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The point he was trying to make, and that you obviously missed, is that there is a world of difference between changing how a fundamental aspect of the game works after that game has been live for many months versus the same change in a game that is still in beta test. CoH players have hundreds, and in some cases, thousands of hours invested in their characters. They have supported the game with their subscription dollars for a long time. There is no way you can compare the impact that ED and the other nerfs have had on CoH players to the impact it had on CoV beta testers. To do so is to completely missunderstand why players hate nerfs and to ignore the vastly greater investment CoH players have in the game.
No I didn't miss anything. If you read further back in this thread I pretty much state the same thing you just did. ED will not affect the perspective of the game as come today people will be trying out villains. Pre-SO and stamina the ED does not affect gameplay, infact its improved due to the reduced endurance costs. So once people level up their villains they would have adjusted.
However CoV and CoH are the same game, its just heros and villains on the same server. Just because you can't play the villains yet doesn't mean the game hasn't been affected, it clearly has. I think people are just getting confused over CoV and thinking its a seperate game, while its not.
I was under the impression the complaints stop because the players unhappy with it do not renew their subs and can no longer post. A kind of natural selection where people who voice issue with the game conveniently go quite qithin a month or so. Perhaps ED wasn't such a big deal that anyone cancelled, and they are still available to complain.
I would suggest to the person who posted above that fights now taking 1/3 longer to kill is a substantial difference. Noticable even.
There have been no nerfs to Villains. Villains (as yet) have not been nerfed.
I would agree that they have the same enhancement scale as heroes. But to be nerfed it must have been reduced. Since no villains have had their enhancements reduced, it has not been nerfed.
You are talking about a beta test. I have no sympathy for anyone in a beta test being unhappy with changes made within a free test server. You don't pay, you are warned to expect changes. You havent spent a great deal of time effort and money developing your character and the chances are it isn't even high enough level to have 4 slots. Go ahead and quit your beta test if you don't like the changes. See if I care.
I agree that most players will be trying out Villains. Presumably there will be many returning player types looking at this game. I know the nerfs have very much put me off buying the expansion. You see, I didn't just want to play a Villain, I also wanted to continue playing my hero. I was especially looking forward to building a superbase for him. ED nerfs weren't a deciding issue in this for me, I5 was. I can quite see that the ED nerfs might have finally tipped the barrel over for a remaining few.
The upset caused by nerfing of course is not just specific to actual gameplay. There is also customer perception. If the customer rightly or even wrongly perceives the nerfs to be adverse to his/her enjoyment, that is quite often all it takes. How many actual players are going to take the time to do extensive statistical tests, or use the test servers? The fanaticals all will for granted, but the bulk of us will just run on our first impressions. Human nature is such.
Having asked paid employees for no nerfs and having had those same paid employee's give everyone the finger and nerf it anyway. Many customers will simply not return out of pique. Starting a new hero/villain and beginning the cycle of disappointment all over again isn't a good idea for many people.
The trust has been lost.
While we are on the subject of misleading information and personal opinion, the numbers you quote are still your interpretations of the figures and nothing more and while I agree that player counts should rise next week, like your own that is just my warped personal opinion. It is of further ironic note that initially you promised me they would have risen to almost 2,000 players per server by today and in fact the game is still particularly non-functional.
As for server merges, 750 is a horribly small number for an MMO. If you only play at prime time for a couple of hours it's no problem, but otherwise it sucks. 2,000 players, should that turn out, is a fine number I think, although 3 or 4 would be nicer.
What "I expected" was for you to not post the figures unless they absolutely re-inforced your argument. And thats what I got. Surprise, surprise. I was pleased to see where after a bit of cajoling you finally did and this was helpful to me.
Once again I hope that you continue to do this periodically to give all us old doubters a better insight into what is going on in the world of COH/COV.
I'm not trying to change what happened, I'm trying to build an objective picture of events based around various sources of information, (including your own very helpful posts). I am not willing to take your opinion on faith alone, since not only are you clearly rather fanatical about it (2 beta tests, imported the game early from the U.S., played solidly since before the game launched), but I have also played it myself as have many of my friends and am in regular contact with some who still are (and really enjoying it).
FYI
COH Europe was not released at the same time as WOW Europe.
COH released last Christmas. WOW released last Easter.
As for most EU players playing on U.S. servers if they have an option, I think you might find that like you they DO have that option, and the vast majority play on EU servers with EU players with less latency, players in similar timezones and boxes available for purchase on shop shelves closer to where they live. American's are not exactly flavour of the month in Europe (and vice versa) I doubt a high percenatge of players miss being able to play with their transatlantic counterparts.
I wouldn't go as far as to say COH Europe has been "a failure" at all. Thousands of players have enjoyed it. It has more subscribers than any SOE Europe game. Presumably it has been very profitable to re-market an already paid for and devloped product into an extra tradezone.
Localisation has been successful. There are different language versions for most European countries and the servers are not hosted on the otherside of the planet. There is a wealth of players from many European countries on the EU servers. I don't think replacing the Stars and Stripes flag in Atlas Park with an EU one (for example) would convince anyone new to buy the game.
Actually I believe both CoH and WoW (for definate) were released in February 2005 in the EU, with CoH coming out the week before WoW. Not Easter or Christmas. If I'm wrong about CoH, then fine. However EU numbers weren't great, hence why they are trying to get us EU players on the US servers to migrate over through the new service they've added. Also being an EU player myself, I can tell you latency is a none issue and we do generally prefer playing on US servers. At least those of us who speak English, as a first or second language. Also if localisation has been such a success, please explain how the EU's general population is higher than the US', yet most EU localised mmorpgs end up with one or two servers, while their US cousins have vastly more and are more populated (and include EU subscribers)? We even have a higher poplation of people with internet connections and broadband, so you can't even use that as an excuse. As I said the only truly sucessful localised mmorpg has been WoW and that aside we usually play on US servers. In fact not being able to play on US servers, was even a common complaint on the EU WoW forums. It was also well published by Blizzard at the time that WoW's EU success had stunned the market, as their subscriptions alone were higher than what was believed to be the total EU mmorpg market. I believe pre-WoW it was believed to be around 240k.
That 750 population figure has already been explained, with factual information. Also pray tell, how can quoting numbers directly from what is reported by the game be subjective? Oh and forgive me for having a life. I'm not your servant and posted figures even when low (for whatever reason). Neither did I promise you anything (nor would I ever to such an arrogant fool) or state a number of 2,000 (1.3 - 1.7k), unless you are refering to the mean population per server based on beta and live activity. I've also not done 2 beta tests (only CoV) or played none stop since launch (slowed down a lot between February this year to play WoW then SWG, only to increase my playtime when I received the CoV beta invite). I also hate what ED has done to defences and the need to respec every issue. So I'm not fanatical about anything, only reporting first hand observations. Love how you keep twisting things and adding your own fabrications, not.
I gave you that 700 figure while the servers where having issues and even though you admitted you understood there was serious problems going on you've taken that number and totally warped the perspective. Since beta finished and the server issues have been resolved the number are back up as they should be. Which for Justice was between 1.3k and 1.7k. Right now Justice is at 1.8k (as I write). Virtue and Freedom are at 2.1k. Are those close to that 2k number you're whining about? Retail CoV accounts become active tomorrow. Hmm, wonder if that will go up!!! So you are being highly subjective and inaccurate.
You are neither an active subscriber of CoH or a member of EU, yet you claim to have insight in the current state of the game and how we (EU people) think.
Sounds like you were one of those people who recently left and don't like accepting everyone didn't follow suite. The USA isn't popular in the EU at the moment, becuase of your "President", not the people. Although Americans are generally viewed as loud mouthed and arrogant, which has always been the case. However at least you speak a form of English, which the majoroty of us speak as a first or second/third language. Yes, we to hate constantly seeing Spanish or whatever constanly streaming in general chat windows, because they usually only localise to English, German and French. Trying to claim US and EU citizans don't like playing on the same servers because of current international policies is idiotic, as it extremely common and we generally even form freindships (shock, horror).
Also Villains were nerfed. It may have been part of the beta process, but it was the same nerf heros received and around the same time. Their slotting capabilities have been affected the same and will be felt just as much as it will be on a hero once they are above level 25ish, as it is in both cases.
Europe
City of Heroes released Jan 11th.
World of Warcraft Feb the 11th
A difference of month
U.S.
City of Heroes release May 27 may
World of Warcraft July 6th
A difference of 1 month and 1 week.
City of Heroes European release was no more in competition with World of Warcraft than it's U.S. release.
"I can tell you latency is a none issue and we do generally prefer playing on US servers"
That would be the royal "we" then.
Do you believe that more than 5/11 U.S. are populated with EU players?
If thats true, then yes you are right, more EU players do prefer to play on U.S. servers. Like you, every one of them had the choice. Every player on those 5 E.U. servers made a different choice to you. They chose the EU servers. I put it you, that it is you, not they that are in the minority.
I read a great little thread title today over at Gameamp. "City of Lagg" it was called. (Perhaps refering to the recent/current problems). I'm sure you never have an issue with lag. But then again I'm sure you don't have any issues at all. You're that type.
As for it being a common complaint on the EU forums? Uncommon might be more precise. I have seen 1 complaint. A common complaint is "stop the nerfs". I'll take a pretty large bet that you don't actually read the EU forums particularly often. Can you post there from an American account?
Localisation isn't the issue. Distribution is. Similarly games such as Hidden and Dangerous, Sacred and Operation Flashpoint, although localised to the American market, didn't sell comparatively well over there. Their production companies are not indiginous to the U.S. They don't have a well established trade partner or network of outlets to distribute to and have not had the market experience required to find good advertising agents. It takes time to network and to test out the good partners from the bad. You have to kiss a lot of frogs so to speak. Global marketing and distribution networks don't appear overnight.
Please refer to my previous example of EVE online as an American localised MMO that has sold better in the EU than the U.S. and also Neocron. Why? because they are made here and this was their target market. Blizzard is a very well established Game company in the EU, it has been trading here for well over ten years. It has built up both marketing and distribution expertise and also a massive brand name. There isn't anyone else in the MMO business in it's league. it has also been very successful in Asia for the same reasons.
"You are neither an active subscriber of CoH or a member of EU, yet you claim to have insight in the current state of the game and how we (EU people) think"
I am not an active subscriber. Like many others I quit due to the nerfs.
"Sounds like you were one of those people who recently left and don't like accepting everyone didn't follow suite".
You are in denial.
I'll re-iterate, 8/10 players COH players I am in contact with have left. 6 of them play WOW, 1 FFXI, 1 doesn't play mmo's at all and 2 are happily still playing COH and enjoying it. Sounds to me that you are one of the few left behind and you don't like accepting that everyone left.
I am however a member of the EU (at least I thought I was until you corrected me). and unlike you I actually play with my fellow EU members and have a good idea of how "we" think.
"Neither did I promise you anything (nor would I ever to such an arrogant fool) or state a number of 2,000"
So it wasn't you that wrote this?
"No one is trying to say CoH has high population, but add those ~1.2k (per server) to what was on live (750, on Justice) you have 1.95k (~20k overall) people online per sever (as an estimate)."
I apologise for my arrogant and foolish mistake. Do you feel that something I am writing threatens you in some way?* Your continued (perhaps successful) attempts to belittle me and your overall tone seem uncalled for if that is not your perception.
" gave you that 700 figure while the servers where having issues and even though you admitted you understood there was serious problems going on you've taken that number and totally warped the perspective"
What is so warped about understanding the curent technical issues? I haven't formed a perspective yet. To do so I am intrested in looking at a number of your figures, preferably including both the badtimes and the good. You are fixating at being asked to contemplate the lower end of these scores and it is making you angry*. Thats all. To get a "perspective" a spectrum of figures is required. Relax please.
"The USA isn't popular in the EU at the moment, becuase of your "President", not the people"
I don't have a president. And I think you might find "the president" doesn't play COH. Why don't you ask a few of your clanmates what they think about "the French" for example, and see if it's just "the president". I think you will find the resulting French jokes will give you an idea of the overall tone of EU/US relations at the moment. I understand that this is simply fashion and no real impediment to friendships, but nationalism exists. These are real feelings held by multitudes of real people. On the internet people are willing to be more rude/unpleasant to their peers than they would face to face.
"Trying to claim US and EU citizens don't like playing on the same servers because of current international policies is idiotic, as it extremely common and we generally even form freindships (shock, horror)."
Some do some don't. Never seen an EU vs US flame war? Never read a post where an American says how unfriendly a response he got on EU server? (it only takes one or two flamers to ruin a persons fun). It's a fact of life. Racism exists too. And sexism.
"Also Villains were nerfed"
Once again, Villains has not been nerfed. According to you, it hasn't even gone live. Why are you even refering to it in the past tense? You wouldn't be getting confused about the test server again would you?
Nerfed means a reduction in powers. You cannot reduce powers that no one has. Villains may have been balanced so that its enahncements match those in COH, but that is not a nerf.
Incidently I don't hate to constantly see a stream of spanish in my text window. I like it. the "World Wide" in www. Is one of the most exciting facets of the internet and online gaming. I take every opportunity to learn other peoples languages (and cultures). One of the biggest selling points of Final Fantasy for me is it gave me the opportunity to practise my (extremely poor) Japanese skills. Learning new words is something I enjoy. Adds more of a learning curve to the game.
(*) These are examples of the kinds of behaviour I consider to be "fanatical". For comedy value please have a quick laugh at this link taken form the "flamewarriors" website. http://redwing.hutman.net/%7Emreed/warriorshtm/fanboy.htm
Fine about the CoH release date, as I stated.
You clearly know next to zero about the EU mmorpg market. As I stated latancy is a none issue. Anyone who is EU and plays the none localised version knows that and their are plenty. You also still havn't explained my comments about how come you claim localisation has successed, while the EU market is in truth larger and more internet connected, yet server numbers are far lower. You now claim to be EU, yet your friends are on US servers, while claiming localisation is successful and international play is lagged to hell. You stated you knew nothing about the EU CoV beta even though you were claiming you had personal invites, etc. I smell a fish, as you are highly contradicting yourself!!! What's next, coming here claiming your friends are on EU servers. Would be a great way to highlight the success of localisation.
Also forum flame wars over EU and US relations are not represenative of what goes on within the games and anyone with a brain knows that. You could probably ask anyone here if they played alongside someone from the EU and they would at least say they knew someone.
You're completly BS'ing on the rest to. Also reading out of context again, I see. I said where did I say 2k, unless referring to the mean population between the live and beta servers at the time. Also how I'm in denial of seeing figures first hand is mind boggling. Anyone playing CoH and looked would have seen the same.
Sorry, but you've been proved completly wrong on CoH figures. Don't care if you do know people who have left, people always do. My entire SG disappeared ealier this year to play WoW (excluding a handful), but overall numbers weren't affected by it. Maybe you should just pull your head out of your butt and learn to live with that there hasn't been a mass exodus.
If you want to classify what happen in CoV beta as a balance, then fine. Either way ED was introducted, in the latter stages.
Actually on EU CoH and WoW launch, I was right. Thought I was. CoH was released within the EU on the 4th February and here is the evidence....
http://www.gameinformer.com/NR/exeres/14E02854-A2FA-4565-8C9C-809106729DE2.htm
and here, from NCSofts very own website...
http://www.plaync.com/about/2005/02/city_of_heroes_13.html
WoW was release a week later on the 11th.
Also to clafity, because I know you will read deluxe version in those and ignore everything else. That is the only version that was made available within the EU.
What are you talking about? My friends are on EU servers.
I'm from the EU, I play on EU servers, so do my friends. I don't beleieve I have claimed that not to be the case or made any attempt to mislead you. I think I made an effort to correct your misconception at the earliest opportunity.
Why are you putting words in my mouth? I have never claimed anyhting was "lagged to hell". Use quotation marks all you like, but not only did I never say or even imply that, no one in this thread did.
Latancy may not be an "issue" for you, but I think you might find that most internet gamers are extremely conscious of their pings. Different people have different standards in whats exceptable. Pings and latencies that satisfy you may not satisfy another. The problem with a U.S. server, is that it's going to add 80 to your ping at all times. If there is any latency, you will see it first (and last). And at times when local players are experiencing no latency you may still be. The margin for error has been greatly reduced.
In any internet game, wherever the server, there is always some amount of latency. If you are not experiencing any at all, you may be unaware of the symptoms.
As for localistation. How has it failed? The translations are accurate, the servers are geographically close. Thats it. Localised. Is there something they have failed to do? But you don't use the localised service, do you? So I guess we can forgive you for not realising.
And yes. I had invites to the beta of COV, and no I didn't use them. I'm sure you find that inconceivable.
As for proving completely wrong on COV figures, the only person that has given any figures here is you. Any figures I have mentioned have been provided to me by you, and you alone.
" Also reading out of context again, I see. I said where did I say 2k, unless referring to the mean population between the live and beta servers at the time."
Here is the context of this statement, as written by you.
"Those who pre-ordered CoV and were on the beta servers will be on the current CoH servers on Saturday."
It was not just that was the total players in COH/COV beta online at that time, but that they would also ALL be online playing COH last Saturday. Your prediction was incorrect.
You have been consistently attributing me with words I have not spoken. You are arguing with some imaginary bugbear of your own invention. Please invent some more deliberate lies to fill yourself up with even more righteous fervor and then go out and smite down upon all heretics and unbelievers with jihadist fury.
The figures you are now offering, have (later than assumed) proved (a little ) lower than your estimations. (I did try and point out to you some of the many possible ways your basis for estimation was inaccurate, but you just got angry). I haven't been trying to tell you what the figures actually will be or are. I have been leaving that solely to you.
The figures you will see over this next month, are COH's last huzzah. They will never be larger than they are now. As this thread title suggests, this is the beginning of the end. The standard deviation curve has crested. I don't believe there are enough remaining subscribers left to support another expansion, and once COV has been seen and done, those numbers will begin to ebb again.
I strongly doubt that total COV/COH players outnumbers COH numbers early this year/ soon after U.S. launch. I even more strongly doubt that the player numbers have been constant throughout this year. I recognise that free trials have gone a long way to give the population a series of well needed (if short lived) injections, but to me this is just another symptom of waning customer intrest. The game has had persitent problem with retaining it's playerbase right from the beginning. The speed with which it can replace those subscribers is ever reducing. It's over the hill.
I stand corrected.
(I have the deluxe version*, my credit card bill says 8th of Feb).
(*)Still arguing with yourself then? It seems you don't need anyone else present to have a discussion.
If I were you I'd just keep on making assumption after assumption about everything and everyone you can think of. After all your accuracy rate so far has been pretty impressive.
And then, if any of my assumptions ever turned out to be false and got corrected, I would get really angry and insult whichever arrogant, lying, idiot dared not be what I told him he is.
Yeah, whatever.
1) Server population was between 1.8k and 2.1k last time I checked and was before CoV release (Sunday). No assumption.
2) The only person being subjective and making assumptions is yourself. That has been proved.
So you did promise me these figures? And your predictions were accurate?
Why did you write this then?
"Neither did I promise you anything (nor would I ever to such an arrogant fool) or state a number of 2,000 (1.3 - 1.7k),unless you are refering to the mean population per server based on beta and live activit"
You don't seem to be able to make up your mind.
What tracks? You're the one who took one sentance and stated it out of context and tried to make out that it was the norm.
I guess those 13.5K (at the time) playing the CoV end of beta event don't exist and wouldn't normally be divided amongst the 11 live servers.
Hmm. It's seems it's not just me, but the entire forum.
You make it very difficult to garner information from your posts when you are constantly disputing your own words.
As I consistently state, I am more than happy to read your figures about server population and use them to form an opinion about current server population. Your inconsistent and self-disputing writting style does make it rather difficult to assertain what those numbers are however. I concur with the above poster, you are to keen to wriggle and squirm your way out of any comment that turns out to be inaccurate to be of much use to me.
Yeah, right you and one other person is the entire forum.
Both of you are wrong and has been proven. He had the same warped attitude as you over CoH/CoV's population and was wriggling around like you in denial. Also note again that you post out of context. Seem to be a habit with you none playing Crypic/CoH haters. Only way you can actually get remotely near posting anything factual. I'm still waiting on you posting one that that's been correct, becuase you've certainly managed to fill a lot of pages of utter bullshit.
Quit making yourself look like a fool. Facts can't be argued against. Live with it. What do you think, the servers lie when they report how many people are on them? What has unfolded is exactly what was explained. CoH active numbers where down due to beta (where the missing people were playing). After beta numbers have restored that what they have been for the past year and beyond with the addition of CoV.
Can we have the OP change this topic to "Grapevine Vs. Baff"?
I've completely lost track what you two are bickering about, but it's amusing.
BTW, this Forum is probably less then 1% of the forum people from CoH so opionions expressed here does not necessarily represent the "ENTIRE" community. Heck any MMO forum represents a fraction of everyone playing that game.
your arguement is so persuasive, so filled with knowledge and insight. You back up your argument very articulately, with suggestions of improvements and raising examples to glorify your position....oh wait, you didn't
lol, agree.
I'm just not going to back down on someone who's bullshitting over everything he's says.
The discussion was about CoH, population which he's been proved wrong about (i.e. there not being a mass exodus). He just won't swallow he pride and admit he's been proved compelely wrong. I'm simply posting factual figures seen first hand and that can be seen by anyone else playing, but apparently he can't live with that.
talking of bullshit allow me to compare some of yours,
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Originally posted by grapevine
Also being an EU player myself, I can tell you latency is a none issue and we do generally prefer playing on US servers.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Originally posted by grapevine
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Its been laggy since Friday, with lots of mapserver disconnects.
There is a post on the official forums about it. Apparently there is a network routing issue that is affecting non-US subscribers to the US service. They are working to fix it, with their ISP.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
which one is true?
The numbers you have provided, do not show either a loss, a gain or even any stability in player numbers. They show (or at least they attempt to show) current player numbers. To get an effective idea of whether or not server population is falling it is needed to get earlier numbers taken from over the last year. It will also help to build a picture of the general trends to add future population counts in the weeks and months to come.
LOL, you are reaching now.
Yeah, the entire international gaming industry is lagged because there has been technical issues since Friday on CoH (which wasn't just affecting the UK). Sure it won't get fixed and has always been like that.
As for the population numbers. From the very start of this I stated CoH's server population (for the time period I'm playing) has been between 1.3k - 1.7k for the past year. I also stated that it dropped to 750, when CoV beta went 24/7. However, factoring in those players (as they were active subscribers) took the averge server load to 1.95k. Beta, is now over (as you know). So how is a population of 1.8k - 2.1k per server that is now being reported not an indication that they have havn't dropped? Number have in fact somewhat increased to what I originally stated.
BTW, reported you for trolling. As I'm getting tired of this, but won't back down while you are trying to mislead new members to the community.
Just standing ground on facts, not opinion. Sometimes you need to get strong, when banging your head against a brick wall.
Nothing personal, just against your attitude towards factual information.
Oh and if you do want a legitimate flame aginst Cryptic, the handling of CoV shipping (to stores) would be a classic. Not very happy with it myself, pre-order turned up to late (despite ordering it two weeks in advance). Am now being told by FedEX I have to wait until tomorrow for my retail copy to arrived. Hearing it has been a common problem. I'd even PM'ed CuppaJo (before release) asking if it would be available by digital download upon relase and was told no. Even though it is and have friends playing while I've wasted money on (late) shipment costs. So 6 days of no play and have payed for them.
Your facts seem fine (if garbled), it's the opinions you attache to them I dispute.
"From the very start of this I stated CoH's server population (for the time period I'm playing) has been between 1.3k - 1.7k for the past year"
For you, this is fact, for me, this is opinion. I'm willing to take your word on current populations. This is afterall quickly corroborated. If you were to say the population today = blabla, another reader here could verify it. But I have no verification available to me of your opinion on server statistics for the last year, neither are the circumstances in which you gathhered them fresh in our minds. And while I haven't kept record either, it does not match my perception of player numbers in the server I have used.
I don't think Cryptic Studios's is involved with the shipping, I think they might just be the programming studio, and that Plaync might be responsible for the shipping. Goof luck with getting your copy. For those looking for the EU version, WWW.play.com has had theminstock for a few days now.
Geez!!! How can server reported figures be an opinion or garbled? Its one number, per server. lol. Also note these numbers are US ones. I use the search feature a lot for teams, hence why I can state that figure range as factual as I've seen it everytime I've played.
PlayNC handled the distrubution to the stores. Plently are having problems. Alexa has even posted a sort of appolgy and is ensuring everyone that they won't loose their Villains (from pre-order).
http://boards.cityofheroes.com/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=info&Number=3988250&bodyprev=#Post3988250
Agreed www.play.com is a good site for the EU version, as they are usually the cheapest around. Not much use to us that need to import the US version though, no matter where we are in the world.
The shipping is an issue with the store you ordered it from. If you actually went and got it yourself you had it at pre-launch.
No store can GUARANTEE they can have your product to you by release date. That's the naure of the web.
Shayde - SWG (dead)
Proud member of the Cabal.
It sounds great, so great in fact, I pitty those who canceled
I don't like it when you say things. - A Vanguard fan who does too.
09f911029d74e35bd84156c5635688c0
Sadly collecting by hand isn't an option for us outside of the USA, otheriwse agree entirely. As the official outlets wouldn't ship internationally. I tried.
The store I bought it from (www.importmadness.com) sent me an e-mail saying they would have the retail copy in stock on Thursday for shipping. When in reality it didn't happen until Saturday.
Also can't avoid that it would have been quicker and cheaper to simply do a digital download, something which a member of Cryptic staff (via a reply to a PM) informed me would not be initially available. I had a friend do it today, although the link wasn't easy to find. I can ask what it was, if anyone is having the same problem or just wants to get a copy quick? They said both the EU and US version was available.
You have given more than one number.
You have given a verifiable one for actual players in actual named servers at a specific time. This is good data. (Actually you couldn't even do this, but instead managed to give a range of numbers and no specified time, but it's a start and the best data I currently have available to me).
You have also given another estimated figure, one based solely on your own recollection, for the server numbers of the entire last year. This is not good data, this is opinion. Even if you have a photographic memory, this is not verifiable. It is not fact.
Lets have a look at the numbers you have provided and see if they seem to be reasonable.
So, if we take your numbers we get 1.8-2.1k (1.95k mean) and subtract your given player numbers for the last year 1.3-1.7k (1.5k mean) and we can see that the actual player count has increased since launch by about 24%.
With 16 servers online, and population increase of 24% one might expect to have seen an extra 3 or 4 servers brought in to cope with the additional numbers. I do not find this very credible.
Simply put all you figures are unreliable. An actual figure, a server name and the local time for it's timezone in which you played when that figure was read. That is factual.
All the rest is just your opinion. No factual content. It may well turn out to be a good estimation, but you are not providing us with the tools to make up our own minds. We must simply take your word for it. (It is of note that If I was blindly willing to take your word for things, I would now beleive that I and all my friends are American).
It's perfectly reasonable for you to make interpretations from your figures, as I have done above, but to pass your estimations off as facts is not acceptable. It is misleading.
Look seriously can we just drop this?
For one last time, what has been stated has ben factual. No recollection, not open to misrepresentation, just facts!!!
1) Having looked for teams everytime I've logged in over the past year the server figure has been between 1.3k to 1.7k. Seen with my own eyes, so its a fact.
2) Server population didn't drop below that until CoV beta went 24/7. Then its went down to around that ~750 figure. However there where ~13.5k people on the CoV beta servers. Under US beta regulations all these needed to be active long term CoH subscribers or owners of the CoV preorder (with a few exceptions). Hence placing the average server load at ~1.95k (2k, as you put it), when factoring both beta and live numbers. All fact!!!
3) Over the weekend CoH servers were between 1.8k and 2.1k when the results of doing a search was done. Another fact!!!!
Hence proving at least my calucations for #2 was correct and that CoH has not had a mass exodus.
That's it, nothing else (other than what the server load was like during the nightmare technical issues just after i6's launch).
How many times do you need to keep asking "one more time", to simply acknowledge you are wrong? Bascially the issue here is simply you don't believe the fact. Maybe you should actually activate a US account and see for yourself. My play time is from 7pm to 1am (UK time). Numbers are lower, until the US people get in from work, etc (obviously).