INCREASE POPULATION NOW******

[ultra]

The real reason why this server lacks in population is because everyone knows how PvP works in UO these days. Way back when...that wasn't the case. You only had a handful. There was balance. But now, it's not. It is a cookie cutter zerg squad game and it's not any fun for the long haul. This game, in it's current state, is only amusing in small doses. The cat is out of the bag, so to speak.

The only way to make this server interesting would be for Admins to make it interesting. If not, it's just the same old, same old, and that's not enjoyable for anyone. I use to PvP constantly in UO back in the day, because it was fun. It was one against many...now, it's gang play. No challenge. The only enjoyment I find in UO is running vendors, which is a sad comment in its self, but that's the way it is.

So, until it changes I will continue my 3 month return cycle, every couple of years just like everyone else, lol.


ADDED: Some ideas to make it a bit more exciting.

1. Change up rare spawn locations in lock boxes or add new ones to the mix every once in awhile.
2. Add new rare spawns to lock boxes. Toss out some new rares, use some of the server birth items.
3. Put interesting loot on random mobs.
4. Place interesting loot/Rares in high lvl dungeon lock picking chests.
5. Mix it up a little! Have fun with it admins and the population will have fun with it. After all, it is a game.

[qwebirc41039]

honest to god im in favor of a wipe or maybe opening and 2nd shard to start fresh on. I reckon im one of the top 30 richest scumbags here id trade it all in.

i really think Telamon's plan to destroy the shard was thought out in the long term, after his idoc everyone including myself was happy we all got millions of gold like we always wanted, everything ran pretty normally for the next 6 months or so.

Suddenly everything shot up in price. All a new player has to do is camp some idocs and they are suddenly millionaires, the newbs with lives simply move on because the cheapest large house is over half a million.

The only way to rectify the damage is to sell off all the rares and trash barrel the castle deeds, or wait for the upper crust scumbags to quit the shard
OR wipe/open new shard

[MatronDeWinter]

I'm in favor of a wipe too, but there are some people here who don't play the game to play, so it will likely never happen. It's a shame because the economy is super screwed as of late from what I have noticed. Nobody farming anything ever, just passing around IDOC loot from newbs who start for a few months, farm, then quit.

[ultra]

ADDED: Some ideas to make it a bit more exciting.

1. Change up rare spawn locations in lock boxes or add new ones to the mix every once in awhile.
2. Add new rare spawns to lock boxes. Toss out some new rares, use some of the server birth items.
3. Put interesting loot on random mobs.
4. Place interesting loot/Rares in high lvl dungeon lock picking chests.
5. Mix it up a little! Have fun with it admins and the population will have fun with it. After all, it is a game.

Doing this would lower prices, inject income to the newer players, and make it far more interesting. It's just one thing that could be put in place to help out population. There are several other player ideas as well that could be easily put in place without interfering with era accuracy. If they can add "gem encrusted" mobs...this shouldn't be an issue.

Not really sure why this hasn't ever been put into play before...it is easy enough to think of and to do, unless there are certain players that would lose from its implementation. I hope that is not the case on this server (thy are just pixels), but I have seen it before...it is a constant plague on "free servers," so you just never know. Hopefully, we will hear some input from them on other ideas that they are willing to try to mix it up a bit.

Everyone knows something needs to be done. Telamon's so called break through macro money maker has actually been around from some time, but it is boring as hell to do, makes the game far too easy mode imo, and easy mode games I can't play, so I never did it. However, when I am buying up bulk reggies for the vendor I tend to see about 3-5 people selling off their scrolls. It wouldn't be depressing if it was the same group of people, but it's not. I have seen several different people doing it. It is a problem, and more so a player quality problem than a population problem.

The only real solution for administration is to counter it in imaginative ways that make gameplay enjoyable, challenging, yet unpredicatable. If they do, it will be very exciting, but practically, I doubt they will ever do anything about it.


EDIT ADD: And just if you were curious...it was era accurate for GM's to do this. They did it quite often actually.

[Li Meiyang]

A wipe is so extreme, and would alienate a lot of vet players (not me I could accept it). I think one of the roots of this problem was allowing five houses per account and three accounts per player in the beginning. That's 15 houses per player, nothing era accurate about that!

That's not meant as a scathing criticism of UOSA overall, cuz I think they did most things right starting out, just the housing policy was way out-of-whack and has led us here.

I mean we've got all these old-money hoarder/miser types logging in just to refresh their 15 keeps, and in the meanwhile newbs need a zillion gold just to buy anything above a small. A wipe + a new housing policy would certainly rectify this.

What I'm not in favor of is a GF policy allowing vet players to keep their 15 houses whilst limiting newer player to less, cuz things are lopsided enough already in that direction.

I'm also Ok with no wipe tho cuz I'm making enough to money fishing now to get a nice foothold in the real-estate market, and my modest goals don't include owning 15 Keeps full of pixel crack anyway.

At least not yet....

[Budner]

My guess is that if you polled a server wipe, the vast majority of voters would vote against it, me included. Losing the wealth wouldn't bother me much, but I don't want to macro up all those characters again.

But I would support this:

Lower the number of accounts from 3 to 2, giving everyone a reasonable period of time to shut down their third account, like a month or two. That would help free up real estate substantially.

I have three accounts and make use of them to frankly trade real estate for a profit (although I've been selling lately (and not at a profit!) and don't intend to replace the properties I've sold unless I see a great bargain). Three accounts is excessive and probably hurts the shard.

[ultra]

My guess is that if you polled a server wipe, the vast majority of voters would vote against it, me included. Losing the wealth wouldn't bother me much, but I don't want to macro up all those characters again.

But I would support this:

Lower the number of accounts from 3 to 2, giving everyone a reasonable period of time to shut down their third account, like a month or two. That would help free up real estate substantially.

I have three accounts and make use of them to frankly trade real estate for a profit (although I've been selling lately (and not at a profit!) and don't intend to replace the properties I've sold unless I see a great bargain). Three accounts is excessive and probably hurts the shard.

Well, if we went with that I would have to do what you said you didn't want to do with a server wipe. I would have to remacro toons. Why not meet you half way there and say just limit all accounts 1 house per and give people time to consolidate their homes. That would make more sense. 3 houses are plenty.

[Budner]

Yeah actually that's a better solution, I agree. One house per account, or maybe two. But with 3 accounts 3 houses is plenty.

[Li Meiyang]

Yeah actually that's a better solution, I agree. One house per account, or maybe two. But with 3 accounts 3 houses is plenty.

Yeah I'm gonna go ahead and reverse my previously stated position that accounts should be limited to three houses. Cuz today when I logged in at work I saw that three of my neighbor's houses in East Moonglow had collapsed, and so I quickly cleared away all the loot chests off the plots and placed new smalls -in a frenzied 20 minute work break. This doubled my house ownership count from 3 to 6 in one fell swoop. It's funny cuz that is the *exact* moment my position changed from being against to being in favor of allowing players to own more than three houses. Go figure

[archaicsubrosa77]

I think a gate to another Staff created world would be great,or too bad UO was never expanded so players could create their own dungeons or pocket dimensions

Like small expensive Gatehouse deeds you can buy that pop up with a gate and guildstone that had on it options and tools to create.

I know you are talking about growing population not expanding it further but I think if you build it they would come.

[smokybarnable]

I agree something needs to be done. A wipe probably won't happen but I think limiting each person to one account would help. I think it all boils down to the Admin not having the time to create and run events. However I'm guessing there are people out there who do have the time and skill to do this and would gladly volunteer. Not just random events, but an ongoing storyline or something. This is a great shard and it's sad to see the population dwindle.

[skynyrd2]

These are all great and logical plans. But if you read this thread staff makes it 100% clear they will not be changing adding or hosting . Nothing is ever going to be injected in uosa to promote pop or save the server. It's up to us to take it or leave it. (Pop has dropped another 30-49 avg since they said this several days ago)

To be constructive we need to devote energy into ideas that do not involve any staff or changing of any mechanic whatsoever

[ultra]

These are all great and logical plans. But if you read this thread staff makes it 100% clear they will not be changing adding or hosting . Nothing is ever going to be injected in uosa to promote pop or save the server. It's up to us to take it or leave it. (Pop has dropped another 30-49 avg since they said this several days ago)

To be constructive we need to devote energy into ideas that do not involve any staff or changing of any mechanic whatsoever

Changing housing to one account per would be a fix.

[skynyrd2]

These are all great and logical plans. But if you read this thread staff makes it 100% clear they will not be changing adding or hosting . Nothing is ever going to be injected in uosa to promote pop or save the server. It's up to us to take it or leave it. (Pop has dropped another 30-49 avg since they said this several days ago)

To be constructive we need to devote energy into ideas that do not involve any staff or changing of any mechanic whatsoever

Changing housing to one account per would be a fix.

ultra I 100% agree with you in everyway as do many people on this server. But if you read post by staff in this thread or previous threads, its obvious there will be 0 changes to the server mechanics/rules/website/promotion/etc. by anyone on staff. They are here to just keep it running anything to happen has to be within the guidelines that are already set. We are getting 0 changes whatsoever. Unless they are minor fixes towards era accuracy.

We have been given a platform and ruleset to work on. If we want a active staff that pursues server health and population then there are many other avenues which is where most of the client count is headed. Which is ashame because we all do truly enjoy UOSA and would love to see it suceeded.

[smokybarnable]

No captain at the helm it seems...time to move on I guess.