Why is the playerbase so much smaller?

Stevieb · Post by **Stevieb** » Tue Jul 15, 2008 11:19 pm

Every now and then on the tv i see adverts for WoW, which makes me think other than commercialism, why isit that WoW is more succesful than AO...9 million players, to less than 500 thousand, probably less than 100 thousand (due to there being 500k characters, and nobody has only one toon)...
other than the graphics engine coming out soon, what would be needed to make AO like WoW in the way of playerbase size, other than just being loyal, i would rather it be larger too

imagine going down the streets of omni ent and finding people on every little alley and every road, the player activity would be so muchgreater, and more fun.

i wish there were more people playing anarchy

Ukblizzard · Post by **Ukblizzard** » Wed Jul 16, 2008 10:58 am

Stevieb wrote:imagine going down the streets of omni ent and finding people on every little alley and every road, the player activity would be so muchgreater, and more fun.

But realistically, do you honestly think that is where you would find new people? I don't.

It is so rare that people explore all the interesting sites and locations. Its rare even to find people to sit and chat with in known locations such as Rompa - although I do admit that I often AFK in there and am not the best of conversation when I am away from my keyboard.

You will only find more people in the cities if there is a reason for them to be there. What we are more likely to get with a greater population is a "flooding" of the interesting places to go, or places where you can get your hands on whatever loot it is that is popular at that point in time.

Stevieb · Post by **Stevieb** » Wed Jul 16, 2008 11:03 am

hmm i suppose, i was just using omni ent as an example, and reading one of the posts from 16 post pages ago or so, where the crowds moved into bor rather than other places.
...maybe, we should get rid of all the guides after the graphics engine, then people will have to g around searching for themseleves, also knowledge will be passed through words, thatd be bloody awkward though

Ukblizzard · Post by **Ukblizzard** » Wed Jul 16, 2008 4:42 pm

But look at the flip side of having the guides, people do know where there are interesting places to go.

It isnt like we only have guides on the "popular" places, the guides span most content.

Maybe some sort of AO Universe community input into something along the lines of the "Dreams of RK" .. sorry WG cannot remember the titles of your articles right this second .. could be embarked upon.

See what ideas you can come up with for helping to make the not so busy streets busy again

Stevieb · Post by **Stevieb** » Thu Jul 17, 2008 5:06 pm

hmm...il try...maybe if FC plonked some new random unique mobs into the actual city's like omni ent/trade/hq, mobs in these places would be only killable by clan/neut, also similar mobs in tir/athen/old athen (killable by omni/neut) with similar timers, random and at least over 30 minutes lets say.
so...
new unique mobs that wander around sided city's with random spawns in the city, the loot would have to be very nice to get people to actually do this at all though, so...i dunno it would be random level encounter also, so it could be anywhere between level 10-250. it would also be good if this mob was like a player in the way that if you in its level range you can kill it, like the pvp range
...any takers? i like this idea

xaatxuun · Post by **xaatxuun** » Sat Jul 19, 2008 5:53 am

My thoughts about the subject.

I do not think there is less ppl, I see more content has been added since I last played (stopped about a month after AI came out). I still see the same hang out spots, just slightly less but not much.
as long as more locations are being introduced to the game , and not so much growing in population, it may just look like less players, when it is either the same if not more. they are just more spread out now.

Now if you were to remove everything that has been added pre AI, I am sure it would look the same today as it did 4 years ago.

on a side note: I really dislike it when ppl use other games for comparison, specially a game I never played. Not just games but like on the news, or any other show. they compare something to the size as what ever, and being I have never been there, or seen it . . I have not a clue what they are talking about

Ukblizzard · Post by **Ukblizzard** » Sat Jul 19, 2008 9:08 am

Well, what I always imagined for the "big" cities, or even the smaller ones - was that players would eventually take leases out on shops / bars. The ones that arent currently used for anything, not already existing shops and bars. There would then be a way to purchase furniture / terminals for that building and create your own establishment.

So, tradeskillers could set up a "Carbonum Warehouse" or something, and stock multiple terminals of carb, or have a coffee shop where people could come and use terminals to find out the days news or link to the GMS.

The thought is, is that a person would not have to man their shop/coffee shop 24/7 but they pay rent to hold that place.. and perhaps there could be a RUR Shopkeeper bot that people can buy to greet people when they walk in

Stevieb · Post by **Stevieb** » Sat Jul 19, 2008 10:46 am

Xatxuun iv never played WoW which i did mention, but i have seen the adverts, and was just saying that they have an immense amount of players, around 1 seventh of the UK's population. and not that id want 'that many players, but i would like more players,
or...did you mean that you think there are more players, but the spread of more places has made it look same....i get you now

Ukblizzard yeh i do kinda see what your idea is, basicly being able to buy a building in say bor on the 'high street' as it were, so a new door would open, and a player would be able to rent the building; place terminals, furniture, sort it out in looking, then fill the terminals with their 'ph4tz t0 s3ll' another example would be an ai armor shop, with terminals with stuff like scouts, supple etc, and combined AImor too. that is a cool idea

xaatxuun · Post by **xaatxuun** » Sat Jul 19, 2008 3:22 pm

I was saying they are more spread out. And that the popular hang out spots are still the same.
Most MMO's I have played, their maps/worlds are not even half the size of AO. This is the one feature I like of AO that other MMO's do not have. I think they have too small of maps/worlds , making places more crowed.

I have noticed compared to 4 years ago when I last played, there are far less ppl using LFT, lucky to see one using it any more, half the time it is none. It was easier to get on a team, and some favorite grinding spots were full back then, Now with Ai missions been added and BS .. a lot are going there. (Just guessing, I only have SL expansion)

Nadab · Post by **Nadab** » Sat Jul 19, 2008 7:38 pm

Ukblizzard wrote: It is so rare that people explore all the interesting sites and locations. Its rare even to find people to sit and chat with in known locations such as Rompa - although I do admit that I often AFK in there and am not the best of conversation when I am away from my keyboard.

We know Uki.... and we love you for it... if it wasn't for you being /afk there, we'd have no fun at all.... I'm mean.... like tying balloons to your pigtails while you ... er.. um.. nap! Or putting that "Kick Me" tag on your back.... heh heh or even drawing circles around your eyes with magic-markers...

Ukblizzard · Post by **Ukblizzard** » Sat Jul 19, 2008 8:11 pm

and I always just blamed Coen..

castagere · Post by **castagere** » Mon Jul 21, 2008 3:31 am

Wow, you guys should have been playing back in 2002. Before Shadowlands came out, you would find players all over omni ent. Every time i go through there, i feel alittle sad. They really should give players a reason to come back to Rubi-ka. Even the clubs used to be full on the weekends. After doing a few team missions you would hit the clubs to unwind. I miss those days. The lag around the Bronto Burger stand was something.

Stevieb · Post by **Stevieb** » Mon Jul 21, 2008 4:22 pm

castagere wrote:I miss those days. The lag around the Bronto Burger stand was something.

wow!! really? hehe i wana see that...thing is, if more people joined, then ao would upgrade servers and make 'more' 'new stuff' 'quicker', and then thered be less lag, and everyone would win, FC, players, the bronto burger company, endless joy...?

castagere · Post by **castagere** » Mon Jul 21, 2008 11:29 pm

Funcom should do ingame events in the old hangout spots like they used too. I remember the 3 or 4 year party at Baboons,Man that was a party. 100 or more Avatars on the dance floor. Gridstream productions was pumping out 80's dance music. Major giveaways like pc's and video cards. Then it would continue at the rompa bar. Man those were the days. They should do stuff like that again. Maybe with the new graphics update. What a way to welcome back some old players. Imagine just seeing omni ent. with the new look.

Stevieb · Post by **Stevieb** » Mon Jul 21, 2008 11:32 pm

hell yeah that would ###king sweet!!!
despite the fact iv only played since the end of 06 and dont really know what the 'good ole days' were like, i would really really love to see something like that ingame, the reason people are so loyal is a lot to with the fact that we are such a bound community, stuck together with glue in all weird ways...but theres nothing major that bring sus together, id like to meet new people through this game

like a lot of people do

bump for your suggestion

as long as the graphics is engine is pushed forwards more

Why is the playerbase so much smaller?

Why is the playerbase so much smaller?

Re: Why is the playerbase so much smaller?

Re: Why is the playerbase so much smaller?