Discuss gameplay: Combine Servers
By
Aett_Thorn,
Posted on: 2012-04-06 19:11 in Suggestions and Ideas
Plz be patient, someone will be bringing along a cut-and-pasted reply in a moment....
"Everybody wants to change the world, but nobody wants to change themselves." -Tolstoy
Did a search on Pinnacle and saw 50 bluesiders logged on. Playerbase does seem damn small these days.
However, all the reasons in the soon to be posted copy/paste against server consolidation are still true.
Use server transfers. Move yourself to the high population servers.
It ain't rocket surgery.
Be well, people of CoH.
Random list of reasons why this is a bad idea:
1.) Server mergers are a sign a game is dying (it'll be horrible PR for CoH)
2.) Some people like low population servers
3.) There's several high population servers, each with up to 48 character slots
4.) Name clashes. If I become "Kitsune Knight_1", I'm going to personally stab you, and every other person that has suggested this
5.) What do you do with the people that have more characters on the combined server than the maximum slots? If you're going to merge servers A & B, and I've got 25+ characters (or even slots) on both servers... are some going to just vanish? Are you going to raise the character count (if you do, then what's the point?)
6.) VIPs get free server transfers (random aside: do those stack continually? I can't recall...)
7.) Because you used the shades icon (every time, always the same icon!)
8.) It would take a massive amount of work, for questionable return
And those are just off the top of my head! 
Edit:
Quote:
50... doesn't that number seem awfully round to you? |
Originally Posted by Bill Z Bubba
Did a search on Pinnacle and saw 50 bluesiders logged on.
|
Several issues back, the Devs modified the search window to not show how many (unhidden) players weren't shown like it used to. So all you can conclude is there's at least 50 non hidden players currently on blueside... there might be 50, or there might be 50,000.
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by ShadowNate
;_; ?!?! What the heck is wrong with you, my god, I have never been so confused in my life!
|
Quote:
Suggestions and Ideas forum section is further down the list.|
Originally Posted by Lotus_Maximus
This is just an idea so please focus your comments on promoting this idea as oppose to not supporting combining servers. |
And trying to tell people to focus their comments on promoting your idea instead of not supporting it?
Just asking for trouble.
And so far, I see no one rising up to agree with your idea.
They sell server transfers for a reason. If you don't like the population of the server you are on, transfer to a busier server.
As for Bill's comment of only seeing 50 players on Pinnacle, it's possible that some were on Beta testing out I23. Also, being a holiday weekend you may see less players on.
If the game spit out 20 dollar bills people would complain that they weren't sequentially numbered. If they were sequentially numbered people would complain that they weren't random enough.
Black Pebble is my new hero.
This again?!
Global@SteelDominator
Quote:
It's a slow Friday night.
|
Originally Posted by SteelDominator
This again?!
|
Father Xmas - Level 50 Ice/Ice Tanker - Victory
$725 and $1350 parts lists --- My guide to computer components
Tempus unum hominem manet
Quote:
Whenever I see exactly 50, I hit search again. Usually the list of names changes. Or you can change the way the list is ordered.
|
Originally Posted by Kitsune Knight
50... doesn't that number seem awfully round to you?
Several issues back, the Devs modified the search window to not show how many (unhidden) players weren't shown like it used to. So all you can conclude is there's at least 50 non hidden players currently on blueside... there might be 50, or there might be 50,000. |
'I don't like the look of it at all,' said the King: 'however, it may kiss my hand if it likes.'
'I'd rather not,' the Cat remarked.
'Don't be impertinent,' said the King, 'and don't look at me like that!' He got behind Alice as he spoke.
'A cat may look at a king,' said Alice.
I don't think the search function has shown more than fifty names in ages if at all. I think it used to/does say something like "Showing 50 of XXX players online".
Quote:
You're completely correct. It's been... at least a half dozen issues since they made the change.
|
Originally Posted by WanderingAries
I don't think the search function has shown more than fifty names in ages if at all. I think it used to/does say something like "Showing 50 of XXX players online".
|
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by ShadowNate
;_; ?!?! What the heck is wrong with you, my god, I have never been so confused in my life!
|
Quote:
This has been brought up before and proved to be a very unpopular idea,if you are unhappy about the population on your home server just transfer to a better populated one.Why anyone would want to reduce the number of server,s I have no idea,you must remember that some people like to play on a lighter populated server ,they may have computers that cannot play well on the more heavily populated ones,also they may have a group of friends that they play with regularly.Why should these people lose out because someone thinks the lighter populated server, should be merged to make them busier.Leave things as they are the majority of players are happy with they way things are.And no I do not support this idea and to ask only for posts that support your idea is very silly as it will only encourage people who do not support it to post this includes me .|
Originally Posted by Lotus_Maximus
I've been a long time game player of COV/COH and yet to see any servers combine with each other. Many servers are slower than others, or not as busy.
I think it's time that some severs are combined with others, to provide a much needed team oriented self severing ehancement to all players. Combining severs with other noncompetive servers I'm sure will provide a more stuctured and fluent gaming experience to all players, giving them more communication, knowledge, competiveness, challenges and most of all less work flow for the Dev's or any Tech. This is just an idea so please focus your comments on promoting this idea as oppose to not supporting combining servers. |
Prof Radburn controller,Celtic Ice Maiden,blaster,Miss Knockout scrapper,Mistress Davina controller,Stone Hart,tank Split Personality PB.Queen Lostris controller,Fridgid Mary blaster,Shocking Fire blaster Future Elfling defender, Little Weed controller,Capo Angelo MM, Commander Buzzsaw MM, Justice Tank tank all 50,s
Quote:
I'm sure you're mistaken. You've come up with some pretty vague-but-impressive sounding benefits.... which all seem to be made up out of thin air.|
Originally Posted by Lotus_Maximus
Combining severs with other noncompetive servers I'm sure will provide a more stuctured and fluent gaming experience to all players, giving them more communication, knowledge, competiveness, challenges and most of all less work flow for the Dev's or any Tech.
|
Quote:
| This is just an idea so please focus your comments on promoting this idea as oppose to not supporting combining servers. |
Paragon City Search And Rescue
The Mentor Project
Quote:
I wouldn't call i23 hitting the beta servers a slow night >_>|
Originally Posted by Father Xmas
It's a slow Friday night.
|
Unless you're the silly guy still on live.
Quote:
Noncompetitive servers? Uh, what? And communication in this game is cross-server, so that doesn't really make sense.|
Originally Posted by Lotus_Maximus
Combining severs with other noncompetive servers I'm sure will provide a more stuctured and fluent gaming experience to all players, giving them more communication, knowledge, competiveness, challenges and most of all less work flow for the Dev's or any Tech.
|
So no thanks. I team with friends most of the time and it would make no difference if the server was completely empty, except a little less lag for us. If anything, they should add MORE servers so I can have extra character slots! I'm fairly sure they're running on a virtualized environment now, so changing the number of "servers" doesn't really affect the hardware requirements or overall load that much.
We get a free transfer a month now -- people who don't know how to use global channels and prefer LFT spam can easily transfer to Freedumb and give up their names without bothering the rest of us.
Quote:
| please focus your comments on promoting this idea as oppose to not supporting combining servers. |
Quote:
Fascinating. It appears to bounce between however many is in your current zone and a cap of 50.|
Originally Posted by Kitsune Knight
Edit:
50... doesn't that number seem awfully round to you? Several issues back, the Devs modified the search window to not show how many (unhidden) players weren't shown like it used to. So all you can conclude is there's at least 50 non hidden players currently on blueside... there might be 50, or there might be 50,000. |
Got 17 in Talos, hit search again, hits 50. Back and forth.
Guess they got tired of people using that data to show how low this game's player population actually is.
Be well, people of CoH.
Well, the server I run on is jam packed so I see no real benefit from this. If people want a busy server I can name at least 2 to check out.
Quote:
Cynic.
|
Originally Posted by Bill Z Bubba
Guess they got tired of people using that data to show how low this game's player population actually is.
|
'I don't like the look of it at all,' said the King: 'however, it may kiss my hand if it likes.'
'I'd rather not,' the Cat remarked.
'Don't be impertinent,' said the King, 'and don't look at me like that!' He got behind Alice as he spoke.
'A cat may look at a king,' said Alice.
Quote:
First off, no. Telling people to either agree with you or not post in the thread is not a dicussion. It's going to attract all the dismissal it deserves. If you can't tolerate the idea of other people having opinions that are counter to your own, don't share yours.|
Originally Posted by Lotus_Maximus
I've been a long time game player of COV/COH and yet to see any servers combine with each other. Many servers are slower than others, or not as busy.
I think it's time that some severs are combined with others, to provide a much needed team oriented self severing ehancement to all players. Combining severs with other noncompetive servers I'm sure will provide a more stuctured and fluent gaming experience to all players, giving them more communication, knowledge, competiveness, challenges and most of all less work flow for the Dev's or any Tech. This is just an idea so please focus your comments on promoting this idea as oppose to not supporting combining servers. |
Second, no. This game is still one of the most solo-friendly MMOs in existence. Many people like this aspect, because it allows them to play on quieter, less populous severs. Have a little respect for the other players, rather than assuming that everyone wants to team, all the time, for everything.
Third, even on "quiet servers", I've never had problems finding teams. Ever. I'd suggest investigating other means of finding team mates, if you're having this issue. For example, the aforementioned server transfers.
Where to find me after the end:
The Secret World - Arcadia - Shinzo
Rift - Faeblight - Bloodspeaker
LotRO - Gladden - Aranelion
STO - Holodeck - @Captain_Thiraas
Obviously, I don't care about NCSoft's forum rules, now.
I would be completely against this... and all of my reasons why have already been suggested above.
This has came up so many times it's no longer funny. We who pay on quieter servers do so because we like the less hassle. I know most people on Defiant (my home server) and the same people know and will still team with me
At times I wonder if people who keep suggesting this have problems getting teams, if so could it just possibly a problem with that player (I'm not meaning the OP BTW) and not the number of players on the server.
Happy to be on Defiant.
Global name @mereman
Member of P.E.R.C. Representing Defiant
Alts http://cit.cohtitan.com/profile/4488
CoH faces http://faces.cohtitan.com/profile/mereman
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by GATE-keeper
Plz be patient, someone will be bringing along a cut-and-pasted reply in a moment....
|
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Bill Z Bubba
However, all the reasons in the soon to be posted copy/paste against server consolidation are still true.
|
Why server consolidation is not a good idea.
(original version, (c) Memphis Bill)
Welcome to the forum. You have posted one of the oft repeated suggestions, "Consolidate the servers."
First, my stock answer, one which I stand by and repeat with all due fervor. HELL NO.
Second, a tip on searching.
A. Click on "Search" up at the top of the forum.
B. On the left, under "Forum(s) to search," select "Suggestions and ideas."
C. 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.)
D. Click the "In subject" radio button. This is a search, not a cute blonde in a bikini. Here, you want to ignore the body.
E. Leave Username Search blank.
F. Date range, Newer Than, change the 1 to a 3, and the time to Months.
G. 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 for chat
- Fix the forum server
- Early issue 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, Pistol Melee
- 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.
- 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 start in 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.
- 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.
- "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 put up my LFT flag and nothing happened!"
Learn to search. Don't just wait. Form a team yourself.
- "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.
- "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.
- "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.
- 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.
- 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 aberration 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 people 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.
__________________________________________________ __________________
EDIT: Nothing personal, but this suggestion has been rehashed to death, and Memphis Bill's post, even if a bit outdated in parts (ex. mention of starting in Galaxy City) is still valid.
I'm not saying that there will never be a consolidation of servers, but realistically it will happen just a few weeks (or a few months if we're lucky) before NCSoft pulls the plug on this game...
Keep NCSoft from shutting down City of Heroes : http://www.change.org/petitions/ncso...city-of-heroes
Servers seem plenty busy to me, even my current off-brand home Infinity.
I'd like the whole game to just be one gigantic sever, but barring that the current situation is fine- there are high pop servers, low pop servers and everything in between. The devs handed control of server density over to the playerbase- server transfers are easy and relatively inexpensive, so if you're unhappy where you are just go somewhere else.
The Nethergoat Archive: all my memories, all my characters, all my thoughts on CoH...eventually.
My City Was Gone
I've thought about only one other server besides the one I play on...and that's because I hear they like drunks like me. :P
Don't I know you???
Quote:
They'll take you with open arms, man. Regardless of my current opinion of the devs, the folks on Pinn are a good buncha drunks. Even the sober ones.
|
Originally Posted by dougnukem
I've thought about only one other server besides the one I play on...and that's because I hear they like drunks like me. :P
|
Be well, people of CoH.
Quote:
Second. Pinn FTW!
|
Originally Posted by Bill Z Bubba
They'll take you with open arms, man. Regardless of my current opinion of the devs, the folks on Pinn are a good buncha drunks. Even the sober ones.
|
"You don't lose levels. You don't have equipment to wear out, repair, or lose, or that anyone can steal from you. About the only thing lighter than debt they could do is have an NPC walk by, point and laugh before you can go to the hospital or base." -Memphis_Bill
We will honor the past, and fight to the last, it will be a good way to die...
I've been a long time game player of COV/COH and yet to see any servers combine with each other. Many servers are slower than others, or not as busy.
I think it's time that some severs are combined with others, to provide a much needed team oriented self severing ehancement to all players.
Combining severs with other noncompetive servers I'm sure will provide a more stuctured and fluent gaming experience to all players, giving them more communication, knowledge, competiveness, challenges and most of all less work flow for the Dev's or any Tech.
This is just an idea so please focus your comments on promoting this idea as oppose to not supporting combining servers.