New Hardcore league server gonna lower other server populations even worse?

[count_spicoli]

With new server are the other servers vip players going to be pilfered off all the other servers? Populations are already low across all servers and this will make it evern worse. Im premium and buy everything in game and still probably spend more than if I were vip but I wont be allowed to use the new server. Instead I will be stuck with an empty server on Khyber. If they had merged servers long ago like has been requested many times I don't think this would be a big deal but with the already spread thin servers finding groups is gonna be beyond brutal. Heck it can be brutal now.

Or maybe this is a way for them to get all the majority of players to go to one server and close the others? I don't know but if they don't merge servers I think this is a bad idea.

[Nickodeamous]

I was pondering the same thing. Personally, I may try it, but I'll be back on my main quickly. I don't want to waste time on a new toon when I have uber hours invested in my main. I really hope this does not create even more divide with the server pop. LFMs are scarce as it is (unless its a daily, which we know is getting nerfed). Just my take. Others may say its good.

Nico

[Cantor]

I think a lot of people going are going in groups that already play together. It will influence server pops, but probably not LFMs.

[MistaMagic]

With new server are the other servers vip players going to be pilfered off all the other servers? Populations are already low across all servers and this will make it evern worse. Im premium and buy everything in game and still probably spend more than if I were vip but I wont be allowed to use the new server. Instead I will be stuck with an empty server on Khyber. If they had merged servers long ago like has been requested many times I don't think this would be a big deal but with the already spread thin servers finding groups is gonna be beyond brutal. Heck it can be brutal now.

Or maybe this is a way for them to get all the majority of players to go to one server and close the others? I don't know but if they don't merge servers I think this is a bad idea.

No one I have spoken to on Khyber is going

[awar1234]

Day one hard core server.....1000 vip show up.
Two hours later half die because they forgot how to play brand new toon with no power creep.

Day two... down to 400 toons alive...

Day five .... only 100 left alive.. regular server population almost back to normal

All other vip back on regular servers with new appreciation for the new guys trying the game.... “Hey newbie, need some help?! I now remember how hard this game is for a first lifer. Here is 1,000,000 plat. And let’s farm some gear for your gimp toon .... follow me I will help you!”

[Cordovan]

One of the main reasons we are operating the Hardcore League as a 90-day event is to make sure we preserve the game experience for players on the non-Hardcore servers. If this limited time event ends up having overly negative consequences without corresponding benefit, we'll be considering what the best course of action is.

[Kaboom2112]

I would be shocked if the hardcore server pulls enough people away to notice.

[Potatofasf]

Day one hard core server.....1000 vip show up.
Two hours later half die because they forgot how to play brand new toon with no power creep.

Day two... down to 400 toons alive...

Day five .... only 100 left alive.. regular server population almost back to normal

All other vip back on regular servers with new appreciation for the new guys trying the game.... “Hey newbie, need some help?! I now remember how hard this game is for a first lifer. Here is 1,000,000 plat. And let’s farm some gear for your gimp toon .... follow me I will help you!”

Most likely to happen, but some players will clingy to the Hardcore server just to not give in that the gap will be wider between the community.

[SpartanKiller13]

With new server are the other servers vip players going to be pilfered off all the other servers?

As a VIP, I might go over for a month or two to aim for a cosmetic/pet/other reward if it looks cool. I'll still be active on my main server (Cannith) and I'll certainly return before the 90 days end. Otherwise I'm not interested in leaderboards etc (and don't have enough gaming time to waste on that lol) so why bother?

[Talon_Dragonsbane]

I think all Season's Pass holders will log on. Even if it's just for the daily gold rolls and then transfer back to main server for free with all the goodies accumulated in the 90 days.

[Memnir]

I doubt there will be a huge impact, overall.

[AbyssalMage]

With new server are the other servers vip players going to be pilfered off all the other servers?

I definitely think the first weekend will see an unflux of new players to the server while conversely a slight decrease to all of the "SoftCore" servers. Those who truly want challenge will stay while those who simple want easy XP will return to their "main" server. Then once people start dying around level 10'ish you will see another exodus from the "Hardcore" server.

After all, it is one thing to die with a couple hours work into a character. It is another when you have a week.

Populations are already low across all servers and this will make it evern worse.

So you will see a slight decrease for a weekend. On my server, I play when seeing more than 3 LFG's is a good night. Honestly it isn't going to effect you unless you are determined to only while while grouped (I know people who are).

Im premium and buy everything in game and still probably spend more than if I were vip but I wont be allowed to use the new server.

I'm premium too. I may fork some money over (which is their goal) if they do this correctly. You can do the same or you can complain.

Instead I will be stuck with an empty server on Khyber. If they had merged servers long ago like has been requested many times I don't think this would be a big deal but with the already spread thin servers finding groups is gonna be beyond brutal. Heck it can be brutal now.

Played on Khyber. It's actually populated when I normally play but I have more hours on a different server. I suspect you are not switching because Khyber is "your home." You want the server merge because you don't want to make the choice to switch? I personally don't switch because my server is "my home" too. I've learned to play in the low population and enjoy the weekend when it is larger.

Or maybe this is a way for them to get all the majority of players to go to one server and close the others? I don't know but if they don't merge servers I think this is a bad idea.

I think you really underestimate the anger induced "Lag Monster" or the "Trap's of doom" in lower level content when you are on a first life character with no gear. So because this is a different thread...
Acid Trap/Tunnel in WW
Flame Jets in Shan-To-Kor
Flame Jets I forgot about in Purge the Heretics
Respawning Mobs of #377 in Necro II
Your Shield Spell wore off in RL
The Druegar dispelled your DW in the Mines.
You are helpless in Dirty Water of disease in Necro III

I'm sure we can create a list of adventures that are just brutal on a 1st life/no gear toon. And once you are dead, that toon gets moved. There is no "reset" which is how DnD was played in the 80's. Yeah, I think a sizable portion of the community is forgetting about these things.

[Bjond]

With new server are the other servers vip players going to be pilfered off all the other servers? [...] I think this is a bad idea.

I wouldn't worry. This is literally the first I've heard of it. I haven't seen a reduction in players at all. And, perma-death play isn't for strong players, it's for the risk averse because it rewards cowardly play. I've tried it in other games and it's boring as hell. You can't get anyone to do anything fun. Imagine being unable to convince anyone in DDO to do difficulties higher than Casual. I can't believe any developer would be so naive as to think it would sell.

The kind of game where it works are those where the play is fun by itself without the progress hook. There are MMOs that have play that's almost fun enough to stand alone without progress, but this definitely is not one of them.

[Drecas]

It might be a one time thing only, thus providing unique rewards, never to be offered again. I'm not even a VIP anymore, and swore to never be one again, and even I'm interested in potentially trying this out. It will have an impact.

You get a fancy reward for hitting level 20, but nowhere does it say you have to get there by questing.
I already have a wilderness hunter character, well on his way to 20, without ever having run a single quest.
I'd definitely go that way again, if I was playing a hardcore character.

[Bjond]

You get a fancy reward for hitting level 20

If that were true, I'd consider it, too, but it has to be real and substantial; eg. maximum tome+X (for whatever the X of the day is or becomes in the future), maximum inventory, max character bank, or a racial tome +12 for all characters on the account. Something huge that would benefit my current set of characters. There's literally nothing offered right now -- just cosmetic junk and a transfer off when done.

That free-transfer is something that might entice some. If you intend to make a new character, you might as well make it on the PD server and move it when done. I've got more than I really want to play right now, so that's meaningless to me.

I brought up the PD server concept a couple times in chat (guild and friends). The universal response was laughter. I have no doubt a few people will be interested, but making a server for 3 people doesn't sound like a good way to spend resources when there are such monstrous bugs in game as 5 minute lag lockouts that regularly wipe entire raids.

[slarden]

I am guessing the trend will be a large # of people focus on the hardcore server for a while and then move back to their main server to start etrs.

I would like to get 20 reaper points, 1750 favor and level 20. Not sure I will bother with the 5000 favor goal. Once I get 20 reaper points I am back to my main server.... or if I get frustrated by lag death etc. I might just call it and go back to my main server. I have no interest in the leader board.

After 30 days I suspect your main server activity will look fairly typical again.

[Rivet]

I personally know a few people returning *just* to play this mode. If the word gets out there i'm sure there will be plenty of old faces you know popping back in too. No doubt some new faces here too. In my experience, fun noncommittal modes like this usually tend to generate quite a bit of hype. My advice is to just go with the flow and try to have some fun with it. My biggest hope is i'll get to play DDO in a full party of somewhat equal power level that isn't on a mad tear just to get someones body to the completion objective for best xp/min. It's not that zerging isn't fun too in its own way but this is going to be a breath of fresh air to how the game is run.

[SerPounce]

I hope none of the people complaining about lower pops from the hardcore server are the same people who have rallied against mergers because they might lose their names or other trivialities. If populations are too low we should combine the servers that are running the exact same game, not try to kill the one that is doing something different.

[HungarianRhapsody]

I hope none of the people complaining about lower pops from the hardcore server are the same people who have rallied against mergers because they might lose their names or other trivialities. If populations are too low we should combine the servers that are running the exact same game, not try to kill the one that is doing something different.

Every time I see a server merge come up, the arguments against it aren't "I'll lose my name/guild". The arguments against it are "Turbine has said that server merges are an incredible amount of work and super risky and there's a huge number of things that can go wrong, so let's not crash everything in DDO because that would be Bad(tm)."

I'd love to see a successful server merge. I don't want SSG to merge the servers because I don't think it would be successful.

[QuantumFX]