Is DAoC Making a comback?

JutMan

It appears that even after a long standing run that DAoC is starting to take people away from WoW.  I am not sure how long they can compete with a game that does not require the PvE gear grind to get to see new contect.

For me it is a game that i can login to or not. No scheduled raids, PvE till 2:00 a.m. for learning.  It is so login , get your stuff done, then chill or logout.  No pressure.

Kerms

I think it is slowly making a come back, aren't they taking toa off of the main servers to? If they are I might consider coming back.

Smithm001

I wish it would make a comeback.  I used to love DAoC, but like many others, I was turned off by ToA. 

This game, right up there with the original EverQuest, is one that I trully miss.  WoW was a good game too, but after my negative experience with a Chinese farming hacker, and a lack of help from Blizzard's support team, I found myself cancelling here as well.

PVE in DAoC was the best.  I have fond memories of taking and defending keeps.  I tried to come back latelast year but found that DAoC wasn't the same game I originally enjoyed.

Czzarre

I went back to DAOC and I am having a blast. Make no doubt, DAOC is so much better for the casual player. Get in , fight and laugh, get out. No scheduled raids (for the most part) just fun and blood all over the countryside.

I think more than a few people are coming back, I was REALLY suprised as to how active the newbie areas were on the class servers

Torrential

Varcan

I think it may be making a slight comeback due to the massive hype and following of WAR.  People are coming back to DAoC for the time being, but they'll likely all leave for WAR upon release. 

In case anyone doesn't know, the connection between the two games is that they are both made by Mythic.

JulianDracos

People just really need to pay more attention.  ToA is not being removed.  Those using the ToA game client can no longer use it.  Big different there. 

ToA has nerfed to death a long time.  If they just would have done that a long time ago, they would have never needed to launch the classic servers.

As for WAR, I really think that is going to be disapointing to many people.  Some people will want something really new, some want it to be like DAOC, but set in WH, and others want a WoW with better "PvP."  I think all three camps will be disappointed because WAR is going to be its own game, but at the same time not really doing something adventurous and new.

Czzarre

I do not want WAR to be another DAOC. However I do think they are takign a lot of the elements that we enjoyed in DAOC and putting it in WAR. As for dissapointment? Perhaps, there is always a little letdown when the HYPE is so big and reality sets in. But for me, my only expectation is that I will have fun.

Torrential

Abisbowa

I am still playing DAoC and am loving the heck out of it. I keep regretting that I did not get into it when it was still really big. I would love to see DAoC make a comback.

On account of the ToA expantion, dump artifact items keep master levels.

The thing that I wish DAoC would implement is a WoW like control/movement scheme. I don't like the rolling start and stop movemet in DAoC. Other than that I am entirely satisfied with the game.

Shoal

No need for a poll, or to guess.

Go to Camelot Herald and you can see the number of players on world-wide.

It is currently (this instant) less than 8,000

Total.

That would be ~32k to ~40k subscriptions, tops, I would think.

It has been pretty stable at this level for months.

I doubt if it will ever again get much over this count.

DAoC was a fine game for its time.

Then, they decided Grinding (ToA) was the way to go.

And the game started fading away.

The real deathblow came when WoW was released.

They went from ~150k subscribers to less than 50k almost over night.

And have been declining ever since.

JulianDracos

 

Before ToA: 235,000 players

After ToA: 250,000 players

After WoW release: 200,000

6 months after WoW: 175,000

March 2006: 125,000 players

Oct. 2007: 95,000

 

So no players lost because of ToA contrary to common opinion.  I am sure some did, but not a mass exit - at least until there was something else to play.  WoW cost around 75,000 players or 30%.  This holds with what happened to almost every other mmorpg.  The huge loss of players, combined with neglect and slow changes from Mythic causes an additional loss of 50,000 players.  Rapid changes of key issues has slowed the bleed and created somewhat of a stable population.  A small decrease over the past few months has happened – maybe a loss of 5,000-10,000 players mostly due to attrition and lack of progress of building the game player base back up. 

 

With either marketing, a super-cluster, (most likely both) then the subscription numbers could back and hold steady at 125,000 on the assumption that WAR is significantly different from DAOC (which so far it seems like it will be) to give DAOC its own audience.  A combo offer could also hold to keep the numbers somewhat steady.

Baring something else, then I would expect another 10% drop in the population in 6- 12 months, with the total number of subscribers going down to 40-50,000 after 18 months and holding there indefinitely.  Those people just aren’t going to leave unless the servers are shut.

romanswinter

Originally posted by JulianDracos


 
Before ToA: 235,000 players
After ToA: 250,000 players
After WoW release: 200,000
6 months after WoW: 175,000
March 2006: 125,000 players
Oct. 2007: 95,000
 
So no players lost because of ToA contrary to common opinion.  I am sure some did, but not a mass exit - at least until there was something else to play.  WoW cost around 75,000 players or 30%.  This holds with what happened to almost every other mmorpg.  The huge loss of players, combined with neglect and slow changes from Mythic causes an additional loss of 50,000 players.  Rapid changes of key issues has slowed the bleed and created somewhat of a stable population.  A small decrease over the past few months has happened – maybe a loss of 5,000-10,000 players mostly due to attrition and lack of progress of building the game player base back up. 
 
With either marketing, a super-cluster, (most likely both) then the subscription numbers could back and hold steady at 125,000 on the assumption that WAR is significantly different from DAOC (which so far it seems like it will be) to give DAOC its own audience.  A combo offer could also hold to keep the numbers somewhat steady.
Baring something else, then I would expect another 10% drop in the population in 6- 12 months, with the total number of subscribers going down to 40-50,000 after 18 months and holding there indefinitely.  Those people just aren’t going to leave unless the servers are shut.

You are absolutely wrong, I am a living testament that people left because of TOA. Sure , we stuck around for a couple months to try it out, but soon we realized it was the greatest timesink in all of MMOs at the time, and if one wanted to compete in RvR it had to be done. Thats when I said "no way" and unsubbed. I personally know at least a dozen other people who did the same thing.

JulianDracos

You should really read the entire sentence.  I said that I am sure some left, but it was not a mass exit of players.  Some people left, some people played less, but more people actually came back/tried the game after ToA came out than before. 

The fact that one, or a dozen players left the game is a tiny sample pool that proves nothing. 

frankyz669

I for one played after TOA was released.

The only reason I stopped playing was because of RL.  But I can tell you this - I disliked TOA alot.

I am thinking of coming back since I have more time.  The classic servers were a great idea.

Though I am looking at a couple of others like Tabula Rasa, WarHammer (of course), PotBS...

Too many choices these days.

A.Blackloch

Damn. Wish I'd been around while DAoC was on it's peak. People really seemed to like it.

Arawon

I think people are just "parking" there until the next game comes along .The game had no expansion this year for the first time.This says to me they think the game will take some mortal blows with some of the 2008 introductions(so no more signifigant investments).WAR being one of those.

Kyleran

Now don't throw things at me, but I'd like to see DAOC be made free to play, just to try and bolster the numbers back up again.  At the very least, create a multi-game access pass like some other firms do, you know, maybe $19.95/mo for both games.  Might breath some new life into the game after WAR goes live.

I always swore I'd never join a F2P game, but if DAOC did this I'd come back (assuming it drew larger numbers again)

Czzarre

I've said this before (perhaps even in this very thread), but I also think it would be a good idea for DAOC to become F2P. I think that those players who currently and previously played and enjoyed DAOC are the same players who will likely enjoy and play WAR. So when Mythic releases WAR, I expect that everyone currently on Daoc will be going to try it.

I believe that Mythic should make DAOC F2P for anyone who has a WAR account. This way, we always have a game to return to when we get a little burnt on WAR. We all get a little tired of a game after a while, and this way, we have a viable alternative and MYTHIC doesnt lose the playerbase to another company. After a well deserved rest on DAOC we come back to WAR. Its win win.

Tonev

Only reason this game is takeing people away from WOW is those that never experienced RvR or DAoC period want's to see how the system works in preperation for Warhammer.

Trust me, no one is actually coming back to the game unless they are absolutely sick of the buggy mess titles and expansions that developers try and shove down our throats and even then most will go back to console games.

dreamer05

I would say so.  Although a nice graphics update is needed I think.  Nothing too big, just some small things added here and there.

Madoto

Tonev ... WTF are u talking about ? noone is coming back to DAOC ? :P 90% of ppl that left DAOC are coming to back  daoc make ppl play it cuz its very easy for playing even for biggest noobs :P

Ravkeen

I do see DAOC making a comeback but its real slow. The primetime numbers have been increasing day by day where it was only reaching 9k. But it has increased to 12k for the primetime numbers.

Suory

To the people that did not play DAoC during  the first 1-3 years of the game, you really missed out on a awesome game.  I was never really into PvP. UO more or less ruined my experience with it, but DAoC really made something special with RvR.

I played the game from day 2 up until about six months ago. However, Mythic has honestly blown the game.  Ever since WAR started beta, they have made some serious and stupid changes within the game. I honestly just could not keep changing with the game.  The people that are now running the game need to be fired. It has become a training ground within Mythic.

Has far has DAoC making a comeback, It never will. I would wager that at least 75% of the people that have stuck with the game will play WAR full time when it comes out. Also, some of the people that are coming back are simply waiting for WAR.

 

If people are playing the game now will never experience what players did within the first few years of the game.  The RvR was simply awesome with high population and there was a different mindset with the players at that time that simply do not exist today.

JutMan

Most people are on the "classic" servers w/o the TOA on it.  More enjoyable.  The TOA servers they are collapsing the clusters so there are more players per cluster. 

I see typical numbrs of 1500+ on the classic cluster at various points during the day.

Hrica

My wife and I are doing the trial and loving it so far. Strange I never got around to trying this game out years ago. We are playing Albion in the Galahad server

JutMan

Give the Classic servers a shot if you do not like the TOA grind.  It is quick to get to 50 and really into RvR.

phluux

Darn you people! These last few threads about coming back are really tempting me to break out the install discs! Argh!