marketing or the devs or the lack of server merges, but are just the natural, slow,inevitable decline of population that would be experienced by any 6 year old MMO?

never ever seen victory in third place in ages. I've seen at the top of the list (under the last accesses server), Hell I even seen it towards the middle but never in third or fourth from the bottom.

Compared to freedom and virtue, hell yeah victory feels empty. Even though it's a common running joke that victory is so empty that you might run into one other person, there is usually enough people, blue side, to form a team. Villian side might be hit or miss as many villians on that server seem to prefer to solo or it's more apparent since they are less of them. But with a lower population, there of course is a greater chance of not finding a team and every 8 man team on victory means more people that are left out of an 8 man team. On virtue and freedom, it's nothing to find hordes of 8 man teams, with a MS raid, LGTF a STF an ITF and you still can find plenty ofopen teams that are nearly full. On victory, get a couple of TFs going and that is less of a pool of people to team who a) might be afk b) might not want to team c) might not want to team because of level difference (not that it matters "much" but people are like that). or d) are looking for a team too that is bigger than 3. There is always an excuse for the low population of the low pop servers. One day "oh it's everyone is in beta. "oh, everyoen is on test." "oh it's a weekday." "oh it's a weekend." "oh it's a holiday" "Oh it'a not a holiday." all said on one server. Over a course of time I heard all of those and more on a "particular" server. Hell I guess the pop will be up when hell freezes over and flying pigs win the super bowl while wearing "Hail Butter!" tan tops while ice skating into heaven to pull God's beard. Wake me up when that happens.


Victory is third from top under protector and under my current server (at the top). "Man, Victory is sure is the second coming of New York city. Soooooooo many people."

Quote:

Originally Posted by mauk2 Evil_Legacy became one of my favorite posters with two words. "Kick Rocks." I laffed so hard. Never change, E_L!

No need to worry anymore, the population is growing again. I've popped into the game on Pinnacle a couple times the last two days just because I had a new character idea in my head, started in Galaxy City and both times I saw another character there. BOTH times!!

The other night, when I was actually playing, I actually saw two other characters, in Galaxy City mind you, in the span of a half hour. (and that was on Champion).

So, based on the rules of evidence so far put forth by the doomsayers in this thread, given that I've never seen another toon in Galaxy City since 2006, it's now an irrefutable fact that server population is growing.

Also, my observations prove 90% of the player base have red costumes, and since red is the color of blood, this proves that most of the population are very violent, bloodthirsty people *shudder*.

Yeah, they're quieter than Freedom and Virtue - I use those servers for my team playing, my heroes on Freedom and my villains on Virtue, even running my own SG and VG on the respective servers. I recently returned to Champion and reset up a base there so that i've got a place to play if F & V grey out. Sometimes I enjoy soloing though i usually can get a team on Champion ii really want one. Not sure as i'm try a tf or zone event on one of the quieter servers - not without a decent group and/or coalition suuport.

I'll break from lurking and throw in with everyone else here. As so many of us noticed, the OP made some misguided presumptions about what we're all looking for in City of Heroes.

I read comic books. I especially dig the interconnectedness between many of the personalities in the Marvel universe. Shouldn't be surprising that I play almost exclusively on Virtue, with like-minded people who have put tons of creative thought and effort into their heroes and villains. Of course, insanely creative people can be found playing on every server. Virtue is my favorite alternate universe run amok, but I have, quite purposefully, made a couple of heroes on low population servers, intending to have them "exist in a universe" more like our own, with few (or none) super powered peers; they both actually have natural origins. This has been an enjoyable experience in its own right, and an experience the OP doesn't seem to have discovered an appreciation for.

They're nowhere near as populated as they were between 2004 and 2006, but people seem to have forgotten that. Nowadays they're okay with the ghost town servers. A lot of folks actually prefer it. I enjoy playing on Virtue and Freedom now cause there's always folks to play with there.

It is what it is unfortunately.

I love that on a 'dead server' I was part of two simultaneous SF's last night.

It was originally planned for one but:
Midweek
Poorer populated redside
16 people (actually more wanted in, not sure if a 3rd got going) wanted on a SF.

That's more than enough populated for me.

I love how Freedom is touted as the only "good" server, just because it is the only one that approaches the level of jam-packed-ness that some other MMOs "enjoy".

People complain that they can never get onto a TF or a team. I play pretty much exclusively on Pinnacle (one of the "dead" servers), and there have been many occasions where I have not only goten on a TF, but I was forced to decide which one I wanted to run because 3 were starting simultaneously. This isn't a "back in the day" anecdote, this was last Wednesday. And it wasn't peak time either, it was about 2 PM.

I happen to be a member of several global channels, so I have more trouble deciding what to do than I do finding a team. Anyone who is on the forums complaining has the same resources I do to find global channels to join. Go down to the server forums and look on the server you play on, there should be a sticky listing global channels for that server. Globals reach everywhere, cross-zone, inside missions, on other servers, PvP zones. Your team request will reach everyone on that channel, regardless of where they happen to be. Broadcasting that you're looking for a Kahn TF in Founders Falls probably isn't going to have much success.

I personally feel that Broadcast is the laziest way of looking for a team there is. Some people do things like broadcast "level 36 tank lft" in Galaxy City at 9 AM and declare that the server is dead because they didn't get inundated with tells.

Or they put up their LFT flag and just stand there, expecting the team to come to them.

Yes, the population IS slightly down, I'm not arguing that point, but it's not even close to the "no one plays anymore, the game is dying!" that some people try to make it out to be.

always thought pinnacle to be decently populated on average.

Quote:

Originally Posted by mauk2 Evil_Legacy became one of my favorite posters with two words. "Kick Rocks." I laffed so hard. Never change, E_L!

I wsh the devs would put up population numbers or averages and then it will end it all. But that would be much work on them on top of what they already have. it would be nice but at the same time I rather they keep focus on the more "important" stuff and get to it when they get to it. only if it was a way to see raw data of actual population of the srvers at anygiven time.

Quote:

Originally Posted by mauk2 Evil_Legacy became one of my favorite posters with two words. "Kick Rocks." I laffed so hard. Never change, E_L!