INCREASE POPULATION NOW******

[Pac]

Shard is in its death throes. Nothing can really be done about it at this point.

[Abyz]

There is something that would motivate me to log in...

[SirPsychoSexy]

There is something that would motivate me to log in...

Seeing my character running around with no clothes on?

[Pirul]

You know what is killing the shard?

People saying the shard is dying.

Log in, play, create activity, and help new players.

[Kadull]

You know what is killing the shard?

People saying the shard is dying.

Log in, play, create activity, and help new players.

People will always quit playing games. Nobody is going to play the exact same game every day for ever.... There will always be an outflow of players; the trick is to counteract that outflow by ensuring an inflow. This is done through marketing campaigns.

Currently, it seems this shard isn't advertising outside of TopUO sites, and it's population is slowly and steadily shrinking. What this means is that TopShard sites are not enough to sustain a shard population, which means you have to extend your marketing plan further.

You have been open for years, and you launched with a very solid player base, and you still have a larger player base than the majority of free UO shards. What this tells me, is that this isn't a quality issue, or gameplay issue.

In other words, if you want your population to thrive again, you need to stop this weird witch hunt for what ever mechanic is to play for some non-existent mass exodus, and simply start marketing better.

This isn't rocket science.

[Freight Elevator]

Could always improve the product

[Kadull]

"improve" in this instance is a subjective term.... "Marketing brings in players" is not. This is what I've been trying to explain.

Quality marketing is proven. People aren't going to join if they don't know it exists.

"I want less PKs! It will definitely bring in more players!" Is a massively broad, debatable, flimsy argument. These weird little debates circling the "tram/felucca" rule set are, simply put, kind of stupid.

edit:

Don't get me wrong, discuss ways to improve the shard all you want. There is nothing wrong with change. But, if you're going to have these discussions, then have them within the context of *exclusively* improving the shard, because you think it is *better*, not because you have some arbitrary whim that it may, possibly, somehow affect the population.

[archaicsubrosa77]

I think in all honesty replicating an era including all its faults is like building a model plane. But if it were streamlined and the things that the players enjoyed that were taken away were put back in I think it would change things a whole lot. Once this era is completely replicated if it were possible...I would say it would be nice to be treated like a test center. You can only assign skills in town but would be able to explore the whole world (skills only no freebies)...while a second shard "The Way it should have been" would be crafted by input of the vets who played here since the beginning who know exactly what the second age is about, is missing, and things which should have been fixed or kept in.

Mixing the new with the old and putting a new spin on an old classic would definitely take off in a great direction as long as we kept true to the feel of T2A. But if you want to go back to how it was you would always be free to do so. And allowing the setting of skills would definitely give a reason for people to return....especially if they wanted to keep property here.

Don't get me wrong, I love this era but there were some things I would have loved to have been allowed to remain.

I am loyal to Derrick, and I am going to stay here. But if he ever decided to pick up another project when this one is finished listening to the input from those who have ideas on how to make a better UO based on the second age... I would be the first to say no one would be able to touch it, it would be gold.

I really don't want this to end...unless its to start another chapter. I am going to stay no matter what.

Derrick is King

[The Shaker]

I see two rather big problems on here.
One being that there's not enough things to do long-term-wise/end-gameplay.
Another is that theres not enough things catching your interest the first 30 mins being logged on.


Regarding the end-gameplay issue;
I perfectly understand that we intend to make this a true replica of OSI T2A (and Derrick is pretty damn good at doing so), which overall is a good thing. I like the fact that game mechanic-changes arent up for discussion unless fact is provided that it worked different during OSI.
However its my belief that we need more collectors items, house decorations, rares and special high-end monsters that requires large groups to kill.
As of now, i know very many players who started up here, made a few chars, played for a few months, and then they just were like "Ok, now what?". It goes way to quick to get the "I'm done here"-feeling on this shard. We need more long-term-goals.
This can be changed without changing the fundamental T2A-mechanics.


Regarding the first 30 mins;
This is a problem for people who never played UO before. And trust me, we do need those people because the old UO-community isnt exactly growing.
Imagine there's 2 possible shards to start on.
Shard 1) At first logon you get a NPC guiding you through britain, telling you how stuff works and after that he'll show you to a special made newbie-dungeon where you can get to know the game by killing monsters. All this on the main-shard, meaning you can interact with other newbies and making friends.

On here, you're on your own from the first second. On top of this, right now britain is usually pretty empty.
Seriously, if i were new to this game and logged on UOSA right now, i probably wouldnt stay long.
The tutorial is GREAT, but imo we need something like it on the real shard aswell.


Like i've already said, all this can be achieved without changing the T2A-fundamentals.

[Budner]

You know what is killing the shard?

People saying the shard is dying.

Log in, play, create activity, and help new players.

People will always quit playing games. Nobody is going to play the exact same game every day for ever.... There will always be an outflow of players; the trick is to counteract that outflow by ensuring an inflow. This is done through marketing campaigns.

Currently, it seems this shard isn't advertising outside of TopUO sites, and it's population is slowly and steadily shrinking. What this means is that TopShard sites are not enough to sustain a shard population, which means you have to extend your marketing plan further.

You have been open for years, and you launched with a very solid player base, and you still have a larger player base than the majority of free UO shards. What this tells me, is that this isn't a quality issue, or gameplay issue.

In other words, if you want your population to thrive again, you need to stop this weird witch hunt for what ever mechanic is to play for some non-existent mass exodus, and simply start marketing better.

This isn't rocket science.

Have to agree that marketing is the single most effective way to increase population.

[Loathed]

I'm always refrencing to UOSA on all other games I play- regardless of the genre or platform.

[Kadull]

You know what is killing the shard?

People saying the shard is dying.

Log in, play, create activity, and help new players.

People will always quit playing games. Nobody is going to play the exact same game every day for ever.... There will always be an outflow of players; the trick is to counteract that outflow by ensuring an inflow. This is done through marketing campaigns.

Currently, it seems this shard isn't advertising outside of TopUO sites, and it's population is slowly and steadily shrinking. What this means is that TopShard sites are not enough to sustain a shard population, which means you have to extend your marketing plan further.

You have been open for years, and you launched with a very solid player base, and you still have a larger player base than the majority of free UO shards. What this tells me, is that this isn't a quality issue, or gameplay issue.

In other words, if you want your population to thrive again, you need to stop this weird witch hunt for what ever mechanic is to play for some non-existent mass exodus, and simply start marketing better.

This isn't rocket science.

Have to agree that marketing is the single most effective way to increase population.

It's not even that it's the most. It's really the only way. Anything else is just manipulative banter from the community to get things changed to their preference.

"I don't like being PKed, therefore making less PKs will boost the population!"

These arguments are genuinely illogical, and based on completely arbitrary ideas. The only way you're going to increase your population is by telling people this game exists... that's called advertising.

[Lambo]

I know the majority of people here are pro scamming. Praise those whom scam. Scamming is fucking awesome those nerds need to get good. Really disappointed in the fact so many people support these activities.


Its NOT good for the server and yes it does show something about your character whether you scam someone in game/rl/in fake life whatever.

Creating a friendly helpful enviorment for people to play in WOULD be better for the server. I am one of the more active players on this server, I see at least 4-5 legit new players a week farming at the GY or just doing new player things. We have an unflux ,,, no retention.

[Kadull]

<facepalm>

[skynyrd2]

<facepalm>

Hey Kadull, Do you think advertising would help the server?