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Sai'nu

Game Play Focus: Server Population Imbalance

 Badgersmaker's Focus Thread

Touchy subject but one I'm glad to see the Senator tackling.  I've got a feeling we'll see the Devs do something with this sometime this year though as the increasing demand and ideas flow.  

I'd encourage any of the community that does feel there is a problem to participate in thread.  Your vested interest still remains in either doing it to find greener pastures or to direct more US play to our largely Euro-populated server.

Also of note is Badger's idea behind improving player searching/grouping tools to combat the problem.  It isn't just about FCTs and Mergers.
xyryn

The suggestion to use advertising is a good one.
Meh

I might use character transfer, for another character of mine... if it was cheaper. 50 bucks with items? COME ON! It's not like you're trying to buy a new server or something.
Sai'nu

Problem with the Advertising isn't really the money in my opinion.  It's the lack of them putting the game back out on the shelves in mass production.  I guess most old games don't; but they need to try to circulate it more with advertising.  

If it is on the shelf continually I think people will buy it.  Word of mouth will continue to be a thorn for this game though.

On the Transfer Service that is another topic that has been thrown around.  I'm sure with thin work resources to do all of the transfers that is just the cost that seemed more appropriate for them to use.

Given the situation now many are vying for improvements to the service then issuing Free ones.  Nobody likes paying $50 to hear you might not get "x" items transfered with you.

At any rate, again, contribute to that post if your able.
bishopbosco

I posted an idea probably a year ago well before I was Senator.  It went something like this:

Step One: the removal of all ghost houseing and cities of anyone sho has not been active in the last 12 months.  Keep this an ongoing program.

Step 2: Freeze the populations of the 5 most populated servers for three Months.  Allowing no new characters to be made on these unless the account already has one character on the server ( allows existing players to make alts on servers theya re already on)

Step 3:  For the same three month period, promote the 5 least populated servers at "preferred servers" for peopl to place new characters.

Step 4:  On thwer eprefeereed sevres put double xp on for three months.

Step 5:  After three months look to see if the inbalance has been lessessed.

Step 6: If the system has worked you can change up the "prefferred sever" listing and continue with the experiment for another three months.

Step 7:  If the system did not improve the populations enough then move on the Free Server transfers.

Step 8:  During the Free server transfers continue to lock out the 5 most populous servers from being transferred to,however people can transfer off them.

Step 8:  Allow folks to freely move between the other remaining servers to see if balance can be created that way.

Step 10:  Allow the Free server transfers to go on for three months but continue to alos promter preffered servers to new players.

Step 11;  At the end of this three month period see if the imbalance has been corrected.  If not only then should mergers be considered.
inegrado'

Bishopbosco, The only minor problem i see with #2 personaly is this. Lets say someone has a toon on the most populated servers. They in turn get a couple of friends into the game. They will only play if they can share the same server as their friend that got them into the game in the first place. will they be able to get on the same server as their friends? or will they have to wait the 3 months?


Example: Johny got Adam into SWG. Adam now wants to own the game. Can Adam join the same server as Johny? Because Adam might not be willing to wait the 3 months, and decide against the whole idea.
bishopbosco

inegrado' wrote:
Bishopbosco, The only minor problem i see with #2 personaly is this. Lets say someone has a toon on the most populated servers. They in turn get a couple of friends into the game. They will only play if they can share the same server as their friend that got them into the game in the first place. will they be able to get on the same server as their friends? or will they have to wait the 3 months?


Example: Johny got Adam into SWG. Adam now wants to own the game. Can Adam join the same server as Johny? Because Adam might not be willing to wait the 3 months, and decide against the whole idea.


Joghny can always start a character on another server to play with his frioends or transfer his over as part of the free transfer system.

Locking of high level servers is something that is done all the time.  WoW does it regulalry to keep populations open.

This three month period would be a make or break time to see if there is, in fact, enouygh new players coming in that it makes sense to keep servers open.  if, after three months, it does not look to be making a difference at that time you need to start thinking about merging and allowing free transfers to the high Population servers.
Invictus

bishopbosco wrote:
inegrado' wrote:
Bishopbosco, The only minor problem i see with #2 personaly is this. Lets say someone has a toon on the most populated servers. They in turn get a couple of friends into the game. They will only play if they can share the same server as their friend that got them into the game in the first place. will they be able to get on the same server as their friends? or will they have to wait the 3 months?


Example: Johny got Adam into SWG. Adam now wants to own the game. Can Adam join the same server as Johny? Because Adam might not be willing to wait the 3 months, and decide against the whole idea.


Joghny can always start a character on another server to play with his frioends or transfer his over as part of the free transfer system.

Locking of high level servers is something that is done all the time.  WoW does it regulalry to keep populations open.

This three month period would be a make or break time to see if there is, in fact, enouygh new players coming in that it makes sense to keep servers open.  if, after three months, it does not look to be making a difference at that time you need to start thinking about merging and allowing free transfers to the high Population servers.


I totally disagree with this suggestion Bosco. Johnny is an established player on his server and is looking to get ins friends into his gameplay. Why should johnny have to uproot, say bye to all his new friends he's made since starting on the current server, just to play with one friend whose unable to create a toon?  

If anything that would just promote more account sharing and selling in my eyes.

They need to promote the lesser played servers more than just slapping a "(Reccomended)" tag on it. Why is it recommended? What does that server offer me that as a new starter i cannot get on a different server?

FCT's are never going to happen, lourin/DM said himself that he wishes he'd never said anything about them now as everyone has hinged themselves on it.

Server mergers won't happen either. that's a logistical nightmare due to the age of the game, and the locations of houses/cities. can you imagine the load on the servers when people tried to get onto their new server and get their house/city unpacked back where it was??  It would hurt the communties more than NGE ever could.

In my eyes the only way that SWG can promote more is to first of all bring out a new expansion and get that on the shelves of stores/digital download vendors and then promote it globally on TV.

The only press SWG has had since NGE has been negative with the exception of any articles on the Warden Programme, so even then any promoting of SWG is goingto have it's critics and "we want Pre CU Servers" crowd raining the parade.

lastly the only way i think you could definitely get people to play on a (Reccomended) Server is to say "join this server and play for 3 months and get 3 months free subscription"


money talks.
bishopbosco

I agree that the best thing to do is advertise.  I would love to see it.  Also, SWG has no monetary reason to merge and they can obvioulsy afford the servers they have at the moment.

Infact they have a great opportunity to advertise with the return of the Clone Wars cartoon adn the upcoming live action TV show.


What Iput forth above would be how I would start the process that would ultimately end in merges if the game populations seem to start dipping again.  Its is how I would handle merges if merges are ever deemed necessary.  Merges are the last resort, Free transfers are the second to the last.

But I do not think they are necessary.


Now I do think that incentives to going to the other servers is a good thing.  I woudl suggest putting double XP on the lowest population servers.  I would also suggest officially creating RP and PvP servers out of some of the smaller population servers.
xyryn

I would designate the player established RP and PvP servers as such.  Recognize what the players have done.
Meh

Well, some servers, such as Gorath, are relatively inconsistent in that manner. While it is a major RP server, it is also the unofficial German-Speakers server, so we have a lot of German non-rp'ers.

And what if the server was labeled incorrectly? It would kill the theme, like labeling an RP server a PVP server would eventually kill roleplay on that server.

Oh, and invictus, on your comment about the house/city re-placement nightmare:

Large-scale battles would be fought. I guess they would need to increase the max cities on that server. And what would the server be named? For example: the Gorath-Sunrunner server?
xyryn

Whole guilds from 4 of the servers I play on moved, lock stock and barrel, to Bloodfin because the word went out that that was a PvP server.

Word came back that they were having loads of fun with large scale battles, etc.  Sooo, designate that one a PvP server.  Starsider has been known as an RP server for at least a couple of years now, and individuals have been bleeding out from other servers to go there.  Sooo, designate that one an RP server.

The players made it so.

That doesn't mean that all servers would need those tags.  Most would stay mixed and should have a "Mixed" definition.  Such definitions would have helped me choose, when I was making my first toon.  I foolishly went to Bria because it was the "recommended" server.  I had no idea why it was recommended...but after about 2 weeks, I guessed it was because they were trying to see how many people they could squeeze onto one server.
Invictus

Meh wrote:
Oh, and invictus, on your comment about the house/city re-placement nightmare:

Large-scale battles would be fought. I guess they would need to increase the max cities on that server. And what would the server be named? For example: the Gorath-Sunrunner server?


It would be nice but the mechanics say who places their house there 1st wins. you can't uproot someone because your combat prowess is superior.

as for names, well there's another problem in itself. Chilastra's community is proud of the tag Chilastra and defend it like it was their 1st born. if they mergered that with say kauri and decided to drop the chilastra tag uproar would ensue. again, the couldn't ever merge servers, only create new ones and say "take your pick"
Meh

That would create an epic WOTS. (War Of The Servers)
bishopbosco

xyryn wrote:
Whole guilds from 4 of the servers I play on moved, lock stock and barrel, to Bloodfin because the word went out that that was a PvP server.

Word came back that they were having loads of fun with large scale battles, etc.  Sooo, designate that one a PvP server.  Starsider has been known as an RP server for at least a couple of years now, and individuals have been bleeding out from other servers to go there.  Sooo, designate that one an RP server.

The players made it so.

That doesn't mean that all servers would need those tags.  Most would stay mixed and should have a "Mixed" definition.  Such definitions would have helped me choose, when I was making my first toon.  I foolishly went to Bria because it was the "recommended" server.  I had no idea why it was recommended...but after about 2 weeks, I guessed it was because they were trying to see how many people they could squeeze onto one server.


Two good sized Rebele PvP guilds on Bria just announced they were moving to Bloodfin as well.  BF is apparently much more abot the PvP and not about which faction "rules".  More cooperation between the Factions allows for many different kinds of PvP and events.

The Bria guilds would make this moves shows that , from a PvP standpoint, Bria has fallen behind the times.  Population wise Bria is still one of the alrgest and as a PvE server there are plenty of great guilds, but PvP has just become too personal on Bria.  Too many people have left the game and those remaining forget it is a game.
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