With Live XP rates, that’s 15, maybe 14 weeks at level cap? There’s not nearly enough to do at cap to warrant such a long time. This also isn’t even taking how fast populations drop per week and how much they rebound after each new expansion releases, it would be far better for the longevity the server to have a significantly shorter turnaround on new expansions - like 10-12 weeks, with 5-6 weeks for the small expansions (DoF, DoV1, AoD, DoV2).
Yeah this is pretty disappointing. I guess I will just sub for 1 month at start of each expansion (up to Kunark). My best guess is they are trying to milk it for 2 years and that is why the slow rollout.
Why the faster XP rates then? Wouldn't it turn more profits if they kept in the need to buy XP potions? I feel like the real reason they stretch out the expacs is to give them more time to simultaneously manage Live servers alongside TLE, since with TLE they rarely have to do any management until a new expac comes around and people ask for itemization and encounter changes. Doesn't seem to work, but that's what I believe the intent is. Live servers are always prioritized for developer resources, hence why DoV got stretched out to 8 months on Kaladim and effectively killed the remaining population.
I appreciate the slow rollout: single working parent with kid, also taking care of elder fam, so I get left behind in the dust. It's nice to have people to team with, besides the wild bunnies hopping across the landscapes. *ducks*
I agree, the 16 weeks is not really the issue here. It's the combination of 16 weeks + live XP. Most of the zones will be a ghost town like live after 2 weeks.
You understand Live XP is only 30% faster than Kaladim? If 1-50 took 9 hours on Kaladim, it's now 6 hours on Varsoon. I don't see how that changes anything. Other than when people leave the server, making alts will be less of a chore.
Live XP rates don't matter. Slow XP does not increase retention. It could take you 6, 60, or 600 hours to hit cap - the fact is these servers lose half their population roughly every 4 weeks no matter what the XP rate is. However, they gain a good bit back with each expansion until the "bad" one kills the server - in EQ2's case, the tragedy of the DoV debacle. Do we really need a fourth month where the server is as empty as Live? Is it really worth an extra 4-8 weeks of an all but empty server just so that one person who plays 2 hours a week max can get their 8th alt to 50? Or can we just do what's right for the vast, vast majority who will be 50 within the first two weeks and keep the server alive, moving, and, most important for Daybreak, profitable?
I think you missed the point of the original poster. It's not about the xp rate. It's about the length of time between expansions opening. There is way too much time between each expansion opening on Varsoon to keep a healthy populace on the server. Both original content and Desert of Flames expansion content aren't really the highlight of EQ2's past. Echoes of Faydwer and Rise of Kunark is where its at, and with the unlock rate of expansions as it stands right now, there won't be a large populace left on the server to enjoy those two expansions when they finally open up on Varsoon.
I agree 4 months of T5, 3 months of DoF and even 4 months of KoS is too long. But Kaladim had roughly 4 months of each xpac until that 8 month slump at the end and retained more players longer than previous TLEs had. I think a very small part of that was do to the convenience of faster leveling.
maybe I am wrong, but I think we are saying the same thing. The long times between xpac openings is the bigger issue here.
Yes we agree faster releases would be good regardless of leveling speed, especially for vanilla and DoF.
Everyone has their preferences, but overall I think the community is mostly aligned on xpac length. Personally, I like 4 months of Shattered Lands. I think the big detriment that made many people unhappy was the fact that almost all original T5 loot was level 40 on Kaladim, and the fact that content was very easy. I think addressing the itemization for those level 40 items that should be level 50, and increasing the difficulty of heroic and raid content will really make Shattered Lands overall more enjoyable. I know for myself that I like to level up a lot of alts, tradeskill, do key quests on them, gear them out, etc. 4 months in Shattered Lands with engaging content and good itemization would go far in making that a great experience. DoF though? That should be 8 weeks. Then KoS should be 12 weeks.
I’m good with the release schedule. Isn’t it more or less status quo compared to prior TLEs? And every time people complain. And every time they come back I get it – ‘it’s different this time, LIVE exp rates!’. Meh. I enjoy the 4-month release schedule. As much as I love to play, I just can’t commit 8 hours a day. I work full time, kids, home projects, go to the gym, chase the ladies, yada yada. A four-to-eight-week release schedule that some are suggesting would just be too fast for me. Well, I’m guessing Daybreak has it figured out since it doesn’t seem they’ve changed the recipe much since the first TLE. I’ll let them do their job and just be happy to be able to enjoy the nostalgia the game brings.
[quote="Tominator, post: 6691275, member: 725662"]sn’t it more or less status quo compared to prior TLEs?[/quote] Stormhold was player vote and Fallen Gate was 3 months. Kaladim and now Varsoon are 4 monthers. I think that most people would prefer a 3 month (2 month DoF) release schedule, but that's hard to parse.
Overall, I think a 3 month schedule with 2 months for DoF is a good compromise for releases. If tuning is really good and itemization is fixed for T5 items, I could see a 4 month Shattered Lands (to give time for leveling alts and completing all the HQs/prismatic etc) and 3 months for everything after DoF but that's probably a minority opinion.
I'm personally of the same opinion as you, but Kaladim maintained their healthiest server population that they've had for TLEs so I think they're planning to keep the 4 month releases based on that. Who knows why they make any of the decisions they do though? The devs aren't exactly forthcoming when it comes to explaining *why* something is the way it is.
I joined Kaladim in KoS and thank god. If i had joined at launch i woulda been gone much sooner. anyway I left before kunark which is sad bc thats one of the best xpacs. Anyway Id made several alts and lvld them all and was trying hard to enjoy being stuck in one xpac forever. I intended to return but went to another game and never made it back to kunark. Sub was cancelled well before that release. Maybe ppl who want slow releases think they wont have anyone to play with but thats not true. even tho i joined the server late i always had groups even in low lvl dungeons because everyone was lvling alts. anyway i hope they will adjust the release schedual. Id be more okay with live xp rates if they would roll out the xpacs at 2-3 months. If they did ppl might actually stay longer.........
