Why do the servers feel so bad to play on right now?

[Razordoll]

like I'm not talking about lag or anything.

I've played the game off & on since launch but I haven't been around since the arcanist launched pretty much, but the servers always felt a lot more alive than they do atm. Like there were always people playing at a variety of levels, running content for folks. Be it slayers, or quest chains, or flagging for a raid, etc

I've recently returned & it just feels SO DEAD right now!

Like I'm not sure if it's my server (khyber) or if its because of the hardcore stuff they are cancelling, or if its because they need to do some server transfers, or what, but I feel like someone needs to do something, because :

a) the cost of transferring servers is WAY too expensive! - like seriously ***?! 2495pts PER CHARACTER? get outta here with that nonsense!

b) it feels bad to solo a game meant to be played in a group

c) it feels REALLY bad having to skip content, or be unable to even complete content, because said content is locked to needing a specific class & you ain't it! lol - like rogue for example. so many things you NEED a rogue for in this game, especially the older content. I'm glad to see at the newer stuff seems to be a bit better about that.

D) lastly, it's boring to log into a MMO & its just dead. No one is talking, no one is grouping, there are no interactions going on at all. everyone is just off in their own little solo worlds & it sucks.

Like I feel we could really do with some server merges, cause I can't imagine its only khyber feeling this issue & coming in as a fresh / returning player, this is just a HORRIBLE first impression to give on the game imo.

 

[Sympl]

Hardcore will be over on the 7th of February and then all your wayward players will be back on their home server.

 

[Lazuli]

It's a mix of things

Last year's free transfers did a lot of damage to the population of some servers.

There are people still busy in the HC.

There are people who have gotten tired and have left the game or are on a break due to lack of population, or due to nerfs.

The population has undoubtedly dropped on some servers. A lot.

 

[GrayJedi AntiProPaladin]

^^ Agreed

not gonna get into it too much, not much to add, but just to offer some perspectives:

right now it's the time when HardCore season is winding down, but at the beginning of the season the HardCore server is almost like a Server Merge where players from all the worlds can get together if They Want to and play on 1 world and it's very lively just as u described in D), lots of grouping (also significant periods of Lag at peak times), most people helping each other, paying it forward giving out useful items for free to guildies or party members, watching out for each other (for the most part), opening Quests for guildies etc. helping pull items from Chests, also everyone starts out as New characters

A) HardCore transfers are special in that because the Hardcore server world gets deleted after X months (usually 2ish months) so it's FREE to transfer Off of Hardcore to any other world

many people have made New Friendships during the Hardcore season and take advantage of the FREE transfer to the same world to continue playing together after hardcore

as it just so happens that the current timing is people are finishing up "hardcore"/"softcore"/"babycore", they've attained their Goals (so it's kinda slow there as well - compared to start of season, but also much less lag than start of season) and maybe taking a short break before picking back up in their regular home servers

oh yah, might be interesting to check out https://www.ddoaudit.com/ and poke around to see the population trends for how it looks by Server World

 

[Jummby]

It's a mix of things

Last year's free transfers did a lot of damage to the population of some servers.

There are people still busy in the HC.

There are people who have gotten tired and have left the game or are on a break due to lack of population, or due to nerfs.

The population has undoubtedly dropped on some servers. A lot.

The nerfs and constant exploration of ways to nerf more. Add to the xp cut on quests since SSG thought people leveling too fast. Whether people say I am leaving ddo or just leave, the response is the same: Good Luck and come check us in the future. Feels like as we lose people though, less people come back to check DDO out.

Servers desperately need to be consolidated. They won't do it though. It would be too much work to move whole guilds. Plus, people might buy server transfers that they make money on to look for more action. Even more money to make a guild from scratch if people make fresh guilds on other servers and buy 1000s of Astral shards to get a new guild going.

What a mess...

 

[Randomdude1223]

Khyber, from my experience, is not pug-friendly; there is a lot of private grouping. Compared to even servers with a lower population, Kyhber always seems to have a lower LFMS, which sucks because, like you said, server transfers are expensive, especially if you're moving multiple characters and not just one. Also, what Lazuli said is spot on.

 

[Sophie The Cat Burglar]

I recommend heading over to the Khyber forums and asking to join a large guild belonging to a guild alliance. That should connect you to a decent sized pool of active players. Ask the officer you speak with about channels and discord and stuff. If you end up in a dead guild, jump ship and try again.

Edit: Just saw your thread in the Khyber forums. Be patient. Give it a few days. Guilds need active players as badly as players need active guilds.

 

[ACJ97F]

Not sure why people are bailing at the speed of plaid, their sales plan was solid. Who wouldn't want decades of power creep, net-zero cap
increases, store-driven designs, paywall QOL, and random aimless "tweaks". Personally, stop-motion server speed when I'm fighting is like a
new combat challenge. Currently trying to beat a sewer rat in under 72 frames.

 

[Razordoll]

I recommend heading over to the Khyber forums and asking to join a large guild belonging to a guild alliance. That should connect you to a decent sized pool of active players. Ask the officer you speak with about channels and discord and stuff. If you end up in a dead guild, jump ship and try again.

Edit: Just saw your thread in the Khyber forums. Be patient. Give it a few days. Guilds need active players as badly as players need active guilds.

thanks sophie, I'll try to be patient hehe =)

 

[kmoustakas]

like I'm not talking about lag or anything.

I've played the game off & on since launch but I haven't been around since the arcanist launched pretty much, but the servers always felt a lot more alive than they do atm. Like there were always people playing at a variety of levels, running content for folks. Be it slayers, or quest chains, or flagging for a raid, etc

I've recently returned & it just feels SO DEAD right now!

Like I'm not sure if it's my server (khyber) or if its because of the hardcore stuff they are cancelling, or if its because they need to do some server transfers, or what, but I feel like someone needs to do something, because :

a) the cost of transferring servers is WAY too expensive! - like seriously ***?! 2495pts PER CHARACTER? get outta here with that nonsense!

b) it feels bad to solo a game meant to be played in a group

c) it feels REALLY bad having to skip content, or be unable to even complete content, because said content is locked to needing a specific class & you ain't it! lol - like rogue for example. so many things you NEED a rogue for in this game, especially the older content. I'm glad to see at the newer stuff seems to be a bit better about that.

D) lastly, it's boring to log into a MMO & its just dead. No one is talking, no one is grouping, there are no interactions going on at all. everyone is just off in their own little solo worlds & it sucks.

Like I feel we could really do with some server merges, cause I can't imagine its only khyber feeling this issue & coming in as a fresh / returning player, this is just a HORRIBLE first impression to give on the game imo.

Hardcore and new games

 

[DBZ]

Balance pass my servers dead now we aint waitin for it to hit

 

[Lazuli]

There is only one week left to finish the HC, so I doubt that the servers will gain much more population, honestly. Most people should be done with this season by now.

 

[Lazuli]

Khyber, from my experience, is not pug-friendly; there is a lot of private grouping. Compared to even servers with a lower population, Kyhber always seems to have a lower LFMS, which sucks because, like you said, server transfers are expensive, especially if you're moving multiple characters and not just one. Also, what Lazuli said is spot on.

Before free transfers, Khyber had many lfms in the cap. There were fewer to level up in heroics, but if you put one up, people would join. Now there is still activity at certain times, but at other times the server is functionally dead. It is very sad.

I agree with Jummby.

 

[somenewnoob]

Balance pass my servers dead now we aint waitin for it to hit

This is the answer for me. I haven't been on so havent seen if you've been on. A preemptive break.

If they do a 180 in the next preview I might log in, but kind of have enjoyed my free time! Like any addiction, the first few days are the roughest, then you sort of feel better.

 

[Nokowi]

If the game becomes a chore, people that continue playing will be highly selective in how they group. If the game is fun people will be much more willing to post pugs, join pugs, and otherwise participate with others. I remember logging in to reaper for the first time and was amazed at the much lower level of enthusiasm while running quests - players were in zombie mode skipping as much content as possible while accumulating reaper points. The solutions are complex - making the game fun to play (independent of rewards) and helping like-minded players group while not excluding players. DDO has always had a divide and further divide design process. It has focused on rewards and design is based on changing numbers to get people to choose things as viable options rather than design based on what would be fun to play.

 

[Falkor]

This is a Khyber thing. It's why I didn't stick around and took advantage of the great migration of '23.

As others have pointed out, alot of questing is happening behind the scene. Each server seems to have it's own vibe. In comparison to other servers, Khyber doesn't PUG. Super nice people, just not into PUGgin. Place feels like a ghosttown, even though it isn't.

Orien doesn't have issues with LFMs and PUGs.

 

[Sophie The Cat Burglar]

Guild leaders on Khyber should pay attention to this thread. Half the problem is attracting new players. The free quest coupon is currently doing some of that. The other half is integrating those new players into the social structure. That mostly means getting them into guilds.

Yeah. Khyber took a bit hit. The remaining guilds, the remaining players, the ones complaining that too many people left, should take a long, hard look at themselves and then take matters into their own hands. Scoop up new players. Get them into guilds, situated, and having fun. This is something the guild leaders and guild officers on Khyber can do right now.

This is an all hands on deck moment for remaining Khyber social leaders. They should talk to one another and develop a strategy for this. Who is willing to take new players making heroic go rounds? Who is training up and equipping new end game players? Who is running end game dailies? Who is helping people out on Korthos and in the Borderlands? Who is grabbing up people in specific time slots?

The next month is a real opportunity to rebuild with some fresh blood. Don't sit on your hands.

Khyber also desperately needs a server wide chat channel for everyone. I mean an in game chat channel for people who do not use other software.

Also, I really enjoy making a lot of work for people not me.

 

[Lazuli]

This is a Khyber thing. It's why I didn't stick around and took advantage of the great migration of '23.

As others have pointed out, alot of questing is happening behind the scene. Each server seems to have it's own vibe. In comparison to other servers, Khyber doesn't PUG. Super nice people, just not into PUGgin. Place feels like a ghosttown, even though it isn't.

Orien doesn't have issues with LFMs and PUGs.

No, I play in Khyber and this is not true. The server has changed A LOT since the free transfers. The population has dropped brutally, and not only in lfms.

If Orien had problems with the lfms, we would be on the verge of closing the game.

 

[Falkor]

Yea don't get me wrong, the people I met on Khyber are some of the most amazing I've met in the game. I originally moved to khyber to hang out with them.

It just felt horrid logging and and rarely seeing PUGs. Guild members were rarely available. I solo'd on that server more than any other, got frustrated, and abandoned my characters until the migration. It's a Khyber thing.

And that was before the massive server migration. Can't imagine how it feels now, probably even more empty.

Honestly OP, if I were in your shoes and hadn't put in much time to developing a character, I'd start over on Orien or one of the other populated servers.

Hey, it may not be feedback that one wants to hear ....

That is the full-truth of my experience on Khyber, before the server migration. And others are expressing similar struggles. It may not be your experience because you are long-established there and have the behind-the-scenes communications and network that us new-to-khyber people don't have.

Hear it, or not, as you wish. I'm just stating how I experienced it.

It's not true or false. It's subjective.

 

[saekee]

On top of this, SSG does not do much to encourage grouping. What are the incentives for a vet to group with people in leveling content? Drag a bunch of folks along while they zerg a quest? Outside of buddy bonuses, what are they? Let’s not forget the tedium of posting LFMs.

Disincentives to veterans hosting LFMs: 1) loss of xp pot on timer while people stumble about; 2) mistakes other players make when running a quest, resulting in compensatory actions and the rez-scroll pile shrinking; 3) waiting for people for all sorts of reasons (and this is not just about xp pots; we are all on a timer when we play, time is finite); 4) Not being able to bail since others are involved (a courtesy issue); and more.

None of those four examples are issues for me, save for the last due to some RL circumstances. Just saying that they are obstacles and every vet posting an LFM to lead people around is acting kindly and without compensation. I post LFMs and join them because I like social interactions.

Now, what could SSG do to transform the social environment, especially around grouping? Well we have posted a LOT of incentives here: 1) Autoshare quests to new members 2) teleport them to quest entrance or something similar 3) give the toon with a star some perk like a loot bonus or xp bonus 4) permanent buddy boost, however small 5) and so many more (please not that quad boxers will benefit from this but hey, I am ok—that is not some massive horrible exploit but something permitted in game anyway).