Lifespan of a TLP server

Discussion in 'Time Locked Progression Servers' started by Nightmoon, May 20, 2022.

  1. Nightmoon New Member

    Controversial subject I know.

    With TLP's coming thick and fast at 2 a year we certainly don't have a lack of choice here.
    The issue is. past a certain point, you'll have one or two guilds hanging on, with the membership logging in just to raid and the rest of the time it's just a few box crews doing any out of raid content. At this stage it's never going to get any better, and guilds will start to merge and eventually the server sputters out, no matter how many people say they're going to ride the server to live.

    In reality 80% of the population is gone by HOT.
    Look at Mangler as a case in point. This was a vibrant server for a long time which is now a shadow of it's former self.
    Coirnav... even worse.

    I know it's been suggested to kill TLP's in LDON, and then merge them into Agnarr or vox or whatever, then release another couple of servers, to which there's been an outcry from the 'going all the wayers' who never do.

    I do think that putting TLP's past their sell by date out of their misery does make sense, i just think it's been suggested that we do this a little early in the lifecycle.

    Why not call time on a TLP later on in the expansions, e.g. HOT, after the typical server population decline point is reached. (there will be hard data to back up when this is) and allow a transfer off to wherever you want to go, and then move anyone left to a sweeper server.

    Special rules can be made an exception e.g. mischief/Thornblade, although you could arguably merge these into FV after a certain point.

    EQ2 has bitten the bullet, and they typically kill off the last TLP when a new TLP is released, so there is only one. I know EQ2 doesn't have the same population, but you do find that the TLP server stays pretty vibrant right up until the next TLP lands usually a couple of years later.

    something to think about.
  2. Aenoan Augur

    Probably not the worst idea, I recently checked and moved I had a toon I guess on Phini or maybe it was from another merge. It would be good at this point to consolidate servers and just have a dump server based on the rulesets.
    Chikkin likes this.
  3. asdfbot Lorekeeper

    Coirnav... even worse.
    Thats due to crap exp rate on Coirnav.
    Lineater likes this.
  4. Xhartor Augur

    A decent amount of people enjoy seeing the gamer progress through the content. The idea of forcing all TLP players to be recyclers sounds bad. Isn't part of the point on playing on TLP so can experience the game through it's different eras?
  5. SoandsoForumUser Augur


    What is this noise? HoT is the best expansion we've had in a _long_ time on mangler, and we still have as many or more guilds clearing content than Aradune.
  6. Gremin Augur

    The real killer of TLPs is the lvl 70 stretch due to them not combining OoW/DoN and DoDH/Por. If they would combine those expansions the TLP's would have a much better chance of survival. Heck, you could raise the chance even higher by combining GoD/OoW into one release also as a lot of folks do not care for GoD(I love it).
    Chikkin likes this.
  7. Branntick Augur

    I agree with this. The 70s era being significantly shortened would be a major benefit.

    DoN and PoR are essentially half an expansion each. Getting to TSS in half the time from this era would be a major boon.
    Chikkin and Xhartor like this.
  8. Midnitewolf Augur

    I generally play until I can no longer just drop into the game and get a PUG invite within 15-20 minute of putting my LFG on whether it is my main or a low level alt. That usually means I quit right after PoP unfortunately. Obviously it is the population decline that causes this.

    However let's be honest here, a bit part of the reason for the population decline is the fact they add 2-4 new TLP servers with slightly different rules sets each year. Everyone just jumps to the new server to try it out, leaving everyone who wants to stay on the previous server with a ghost town.

    That so many people only want to solo with a box train behind them, doesn't help either. Let's face it, that is not the way the game was designed to be played. Every person doing this is one less person to group up with which makes the already small populations feel even smaller.

    Honestly I don't know to fix this. Everyone seems to want a WoW-like XP rate so they can race to max level in a week. Also no one wants to take the time to consume each expansions content, it is always got to get to the next expansion, faster, faster, faster. I mean it is crazy that I have played on two TLPs so far and none of my characters have managed to get a full set of Velious armor. I remember the first time I returned to the TLP. I was meticulous farming the gems and such but by the time I got the gems together, the new expansion had come out and Velious was forgotten and there was no one left to do the raids I needed to do forcing me to give up on that and move on to the new expansion.

    The sad truth is that there is never going to be a long lifespan for a TLP if people don't want to slow down and spend months on each major expansion, consuming all the content rather than racing to the next expansion as fast as possible. The population is going to die out and everyone who actually is playing for the long haul is going to find themselves alone on the server.
  9. Zansobar Augur

    They should just combine all the expansions after PoP so once the TLP get's past PoP it is now a Live server...:)
    Chikkin and MileyVyrus like this.
  10. Tweakfour17 Augur

    Coirnav has had the same xp rate as all live serves (minus FV) for almost two years. It is however proof that the people that to this day say a slow xp rate during classic would be great for longevity.
    Narrator: It was not.
    Catalina likes this.
  11. Tweakfour17 Augur

    Counterpoint to OP, relax truebox after a certain amount of time so the people who actually want to carry on and see all the expansions "in era" can continue to do so more easily. The recyclers will continue to recycle so it will be a net increase in subs w/o having to buy junk laptops.
  12. Mrjon3s Augur

    Its more people by this time have made enough friends to where they log on they don't need to invite a random person or they started boxing or they have finished all their AAs and just raid log.
    SoandsoForumUser likes this.
  13. Morrigan Bowjobs

    Instead of 2 servers every year, with one usually being standard ruleset. They should just have a Classic-LDON server that after a certain time will wipe and reset to classic. At that point all current toons are dumped on to Agnarr with transfers available to any server at GoD or higher. These yearly TLPs just stretch the current further TLPs thinner and thinner each year.
  14. mark Augur

    one server his not enough they need 2 servers to spread the population, and they where going to make seasonable servers but everyone complained against it.
  15. asdfbot Lorekeeper


    I won't roll on any server that has reduced exp rate or a shortened time frame from classic to PoP. There are many threads discussed on the forums about exp rates / time to level etc. Ppl claim they can hit max lvl in 30 hours of play time which is not going to happen unless you go hard and have the best group comp with mages. So they are are launching a server just before memorial day with bonus exp. Most normal ppl will be having parties / hanging out with friends this weekend so they wont be able to take advantage of the bonus exp weekend. I am pretty sure the ruleset is in stone so once servers launch, ill peace out til next year and see if those TLPs are of interest to me.
  16. Nightmoon New Member

    It did get me thinking that Vaniki had promise if it had been thought through a bit better..

    GOD start means zerks and beastlords when the servers open, and it condenses lots of the long eras e.g. the dreaded omens to POR stretch.

    I think the server has alot of nice ideas and certainly raiding 10 levels behind the curve is a new set of challenges but, Looking at the release schedule... 10 weeks to 60 and the end of POR. Yes please.
    12 weeks for omens/don/dodh/por ok, plenty of time to catch your breath and gear up a bit as you're probably pretty much on group gear when omens opens.

    After that you're onto some pretty sweet content, but it looks to be about the same rate of content consumption as selos, roughly 4 weeks per expansion. Personally i think it's too fast, and it doesn't even have the selos bonus xp/unlocks, so alot of use being made of autogrant AA's to 'keep up'

    Ultimately i think Vaniki will hit a brick wall. The live game has a big power creep, and i don't think anyone will ever be able to kill a yard trash TOL at level 110 even if fully raid geared (assuming ring of scale level gear)

    I'm all for the accelerated start up to POR, but past that i would be more in favour of a more traditional 8/12 week release per expansion. so past POR i don't think it's unreasonable for 8 weeks per expansion and add the total together

    e.g.
    to 65 would be TSS+buried sea - 8 weeks per - so 16 weeks to next bump
    to 70 would be sof only so 8 weeks to next bump.
    to 75 would be seeds/underfoot 16 weeks.
    to 80 would be hot - 8 weeks
    to 85 would be alaris - 8 weeks
    to 90 would be rof/cotf 16 weeks
    to 95 would be DS, tbm, eok, ros - 24 weeks
    etc


    gives a nice mix of fast plus longer 'catch up' where there's more to content, but keep it reasonably short if only one expac involved. Bearing in mind raiding will be much harder 10 levels less, i think this is way more realistic.
    Chikkin and Skuz like this.
  17. Doranur_Aleguzzler Filthy Casualâ„¢

    It's probably way to late to alter the plan for this year, but perhaps next year they can designate one of the TLP servers to be a Classic start, and then after LDoN has been out X weeks, merge it with Agnarr. I don't think freezing progression and then waiting until the next year's merge cycle is going to keep people around at all. Who know, the merge to Agnarr may not keep most people around either. If the Vaniki ruleset is good enough to try out, this idea is a s well.
  18. TheAgenda Augur

  19. sojuu Augur

    UF is another one of those that is forgettable, and just frustrates people to not wanting to play any longer. They should combine UF/HoT. I mention the UF/HoT combine opposed to SoD/UF because no one really enjoys UF and it should just be forgotten lol.
  20. Timmyboi Dunning Kruger Award Winner

    Not sure I can get on board with this one. UF is a pretty cool xpac. The artwork is good, the content is engaging, there's the brell shawl and trying to do Grand Slam in era as well
    Skuz likes this.