An Observation

[Barsook]

I'm starting to think that the meta of going from hanging about in the watering holes to hanging out in clanned areas and/or the wideness exists at all from after hearing (and agreeing), on Discord, that other experienced empty o near empty taverns like ten years ago and maybe even earlier than that. And I don't think this topic is related to What would entice you to play more in the cities? (nice timing Halaster). The reason why I think it's been like this is the multiplying element of losing players due to various reasons. Less players mean a smaller pool to draw from. Smaller pool means pockets of player characters in each area.

Or maybe there is too many ways to dilute the already thin player-base?

I want to hear other's thoughts on this and see if my logic is even correct.

Just my two sids here.

[creeper386]

I don't think it's necessarily small player base, although that doesn't help. We've had decent peak hours then times I've played before that peak would be 20-30 players. And there are still less people in taverns then their used to be. And I'm thinking pre-Tuluk closure.

Personally I like giving players options, but it seems like we have way more potential places to play now then about ever before, and that does not help anything. Tuluk re-opening, various desert clans, etc etc etc. It makes it so anymore wilderness players have even less reason to go to either big city or even to Luir's.

I feel like some of this leads to more players on, but that perhaps it grew too big too quickly ....

[Kavrick]

I mean, it seems kinda obvious. Low player numbers spread between multiple bars in a single city, clan based, wildness and tribes on top of that. Not much butter across a massive piece of bread.

[Barsook]

Personally I like giving players options, but it seems like we have way more potential places to play now then about ever before, and that does not help anything. Tuluk re-opening, various desert clans, etc etc etc. It makes it so anymore wilderness players have even less reason to go to either big city or even to Luir's.

I feel like some of this leads to more players on, but that perhaps it grew too big too quickly ....

I do too but I'm wondering if opening too many things at once is what is harming us. Not to mention certain things/people killing it for others.

[Mellifera]

Tavern activity has probably reduced a little with the opening of more clans and cities, but I still think that decision has had a net positive influence on the game. It also must be insanely frustrating for staff to hear players demanding these options for years on end to then be met with 'Hmm, perhaps opening these clans and cities was a BAD idea after all'.

No hate, though, I understand that isn't necessarily the point being made, that's just my two cents on a related thing too.

[Tuannon]

The Tuluki military I haven't had a good read on since before it closed and it suffered from the issue with the Atrium below (power hogging). The Arm fluctuates between believably present, oppressively competent or completely irrelevant based on middle management alone. But a bunch of other clans rely on the Arm to be so so just to be relevant, of particular note in this respect is the Guild who seem to have the same cycle as the Arm just in reverse.

The Academy has no value, still.. And probably will never do anything that another clan can't do better with better representation and relevance.

The Atrium is more useful and does more or less the same thing however with the hivemind always wanting to 'take things over' instead of letting them run and trying to grass roots influence things rather than  dominate every plotline that happens the Atrium becomes a Lord of the Flies style conch passing exercise rather than a delicate or indelicate balance of power whose leadership are influenced mercurially by whatever noble has clout right now, but still enough independence to function without their say so.

The Indy smallclans are great and all, but are they really bringing anything to the game?

[Barsook]

I have another. I noticed that in the last few years, if something bad happens, many seem want to stop playing and the player count drops at peak. Is it me or did that not happen like 10-15 years ago?

[mansa]

I have another. I noticed that in the last few years, if something bad happens, many seem want to stop playing and the player count drops at peak. Is it me or did that not happen like 10-15 years ago?

It is not unusual.  In fact, I would say that every time that a player has had their character die, it's a 5% chance that they won't return.

[Pariah]

I have another. I noticed that in the last few years, if something bad happens, many seem want to stop playing and the player count drops at peak. Is it me or did that not happen like 10-15 years ago?

It is not unusual.  In fact, I would say that every time that a player has had their character die, it's a 5% chance that they won't return.

Compounded by the fact that sometimes it's just dumb horrible luck your homie dies.

I've died to disconnects, then get the "sorry your homie died" email.

I've died to horrible RNGs, where something that has a very small chance of happening, happens, then another thing and it cascades to, BEEP.

Some of those are hard and I remember back to my earlier days I would rage assuming that it was staff originated till I learned that sometimes shit just happens and you die.

As others have said in other threads, it can sometimes not even be a "I'm mad" "I'm sad" thing, it can sometimes be like, "Shit do I really wanna grind someone up again?  Go through getting beat up by Chalton and Scrabs again for X days?"

This game is a massive time investment and it's sometimes hard to get back into the swing of things.

[HammerofJericho]

I generally try to swap between grind needed vs grind not needed characters and that saves my sanity. I mainly feel that way only when something ridiculous has happened.

Poor rp leading up to a pk or some sort of big event is what peeves me as examples.

The grind is a thing but why does it matter so much? You only need to be "so" good to be a decent hunter.  Or a skilled enough thief. Or a competent crafter. Maybe people need to be more okay with just being competent?

I remember the old classes and how much longer that grind was.  Today you can actually kill screen out of the gates of chargen. Back then you needed high stats and to be a warrior to do so.