Ranger Archive
Thread: My thoughts on our status
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Ranger_Nizzle
Fri Aug 26, 2005 9:27 pm
#1
read the below post.
Message Edited by Ranger_Nizzle on 08-26-2005 09:37 PM
Ranger_Nizzle
Fri Aug 26, 2005 9:29 pm
#2
fixed
Message Edited by Ranger_Nizzle on 08-26-2005 09:38 PM
Ranger_Nizzle
Fri Aug 26, 2005 9:34 pm
#3
It has boggled my mind, it really has.
Now, what, 75% of the SWG populus is engaged in the grind toward jedi/is a jedi/has a jedi or second slot? I know that is far from exact, but most of us agree that the jedi presence in the game, though neeeded in some form, is far too ubiquitous.It has become quite easy for thebosses (we should come up with a new evil name for the managementsince we decided it isn't the devs fault) to take up a policy of steamrolling the neglected professions, issues, and bugswhile pushing out useless expansions, all-the-while keeping the majority of subscribers happy. Atleast, satisfied enough to keep paying the monthly fee.
Yet, one thing bothers me: they are still losing subscribers at a regular rate. Games are always losing and gaining in a volatile cycle, though typically not in huge amounts either way. Sometimes,big changedoes happen, after bigchanges (the CU, game-altering expansions, etc.). This is the first game I've played that has had a slow downhill tricklesoon afterlaunch. Galaxies went boom at launch, all was well for a while, but ever since 6 or 7 months in, way back when, with controversy over CHs and this and that, it has still gone slowly downhill the whole time. (note: these are my observations, I could be wrong).
My thoughts boil down to this: stop building the skycraper taller when its foundation is crumbling. That idea has existed for some time, I know. From what I've played, the CU was more of a bandage than a surgery. I doubt they'll ever revamp the game again, but I still think it is far from great.
Why don't they just do what needs to be done? Not expansions, not LavaSwords(tm), not episode 3 content. Upgrade ranger a lil, patch up SL a lil, supe up smuggler a bit, and help out those darn biological engineers. If they were to take 1-2 publishes to simply give us SOMETHING, I doubt it that the satisfied 75% of the game is gonna drop dead and cancel their accounts. I know we have whiners out there, but its going to good for them to quit after giving some dying group of people some support. It makes too much economical sense; eventually, SOE is gonna lose most of us as customers if we aren't addressed. They're gonna actually lose way more money by ignoring us than by losing a few for the overall best outcome. Why hasn't this been done? I can't figure it out. I know us rangers aren't many, but combined with the other issues and needy professions, we make up a considerable customer base that absolutely deserves attention.
Just my two credits.
Calculus_Entropy
Fri Aug 26, 2005 9:50 pm
#4
Hey, where did you get your info on their subscritption rates?
Ranger_Nizzle
Fri Aug 26, 2005 9:53 pm
#5
I said in the post, it was my observations. I never looked into hard numbers, it was probably foolish to make those statements. I was basing it on my observations through experience and the atmosphere of my server. I apologize if that was misleading.
I do hope the other points I made were valid.
Dyrwen
Fri Aug 26, 2005 9:58 pm
#6
Well, no one disputes the fact that we need a fix, just like everyone else. And I doubt anyone would really dispute that fixing the bugs before adding more to the game would be bad for the game either. The devs supposedly said they're fixing bugs, then adding new content. They've also said that they have different teams working on bugs, the expansion, and publishes, but whether they're telling the truth; we don't know.
Fix the foundation, sure, but who doesn't know that already? Good to see your opinion and all, but it's pretty much the mantra of those with common sense around here.
Fix the foundation, sure, but who doesn't know that already? Good to see your opinion and all, but it's pretty much the mantra of those with common sense around here.
Ranger_Nizzle
Fri Aug 26, 2005 10:02 pm
#7
Dyrwen wrote:
Well, no one disputes the fact that we need a fix, just like everyone else. And I doubt anyone would really dispute that fixing the bugs before adding more to the game would be bad for the game either. The devs supposedly said they're fixing bugs, then adding new content. They've also said that they have different teams working on bugs, the expansion, and publishes, but whether they're telling the truth; we don't know.
Fix the foundation, sure, but who doesn't know that already? Good to see your opinion and all, but it's pretty much the mantra of those with common sense around here.
I know that most peoplefeel the same way I do. But the main point in my post, assuming it wasn't lost in the rant, was that it makes economic sense; they will end up losing more than fixing us then if they don't. I want to see if anyone agrees.
Here is a link on subscription rates, though I unfortunately can't make sense of it. The absolute contribution link on the left seems most pertinent to my rate assumption.
http://www.mmogchart.com
Dyrwen
Fri Aug 26, 2005 10:22 pm
#8
The fact that we're beating City of Heroes, EQ2, and Eve Online is quite an accomplishment. I see your point, but I doubt Sony believes they'll lose more people than they bring in with expansions in the long run. They've obviously given in to the Jedi-idea, but they're also seemingly attempting to placate the rest of us in due time. How long that times is, I don't know, but I guess we'll find out sooner or later.
They're businessmen, so they'll do what they do best. Unforunately that may not bode well for us in the long run, but we shall see..
They're businessmen, so they'll do what they do best. Unforunately that may not bode well for us in the long run, but we shall see..
Almagill
Sat Aug 27, 2005 6:46 am
#9
I think you should have a look at the figures in the excel spreadsheet that site uses for its graphs. There has been an assumption of 255000 subs for the past twelve months. The actual figures used to make the graph are based on 6 datapoints over the life of the game. (In excel, click on the SWG line and 'view source data')
Even allowing for the variations on the graph, the product, ie SWG, is demonstrating a totally normal sales curve, that is, fast uptake leading to a peak, followed by an early drop to a plateau which it has then apparently stuck to ever since. There is a slight decline in numbers, but that is in keeping with the other US based, non-Korea marketted products which appear to sho continuing, ongoing and frankly massive growth.
I have a VAGUE recollection of a comment in a recent dev post / letter to the community that said subs are actually increasing, but can't remember where that was now. I knew I should have bookmarked it.
Possible reasons for a percieved drop in player numbers.
Server stability, Bria for example has been a bit 'up and down' recently. A lot of Bria players have been going off and playing characters on other servers. We need to get out fix. Result, you get to log in to Bria and it looks quiet. (Population stil shows on the creation screen as 'extremely heavy', ouchy...)
It's the end of the holidays. Not just in the US but over here in Euroland, schools are going back, colleges are starting to open up again. There are literally fewer bums on seats clicking their mouses.
The usual run of "That's it, it's the last straw, I'm quitting and taking my 42 subscriptions with me and I'm taking the 4000 people in my guild and we're all going to set up poker bots... so nyerrr"
Even allowing for the variations on the graph, the product, ie SWG, is demonstrating a totally normal sales curve, that is, fast uptake leading to a peak, followed by an early drop to a plateau which it has then apparently stuck to ever since. There is a slight decline in numbers, but that is in keeping with the other US based, non-Korea marketted products which appear to sho continuing, ongoing and frankly massive growth.
I have a VAGUE recollection of a comment in a recent dev post / letter to the community that said subs are actually increasing, but can't remember where that was now. I knew I should have bookmarked it.
Possible reasons for a percieved drop in player numbers.
Server stability, Bria for example has been a bit 'up and down' recently. A lot of Bria players have been going off and playing characters on other servers. We need to get out fix. Result, you get to log in to Bria and it looks quiet. (Population stil shows on the creation screen as 'extremely heavy', ouchy...)
It's the end of the holidays. Not just in the US but over here in Euroland, schools are going back, colleges are starting to open up again. There are literally fewer bums on seats clicking their mouses.
The usual run of "That's it, it's the last straw, I'm quitting and taking my 42 subscriptions with me and I'm taking the 4000 people in my guild and we're all going to set up poker bots... so nyerrr"
BioEngine
Sat Aug 27, 2005 8:12 am
#10
Darnit, Taeko! Log in already! 
There's an uber spawn of Dant Carnivore Meat right now.
Oh, and yeah they should definitely help out professions that they gave statements for first, instead of sneaking in others between the professions they were going to revamp, and then said that the revamps would be mini publishes.
Almagill
Sat Aug 27, 2005 10:11 am
#11
I'll agree with you on that. If they've told somebody they'll get something, they should get it.
Trust me, I know about this stuff, I've got kids You can only get away with "we'll go there tomorrow" "I'll get it for your birthday" so often, and then they get all like "Yeah, right..."
Trust me, I know about this stuff, I've got kids
You can only get away with "we'll go there tomorrow" "I'll get it for your birthday" so often, and then they get all like "Yeah, right..."
Rancorrider4
Sat Aug 27, 2005 10:28 am
#12
Almagill wrote:
I'll agree with you on that. If they've told somebody they'll get something, they should get it.
Trust me, I know about this stuff, I've got kids
Negative ghost rider. Not to any coorespondent or Developer. Promises are made and broken with regularity in SWG. In EQ2 it just gets fixed. It doesn't work that way here. Any time you try to hold someone actually accountable for doing something they promised, you get a response of "Don't be ridiculous. It was promised TWO YEARS ago you can't POSSIBLY expect that to hold true now!" or "Things change." i.e. we need more stuff to placate the Jedi community, our big cash cow.
Nevermind all the other promises made since then. Nevermind the fact that they tell us that they "have the documentation" your entire community worked on and put together, "on our desks." Nevermind promises of an order of priority to take place after certain expansions *coughJTLcough*. I could be here all day counting the promises made and broken, and no, not just to Ranger. I am thinking more of Smuggler's (by far the worst of us to be on the bad end of broken promises) Squad Leader's and Ranger as well.
Remember the GCW revamp that was supposed to happen? Smuggler revamp? Squad Leader fixes? Shoot, the darn Polished Krayt Dragon Skull quest was supposed to be fixed eons ago. Guess what...I still can't get it. "Known issue, dev's are working on it." Two years for that bit of info too, but I think you get the point.
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