Server population is dropping...

[Cerion]

Significantly more than several hundred. They're offered to nearly *all* Blizzard employees, and the accounts remain active regardless of the individual's employment status. First consider how many people work for Blizzard in its entirety, both domestically and internationally. Now add to that the number of people that have worked for Blizzard at some point since WoW's launch, but are no longer employees by the company for any of a variety of reasons. Now multiply that number by 2, to represent the number of free acounts an employee receives (the position I applied for included 3 accounts, but it was a leadership position). You end up with a figure in the tens of thousands, if not millions.

 

The most ludicrous statement I've read in a long time. So the padded accounts are comprised of millions of employee accounts?! If you're prone to outlandish claims like this, no wonder you didn't get the position at Blizzard.

 

I'm not denying they pad numbers, but your claims are embarrassing.

[sophroniscus]

There is just to many servers. Yes they may have 1.7 subs but alot of those were more then 1 month subs. Alot of people have stopped playing because there is nobody on there servers.

 

agree, why pay sub. to play by yourself. merge servers to be populated provide transfers.

[sophroniscus]

wonder how 1.2 patch will be like for a while. Edited April 1, 2012 by sophroniscus

[Incendergel]

Yes, but that's my point. Dragon Tail is not the entirety of the game. Your statements may be factual for Dragon Tail, but the does not make them factual for the game in general. Additionally, though there are folks reporting similar figures with regard to their servers, they do not comprise the entirety of the game either. There are server populations that are actually growing at the moment, and maintain a significantly greater population on the Fleet than the number you reported at all hours of the day.

 

So you agree that there are servers that are in trouble or that have low population? Forget trouble, but then low population? So if you agree with that then I'd say I can see your point about people reporting some servers gaining in population.

 

The problem though is this. Which of the two are actually happening faster?

 

Before you say anything else yes, it is speculation because I only play on one server. But if I'm to take what I see within other /general forum posts and those I read in /pvp I'm going to say there are a higher number of lower populated servers than there are of those gaining.

 

 

I never indicated otherwise. Faction imbalance is bad, but it's something the developers are pretty much powerless to correct. That said, they really need to get moving on server consolidation. The fact that they're being slow about this should not be keeping you from rerolling, though. If you're not happy where you're at, do something about it!

 

So you also agree that faction imbalance is bad. I agree, hard for developers to do anything about. But that is why the OP and others, including me, would rather see something happen in regards to server mergers before 1.2 goes live.

 

Yes, we can do something about it. I can do something about it. I guess I can stop playing my current level 50 and my various alts, crafting characters, and leave behind 10 or so million credits and restart. I can also leave behind my mains character reputation among those still playing who I played with since retail. Those countless hours forming 8 man groups out in Ilum to try and play the way it was designed. To not trade kills but to actual play, roam, fight, take, control, or otherwise do things to gain valor and complete dailies. To throw away War Hero effort pre-giveaway- patch release.

 

Starting over isn't a option and I think it is wrong that that is the only one being talking about today. You are right - the subscribers can do something about it. But what I'm going to ask you is this.

 

Why should we have to?

 

Let me also say this. This is actually the first MMO that I've ever seen this happen. I'm not sure which publisher started the trend but there is a major problem when games go live and they create massive amounts of servers but neglect the fact of what "could" happen if the game isn't as popular as they though. Thus leaving us with 1/2 of our current problem today....too many servers with not enough population to support a proper community. Therein lies half the problem and it isn't something that LFG will solve. LFG doesn't help me when I'm on Alderaan and wanting to chat it up with the local population

Edited April 1, 2012 by Incendergel

[skinthinner]

Yea. Assuming people are complaining about a problem is faulty logic, sure.

 

What's next? You gonna log in my server during primetime and tell me that there are more then 75 people on my fleet?

 

sheesh stop jumping to conclusions and twisting things to fit your warped opinions.

[Deadbydawnn]

Bioware you have not failed. People cancelled cause they couldnt take the freaking whiners! :p

I do agree with server merging..that is a great idea.

[Runeshard]

Bioware you have not failed. People cancelled cause they couldnt take the freaking whiners! :p

I do agree with server merging..that is a great idea.

Agreed, some servers do need to be merged by the looks of them. I did hear something though that BW want to make sure that there wouldn't be any issues with the Legacy system before they implement server transfers, if that's true then my guess is they'd want to get that done before mergers as well. Just want to point out though that this is just something I've heard, no idea if it's true or not.

Edited April 1, 2012 by Runeshard

[Incendergel]

Agreed, some servers do need to be merged by the looks of them. I did hear something though that BW want to make sure that there wouldn't be any issues with the Legacy system before they implement server transfers, if that's true then my guess is they'd want to get that done before mergers as well. Just want to point out though that this is just something I've heard, no idea if it's true or not.

 

Wait much longer and it will be too late.

 

Legacy is already in the game and most of us "knew" and also "know" it will be addressed later. Server population actually ruins the feel of the game and prevents it from being played regardless of your view. We all know what one of the 'M's stand for in MMO, right?

 

Repeat after me.... M U L T I P L A Y E R

[HeavensAgent]

The problem though is this. Which of the two are actually happening faster?

There's no question; the game is losing subscriptions at the moment. The loss of subscriptions is expected at this point in a game's life cycle. I doubt, though, that it is at a point that should be cause for alarm. In fact, I truly believe the rate that SWTOR is losing subs is far smaller than average for the industry.

 

Yes, we can do something about it. I can do something about it. I guess I can stop playing my current level 50 and my various alts, crafting characters, and leave behind 10 or so million credits and restart. I can also leave behind my mains character reputation among those still playing who I played with since retail. Those countless hours forming 8 man groups out in Ilum to try and play the way it was designed. To not trade kills but to actual play, roam, fight, take, control, or otherwise do things to gain valor and complete dailies. To throw away War Hero effort pre-giveaway- patch release.

 

Starting over isn't a option and I think it is wrong that that is the only one being talking about today. You are right - the subscribers can do something about it. But what I'm going to ask you is this.

 

Why should we have to?

We have to because we can do nothing else. We also have to because the situation is our fault (see last paragraph for explanation).

 

You have to decide which is worse: languishing on an empty server with nothing to do or rerolling on a server where you can actually play the game. Additionally, you're not deleting your existing characters. When EA and Bioware finally get around to consolidating servers you can move them to a new, vibrant community.

 

Let me also say this. This is actually the first MMO that I've ever seen this happen. I'm not sure which publisher started the trend but there is a major problem when games go live and they create massive amounts of servers but neglect the fact of what "could" happen if the game isn't as popular as they though. Thus leaving us with 1/2 of our current problem today....too many servers with not enough population to support a proper community. Therein lies half the problem and it isn't something that LFG will solve. LFG doesn't help me when I'm on Alderaan and wanting to chat it up with the local population

This happens with many games, and the developers knew the current situation would be the outcome. That said, short-sided subscribers would not listen to reason. Queues were long, additional servers were demanded, and there were enough people who believed something needed to be done that they were drumming up enough press to condemn the game before a week had gone by. The developers knew this would be the outcome, they attempted to resist, but ultimately they gave us what we asked for. We're the ones that are to blame for the current situation, and though the developers still need to act to remedy the issue it is not their fault. Edited April 2, 2012 by HeavensAgent

[HeavensAgent]

The most ludicrous statement I've read in a long time. So the padded accounts are comprised of millions of employee accounts?! If you're prone to outlandish claims like this, no wonder you didn't get the position at Blizzard.

 

I'm not denying they pad numbers, but your claims are embarrassing.

Why do you say this? How many people do you think Bioware employs globally?

[Elyx]

Interesting little game for those who want to play.

 

Visit this thread in a years time when everything has been fixed, and see how much QQ there is about whatever new end of world drama players have cooked up.

 

I guarantee you, year on year, for any game, ever, no matter which, on the forums, you will find the same QQ about everything and anything they can find to whine about. When one thing is fixed, it's like it never existed, and the next issue is the next reason why they are donning their blindfolds in front of todays execution squad.

 

I firmly believe they should issue every MMo player with a black band to wear on their arm.

 

QFT. if I had the space, I'd make this my Sig.

[Incendergel]

This happens with many games, and the developers knew the current situation would be the outcome. That said, short-sided subscribers would not listen to reason. Queues were long, additional servers were demanded, and there were enough people who believed something needed to be done that they were drumming up enough press to condemn the game before a week had gone by. The developers knew this would be the outcome, they attempted to resist, but ultimately they gave us what we asked for. We're the ones that are to blame for the current situation, and though the developers still need to act to remedy the issue it is not their fault.

 

I don't remember the server to subscriber issue but seem to recall it happening when I tried AoC and also Rift. I remember lots of queue times in WoW. DaOC I don't remember anything like this at all but I always hold the right to be incorrect. With that being said I see your side of the argument.

 

But at the end of the day it is actually easier for me to move on rather than picking up and starting over on another server. Maybe it is just my time or lack of. Maybe I'm stubborn. Yet I sit here and think to myself it has to be different on a higher populated server.

 

Oh well, it is what it is..

[HeavensAgent]

But at the end of the day it is actually easier for me to move on rather than picking up and starting over on another server. Maybe it is just my time or lack of. Maybe I'm stubborn. Yet I sit here and think to myself it has to be different on a higher populated server.

 

Oh well, it is what it is..

You do have another option: take a break until server consolidation begins. If this game is to succeed it's going to have to happen at some point.

[trueanimus]

Red Eclipse: 835 republic and 947 empire(not including all lvl50's),

Kellian Jarro: 185 republic, 158 empire

both standard load

Didnt read the whole last thread, but there was discussion about how standard servers have around 100 on the fleet in prime time. But the difference between the two ends of standard seems to be pretty huge. I typed who from lvl 1-10 and so on, on both factions on both servers. So not sure about the total amount of players in red eclipse, as it showed only first 100 results for lvl50's.

 

 

yeah this is one thing i dont get.. are they forging the "server status" things? i mean .. like on The Razor.. population is WAY WAY LOW.. during prime time fleet never gets above 50 people... and each planet i go to only has MAYBE 2-3 people.. some even have 0 people. You can even check how many people are on thier ships by logging on to each class and then loading into your ship.. sometimes i see maybe 1 besides me... usually 0... and yet The razor is Standard population??? ***... seriously?

 

 

arent these server supposed to be like.. running with 10000+ people each? how the heck is 200 or less standard population???

[Nitewolfe]

I don't remember the server to subscriber issue but seem to recall it happening when I tried AoC and also Rift. I remember lots of queue times in WoW. DaOC I don't remember anything like this at all but I always hold the right to be incorrect. With that being said I see your side of the argument.

 

But at the end of the day it is actually easier for me to move on rather than picking up and starting over on another server. Maybe it is just my time or lack of. Maybe I'm stubborn. Yet I sit here and think to myself it has to be different on a higher populated server.

 

Oh well, it is what it is..

 

Just commenting on the daoc part.

When they came out with the classic server rule set it was common to not be able to get on those servers (they didnt have que times full was full and you had to keep trying to log in).

Oh and daoc never tried to hide server numbers. On the web and the server select you could see how many players were logged in on the servers. the classic ones capped out at 3000 players on at one time.

 

Thats some thing i really miss about daoc. Was being able to see the exact number of players logged in.

[Incendergel]

You do have another option: take a break until server consolidation begins. If this game is to succeed it's going to have to happen at some point.

 

Sure. Accounts are not closed. I agree with you. Breaks are good regardless of what game we are all playing.

 

Just leveling a Jedi Shadow for a bit as time allows while my Gunslinger is in the bar boozing his credits away...

[Lord_Ravenhurst]

Bottom line is that the endgame in SWTOR does not lend itself to long term gameplay that is either interesting or captivating. For that you need a PVP game that people will play either casually for a diversion or hardcore with a sandbox element to it with more interaction between the factions. This is so people will raid some, then PVP, then raid or then do something leisurely like crafting or cantina crawling.

 

You need open world city PVP to be honest, much like you had it in SWG.

 

You know what I REALLY miss, not just the PVP in SWG, but the drama and politics behind it. Territorial PVP does that, it turns friend against foe permanently and forges player bonds that may last a lifetime. PVP in a living city is something you can never fully appreciate unless you've done it.

 

People choose sides and fight for it; they live with the consequences of those decisions and either become vilified for failing or vanquish their enemy doing so. Without consequence there can be no greatness nor destiny fulfilled.

 

The game had soul, it had a heartbeat. It had a story that you made daily, not painted on a flat canvas that were more like colorforms than a political struggle.

 

It was a game the breathed.

 

Now that those servers are shut down they are gone like so many dust specks in the wind, swept away by the tides of time and the relentless entropy of business interests over art.

 

WOW and SWTOR have none of that, and probably never will despite the hype suggesting otherwise. While I feel bad for everyone that has enjoyed those sorts of high life of gaming, I feel worse for those that never experienced its highs, and its lows. They were real, they were valued. Sadly, when SWG died, a little part of myself died with it I think. I know my guild did. It just took me three years waiting for this game to realize it.

 

The cities there were golden clad gems on the prairie or they were dens of scum and villainy where brawls broke out in cantinas or the fronts of starports over something perhaps as trivial as a deal gone bad.

 

They were cities that I once called home.

 

 

You captured the essence of greatness this game had. Truly sad that it's gone and TOR could not get any inspiration from it.

[HeavensAgent]

You captured the essence of greatness this game had. Truly sad that it's gone and TOR could not get any inspiration from it.

It's a different kind of game. We knew that from the start. It really isn't a factor in regard to population issues, though. Edited April 2, 2012 by HeavensAgent

[Touchbass]

There's no question; the game is losing subscriptions at the moment. The loss of subscriptions is expected at this point in a game's life cycle. I doubt, though, that it is at a point that should be cause for alarm. In fact, I truly believe the rate that SWTOR is losing subs is far smaller than average for the industry.

 

What are we using as a comparison? WoW gained subs on average continually for years. SWTOR has lost at minimal 350,000 but I'd wager it's closer to 500,000+ at this point. is it normal to lose half a million subs off the bat?

[HeavensAgent]

What are we using as a comparison? WoW gained subs on average continually for years. SWTOR has lost at minimal 350,000 but I'd wager it's closer to 500,000+ at this point. is it normal to lose half a million subs off the bat?

I'll be honest, it's not even worth trying to discuss this point. You're pulling numbers out of thin air, which makes it impossible to communicate effectively. I'll just say that I believe you are severely overestimating the game's losses, and leave it at that.

 

Even WoW lost subscriptions at this point in its life; all games in the industry face losses immediately following the launch rush. From a human behavior standpoint this makes perfect sense; we clamor for the new and exciting, but after a time this visceral appeal dies out. Those who were simply playing the game to address these impulses leave once the rush is gone. Population numbers tend to continue to remain low until the game reaches its maturity, at which point they begin to climb again if the developers have done their job or fall even further if they've failed.

[Touchbass]

I'll be honest, it's not even worth trying to discuss this point. You're pulling numbers out of thin air, which makes it impossible to communicate effectively. I'll just say that I believe you are severely overestimating the game's losses, and leave it at that.

.

 

How? Game sold over 2 million initially with 1.7m subs. That was end of Jan. It's hard to get the sales figures but it's probably somewhere between 50,000-150,00k since then. Game still has 1.7million subs and most likely dropping. Ergo it's probably lost at least 350,000k-500,00k in the process. I know it's tough to admit it but it's reality

 

EDIT: Also, how is that "severely overestimating"? It has a reasonable premise and a realistic conclusion. I hope you aren't one of those fanbois who said the game had well over 2 million subs a month ago and Bioware wasn't reporting it cause they don't have too ...

Edited April 2, 2012 by Touchbass

[HeavensAgent]

How? Game sold over 2 million initially with 1.7m subs. That was end of Jan. It's hard to get the sales figures but it's probably somewhere between 50,000-150,00k since then. Game still has 1.7million subs and most likely dropping. Ergo it's probably lost at least 350,000k-500,00k in the process. I know it's tough to admit it but it's reality

 

EDIT: Also, how is that "severely overestimating"? It has a reasonable premise and a realistic conclusion. I hope you aren't one of those fanbois who said the game had well over 2 million a month ago and Bioware wasn't reporting it cause they don't have too ...

Do you have sources for the numbers you're using? You have no factual basis for them. In other words, you're pulling them out of thin air. I imagine you've based them on various factors that you feel are relevant, but they are in fact fabricated.

 

No I'm not one of the idiots who thought the game was on its way to crushing WoW within the year. I'm not saying my information is any more correct than yours, but it is the impression I get based on my observations over the various servers I play on, some of them now empty, some of them booming, as well as patterns that were known in other games I played at launch and my personal business experience in general.

[shepardcomander]

Do you have sources for the numbers you're using? You have no factual basis for them. In other words, you're pulling them out of thin air. I imagine you've based them on various factors that you feel are relevant, but they are in fact fabricated.

 

No I'm not one of the idiots who thought the game was on its way to crushing WoW within the year. I'm not saying my information is any more correct than yours, but it is the impression I get based on my observations over the various servers I play on, some of them now empty, some of them booming, as well as patterns that were known in other games I played at launch and my personal business experience in general.

 

http://www.gamezone.com/products/star-wars-the-old-republic/news/star-wars-the-old-republic-subscriptions-growing

 

At the beginning of February, BiowEAr's reported numbers were 1.7 million, by the end of March, devs were unwilling to give specific numbers. Doesn't look good.

[Wallach]

http://www.gamezone.com/products/star-wars-the-old-republic/news/star-wars-the-old-republic-subscriptions-growing

 

At the beginning of February, BiowEAr's reported numbers were 1.7 million, by the end of March, devs were unwilling to give specific numbers. Doesn't look good.

 

I like how you try and spin his comment. The devs can't give numbers in that situation because, as the article states in the same breath, EA is a publicly traded company. Investors must be given said information before the public, and the next investor call doesn't happen for another couple weeks.

[shepardcomander]

I like how you try and spin his comment. The devs can't give numbers in that situation because, as the article states in the same breath, EA is a publicly traded company. Investors must be given said information before the public, and the next investor call doesn't happen for another couple weeks.

 

That would explain why EA's stock prices have plummeted from above $20/share when swtor was released to just over $16/share now.

Edited April 2, 2012 by shepardcomander