Raising Server Numbers
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I honestly feel if you had 3 / 4 / 5 DMs IG every night and over the weekends running events, spicing quests, posting rumours, bringing NPCs to life, getting people talking about stuff on the forums & IRC, giving players the chance to do things you can't do without a DM etc etc you would see a massive spike in numbers.
I don't log in because playing on a server with 1 or 2 other people IG is boring. Sure if everyone does the same nobody ever logs in, but I have other more interesting things to do than walk around an empty server!
People need to stop talking about running "metaplots" - because in a months time when it grinds to a halt there are going to be similar narked off people posting about how the plot never finished.
Start small and build up from there.
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@solarfall
I've seen puffy online at 8am EST, till 1pm EST before (which is the typical Euro timezones) only to find that there were no players online the entire time she was available to run stuff, and she was looking for stuff to do in game too.I don't disagree that more dm's definitely would help but I don't think they'd be the end all fix all solution at the same time.
In short, yes it would help but why stop there. Flexible plots for the win.
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I agree Puffy is somewhat of a hero when it comes to dragging CoA along kicking and screaming, she just needs a little help :)
Again flexible plots are great - but at the end of the day you need DM help! I honesty struggled to get hold of anyone to give me an update on an app, or to get someone to log in and give me some armour I was approved for, let alone deal with over-arching, long spanning plots!
I love CoA, a lot, and we have been here before - just need to get it back rocking again!
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Puffy is a damn champ, yes. But to rely on only one DM to cover what is around 20-30 regular players, is the recipe for burned out Swedish Kanel Bulla fun.
I hear what you are saying about Metaplots Chips, I really do, and I 95% agree with it. The main challenge however, is if the main events of a metaplots is carried out in only one Time Zone. A brilliant example is our latest Orc Plot, or the Daleland plot. I missed EVERY major event of said plots, despite pushing them like a mad man in my time zones. Hells, for the Orc Plot I established a plot faction focused entirely on seeing the plot finished, yet the "reward for finishing" was given to those who could participate in the final event, which is how it often happens.
Which means, that the RP value of "taking part of major events" becomes very one sided, in terms of time zones. If it was just me experiencing these difficulties, I would accept the argument of "You do not play enough". But I know the sentiment is shared by most Plot pushers in the EU time zones, so there must be something about it.
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Love you guys :heart: Pay me for DMing and I will be a 24/7 DM I'm also willing to move country/continent ;)
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Guys. Guys.
DMs are working on a plot or two. Give them time. CoA has been around for as long as some of you have been alive. It takes time to get an original plot planned, story boarded, cast and financed.
We all love CoA and all want fun shenanigans with shiny loot and titles, but damn...stop panicking! Roll up a PC, do some questing and exploring and RP (with me?) and leave these threads at the door where they belong.
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@Khamal
Ostritch logic doesn't help anyone, Kham. Having an open, mature and honest conversation about this kind of thing can definitely point out the issues... Now, the will to act on and change those things is something else. The only reason this server hasn't folded is because people work to keep it alive on both sides of the Client. It takes work!
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Discussion and constructive criticism is never a bad thing.
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I mean, I understand an active DM is the #1 best way to get people online, but you can also log on as well. Best way to get DMs to log on is to do cool stuff in game.
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Stop adding systems to negatively impact players.
IE.
The DM team increased the magic level then dropped the magic level,they made monsters stronger to compensate for the increased magic then didn't lower them afterward it was lowered.
Then the XP was removed from anything but scripted quests.
Base classes have been altered to increase power,base classes have been lowered in power,base classes have had apps demanded of them or face deletion.
Base classes have had there core power limited by armor types regardless of feats.
The whole app system!Is it really surprising alot have gone to play elsewhere.
So to raise numbers you need word of mouth on other servers players talking to old players and new about the cool things you can do here.
I used to chat to others on Arelith about CoA and how good it was i know quite a few came to play here for awhile as a result.Unfortunately as you have forced all advancement via scripted quests or DM attention,there isn't much cool stuff to do as the server is all stick and no carrot.
Peace out.
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Dms come and go, and as new teams come in, new views of balance + mechanics go in and thus we're in the mired mess we are in now. Redesigning 12 years of balance and difficulty is very hard- and which is why we're going for v6, so we'll have magic levels and monster difficulty exactly where we want it. I believe this will address a vast majority of balancing issues, including gold + potion bloat. Whereas, if the original Dm team from the starting days of CoA are still with us, we'd see a much more consistent vision in terms of mechanics and balance that would be more strongly adhered to- however, without such founding grace- the teams that transition in and out must do the best they can.
The App system may get a good looking at, but it won't go away.
Scripted quests make it easier to control character level progression as opposed to having players bring a level 2 newb with their level 10 groupies and smash the Clar Banda Crypt. If we want it to take 2 weeks for a player to reach level 10, we can do it fairly easily if we can control where they can get XP.
Sorry if that frustrates you, but it's part of game design where you don't want players who are just off the road to Arabel capable of tanking a Gelugon on day 2. Why should players who've played for months on their pcs be bested by some snot-nosed adventurer who arrived in the city three days ago? That is both immersion and heartbreaking, and it's part of the why we're seeking to limit XP gain.
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If there will be ways to keep players IG and active without the need for DMs, awesome. Mechanical stuff to keep folks busy would awesome. Placeable items. Cooking. Etc. I'm not pretending it would easy. I'm not the one whod have to do it. I just see ways to keep people logged in without needing DMs.
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TLDR: COA is unwelcoming, features are rewards, systems are broken or take years to implement. Death has no meaning, lowbie quests suck, Apps nead to be tweaked, critique is whining.
WITHOUT being accusatory, many oldies like myself have come to expect a certain amount of resistance to change. Systems in CoA would remain stagnant for years, with the previous DM teams simply refusing to keep up with other servers out there, and not implementing features that were both widespread and practically "standard" among the bigger servers.
Were they right or wrong? I don't know. but CoA is still here, and most of those servers are now gone. And we still don't have widespread player storage(faction only), player homes, banking(we did once, but it was terrible), mounts, more prestige classes, easy dyes, player customization options(like tattoos). It took nearly a solid decade of "whining" before DMs decided to implement HAKs.
We used to have an Enchantment system prior to our current Crafting system. This Enchantment system was taken out so that it could be replaced by a Crafting system, but it took somewhere like 2 or 4 years for the Crafting system to come out AFTER the Enchantment system was removed. We waited patiently for 6 months, and impatiently for years after, for this fabled crafting system. Even now, its kinks and problems are still being worked out, and it is not yet completed, nor does it seem like it ever will be.
Most features mentioned above exist in some form of another at some point in CoA, but where most servers offer it to PCs for a price, or free, in CoA, it requires days or weeks to earn in game, and is a reward rather than a standard feature. We even used to have faction banking, but because it was a pet project of one DM, when that DM retired, it just lingered in our system without anyone else touching it.
Spell Alterations and Subclasses are what makes us a little bit more different than other servers. Subclasses are pretty open, but Spell Alterations have become a secret knowledge horded by a handful of players, with some attempts at publishing it as in-game information. Yet even then, the Alterations were dramatically changed, requiring players to restart their efforts. Like many of the things in CoA, these are horrendously player-unfriendly, and especially NEWBIE unfriendly.
I utterly dread having to have a new PC these days, because its a fucking slog to get to level 8 and out of the deadzone where no one is close to your level. Rewards at low level can be PUNISHING, and quests DEADLY for many people, especially newbies who can't find quest buddies. And if I hear some asshole tell me to "git good" over this matter, it will be another nail in the coffin. Lowbie quests have been made so unrewarding that most people just wants to get to high level rather than take their time and enjoy themselves.
Stop balancing CoA for the game-breakers, who want to find the best way to game the system to make the most money and XP. Why balance the entire server for 5-10 players who are able to power through any quest? There are many other ways to limit advancement. Requiring a PC/NPC trainer for every level past level 8 would slow them down without penalizing the entire server. But stop punishing everyone because a handful of players are breaking the system.
Stop rewarding conflict for the sake of conflict. Reward storytelling, plots and roleplay. Reward people for making choices that hurt their character. Don't reward people for being the biggest dick in game. Don't reward people because they are able to bring meat shields who have zero involvement in plots. Don't just reward the leaders alone. People have begun to equate I AM THE BIGGEST ASSHOLE ON THE SERVER with DM attention. This is equivalence of the loudest baby in the nursery throwing a tantrum and smacking the other children to get the nurse's attention.
Some PCs should die as a result of their actions. Reward their next character with a token, an item, an easier APP. Don't wipe the slate clean as if their previous character means nothing now. Reward people for awesome deaths.
Some people, myself included, have wanted to play a half-dragon or a janni or something amazing and incredible for a decade now. We've never come close because we can't do the stupid App. Are we incapable of playing one? Are we not going to create alot of fun, politics, intrigue and more for the server? No. We just can't do the pre-game exam. Some players have played nearly all the amazing subraces. Others haven't even played one. We have an unhealthy attachment to the App system. It needs to be tweaked to be more open and accepting. It needs to be less like a job application and more like a few ideas of where the character is going to go.
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This thread is swiftly becoming a 'whine about server problems' thread and less about suggestions to raise player numbers.
It's cyclical. Players will return once summer obligations are settled. That said, v6 will address a lot of the issues you're bringing up.
Though to address @Thune- Player housing will never happen. It's a pointless gimmick. We are not CoA sims.
- I would be fine with a banking system.
- Application system may be tweaked. No promises
- Placing a level cap at 8 or 9 might be on the table, and requiring a DM to wand you to proceed past it. Seems like a bad idea though, personal opinion.
- Lowbie quests will be made easier and will award survival supplies such as invisibility potions more often, as well as moderate/light healing- in v6.
- Other servers have numerous content developers. Hate to say it, CoA is still recycling, and sometimes, rediscovering old tools from over a decade ago. We got lives. We're not going to pour more time into this server than we have to in order to balance a healthy work/RL life. As many people complain, this game is a massive time sink. It is for dms as well. Sinfar alone has numerous builders, scripters, and more. They don't tell a story arc, however- which necessitates the need for secrecy so as to not 'spoil' the story, they merely provide content for people to live out an 'alternative' life. Wanna play a lawful good demon succubus of pelor? Go right ahead.
- Some people are better at writing apps than others. It's not my fault, or the DM teams, that you do not ask for their help.
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Also, for those frustrated with the pace of content development, I've not received ONE offer of help in this regard, as I illustrated and pointed out here in the state of the server post.
Merchant stores alone will increase development time by WEEKS. So, if you want the dms to add content- how about you help us when we make a very public post asking for it? :(
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For the record, even dms get their apps denied. I apped for a Red HD recently. Dreams crushed. ;(
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@SpiffyHas
When I'm out of school and have more free time to spare, I will look into making things. Though, it would be helpful if someone could point out any tutorials or any sort of helpful links on building/scripting etc, I would be more than happy to at the very least, give it a try.
Can't say it will be very good at first... or at all.
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Let me also add I will seek out info on the internet as well, lol. >_>
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At this point in time, if you are not familiar with any scripting languages, do not learn for the sake of using NwN script, I will bluntly say it'd be a waste of your time. Learn to script for more productive ends and make some side $$$.
As for toolsetting, the Bioware Toolset is incredibly intuitive. If you need help, hit me on IRC, will show you some tricks.
Merchants are fairly straight forward as well. I will write a tutorial if people care for one.
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Why do people want player housing..? To cook dinner and go to bed? What does it bring to the server?