What population is needed for players?

Delusive

I was playing the other night with my wife. We were level 14. In this screenshot I counted 18 players. So groups should be fairly is to create. So I don't understand why people complain about the population. Why do people need more? Why do people want hundreds of thousands of people before they will play a game? You never actaully play with that many, not even close. I would hate to see hundreds of poeple on the screen in this shot, it would totally kill the immersion in my opinion. I understand a game needing I high population for financial reasons, but I'm sure 1,000 subs could pay for SOEs expenses on this title. I just don't get it.

On another note, I am really enjoying the game. Great fun for me and the wife. We are playing our shaman/druid duo here. We have trouble with 4dots, but it is a fun challenge. When we play our paladin/cleric, 2 4dots were easy. But we find the shaman/druid combo a little more interesting. We plan to play several other characters too. She wants a necro and I still want to try another bard and ranger

Dric

I just started my trial of the game after finally getting a PC that can handle the graphics (I'm a bit behind the times).  Enjoying the game so far--saw 4 others online in the starting area this morning at around 10est, so I'm not too worried about not having enough people to play with. 

To answer your question: for me, a low but consistent population is ideal.  Enough people so the game is not deserted and I can still enjoy the social aspects of online gaming (which are why I play in this genre to begin with).

Mardy

So you take a pic of an ideal situation when lots of people are there at once, and deem the population fine?  Do investors look at single pictures to find out what games are successful?  Nobody's asking for hundreds of players in an area at once, nobody wants that, not even in other populated game.  But the health of a game is based on more than just how many people you see in a picture in a town at a given time.  The health of a game has to do with the overall population, ranging from low levels to high, and the churn rate to see how many people that you see on the picture today quit within a month.

 

One thing you're right, it probably isn't taking a lot of money from SOE to keep this game going, seeing that they've pullled all full time developers away from the game so this game is pretty much running as-is right now.  So it can get to very low subscription numbers and it'll probably still be open.

bunnyhopper

More than 18.

tiki

The PVE server has a plenty fine population, most of the population complaining came from us PVP server people where the pop was at 35 at prime time.

Nizur

However many it takes to keep a game afloat. Not only that, but enough to support continued development. It doesn't need to be in the millions as CCP has shown.

Musket-Squid

So when you log on how many people are on? 10 to 30 or what? Myself, I don't like to grp and all that, but i do like to see people in the game (lots of them).

SnarlingWolf

It really isn't ever a matter of population for any MMO.

 

It is all false player perception. Players think they need to see the chat zooming by and have 2000 people in their world at one time for it to be fun. Those same people then demand to be able to solo everything and never have to interact with another player.

 

People just get it in their heads that if they don't see hundreds of people when they walk into a town then the game must not be good and therefore they must not be having fun. It isn't an actual case of needed people around.

 

All that being said Vanguard isn't a good game and it isn't because of the population.

delete5230

All you have to do is use the "Who" tab and type the level range you would like to see and you can see how many players their are. It works for vanguard or any mmo, why don't anyone ever think of that ?

Anyway, I'll be playing in the next few days and I'll tell you how the population is.

Delusive

To me, Vanguard is just one of those games where I don't want a "who" feature, or even a group finding feaature. I feel so immersed, that I want to only group with people I run across. Kind of how it would be if I were really in that world. I would even say get rid of world chat, but I see its benefit for OOC questions and advice. I think there should be another channel for it though. Again just my opinion. I personally like where the population is at presently.

tiki

Originally posted by SnarlingWolf

...

 

All that being said Vanguard isn't a good game and it isn't because of the population.

Thank you for being closed minded.

terroni

I'd have to say if you can get a group together easily and can buy equipment that you need, population isn't a big deal.

Although, an empty world doesn't feel nearly as "real". Not seeing an a person in hours is like playing a solo game.

Delusive

Originally posted by terroni

Although, an empty world doesn't feel nearly as "real". Not seeing an a person in hours is like playing a solo game.

 Since I play with my wife I am not alone. And since we are always returning to a quest hub ever so often, we always see people. Also, at some of the main dungeons, there is usually always someone there. So it doesn't feel empty to me. Now out in the middle of the landscape somewhere, yeah you feel like you are the only one there, but the world is huge so it makes sense. If I go into the woods behind my house, no one is there either, and it feels like I'm all alone.

 

I do like the responses that I am getting from this thread. It seems that most people don't mind a smaller population, as long as there are some people to do things with.

Sovrath

Originally posted by Delusive

To me, Vanguard is just one of those games where I don't want a "who" feature, or even a group finding feaature. I feel so immersed, that I want to only group with people I run across. Kind of how it would be if I were really in that world. I would even say get rid of world chat, but I see its benefit for OOC questions and advice. I think there should be another channel for it though. Again just my opinion. I personally like where the population is at presently.

I agree, I like the population where it is now.

I don't want to see dozens of people everywhere I go.

 

I don't agree about getting rid of OOC chat as there is help for people there and that brings the community together.

Delusive

Originally posted by Sovrath

I don't agree about getting rid of OOC chat as there is help for people there and that brings the community together.

 Oh, I have used it several times for questions. Just a little picky and wish it was called OOC or something instead of Thestra for example. That way it stood out more as help questions or general talk. I miss a lot of stuff because everyone use the main channel for everything.

krenalor

Originally posted by tiki

Originally posted by SnarlingWolf

...

 

All that being said Vanguard isn't a good game and it isn't because of the population.

Thank you for being closed minded.

 He is not closed minded, the people have spoken, thats why no players. We couldn't stand this P.O.S. game.

Arkain

Originally posted by krenalor

Originally posted by tiki

Originally posted by SnarlingWolf

...

 

All that being said Vanguard isn't a good game and it isn't because of the population.

Thank you for being closed minded.

 He is not closed minded, the people have spoken, thats why no players. We couldn't stand this P.O.S. game.

 What MMORPG do you play?

Solude

VG is on my short list and my current active MMO.  I think pop was fine before merger, definitely fine now.  If anything the lack of instancing means high pop causes more problems than it solves.

krenalor

This game needs and DESERVES zero players and to be cancelled due to the lack of vision that Brad had.

I hate any game that has necromancers because every idiot dev makes them unfairly overpowered.

I hate all SOE games due to them screwing the warrior class and giving tanking abilities to SK and Paladins and allow them to solo but not warriors.

I am playing LoTR next as they don't have any fricken casters like Casterquest,, another P.O.S. Brad designed.

Delusive

Originally posted by krenalor

This game needs and DESERVES zero players and to be cancelled due to the lack of vision that Brad had.

I hate any game that has necromancers because every idiot dev makes them unfairly overpowered.

I hate all SOE games due to them screwing the warrior class and giving tanking abilities to SK and Paladins and allow them to solo but not warriors.

I am playing LoTR next as they don't have any fricken casters like Casterquest,, another P.O.S. Brad designed.

Can you name a game that has a Paladin or Shadow Knight class that is not a tank? I can't think of any.

Also, though I can not say from personal experience, I have heard every class can solo in Vanguard, but that some are better at it than others. Actually, I would guess that the same could be said for every MMO in existance. I know I haven't found a class in any MMO I have ever played that I could not solo. Now if you mean solo as in solo every bit of content, then I would also say that no MMO has this as well.

This game is not a PVP game, so what does it matter if the Necromancer beside you is more powerful, he isn't attacking you.

As for Brad's vision, I can only say that in my opinion, I have never seen a world created better than Everquest or Vanguard. The only two worlds that come close in my opinion are Star Wars Galaxies and World of Warcraft. But I will admit that I haven't spent much time in Lord of the Rings Online. I just never got pulled in during that  first month after purchase. I will explore it again as a free-to-play though.

Arkain

Originally posted by krenalor

This game needs and DESERVES zero players and to be cancelled due to the lack of vision that Brad had.

I hate any game that has necromancers because every idiot dev makes them unfairly overpowered.

I hate all SOE games due to them screwing the warrior class and giving tanking abilities to SK and Paladins and allow them to solo but not warriors.

I am playing LoTR next as they don't have any fricken casters like Casterquest,, another P.O.S. Brad designed.

 LOL! you issue is not with the game, or Brad, or even with SOE.....I am sorry to inform you your issue is with your self  :'(

Your anger seems to stein from your inability to move on after being hurt. Let go of the past and you will see that it cannot hurt you any more. 

If you don't you will be dragging weight with you through out your life and that can't be worth it. Move on friend, move on and be at peace.

Sorry I laughed at first, but your hate speaks volumes about you a person and issue you may/will/have faced in life.

Heltern

I think the best laugh is actually the population of this game, at least Turbine is doing something. On a different note did EQ2 go free to play, can this game do the same? It might be the only way to get anyone to play.