Satele Shan - 64 people Pub side fleet (1 instance) - 9:30pm EST

[ExarSun]

Darth Malgus server here. I'm talking last friday/saturday night, this is, peak times.

 

There were 2 instances on the Imperial Fleet, sometimes a third with few people. 1 instance on Republic fleet, with a few people on the second.

 

Korriban had 2 full instances (100 ppl) and a third one with some more. DK had almost 2 full instances.

 

Other planets such as Nar Shaddaa, Tatooine or Alderaan had 1 instance full plus a second instance with some more ppl. Not commenting on pvp instances. All this doesnt take into account personal starships, advanced planets, pvp/fps/ops, ppl questing on expansion planets, etc

 

So, i cant comment on Satele Shan, but Darth Malgus seems healthy population-wise.

 

This was the population of the Red Eclipse before the merges lol (even slightly lower than Red Eclipse). DM consists of 3 servers...I wonder where is the population of the other two.

[Mournblood]

p.p.s. mergers anyone?

 

I don't know if you realize this or not, but the next server merges they do will be the last just before they put the game into maintenance mode. I've seen it several times before in other MMOs. So I'd be careful what you wish for here.

[jimmorrisson]

This game is and has been for sometime in "maintenance mode". Also Satele Shan's population cannot be hand waved away with the "everyone is in their stronghold" argument.

 

The state of Satele Shan is due to last year's underhanded server merge where all of the west coast/APAC servers were merged into one east coast server, where Bioware waited to the last possible moment to inform anyone about it. That and the convoluted gearing system introduced with 5.0.

Edited November 15, 2018 by jimmorrisson

[Mournblood]

This game is and has been for sometime in "maintenance mode".

 

Maintenance mode for an MMO is when all they do is keep a server or two running for players to play on (usually a login server + one game server). They maintain those remaining servers, and that's it. No more development, no more bug fixes (not like we get those anyway), no more content whatsoever. The only time anyone touches them is if there's software or hardware problems with the servers themselves, such as security patches, a server blade going down, the RAID array needs maintenance, etc. What we have now is not maintenance mode. It's merely a studio starved for resources by its publisher.

Edited November 15, 2018 by Mournblood

[DeVanagloris]

This was the population of the Red Eclipse before the merges lol (even slightly lower than Red Eclipse). DM consists of 3 servers...I wonder where is the population of the other two.

 

Well, honestly i dont know where the the rest of the population is. I was in the Red Eclipse, and it always was a healthy server population wise.

 

My point anyway was that, at least in DM, the population is quite acceptable and not only that, starter planets are full of ppl which means there's still an influx of new players.

[Totemdancer]

Well, honestly i dont know where the the rest of the population is. I was in the Red Eclipse, and it always was a healthy server population wise.

 

My point anyway was that, at least in DM, the population is quite acceptable and not only that, starter planets are full of ppl which means there's still an influx of new players.

 

Lots and lots of F2P on starter planets, but they dwindle off as you lvl up through the planets. I can only assume that they don’t keep playing.

Ofnthise that do, how many convert it subs? If the percentage is small, then they aren’t replacing the amount of lvl 70 sub players who are leaving the game or dropping subs.

That is why the game is declining. It’s not capturing enough of those new players.

If I was to hazard a guess, I would say it’s because the content has become so super easy in the vanilla part of the game that any one wanting some challenge (which is what MMOs are about), move on to more challenging games once they get past the first 2-3 planets

Edited November 15, 2018 by Totemdancer

[DarthSpuds]

My point anyway was that, at least in DM, the population is quite acceptable and not only that, starter planets are full of ppl which means there's still an influx of new players.

 

Not necessarily.

 

I've started 4 new toons over the last 10 days, because even the very worst Class Story arc is better than the best moments in KotFE/ET and beyond.

 

Most of the toons I see on "starter planets" have the Legendary Player flair, so they aren't new players either.

 

 

All The Best

[IoNonSoEVero]

Lots and lots of F2P on starter planets, but they dwindle off as you lvl up through the planets. I can only assume that they don’t keep playing.

Ofnthise that do, how many convert it subs? If the percentage is small, then they aren’t replacing the amount of lvl 70 sub players who are leaving the game or dropping subs.

That is why the game is declining. It’s not capturing enough of those new players.

If I was to hazard a guess, I would say it’s because the content has become so super easy in the vanilla part of the game that any one wanting some challenge (which is what MMOs are about), move on to more challenging games once they get past the first 2-3 planets

 

I'm not sure about that. A lot of the players on starter planets appear to be RPers or guilds hanging out or experienced players going through with new characters. Every time I leave the first building on Korriban there's a huge crowd around the mailbox collecting their legacy vehicles/rewards and such.

 

Also, I don't know how it is if you've come to SWTOR from another game, but if you're new to this type of game, it's not necessarily easy. On my first character, before I figured out what the heck I was doing, I died a lot.

 

IMHO the lack of players right now is because there's no new content. People drift away or don't play as much because they're bored and have nothing to do (hence why they might go back to the class stories and do new characters there...).

[Zerileth]

....even the very worst Class Story arc is better than the best moments in KotFE/ET and beyond.

 

So true.

 

I'm not sure maintenance mode means they "can't" do upgrades. The only one I was associated with was GW1. I believe they added better ways to level 20 in Pre-searing after they declared it was going into maintenance mode and they were working on GW2. Not 100% on that though. But yes, I'd go with maintenance mode pretty much being the end. We're not there, yet.

[WayOfTheWarriorx]

Disclaimer - [if I say 'you', I mean it figuratively, people in a general sense and not directed at anyone in particular. Yeah, it's come to this

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

New storyline, new gear, revised gearing system, new Meta on the way [6.0]. New Lightsabers, new adaptive gear and speeders, New PVP map, new Vendor types, New Operation difficulty being added and, Ohh yeah, PTS Trials going on intended to vet new content that's being worked on...

 

In what Bizzaro parallel moron dimension do those things say "Maintenance Mode"?

 

I know dogs that could figure that out for themselves. And not even smart dogs. Dumb dogs, dumb even by Dog standards [which I can totally relate to ]

 

Ohh and while I'm at it, as I was banned at the time - [and I'm speaking generally so if I say "you" I mean some people in general not someone specific]

 

If you can earn something you want in game without having to spend REAL money [Credits aren't real money], even if you could buy them with credits is NOT P2Win. If someone want s to be moronic enough to spend real money to buy fake things and sell them on the GtN for fake money and than use that profit to buy something you want but could get without all of those other steps that's also not P2W. That's pay to be a moron to waste real money for things you can get for free. -Ya don't need to be a rocket scientist to figure that out. - I'm the dumbest person in this game and even I know that.

 

[it's why I can relate to dog's so well I think, my brain functions on a very similar level] -" Eat, crap, sleep, hump, lick everything, eat some more, take a nap, try and have sex with the lamp post again, "WHO ATE ALL THE BACON Beggin' Strips???", bark at some stuff for no reason, hump the empty Beggin' Strips bag, "Ohh crap I forgot my name again" - sleep, wake up, what's my name?, hump the newspaper for 15 minutes while I'm still trying to remember my name......sleep, look at something I've seen before but can't remember from where,ohh yeah that's that A-O who ate all my friggen Beggin' Strips and have to wait for every time I wanna take a wiz because he's really anal when I piss all over the floor.,....I'm just marking my damn territory dammit!

 

Who are you again? And....do I even have a name? Ahh screw it, it aint worth all the trouble, I'll just go and sleep for 15 hours and maybe when I wake up I'll remember some things,....well probably not but hell what else I got do.....ohh wait I remember who that son of a ***** is again, thank's for making me get my nuts chopped off!"

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

So yeah, this ain't maintenance mode and the other thingy ain't P2W..

 

Woof.

Edited November 16, 2018 by WayOfTheWarriorx

[TUXs]

These threads annoy, can one of the big ones come and delete them?

You could always, you know, like, ignore them? Just because you're "annoyed" doesn't mean he can't post this.

[JattaGin]

Darth Malgus server here. I'm talking last friday/saturday night, this is, peak times.

 

There were 2 instances on the Imperial Fleet, sometimes a third with few people. 1 instance on Republic fleet, with a few people on the second.

 

(...)

 

This was the population of the Red Eclipse before the merges lol (even slightly lower than Red Eclipse). DM consists of 3 servers...I wonder where is the population of the other two.

 

We also had 2 imp instances of the fleet on The Progenitor on Friday evenings. Let's assume 1 instance on Tomb of Freedon Nadd and we got 5 fleet instances on the 3 previous servers. Now we got 2 fleet instances. Seems healthy, but is still 3 instances less than before the merger.

[Batwer]

You could always, you know, like, ignore them? Just because you're "annoyed" doesn't mean he can't post this.

Sorry, if you open the 5000 thread with the same content it is annoying. It is impossible to figure out how many people are on the server altogether. It is that they would have to everywhere. I prophesied that with 5.10 even fewer people are on the fleet. Why? Suspect? ...... Magic? A rift in space and time continuum? ...........................................................

 

No, a new planet and more space on the server that can be distributed.

Edited November 16, 2018 by Batwer

[Khevar]

It is impossible to figure out how many people are on the server altogether.

You can if there are few enough people.

 

I did it here:

http://www.swtor.com/community/showthread.php?p=9665225#post9665225

 

You start by searching by level range. If you have more than 100 in a particular level, add the advanced class to the search. If there's more than 100 in a particular level with a particular advanced class, sort by planet and search forwards and backwards and see where they meet. This works up to 199 players online with the same level and advanced class.

 

Searching by planet can be tricky, as I'm not sure if there exists a complete list of every possible planet instance once can search for. Flashpoints, operations, warzones and other similar instances have their own names. But if you had such a list, that would be how to further break down 200 or more players at the same level / advanced class.

 

Basically, if you have a server with a large population one can get pretty close, but it won't be 100% accurate. But for a low pop server you can get actual precise numbers.

Edited November 16, 2018 by Khevar

[Batwer]

Not really. Then it's more appreciated. You'll need to calculate how many players change instances, log out, and log in. And in all Instanzen at the same time.

Example: You are on the fleet. Have there in the 1, Insstanz all players noted. Then you switch to the second. At the same time 10 players log out in the first one or 8 change to an OP. At this point, your note is already flawed. You need a momend shot of each instance in the same moment to get even the right amount. Your bill is about 20% correct.

 

Only about 2151 people on the server is not right. Otherwise that would not count for BW. SWTOR would have been closed long ago

[Andryah]

Not really. Then it's more appreciated. You'll need to calculate how many players change instances, log out, and log in. And in all Instanzen at the same time.

Example: You are on the fleet. Have there in the 1, Insstanz all players noted. Then you switch to the second. At the same time 10 players log out in the first one or 8 change to an OP. At this point, your note is already flawed. You need a momend shot of each instance in the same moment to get even the right amount. Your bill is about 20% correct.

 

Only about 2151 people on the server is not right. Otherwise that would not count for BW. SWTOR would have been closed long ago

 

The studio does not base it's decisions on any single flash capture of number of players on line at any given point in time. This is something that the people who make threads like this do not understand.

 

While we as players can at best do what Khevar has outlined (which will never be accurate because players are not just going to freeze in place while Khevar takes a head count. ) the studio actually has the instrumentation to know exactly how many players are online at any given point in time, and collects this data over time and using analytics they can profile the exact population dynamics of any server over time.. including by level, what content is being played, how long a player is on line, how many hours a player plays per week...etc. etc.

 

With modern server technology and Business Intelligence analytics.... it is possible to very closely monitor what is going on in a game server at any given point in time, as well as trends and patterns.... because the studio can capture many different data points and then plot them on a dashboard readout that the studio can review, parse, expand, etc... to determine what is actually going on inside a server. Businesses have had the ability to do this for many years now.. and it gets better each year. When I was responsible for a customer support portal service for a large tech company years ago.. we could literally track everything our customers were touching and what they were interested in and what they were not interested in. It is a valuable tool for refining customer experience (broadly speaking, not for any specific customers particular tastes).

 

Back when torstatus was actively maintained... we as players could get a relative indication over the hours of a day, week, month, as to how busy a server was based on server load flags. It never gave us a precise indication of actual population numbers, only the relative peaks and valleys of activity based on the load flags. But now days, we do not even have that available to us.

Edited November 16, 2018 by Andryah

[Batwer]

That's why these threads are meaningless. You do not have to create a new one every few days. There are not enough people in SWTOR, that's clear. You do not always have to discuss the same thing in 10,000 threads. One is enough.

[DarthSpuds]

Sorry, if you open the 5000 thread with the same content it is annoying.

 

If you already know the thread has the "same content" why do you open it in the first place?

 

 

All The Best

[Khevar]

Example: You are on the fleet. Have there in the 1, Insstanz all players noted. Then you switch to the second. At the same time 10 players log out in the first one or 8 change to an OP. At this point, your note is already flawed. You need a momend shot of each instance in the same moment to get even the right amount. Your bill is about 20% correct.

Ah, I see the confusion. You think you need to visit the instance to measure the player count.

 

You don't, you simply do a WHO search.. Type 1-10 and it will give you every player on every planet that is level 1 through 10. If you get more than 100, narrow it down to 1-5 (and so on).

 

The entire process can be done in a few seconds.

[DenariusJay]

Trickle content, wack classes balances, no real expansion since 4.0, etc. List is as long as my arm as to why this game can't grow. The people that are left are friends and heavily invested players that can't back out now. The growth of the game is stale since 5.0. Even 4.0 brought a surge of player activity, but 5.0 crushed whatever growth we had.

[Batwer]

Ah, I see the confusion. You think you need to visit the instance to measure the player count.

 

You don't, you simply do a WHO search.. Type 1-10 and it will give you every player on every planet that is level 1 through 10. If you get more than 100, narrow it down to 1-5 (and so on).

 

The entire process can be done in a few seconds.

 

Is the same. Depending on how fast you are, it takes a few minutes to search all the planets. At the moment people can log out or go elsewhere. Besides, you'd have to do that more often. At least a whole month. Morning, noon and evening. Then you could create a statistic. Consideration of holidays, summer time, etc. Then one can only say on average how many people are still playing. Do it if you have nothing better to do. These "OMGs are just 64 people on the fleet, we'll all die ... "is stupid.

 

 

If you already know the thread has the "same content" why do you open it in the first place?

 

 

All The Best

Because I can.

[Khevar]

Is the same. Depending on how fast you are, it takes a few minutes to search all the planets.

I didn't search planets, I searched levels. It's pretty fast.

At the moment people can log out or go elsewhere.

Absolutely. But you seem to be hell bent on insisting that population counts cannot be obtained.

 

You said, and I quote:

Your bill is about 20% correct.

It doesn't matter if someone switched instances -- I counted by player level. My tally was only affected by someone logging out, logging in, or leveling up.

 

Start to finish it took me less than 2 minutes. This is a short enough period of time that the numbers I provided are going to be quite accurate. It won't be 100% perfect, of course, but it's going to be pretty darned close.

Edited November 16, 2018 by Khevar

[TrixxieTriss]

I searched levels. It's pretty fast.

 

It doesn't matter if someone switched instances -- I counted by player level. My tally was only affected by someone logging out, logging in, or leveling up.

 

Start to finish it took me less than 2 minutes.

 

It use to take longer. Especially when you had to count specific classes at level 70 and sometimes break that down by instances.

Now its much faster because of the reduced numbers of people online. So that doesn’t bode well if it can be done in 2 minutes.

[ExarSun]

Trickle content, wack classes balances, no real expansion since 4.0, etc. List is as long as my arm as to why this game can't grow. The people that are left are friends and heavily invested players that can't back out now. The growth of the game is stale since 5.0. Even 4.0 brought a surge of player activity, but 5.0 crushed whatever growth we had.

 

This.

[Ylliarus]

Even the old Harb would have far more than this at 6:30 pst. Just stating the facts

 

p.s. its not summer anymore

 

p.p.s. mergers anyone?

 

Yesterday at 6:30 I only saw 3 people outside on the street. Just stating the facts here, my town of 6000 people must be deserted because I only saw THREE people outside at the time. My town is dead, you guys, everyone must have just packed up and moved away because nothing ever happens here. My town needs a merger, people!

Edited November 17, 2018 by Ylliarus