How healthy is Ebon Hawk?

[landdon]

I am currently on Harbinger and the scheduled guild activities are just to late for me as it's a west coast server, and my guildies just run stuff way late for me as I am on the east coast. So, I am looking at transferring to an east coast server, and of course look for a new guild. So, how is the population on Ebon Hawk? Are Fp queue times decent? Pvp active?

[DarthBror]

I am currently on Harbinger and the scheduled guild activities are just to late for me as it's a west coast server, and my guildies just run stuff way late for me as I am on the east coast. So, I am looking at transferring to an east coast server, and of course look for a new guild. So, how is the population on Ebon Hawk? Are Fp queue times decent? Pvp active?

 

Well we have the exact opposite problem. Im here on EH and **** is just about over by the time I log in. Good thing PVP is vibrant and diverse. Otherwise Id be screwed into being an alt'o'holic.

 

Queue times are about 5 to 10 mins. Its a small but tight community. We have all been at each others throat, or brothers in arms at one point or another.

 

Guilds are consolidating and new one are popping up. Pax, Silent Council, Army of Light, Republic.... etc.. etc.. Check out the enjin forums or the guild recruitment threads via the link at the top of the forum page.

Edited July 9, 2013 by DarthBror

[Aikiyc]

Flashpoint queue times are probably gonna be the biggest issue. This server is excellent for everything else though!

 

The flashpoint thing is because healers and tanks don't pug groups more often than not. Best bet is to find a good guild and attach yourself to a healer or tanks leg. xD

[ML_DoubleTap]

PvP on this server is pretty miserable lately from my experience. Seems most of the good pubs left the server and 80% of the games I've been in are blowouts.

[Hockaday]

I am currently on Harbinger and the scheduled guild activities are just to late for me as it's a west coast server, and my guildies just run stuff way late for me as I am on the east coast. So, I am looking at transferring to an east coast server, and of course look for a new guild. So, how is the population on Ebon Hawk? Are Fp queue times decent? Pvp active?

 

The server is healthy. It's an RP server though...so if you're looking for great players, look elsewhere. Most if not all of the PvP guild left, and many PvE'rs left as well.

[jasonthelamb]

Not many big PvE guilds where you can get into raids on Ebon Hawk, I'd say look elsewhere for somewhere to raid earlier.

[AsiriusNazriel]

Not many big PvE guilds where you can get into raids on Ebon Hawk, I'd say look elsewhere for somewhere to raid earlier.

 

That is a terrible overgeneralization. Pax has been running 16-men raids regularly for months now.

[TemptsFate]

I feel PVE is still going strong on TEH, you just need to find the right group. That said, you may not find any guild willing to immediately put on the core progression team right away.

[KeyboardNinja]

PvE is in *excellent* shape on TEH. Not sure where the negative generalization is coming from. Rep side especially is quite competitive. Aisthesis and Underworld Alliance both have numerous groups farming both HMs, and Aisthesis is soon to have two groups in the Nightmare modes (currently just one). I don't know Imp side raiding as well, and my impression is that there are fewer guilds doing high end stuff, but it's definitely far from non-existent.

 

I actually don't know any PvEers who simply up and left the server. Maybe <Wrath>? I haven't seen any of them around in quite a while.

Edited July 15, 2013 by KeyboardNinja

[tasmen]

For what it is worth, i transferred from Harbringer and have not regretted the decision. Queues can be long at times (even as a healer), but they haven't seemed overly long.

[Headpunch]

I transferred off TEH, as did a lot of people from Progeny of Sorrow on Imp Side, in search of a much better PvE environment. I haven't regretted my decision at all, and am very happy on The Harbinger. If you're looking to clear content as fast as possible, I would look at another server instead of TEH, like Jedi Covenant. Likewise, if you want a guild that can field 3+ raid teams of unique players all capable of facerolling HMs while gradually progressing into NiM, look at another server.

 

If finding and playing with a group of in-game friends is more important, then TEH is a great place to be. It definitely has a much more community feel to it than other servers. Guilds tend to place relationships above talent, and that's not a bad thing if you're looking for a more social experience. You have talent capable of completing the highest level of content on the server, but due to scheduling conflicts or a greater emphasis on running with friends instead of an optimal progression group, TEH lags in terms of progression speed. A few of the top guilds can compete, but that's a very small portion of the player base. TEH's best are on par with other servers, but the average player is noticeably worse.

 

From personal experience, it was very challenging to recruit top quality talent pre-transfers since most accomplished raid teams are already set in stone, and there weren't a lot of good players floating around since the high end raiding population is small compared to a pure PvE server. Once you know the right people, it's easy to fall into good groups that have HMs on farm, but if you're brand new it'll be a lot tougher unless you've got a good list of accomplishments under your belt.

 

Just my thoughts as somebody who was here for quite a few months, and then left b/c it wasn't what I wanted in a server.

Edited July 17, 2013 by Headpunch

[KeyboardNinja]

Likewise, if you want a guild that can field 3+ raid teams of unique players all capable of facerolling HMs while gradually progressing into NiM, look at another server.

 

This is exactly what <Aisthesis> is doing, actually. Just thought I'd mention it...

 

A few of the top guilds can compete, but that's a very small portion of the player base. TEH's best are on par with other servers, but the average player is noticeably worse.

 

This I will agree with. I know some absolutely TERRIBLE players on this server.

[Headpunch]

This is exactly what <Aisthesis> is doing, actually. Just thought I'd mention it..

 

I was talking about Imp Side, which was very stagnant when I left in terms of large, actively recruiting progression focused guilds. I was trying to recruit for Progeny, but found it very difficult to get talented people before I transferred off.

 

Pub side is quite healthy. Wrath, UWA, AM, and Aisthesis are all good guilds with an active, progression focused player base.

Edited July 17, 2013 by Headpunch

[GrindStone]

*Redacted* Edited November 9, 2017 by GrindStone
*Redacted*

[Aikiyc]

Hey Grindstone. If you don't like it, you can get the **** out.

 

I've been on Ebon Hawk since forced transfers, and was on Lord Adraas before then. To be perfectly honest, this server reminds me of a smaller Wyrmrest Accord server where I thoroughly enjoyed my playtime as I do now.

 

Perhaps RP servers aren't your thing? The other servers are ---------> That way.

[McCay_Jones]

I think the server is doing well. I do primary role play on the repulbic side, as I can be found on Tython often just chatting with people.

 

I've never had much issue with queue pops for Hardmodes.

 

What others have said can be true of course. it is just my perspective. Yes, being in a guild helps a lot. Even if it is a small guild.

 

Perhaps a lot of guilds role play in secluded places, I know a few guilds that do not do this. I consider my guild (Pathfinder) one of those.

 

Overall what I do day in and day out, I am happy here. Does this mean you will be? Depends what your primary focus is.

[KeyboardNinja]

On the Republic side (PUB) [Though over 50% of PUB is IMP alts XD so, eh, argue if you want]

 

In <Aisthesis>, which is a Rep guild, we have exactly… 2 people who have a main on Imp side. Given that one of those people is now raiding more actively on Rep side than on Imp side, while the other one doesn't really do much in <Aisthesis> at all, I think it's safe to say that your statement is false.

 

I used to be in <Wrath> (back when it was <Wrath of the Forsaken>). All of the members of <Wrath> have their mains on Rep side. <UWA> has changed a lot since I ran with them consistently, but I know none of the core group are alts, much less alts of Imp characters.

 

Honestly, your statement appears to be incredibly misinformed. Especially when taken in context with the general character of the Imp raiding experience vs the Rep raiding experience:

 

I was talking about Imp Side, which was very stagnant when I left in terms of large, actively recruiting progression focused guilds. I was trying to recruit for Progeny, but found it very difficult to get talented people before I transferred off.

 

Pub side is quite healthy. Wrath, UWA, AM, and Aisthesis are all good guilds with an active, progression focused player base.

 

This mirrors my experiences as well. Calamitous Intent is the most serious Imp guild. Bane is around, but has scaled back their raiding a lot recently. Silent Council seems to have refocused primarily on PvP. Empire is still around, but a lot of the core has transferred and the rest have essentially withdrawn from the progression community (my understanding though is that they are farming both HMs). Progeny of Sorrow used to be good, but obviously they've transferred away. Nemesis has mostly dissolved, though I still see a few around.

 

Overall, Imp side raiding on TEH seems to be a much smaller community than the Rep side raiding, which is sad. I mean, as someone who mains Rep side characters, I'm glad to have a larger pool of quality people to draw from when putting raids together, but I would prefer to have a vibrant and balanced server.

[Wheeltax]

Every server I've ever been on in every MMO ever has had an exodus of people leave because it's the WORST SERVER EVER.

 

Maybe it's me.

[Aikiyc]

Every server I've ever been on in every MMO ever has had an exodus of people leave because it's the WORST SERVER EVER.

 

Maybe it's me.

 

Grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.

 

Always.

[WeadonismyMaster]

On the Republic side (PUB) [Though over 50% of PUB is IMP alts XD so, eh, argue if you want]

 

The Ebon Hawk is one of the worst servers of all time. I've rolled TEH a combined 4 months of the last 1.7 years since launch. 3 separate groups of main an alt characters. The result was the same everytime. 75% of the people that go there won't make a single friend in the first month. There's good general chat from time to time, but that is the only good thing on the server unfortunately.

 

Roleplay, sure, that would be great, if only Roleplayers didn't insist on secluding themselves from the rest of the population. Guilds are secluded too, making the problem worse. You are basicly completely alone in a solo XP grind until you are lucky enough to meet a group that will social/group/roleplay with you. That's just a estimate. In truth is nearly certain you will be stuck in solo mode, friendless.

 

The 1-49 game is dreadful. You are trying to get to 50-55 just to be able to have fun, which sucks. The 1-49 people around you nearly all play class an sides in solo mode, skipping convo an power leveling the whole time. I believe it comes from there being a very large mix of people on TEH, which leads to social disfunction. Thus people develop a defensive avoidance of group content for the duration of 1-49.

 

It goes well beyond what we normally consider in these matters. Not only is friendship undervalued, the majority of the 1-49 players lack any understanding of social skills. All the stuff that was bad about PUG is present in an abnormally high amount of groups one is lucky enough to find. This an a few other things leads to a somewhat grumpy situation between all of the players, both new an old.

 

Besides the social disfunction there is a pretty clear lack of understanding of large amounts of the game's mechanics. How stuff works. Anything cool or unique about the game is often ignored, because they are new players or perhaps were not motivated to learn how TOR works. PVP for example, they don't understand it, and end up with a negative experience from PVP. Leading to deep seeded problems in the PVP section of the server.

 

Holes in the que, nobody rolling ranked, pre-made vs noobs, Warzone quiters, ignoring the team, ignoring the rules. There was also a large amount of exploiting in PVP in TEH's history, an there still is. The worst part is that somehow all the other negative sides of the server force players into becoming PVP crybabies, or well complainers. Is that even a word. Whatever it is, players can't help but complain. It's lackluster PVP.

 

Groupfinder is the only exception to the solo mode. That que is dreadful. Only 1 out of 3 que pops will have all players accept, the other two or more someone will decline. This goes along with a general lack of understanding of what groupfinder is, because the server majority relies on PUG. [pick up groups] You can just imagine what players with poor social skills end up doing in PUG just to get FP's an Heroics.

 

Over population an crowding has become more of a problem with server transfers abroad, an the addition of twice as many F2P players than subscribers. So going along with all your other problems in 1-49, you are constantly surrounded by what can only be called F#%*tardism. Kind of like if you read comments on any social media website, only it's in a MMO an they have zero idea how anything works in the game or server.

 

The GTN market was healthy an stable for a long time . Somehow it's turned bad though an goes up an down. There's no way to be sure why, but it's a terrible market. Items listed for double the amount it's worth, an that fluctuates up an down without reason. No way to be sure, but I get the feeling from some other telling signs that a majority of the server are children & teenagers.

 

Healthy with population yes, but don't forget quality. If you fill one of the best servers in TOR history with the worst players imaginable, it's not exactly the best version of TOR. You should roll there an see for yourself. There is probably more bad things an more good things about The Ebon Hawk. What difference would a few more good or bad things make when nearly all the major areas of concern are a bust?

 

The Ebon Hawk has never been a good server. It has nothing to do with The Ebon Hawk server itself, just that there are other servers where you have more fun in a single day than in a whole month of The Ebon Hawk. The day you start on a server, should tell you everything you need to know about if it's a good or bad place to roll. It's not like life, if the first day isn't good, it's not going to change.

 

Fatman for example. There were no servers to compare to it. It might as well have been two completely different games. That's why it was shut down. You had the Fatman version of TOR, then all the rest. If they didn't shut it down it would of exploded with flowery joy. If you rolled everywhere, then rolled a server like Fatman then you notice the difference immediately. The same is true today with the mega server structure.

 

TEH may suffer from a case of the verbosity....

[sofiebear]

It is honestly surprising how little serious progression happens on Imperial side. There are the few active PVE guilds that clear content each week, but they have their small core group and that's it. In the past few months its been devastating to my groups if we lose a member of any role, as it has been much harder to recover. Having to gear and reteach someone a mechanics from little/no experience is a major setback some don't have the patience to deal with..

[GrindStone]

*Redacted* Edited November 9, 2017 by GrindStone
*Redacted*

[Jenzali]

I choose my server very carefully. Having previously played an MMO and gone through the pains of switching servers (Dunemaul -> Wyrmrest Accord -> Proudmoore -> Emerald Dream ...), I knew that for this one I had to choose the right server from the start. I tested out many of the others for a few months and I settled here with absolute certainty - it ended up being a tie between here or Jung Ma, but I (correctly) predicted that Jung Ma would eventually have population problems, so the choice was clear.

 

To sum it up, people always think the grass is greener elsewhere. Making friends can be difficult but I assure you this is the most welcoming MMO community I have ever been in. Of course, experiences may differ wildly for a multitude of factors, mainly luck, playtime, preferred playstyle, and time of day. You could just have ran into a few bad apples, and there are those on every server. It also depends on how polite and friendly you are to other people.

Edited July 18, 2013 by Jenzali

[CarneyBravo]

Dysfunctional Type Of Healthy?

 

Song = Spiderbite by Beats Antique.

 

Try spoiler tags for your text walls ...

[Satedbuffalo]

Silent Council seems to have refocused primarily on PvP.

 

We're active, we just don't post to the progression thread.