To answer the posters question, i look for the following things.
1) easy leveling; at any rates over 10/10/- it really does not take more then a day to max yourself (99/70). Things like multi level caps and other mechanics of artificially restricting leveling are just silly, if you do not want people to crash level, then make a low rate.
2) multi clienting ; While the asura campers annoy everyone, RO was built with a Rock paper scissors element system. Classes without inbuilt elements NEED element buffs to level and equip smoothly. The first thing i make on any server is a second client with a sage, its just common sense, my LK or SinX is going to need those loaders sooner or later. IF you are going to insist on restricting multi clients, include a buff NPC that can cast the sage loaders.
3) LOTS of item quests; Nothing irritates me more then seeing a bazillion really great hats or items vending and being told they only come from donation, or worse some PvP thingy. Most MMO players are not that into PvP, infact almost no players i know IRL like PvP, and several have stopped playing MMO's because of how much PvP is starting to dominate the genre. All of the major fighting, arguements, and garbage that is killing RO right now all seem PvP related, especially as you go up the rates. The more i can get out of PvM, the better.
4) A well put together web page. If you are doing customs (and don't expect me to show up if you are not) POST THEM so people know what they are. I do not want to have to run around in game asking where this hat was gotten or why that weapon suddenly does something else now.
I am going to be very blunt now, PvP is killing RO and nearly every other MMO. The more PvP, the faster they die. While on the staff of Lumina i watched half a dozen "PvP" midrates come and go, most in the blink of an eye. Many where characterized by horrific forum fights over this or that mechanic before the admin shut them down. More over, many, many people refuse to play MMO's at all because of these issues, the hissing spiting viciousness that PvP has come to embody. The exodus of players is a problem over nearly all MMO's, it is articulate here because we have so many servers to observe it on, and a central hub to comment about it.
I do not think that P servers are going away, anyone who has ever tried to get a technical issue addressed on a main server will tell you why. companies are even more greedy then P admins, and i have played many a game where the concept of in game support was non existent. If there is one thing P servers have going for them it is this, the idea that the staff is active in game and on forums, and there most if not all of the time.
That said, i do not think RO is going away either, it is one of the few games where base attack is still a viable leveling strategy. Most games have gone over to "skill masher" type setups, where you have to press buttons till your wrist hurts to get anywhere. The idea of maintaining your buffs and clicking on the monster seems to be disappearing, and RO will continue to be popular so long as this stays a solid part of the game.
for context this was posted in 2007... four years later, we seem to be still here 462 servers floating around.
