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Thinking of trying this is the lower to mid level population good for grouping?

AngelboundAngelbound Member, Newbie CommonPosts: 1,437

I love to group, in fact I cannot stand mmorpgs without heavy grouping, and since this game gets allot of negative feedback I was wondering about population thanks.

Comments

  • KazaraKazara Member UncommonPosts: 1,086

    The answer is obvious. If you truly enjoy grouping than the most populated serer is for you - - that would be Starsider. The next most populated server, Flurry, is a very distant second. I still do not think you will find a healthy number of new low level players to group with on the grind up, but once you get to max level (if you haven't quit yet), there will be many others to interact with. Finding a large active guyild should be one of your first task if you decide to invest in this game.

    I would strongly suggest that you try the free trial first and check it out. Only you can truly decide if SWG is worth your time, effort and cash.

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  • thamighty213thamighty213 Member UncommonPosts: 1,637

    simple answer regardless of server is NO -  everything low to mid is solo content apart from the odd Kasykk mission you may need a buddy or 2 for even the majority of the high stuff is solo.

     

    The only real requirement to group in SWG is heroics and PVP.

     

    You stand a better chance as a US player on Starstrider and if EU Chimaera of finding players to group with but its still unlikeley.

     

    People simply don't level alts by playing theres a few grinds (ignored exploits) that have existed for years that SOE simply ignores as people simply don't want to play through the dull legacy quests time and time again.  What that does mean though is you could use them yourself and be invloved in the high end group stuff most likeley within a week.

  • AisinAisin Member Posts: 17

    Originally posted by thamighty213

    People simply don't level alts by playing theres a few grinds (ignored exploits) that have existed for years that SOE simply ignores as people simply don't want to play through the dull legacy quests time and time again.  What that does mean though is you could use them yourself and be invloved in the high end group stuff most likeley within a week.

    or maybe just buy a game thats actually fun to play that doesn't require you to exploit to play

  • thamighty213thamighty213 Member UncommonPosts: 1,637

    Originally posted by Aisin

    Originally posted by thamighty213

    People simply don't level alts by playing theres a few grinds (ignored exploits) that have existed for years that SOE simply ignores as people simply don't want to play through the dull legacy quests time and time again.  What that does mean though is you could use them yourself and be invloved in the high end group stuff most likeley within a week.

    or maybe just buy a game thats actually fun to play that doesn't require you to exploit to play

    yep thats always a viable solution also but GL finding a fun MMO in todays climate,  damn you TOR just give me a release date so I can pick one of the lesser rans to play for x months.

  • BadgerSmakerBadgerSmaker Member Posts: 629

    Originally posted by Kazara

     I still do not think you will find a healthy number of new low level players to group with on the grind up...

    You will.  I reguarly use the player search tool to contact all unguilded players under level 50 and send them helper information and I speak to hundreds of new and returning players every week.

    The only big problem with grouping in SWG is that is doesn't support grouping across level differences of about 10 or more levels well at all.  You really need to find people around your level range to benefit from the increased XP gain due to group help, but this can be done via the player search tool.

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  • thamighty213thamighty213 Member UncommonPosts: 1,637

    Originally posted by BadgerSmaker

    Originally posted by Kazara

     I still do not think you will find a healthy number of new low level players to group with on the grind up...

    You will.  I reguarly use the player search tool to contact all unguilded players under level 50 and send them helper information and I speak to hundreds of new and returning players every week.

    The only big problem with grouping in SWG is that is doesn't support grouping across level differences of about 10 or more levels well at all.  You really need to find people around your level range to benefit from the increased XP gain due to group help, but this can be done via the player search tool.

    You then have to convince them to either wait for you or you wait for them to get to the exact same legacy quest then play identical times as theres just zero low level content that would be anywhere near as rewarding in those levels.

     

    You cannot just go out killing and pull the same xp

    There are no dungeons with quests

    There is simply one boring questline to take you right through to 50ish when your ready for kashykk and kashykk is gated as such that you end up in the same situation oh and the same for mustafar.

    So whilst you may find these players your basically fudged unless they are at exact same stages of quest lines and are willing to only play with each other.

     

    About the only other thing you could do together and get decent xp from is your 10 missions a day COMPNOR.

     

    Queue Badger telling me how wrong I am and the dearth of content SWG has avaialble :)

  • AisinAisin Member Posts: 17

    Originally posted by BadgerSmaker

    Originally posted by Kazara

     I still do not think you will find a healthy number of new low level players to group with on the grind up...

    You will.  I reguarly use the player search tool to contact all unguilded players under level 50 and send them helper information and I speak to hundreds of new and returning players every week.

    The only big problem with grouping in SWG is that is doesn't support grouping across level differences of about 10 or more levels well at all.  You really need to find people around your level range to benefit from the increased XP gain due to group help, but this can be done via the player search tool.

    thanks.. i needed a good laugh.

     

    they couldn't even get hundreds to return during the free IndIana Jones hat week!

  • KazaraKazara Member UncommonPosts: 1,086

    Even on Starsider, heavy grouping at low levels, especially within 5 levels of your character levle, is just the rare exception, not the rule, even with the search tool . The grouping tool will not help much at all on the ghost town servers where you have to actually have active players on to do any worthwhile search.  Many players are anon to escape spammers or to be left alone altogether, which voids the grouping tool.  Veteran players that reroll on Starsider will AFK grind rather than go through the painful lock-step grind of the Legacy quest line (the only low level quest line) for the umpteenth time.

    This game is made up primarily of long time, established players who already have at least two level 90 characters. SWG targets max level players for instanced group content and  PvP (GCW). When a new player finally attains maximum level, then he will have to spend time and effort getting all the top end gear to be truly viable. Being in a well organized, active guild is essential.

    I would still suggest to any prospective new player, especially those that strongly desire group play even at the lower levels, to try the free 14-day SWG trial and see for yourself how the game is.

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  • BadgerSmakerBadgerSmaker Member Posts: 629

    Originally posted by Aisin

    thanks.. i needed a good laugh.

     If you like that, then you will love this article where three Massively staff voted for SWG as Best MMO of the Decade.

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  • thamighty213thamighty213 Member UncommonPosts: 1,637

    Originally posted by BadgerSmaker

    Originally posted by Aisin

    thanks.. i needed a good laugh.

     If you like that, then you will love this article where three Massively staff voted for SWG as Best MMO of the Decade.

    I would agree with them for all its faults ups and downs and varying other issues it is MY MMO of the decade hell its my MMO of all time both pre cu and post NGE.

     

    I think Jef's comment on why he voted it sums it up well "SWG showed what's possible. Of course WoW then came along to show what's profitable, and here we are. Though few games have had rockier roads than SWG, it's still around, still the penultimate sandbox, and still retains some of its charm despite various face-lifts."

  • TUX426TUX426 Member Posts: 1,907

    Originally posted by BadgerSmaker

    Originally posted by Aisin

    thanks.. i needed a good laugh.

     If you like that, then you will love this article where three Massively staff voted for SWG as Best MMO of the Decade.

    You're also a writer there correct Badger? Did you get to vote?

    Massively also voted STO as the best MMO of 2010 btw.

    IMO, this site is clearly much more unbiased.

  • Trident9259Trident9259 Member UncommonPosts: 860

    Originally posted by Angelbound

    I love to group, in fact I cannot stand mmorpgs without heavy grouping, and since this game gets allot of negative feedback I was wondering about population thanks.

    join the free-trial period of this game. 

     

    then please come back here and report back on those "hundreds of new players" badgersmaker refers to, and how many of those "hundred of new players" you found using the search tool. 

  • BadgerSmakerBadgerSmaker Member Posts: 629

    Originally posted by TUX426

    You're also a writer there correct Badger? Did you get to vote?

    Massively also voted STO as the best MMO of 2010 btw.

    IMO, this site is clearly much more unbiased.

    I write for Stratics me old mate.  I see the last MMORPG.com article on SWG was a year ago.

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  • TUX426TUX426 Member Posts: 1,907

    Originally posted by BadgerSmaker

    Originally posted by TUX426



    You're also a writer there correct Badger? Did you get to vote?

    Massively also voted STO as the best MMO of 2010 btw.

    IMO, this site is clearly much more unbiased.

    I write for Stratics me old mate.  I see the last MMORPG.com article on SWG was a year ago.

    Ah! Sorry about that.

    And when I said "this site", I meant that MMORPG, for all practical purposes, still allows free debate to continue...mostly.

    Massively took a HUGE credibility hit with the STO thing and lost all of theirs IMO.

  • BurntvetBurntvet Member RarePosts: 3,465

    Originally posted by TUX426

    Originally posted by BadgerSmaker


    Originally posted by Aisin

    thanks.. i needed a good laugh.

     If you like that, then you will love this article where three Massively staff voted for SWG as Best MMO of the Decade.

    You're also a writer there correct Badger? Did you get to vote?

    Massively also voted STO as the best MMO of 2010 btw.

    IMO, this site is clearly much more unbiased.

    Just that one right there says all that needs to be said about their credibility.

    I mean, really.

     

     

  • BushMonkeyBushMonkey Member Posts: 1,406

    Originally posted by Aisin

    Originally posted by BadgerSmaker

    Originally posted by Kazara

     I still do not think you will find a healthy number of new low level players to group with on the grind up...

    You will.  I reguarly use the player search tool to contact all unguilded players under level 50 and send them helper information and I speak to hundreds of new and returning players every week.

    The only big problem with grouping in SWG is that is doesn't support grouping across level differences of about 10 or more levels well at all.  You really need to find people around your level range to benefit from the increased XP gain due to group help, but this can be done via the player search tool.

    thanks.. i needed a good laugh.

     

    they couldn't even get hundreds to return during the free IndIana Jones hat week!

     Indeed,however as one who has monitored the swg forums almost daily for 5 years and observing the numbers online i am curious as to where the "hundreds weekly" disapear to?  Do hundreds also quit weekly? Are they all in game having so much fun that they cannot be bothered to go to the forums? From my monitoring of the SWG forums "hundreds weekly" just does not ring true.

     As stated by a previous SWG employee only a vocal minority use the said forums,i beleive we were informed it was along the lines of 1 in 5 or 1 in 10 people use it, my apologies but after 5 years it is a little hazy. So let us use the  1 in 10 shall we?

    There are 1,220 online users: 263 registered, 957 guest(s)  

    Most users ever online was 51,475 on 8/31/07 9:26 AM

     

    This is the number of people on the Oboards as i write this. As i have monitored the boards for 5 years now i have observed the trends of the numbers. As can clearly be seen by the numbers above there has been a drastic drop in the last 3 years. In fact it has hovered near the present number for the last couple years.

    Now if i may postulate,if 1 in 10 use the forums and "hundreds weekly" join the game it would seem there would be an indication of this in the numbers and a steady increase of users of the forums.

    Now to go one step further and to give the numbers the benifit of the doubt i will use the 1 in 10 formula times "hundreds weekly" since the NGE.  We can use the number 50,yes a year consists of 52 weeks but again i would like to be generous and not count the extra 10 weeks.

    So 50 weeks times 200 ie: "hundreds weekly", again lets be generous and not skew the numbers with one more unfavorable to SWG. This would equal 50,000 new players added since the NGE hit.

    So if 10,000 hard core veterans stayed after 5 years of the NGE plus the new blood of "hundreds weekly" 50,000 you would arrive at a total of 60,000 persons playing SWG. But if you consider the number of 1 in 10 use the forums it should indicate a total of  6,000 at any given time.

    The "hundreds weekly" just doesnt ring true if the forum numbers are any indicator of SWG unless "hundreds weekly" are also leaving the game. Or "hundreds weekly" just refuse to use or are unaware of the forums.

    Of course this is all subjective and in no way does it indicate what the true numbers might be as SOE has not released the sub numbers in many years. It is just one persons observation of the forum numbers over the course of 5 years.

     

     But it is interesting as a sidenote that there has been a server merge in the recent past and calls almost daily from the forum users for further merges. Also a very telling indicator of a dismal growth in SWG's overall population.

    Edited:ie the 1 in10 or 1 in 5: it turns out that we were lead to believe the number was 1 in 5 or 20% use the SWG forums.


    "Roughly 80% of the people who play SWG never read these boards.  We know this from our own internal metrics and it poses an interesting question.  Are we talking to people who play the game or posters who play the boards?"


     



     


    The 20% formula puts SWG in an even more dismal light if the Forums are any indicator of the population of SWG.

  • BadgerSmakerBadgerSmaker Member Posts: 629

    Originally posted by BushMonkey




     


    ... if the Forums are any indicator of the population of SWG.

    They aren't really any good for that, all I managed to get from the forum stats was relative server forum activity.

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  • efefiaefefia Member Posts: 631

    Xfire is always a fun place to look at stats, especially as in the past it has been used to defend the games population, rather than highlight the lack of....

    http://www.xfire.com/games/swg/Star_Wars_Galaxies_An_Empire_Divided/

     

    http://www.xfire.com/genre/mmo/massively_multiplayer_online/

     

    On the second link if you click on the "Rank" tab you can see the mmo's that have more players and more hours played than SWG, it's somewhat enlightening.

     

    Obviously these numbers are only indicative of Xfire users although I have to say that the number of Xfire users overall has increased whereas SWG's userbase has decreased significantly.

    ...The spread of secondary and latterly of tertiary education has created a large population of people, often with well developed literary and scholarly tastes, who have been educated far beyond their capacity to undertake analytical thought.

  • BadgerSmakerBadgerSmaker Member Posts: 629

    Originally posted by efefia

    http://www.xfire.com/genre/mmo/massively_multiplayer_online/

    On the second link if you click on the "Rank" tab you can see the mmo's that have more players and more hours played than SWG, it's somewhat enlightening.

    Interesting...  why are there gaps in the rank numbers though?

    Overall I think even with SWGs flaws and old game engine that stifles its potential it is still a popular game. 

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  • DistilerDistiler Member Posts: 416

    Xfire with the new launcher hadn't worked for a long time. It has been fixed past year but I guess lots of swg left it already and never returned. I think it's a great tool to promote a game so it would not be a waste of time to do some official sw channel and a promo campaign there, as many other mmos have done.

     

    BTW since I've necro-bumped the xfire thread in soe forums, ranked has bumped too XD

    Today is at #69. In a couple of days, from 104 to 69, not bad (absolute rank from a list of all games played). It could go down as easily tho...

     

    Seriously, an official group is needed, or at least a semi official, senator sponsored group.

  • efefiaefefia Member Posts: 631

    Originally posted by BadgerSmaker

    Originally posted by efefia

    http://www.xfire.com/genre/mmo/massively_multiplayer_online/

    On the second link if you click on the "Rank" tab you can see the mmo's that have more players and more hours played than SWG, it's somewhat enlightening.

    Interesting...  why are there gaps in the rank numbers though?

    Overall I think even with SWGs flaws and old game engine that stifles its potential it is still a popular game. 

     It's the overall number of all Xfires supported games, my link is the mmo filter so there's fps, rts, rpg's etc in between that aren't shown.

    Here's another fun Xfire link for you, check the total hours played.... the lad is a damn machine! :D

    http://www.xfire.com/profile/mattenz/

    ...The spread of secondary and latterly of tertiary education has created a large population of people, often with well developed literary and scholarly tastes, who have been educated far beyond their capacity to undertake analytical thought.

  • DistilerDistiler Member Posts: 416

    Yes it's a filter, thus the gaps. For the "all games" ranking list (click "rank" to sort it by):

     

    http://www.xfire.com/games/

  • DistilerDistiler Member Posts: 416

    Diving to #109 today!!!!one11!!

    Rollercoaster XD

     

    PD: only stable positions are like the first 40 or 30 ranks, the other ones have very similar hours played and thus can change greatly from day to day.

  • Trident9259Trident9259 Member UncommonPosts: 860

    Originally posted by efefia

    Xfire is always a fun place to look at stats, especially as in the past it has been used to defend the games population, rather than highlight the lack of....

    http://www.xfire.com/games/swg/Star_Wars_Galaxies_An_Empire_Divided/

     

    http://www.xfire.com/genre/mmo/massively_multiplayer_online/

     

    On the second link if you click on the "Rank" tab you can see the mmo's that have more players and more hours played than SWG, it's somewhat enlightening.

     

    Obviously these numbers are only indicative of Xfire users although I have to say that the number of Xfire users overall has increased whereas SWG's userbase has decreased significantly.

    notice how a "popular tag" for SWG is "lol". 

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