A live server expansion FOR EVERYONE?? Wishful thinking...

Discussion in 'The Veterans' Lounge' started by hein, Jul 18, 2019.

  1. kizant Augur

    Premium edition isn't really about providing a better product. It's for people who want to support the game and make sure it keeps running. Then they throw in a couple a small thank you gifts.
    Gundolin, Scornfire and tyrantula like this.
  2. northstar Augur



    That is like saying I buy Big Macs at McDonalds with fries and a drink for $10 not because its good quality food but rather I support them, and their little thank you gift is a toy and cholesterol....
  3. Aurastrider Augur



    Here we go again with SWTOR and you thinking the world revolves around you as a consumer. You have already admitted in its current state you are not willing to pay for the game. You are noted stating that the game is in a sad place basically and not worth your time. Now you say "hey devs make content that scales from 1-115 and I will buy it". You are exhibiting flight of thoughts here man grasping for any excuse to actually play the game but your responses are making it doubtful that you will ever be a serious customer. They create content for their serious customers not those who come at them with a ransom list of demands.

    You already have hundreds yes hundreds of low-mid level zones that you are not playing in so why should the developers create even more content for you to not play in? If the low-mid level game is your thing the TLP servers might be a better fit but you are against paying a sub so that will probably be your excuse. If you are actually serious about playing the latest expansion level up a toon lord only knows you have time by your own admission. If you aren't at least willing to attempt to put in said time why should they ever take you seriously?

    You can fire up 6 ftp toons assuming you can box (I assume this since you said you don't want to pay for multiple accounts). No need for a merc and if you do proper class selection that can carry you very far into the game. Puller, healer, mage x4 and you can be a wrecking crew without much concern for gear. Sell what you earn and get some krono along the way to sub your toons for the AA's if you don't want to pay for a sub. Rotate krono's between toons and boom you will have sufficient AA's and you will have spent not a dime on your limited budget.
  4. northstar Augur



    it isn't a ransom or list of demands, it is to help everyone my friend. why will they take me seriously? I have 30 accounts here to which 4 are currently subscribed to and 20 are of silver and like 7-8 are free. been playing since 2001 so I do support this game... last time I bought and expansion was the last one that I only wanted for the wyvern on one account... but to justify supporting this game because its EQ is ridiculous to say the least give something anyone can play, and that helps draw a crowd fgs, that isn't too much to ask for is it?
  5. smash Augur

    Basically yes, there more than enough zones for low/medium levels today, see all those zones that are empty because there so many zones. While there likely only going to be 5-6 new zones.

    And there not enough devs to create zoned covering from lvl 10 to 115.
  6. Aurastrider Augur



    Actually it is to much to ask for if you understand the amount of resources they have available. As it stands with our current team we are getting expansions with roughly 6 zones. This team also manages the TLP servers, puts together stuff for anniversary time, produces a couple new cash shop items per year, and has been fairly consistent at putting out one major QOL improvement per year since introducing autoloot and lets not forget the monthly updates.

    So where exactly would you like them to trim some fat so you have more unused content that wont get played? Reduce the number of endgame zones from 6 to 5 or 4 and you probably start to lose some of these players. Neglect the TLP servers to much and there goes some of those players. No anniversary in EQ would result in lost revenue as this is a huge marketing time that brings back lots of returning players. No new cash shop items means lost revenue. So we are left with the QOL stuff which EVERYONE benefits from while your idea only a select few individuals who are already not playing in the let me repeat it HUNDREDS of zones can have a couple of new zones that they wont play in most likely.

    But just hire more people and problem solved right? Do you have any clue what the going rate of a developer, artist, and other individuals that it takes to produce content is? My best friend is a video game programmer here in Seattle and I can tell you they ain't cheap. This does not even account for the onboard training, orientation, understanding the product, its consumers, and trying to actually produce something people will buy. We are talking easily 500k + to produce low level content on live that people already aren't playing not to mention all of the training and getting folks up to speed which if I recall correctly from reading a previous developer post is months. Risk vs reward just isn't there I am afraid.
  7. northstar Augur



    Perhaps and let me just throw this out there, that if and ill give you the benefit of the doubt, that if They gave new content for everyone it would mean that we would have more players in the game with money at hand to spend in the game they are playing, its not rocket science to understand less money means less people PAYING for stuff which in turns means LESS content which it just turns into a cluster from there.

    Maybe instead of having a skeleton crew they invest in there leaky roof condo and put a new roof on? you know to entice a better product for the people who "Rent" the condo? and to get new renters to fill in the gap?? I don't know for some reason that economics isn't floating your boat....

    Edit: let me elaborate some. perhaps if they added more to the team and "Spent some oh god MONEY" on there auto pilot game. produced a Quality product. they might actually be making something called MORE Money... to help cover costs of there investment I.e. Everquest. a very wise man once told me you need to spend money in order to make money... it is the Truth like it or not.
  8. smash Augur

    Dbg is a business and investing in something that will never bring the amount back they money they invest in will close the game down faster is not smart. You can say otherwise, but doing so is burning your money.

    Your new players are just fantasy.
  9. Aurastrider Augur



    Says the guy who doesn't work? Seriously you fantasize about how economics work but I don't think you have the slightest clue. If you did you would be utilizing your superior business knowledge to actually run a business instead of telling an investment company how to run a business from the sideline.

    So lets recap where we are at with money. 500k + conservatively just to develop said new content and I think this is very conservative. Now you are talking about bringing in new players to play said new content. How exactly do you bring in new players? Advertisement of course but how much advertisement and how exactly are you going to convince gamers who have a plethora of options who are unfamiliar with EQ to not only visit the site, download the game but actually buy this new expansive product you have just developed and spent tons of money advertising.

    But that's what your returning players are for man! Wrong they already have a very inexpensive design in place to nab these players and its called the TLP servers. Not everyone wants to play on a TLP! Ok they can still play for free on live and if they enjoy the game they can decide if they want to spend money. Yeah but some people want to drive the new fancy car not something from 20 years ago man! That's cool but what makes you think there will even be enough of these players to buy said new content let alone form groups spread out across multiple live servers? Bro you know nothing about what you speak I mean this is just to much logic for one person to handle! Yep you are correct none of this actually makes sense it was not very well thought out at all.
  10. northstar Augur

    Well let just see what happens? I mean if what I am saying is so out of line why are my threads still open? yeah let them keep flopping out those TLP's even they are getting stale.

    anyhow good luck! I hope your world views that never change sustain itself for long periods of time..
  11. Aurastrider Augur



    For your thread to get locked you have to violate forum guidelines typically. They don't lock threads just because someone has a bad idea or flawed logic. If they did that most of the TLP threads would be shutdown before they ever got started.

    I don't play TLP's but looking at server population updated about an hour and a half ago Mangler was rated high and Selo medium population for the TLP. FV and Bristlebane were both rated medium for the live server. Note this is one of the slowest play times of the day with those numbers. So while some people might think the TLP servers are getting old and stale the numbers support that they are still successful.

    Do I think the current TLP rehashing can sustain itself for the long haul? No I never said that but when something is working and successful especially in business you don't stop doing it and try something different. You ride the hot hand and prepare for when it cools off. Hopefully they will have something else planned when that happens. Event servers like Quarm would be the obvious next move to keep players interested. Maybe a teams pvp TLP although I have my doubts it would be successful for more than the introductory period. A new ruleset live server with free transfers to with significantly increased rares, xp, and faction modifiers (Selo minus the truebox code). Maybe a hardcore server where players have a permanent buff that acts like a penalty and reduces stats and an easy mode server with the same idea but a buff that significantly increases stats. The lore rights alone could be converted into potential revenue if they find the right project.

    There are lots of creative things they can do and I am sure they have a long list of potential future ideas to keep the cash flowing in. Again this is an investment company and the game has been operational for 20+ years. They have a solid foundation to work with and lots of directions they can go in.
  12. northstar Augur



    here is the thing about those numbers... how many of them are baz mules currently?? Vs. people actually playing? secondly and I know you don't actually want to hear this even though I am trying to help you understand the difference is my so called other game has starting worlds currently 1 world map holds roughly 250 people before a second map is formed and the overflow will continue. in this other game no one is boxing and nothing is artificially promoting the numbers 2 maps are red which means they are full of actual people playing and two are not red which means they are in flux of population coming and going from the planet.... so that is 4 maps on just one newbie world at this time. core worlds have more... do you see what I am trying to say?

    now granted the game I am playing is now 7 years old this December. I subscribed to that game for 6 years. however I gained enough from playing the game and being subscribed, I no longer need to. and can "Buy" parts or additions I see fit.

    the argument that one game is a specific market is kind of silly. all games in there own right are an entity of an market as a whole. gamers will move to different games depending on tastes and styles. however new people play or start gaming due to it being an inexpensive hobby. some can afford it while others have to limit there games. I may not have a job but I do know what it is like to have little money and stretch what I can in a game to where I can afford to play, the whole subscribe to this game or your word means sh*t is a load of crap that reaks of elitism. that in itself might turn people away for the negativity and jadedness of a community...

    I may be the underdog here but I am with this guy who wants more content for everyone. glad he said something it makes sense to a guy who games all day long and enjoys a variety of different games, sure I want to call one home. but until a company finds a way to not be part of an elitist type of consumer product... perhaps I would back them solidly for a long period of my life.
  13. kizant Augur

    That's just how it is with these types of games. People play for years and stay for friends and the community. It's not like it can be simply be replaced. Nobody is forcing you to buy it or to play.
    Yinla likes this.
  14. Naturalist Lorekeeper

    Nobody is forcing the forum warriors to bring all the negativity into this thread either but here you all are. Why comment at all if you just say it'll never happen? Oh because you're entitled to your opinion, just like the OP is.

    Difference is his original post isn't negative, but everyone saying it'll never happen and 110's are more important and they don't have the resources (because you must work there)... that does qualify as negative I believe.

    TSS was one of the best expansions ever. And another model like that would be nothing but positive for the game.
  15. Aurastrider Augur

    There is a huge difference between being negative and being realistic. What you want is not reality with EQ in it's current state. People have presented logic to counter this idea and your response is nothing short of someone trying to find a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow.
  16. kizant Augur

    I commented because some folks misunderstood the purpose of the expensive tier for each expansion.