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EQ2 community dwindling?
Ravenmgs
Member Posts: 155
SOE is giving away 10 free days to some of their older members who quit. I got in on this deal and I went and looked around my old stomping grounds,.. . and it was almost empty, was LFG for about 2 hours with no luck, used to be able to pick up a team in15-20min.
I figured it was an off hour for that server and I saw all the servers were light, so I figured I would wait till later that day, again, all server loads were light, did the same thing the next day, and it was all light except for one of the RP servers which was at medium.
I also went to my old guilds site and found out allot of the members did the same thing as I did and just stopped logging in, and got bored with the game. I personally am not really that bored with the game and would enjoy playing with a good group on ventrillo or team speak.
My previous toon was a 45 paladin on Oggok, Im wondering if anyone out there could recommend a server with a high population or if there are any guilds out there who are leveling alts and I could tag along that would be cool.
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I to am on Oggok and the population has actually been pretty good. I'm a level 34 and I see alot of people around my level and higher running about. I hear the RP servers have alot of people and that they are all pretty much cool people. I guess you could give that a shot.
I saw some people, but found no teams, what areas do you regular?
Mostly EL and Zek right now. I do the occasional Nek castle run too. If you havent I would suggest trying the Splitpaw pack as well. It's really fun and has some arena type thing at the end.
The amount of players is substantialy lower than the initial release boom, but it's been on a steady grow even since the sharp post release decline.
With that said, what you're experiencing is the effect of one of the Live Updates (tm) that came around ever since you left, mixed with the now age of the server. Lately, there's been added a whole lot of solo content for the lower level zones and solo quest lines which pretty much negate the need to group up until level 30 or so. Other than that, a noteable portion of the player base reached the higher levels of the game, and unlike WoW, there's more content geared for higher level players, so most people just wrap up quest / raid / wait for DoF to come out so the level cap is raised, instead of creating 10 alts like in WoW.
One thing I have to say in favor of the lower population tho, is that EQ2 (or atleast my server) is starting to be more and more like EQ. Alot of the anonimosity that plagued the release is fading, and I find myself grouping, raiding and questing with the same people more often than not - it seems that once again, the image you create of yourself matters, and I can't think of anything bad about that, I actually like that... it gives a little of that old feeling of community back.
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Always run with scissors. The quicker you go, the quicker you'll get to your destination and the quicker you'll finish using the scissors, therefore significantly reducing your chances of injuring yourself
I find the servers and populations for EQ2 really really weird right now. The top server, think class to 19k people right now is Antonia Bayle a rp server, which strangly enough was in the top 5 low population count on release and the smaller one between it and Lucan Delere, the other RP server.
That being said, I can personally see a decline in populations overall, I think people are just funneling through to AB for the better community, which is quickly turning to crap recently. There's also an exodus starting for alot of the old time beta players and lvl 50's from a pure lack of things to do and mass boredome. Lots are hanging on for the expansion pack, many of which dont have much faith in it and some of just staying around till something better comes out.
The whole situation is just odd, and at least for myself and the people I know and speak with on AB, there's an odd feeling of unimportance and irrelevance in the air. Guess we'll just have to wait to see what comes up next.
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Hmmm... what always amazes me, is why doesnt SOE just merge the servers with low populations into 1 server in sets of two? (Merge 2 low pop servers into 1 medium pop server)
There's probably a few good reasons. I'd imagine it's a pain in the butt to start with, when you consider every server has it's own stats, discoveries and what have you. Then it's the people, I swear even if a server had like 5 people and SOE wanted to merge it, I could totally see those people having a fit... "Your taking away my home, you SUCK" /start_run_home_to_mom_dance. Then of course there's also the rough chance that population may go on the up-swing, so if they go to there bare minimum needed servers, even just leaving one or two small pop servers, if by some chance player subs go up, there up the creek without a paddle.
Then lastly, and I think probably the primary factor, it's like admiting you havn't hit your expectations. WoW has never done anything but ADD servers, to like what now, 103 NA servers alone ? Can you imagine the field day the WoW PR people would have if EQ2 started shutting down and merging servers, especially considering stuff (<-- generaly neautral word ?) the EQ2 PR team came up with when WoW had stability issues.
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Errr, am I missing something? I am on lavastorm and yes its not elbow to elbow packed but I definetly see no lack of people. A server merge? Are you kidding me, heck, I never have problems, even for finding groups for the rarer stuff.
I wasn't play on launch month, I started about 2 months after launch, and I have seen no huge change in population. I sure hope they isn't any server merges, I really don't want to deal with that many people.
And I wish people would quit about no high end content because they can't start a new toon on the other side or use alittle creativity. At current rate with all the flack over it its going to be yet another extremely top heavy bastardized EQ 1. I have never seen another game that has to cater to the top end so much as EQ players.
- Scaris
"What happened to you, Star Wars Galaxies? You used to look like Leia. Not quite gold bikini Leia (more like bad-British-accent-and-cinnamon-bun-hair Leia), but still Leia nonetheless. Now you look like Chewbacca." - Computer Gaming World
I call that marketting. Do you get upset when you hear a bud lite commercial talking smack about miller lite and vice versa too? It happens everyday in the business world yet when an MMO does it all the sudden its horrible and unethical.
- Scaris
"What happened to you, Star Wars Galaxies? You used to look like Leia. Not quite gold bikini Leia (more like bad-British-accent-and-cinnamon-bun-hair Leia), but still Leia nonetheless. Now you look like Chewbacca." - Computer Gaming World
I just got level 16 last night. under level history on eq2players.com look what the stats are
Level Zone Name Date Server Rank World Wide Rank
16 Blackburrow July 13, 2005 2,659 58,960
do you see that!!?!? that's really bad
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And you know what Fad, that's really low. I work (play?) really hard with and for my community on AB, I set up TONS of player run events, I help with at least one every weekend, I head and assist in raid, help youngins start up up new guilds, build story lines with people and I do this with people that put just as much effort into it, If not MORE, then I do. So saying we could use a little creativity, gah cmon now, we do that and then tons to spare.
I have no problem with the end game contents that there, but it's based on raids and gear and THATS IT. Maybe you don't think theres more to it and there shouldn't be more to it, well that's great and I'm happy you like it because it's certainly there but lots of us would like to see a little more, maybe a small ongoing persistent story that we can effect, maybe things we can actually play for and have go on in the long run. It's a FACT that there's just nothing else to do at end game and it's a FACT that lots of people would like to stay longer but they need something to do.
If you think that means we're asking SOE to cater to all our demans, well so be it. Alot of us have given alot to EQ2, it would be nice to get something back and see this game have a chance at keeping it's long term players.
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No one, but I wouldn't call it crap, I would call it stockholder interest. This was a rather large debate at one point on these forums when it first happenned.
- Scaris
"What happened to you, Star Wars Galaxies? You used to look like Leia. Not quite gold bikini Leia (more like bad-British-accent-and-cinnamon-bun-hair Leia), but still Leia nonetheless. Now you look like Chewbacca." - Computer Gaming World
Whats low?? I played EQ 1 since it released and I hated the direct the game took as soon as AA came into the game. Sorry, but it went against the original spirit of the game and I can see it happening already with EQ II. They have already started by adding click items in.
I am glad you are very active in your community, that is a great thing! Its hard to find that in any game anymore.
I am not a big fan of raiding. I find it 4 hours or annoying waiting for 10 seconds of fun. Perhaps I shouldn't have stated myself as I did. I should have said I wish people would lay off the high end content issues because I know how SOE will handle it if people start complaining they want it too much. And then they will do the same thing they did to EQ I, bastardize the game again. Your bored at high level and want something to do, I can understand that. However I know how its gonna be handled.
- Scaris
"What happened to you, Star Wars Galaxies? You used to look like Leia. Not quite gold bikini Leia (more like bad-British-accent-and-cinnamon-bun-hair Leia), but still Leia nonetheless. Now you look like Chewbacca." - Computer Gaming World
Well fair enough, trust me I think everyone is a little paranoid about where there going to take the game next, but as someone who's not a big "raider" you certainly should appreciate the fact that at some point they will have to do SOMETHING, or else they will plain and simply their high end core players. Which of course isn't in the best interest of the game but add to that upcoming mmo's know this is an issue and are going to use it (for stock holder responsibility of course
) to pull even more people away.
But either way, regardless of your feelings on what SOE may or may not do to keep people, doesn't mean lots of us aren't trying to MAKE something towards end game, because we really are, I think alot of us would be happy with a little helping, we don't need anything major.
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More high end content to me would be more quests for high level players. I loved doing my Level 20 armor quests. Hell I was so into them after I was done I felt lost for a month like there was something missing in the game. I am a slow leveler and I love to do quests. I have done most of my 20's via quests and not buy grinding much at all. I have done a few firerock groups and thats about it. 80% of the last 8 levels was all quest received.
I am already somewhat unhappy with how easy the game has gotten for the soloers. They are now starting to get into click items again which was annoying as hell in EQ 1 too me. But alas, its proven fact that most people enjoy or fall for the loot / aa hype that EQ 1 created, so I am probably a minority speaking here at the moment. But thats my feelings on it.
- Scaris
"What happened to you, Star Wars Galaxies? You used to look like Leia. Not quite gold bikini Leia (more like bad-British-accent-and-cinnamon-bun-hair Leia), but still Leia nonetheless. Now you look like Chewbacca." - Computer Gaming World
[quote]And I wish people would quit about no high end content because they can't start a new toon on the other side or use alittle creativity. At current rate with all the flack over it its going to be yet another extremely top heavy bastardized EQ 1. I have never seen another game that has to cater to the top end so much as EQ players. [/b][/quote]
Actually, EQ2 has by far the most high end content at release. Is it balanced? not quite yet, but it's getting there, but saying it's lacking is just plain wrong.
For comparison, when EQ released, it may have had more of a content than EQ2 (or atleast a more lasting content, without instantenous and locked zones), but it only had two raid targets - Vox and Nagafen. A few months down the road, they added the plane of fear and hate, and later on plane of air which add up to 5 raid zones. The real raid content boom came with the first expansion, where it added several high level zones, epic quests and one zone which was locked and said no CS will be provided to players who die in there. EQ2 is facing it's first expansion just now, and it already has much more raid content than EQ, and DoF alone should add numerous new raids.
All in all, I think EQ2 needs some *a little* fine tuning to the existing content before jumping heads on into adding new one, but ofcourse not everyone agrees with that
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Always run with scissors. The quicker you go, the quicker you'll get to your destination and the quicker you'll finish using the scissors, therefore significantly reducing your chances of injuring yourself
the thing with that is that its for your class alone, not a total number of people who hit 16.
Schutzbar - Human Warrior - Windrunner Alliance - World of Warcraft
Nihilanth - Kerra Paladin - Blackburrow - EverQuest II
XBL Gamertag - Eagle15GT
okay yeah you are right I didn't read the bottom part before
but the pop has gotten severely lowered compared to how many people used to play months before...
ya i wont disgree with that. the population did take a huge hit about a month after release, but more and more people are coming back steadily.
Schutzbar - Human Warrior - Windrunner Alliance - World of Warcraft
Nihilanth - Kerra Paladin - Blackburrow - EverQuest II
XBL Gamertag - Eagle15GT
Oh I agree, there is tons of Raid content, but thats not end game to me. IF once you hit lvl 50, soon to be lvl 60, and all you can do is raid, get more gear, then raid some more, get more gear, well eventually people get sick and tired of that.
Just throwing more raid's up there is an easy cop out to me, that's a lasting end game experience, thats just buying some time till the player realizes there's nothing else to do. But we're all entittled to our own oppinion, just because this is what I feel, that certainly doesn't make it so.
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This is great an all, but I still can't find a team on any of my toons, 35 illu, 45 paladin, 20 guardian, all areas seem extremely under populated and my friends list is dry ( i have about 50 people on my friends list if not more).
I think they need to merge the servers, I suppose the current situation is "ok" if you have a certain group of people you play with on a regular basis, but for returning players who are entering a totally different social situation then they left, looking for a group is like screaming into a void.
Note, i have a 45 paladin and 35 illu, both have done all their access quest to their level, and I still can't find a group. So the argument that under 30 players may have a hard time finding a team doesn't really apply to my situation considering I was 45 on my highest toon when I called it quits.
After seeing the other MMO's out there, I think EQ2 is probably the only one worth my time, however because there is no one to play with, it is an exercise in futility.
Did you try speaking pollitely to the Void?
What server are you on? Might be the server. What time of day or night do you try? Last time I was on Blackburrow I had returned to Zek to see if anyone was there: when I had left Zek was empty which is why we left. Anyways what I saw was a complete turn around during primetime. There were 56 players in the zone of zek and more streaming through the front gates every minute or two. Plus I saw lots of mounts, something I didn't even see in my first 4 months.
The game has gone from good to great since launch. Heres to hoping you find a good guild or some grouping mates.
"45 paladin lfg" for about 2 hours then I logged, once in the morning, once in the evening and once at nigt, 4 days in a row now, no luck. Oggok, and it's apparently not just me who's haveing this problem, and SOE seems to realize this too, other wise they wouldn't be spending money on sending out these huge glossy posters.
I defiantly think a server merg is in order, its jsut not possible to find people.