Hmm. I was wondering. My server has existed for pretty much three years (or more? Its been a long time), yet it has never gone above an average of 10 people online. Surely, there must be something I am doing wrong! :B
I know one of the biggest battles for any new server is to get some sort of initial base population that will make new-people stick around (most people don't want to play in an empty server). How do you accomplish this anyway? I've had the server up in a few top 100/200/500/etc RO server listings, and the few people who stick around seem to encourage friends to stick around. But what more can I do?
I've discussed with others the creation of a banner for the server, but some doubt it would help that much.
I don't think GMs would help much as some of the players that stick around do help the new people (some have been around long enough to have a lot of junk to give away for free from their storages to new people), and others do have characters which they can use to help new people (however, these people also have a life and can't be expected to be online all the time!)
Is there anything else that can be recommended? I'd be easier if I had a few dozen friends to invite over to play, but it seems all of my friends are already busy :B
As someone else in MouRO's forums said... is not like we are trying to aim at hundreds of users, just a small base that would make it easier to find a party when you feel like hopping online to play (even an average of 10~20 would be awesome). But what is the secret to getting this initial population?
Initially the server I play on and help staff right now, was filled with players - enough to warrant people playing. This all died however after some.. not so good decisions by a "third party" <-- Yes.. thats what we will refer to him as.
So I can't really help you with the initial population, but we have had to rebuild for a couple months, and will have to again soon *sigh*. So its kind of the same thing. For us, I guess it is a little easier since we have been around for a while and the name is somewhat known.. for all the wrong reasons mind you, but its still known.
For the most part, its word of mouth that gets people to pay - kind of like a pyramid scheme. Although if you have a small player base like you state you have - this can be somewhat difficult. Its the same with TOP 100/200 lists, if you can only bring in 10 votes a day, its not that much and you will get easily buried :(.
If you are the same skotlex from eA (Which, from the way you present yourself, I think you are ;) - sorry for jumping to conclusions :P) maybe you should try advertising abit around there. You know yourself there is umpteen thousand threads for that kind of thing - and I guess thats a good place to start, even though most of the people on the eA forums aren't there to play =\.
Once people start coming (even if it is the extra 10-20 people you would like) , the friendliness of the community will do the rest and your pyramid will build itself.
Oh and just because you don't have players, doesn't mean its your fault :D
as i said before, midrates do seem to be unpopular. They just dont seem to get the interest that LR and HR do. also when you have a small population you get the reverse snowball effect ( player comes on, realises servers empty, leaves = low population etc etc) whereas when u start getting alot of players people stay because of that. All i do is go on every voting site i can find and on RMS and get a steady stream of new players. but then again my server is a 99/70 and people like that. I wish you all the best skot. after all the effort you put into eA and your server, you deserve it :P
lawl and point is,a server ran by skotlex is probably,techniqualy and staff wise ...the best lawl?
Quote from: Transcend on Jun 29, 2007, 09:50 AM
lawl and point is,a server ran by skotlex is probably,techniqualy and staff wise ...the best lawl?
Best is a subjective term. I have my own idea of how I'd like a MMORPG to be, MouRO has evolved over the years to approach that idea. It is highly different, so it isn't just "RO". The people who stick do so because they actually have fun with all the changes, but I am pretty sure there may be people who don't like it because of the exact reasons others like it: because it's too different.
Advertising in the eA boards is not allowed :B I was thinking that just getting a banner that catches your attention, and have all the current 'loyal' users wear it while they go around in different internet boards could help. And I need to get back into working on eA, but my svn access is still broken and the svn maintainer can't fix it >.<;
Give me some info,i can make you a captivating banner ,youl just have to embeded it with a link.
Quote from: Skotlex on Jun 29, 2007, 11:58 AM
Advertising in the eA boards is not allowed :B I was thinking that just getting a banner that catches your attention, and have all the current 'loyal' users wear it while they go around in different internet boards could help. And I need to get back into working on eA, but my svn access is still broken and the svn maintainer can't fix it >.<;
:o I could have sworn those umpteen thousands threads were for advertising o.o.
or is it just for those countries listed =o.. Anywho - I don't think you wanna pay for that little measly ad space they will give you =\
wow you are the eA Skotlex, i used see your name everywhere in the eA changelog so i admire you in a way xD
This is an interesting topic, but since my server failed i can't help much.
Well first thing would be friends, and friends' friends etc word of mouth like the guy said. Your server has been around for 3 years i think you have been done with it ... and then once there are constant average ppl on ppl will not come and go because it's not an empty server anymore.
But that doesn't answer your question ... the plan is to get bunch of ppl to ur server instead of just 1 or 2 at a time. I have seen ... well not recommend doing this the ugly way ... but there are always server going down maybe getting players from "to be down" server is another way. If you can do it nicely, such as private messaging the owner of the "to be down" server asking if they can recommend the players to ur server or get permission for advertise before opening a topic in their forum ...
The problem is there are too many servers these days, i see a trend nowaday that ppl dont play on one server. They spread their "investment" so when one server goes down they play the other. Maybe due to the fact that servers go down/dead too often and ppl are scared.
The "third party" effect ... i think you mean a lot of time a whole guild leaves a server because they got owned in woe or they feel they were treated unfairly and if you have a small population it hurts the growth a lot.
ok what i am saying ... i dont know ... this is a hard problem...
that s why i said that a server ran by him would be very well made
also even you Yc ,second hope was not succesfull because of it s bad timing (euph comming back) but HopeRO was nice to play on :)
but i get that,get a bunch of players
Means do it with the ugly way.will start doing that tomorow lol ;p
@skotlex tell them who you are lol?!!
Ah seriously,RO stopped being fun since eAO :(
atractic players is hard specially with few boards to advertise and the high competition between servers, specially because ragnarok dont have a bunch of new players joining servers but mostly people jumping from server to server.
i may try to play there tho, need a place to play for a bit in my server all know my legits xD (no privacy)
p.s.
I should add, a nice website always catch players attention, usually (not always) but in good aprt something that gives newcomers a good/bad impression of your server.
P.S.2.
*mad fan scream* omg is Skotlex waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!! :o *fades*
Uh-ohs..
I think I stepped in it when I asked if it was him, I never thought that Skotlex probably came here to be treated as a normal person and wanted to get away from eA kiddies being all over him.
Skotlex, I'm sorry if I've let the cat out of the bag, so to speak :-[
offtopic:
we aren't eA kiddies dont be scared lol ...
and hey! who are you that know the name of my failed server T_T nop i didnt regret it the 2nd time, i rarely get involved in the 2nd run, was too busy/lazy, riot did most and he got sick and tired of it so it was my fault maybe but i wont admit it anyway ... running a server takes a lot of time and money i dont understand why ppl keep jumping in to the bandwagon when i can't wait to get off it.
on topic:
maybe we need to expand the RO community in order to get new blood, gravity need to do more advertising really, the world wide kind. Maybe if they advertise RO2 well and cheap ppl that don't want to pay will come to us to play RO1 lol
It's not completely one way out and no one in, there are friends that drag friends never played official server to play RO, so there are still new ppl coming in .. just too little compare to the amount of servers out there.
yeah i often meet players that have never played before, and its usually word of mouth, friends etc, that got them to play.
Humm,I am one who has assisted to the ragnarok history :)
you could always advertise on newgrounds.com for 650USD a day.
Quote from: aquameep on Jul 01, 2007, 02:07 PM
you could always advertise on newgrounds.com for 650USD a day.
.........
650? not 65 ? not 6? not 0.6cent a day?
Man.. I've been busy :o I almost forgot about this thread. It has certainly gotten a bit of attention. Let's see...
@Transcend: It'd be nice if you could help with a quick banner so I can use something until the day comes when I (or some one else) has more time to complete a full banner :o Hmm, it shouldn't have a lot of info. Maybe just the mission statement of the server? Well, in short form. It should focus in these few points:
- It is party oriented.
- It is meant for casual players.
- It is highly customized, a battle experience very different from your usual RO.
One of the best appraisals I got from a new player was "yeah after a few days here I don't think I can ever play another RO server again XD", well, that's what I call a possitive reaction. :B MouRO is different enough from most servers that you should give it a try if you want to experience something different. That's more or less the gist of the message.
Now... enough with the propaganda, let's see what else did I miss in the replies.
@Pow: The eathena boards abolished the advertising sections some months ago. You can buy ad space up there to support the hosting, but that's it. I don't really feel like spending money on advertising...
@yC: Yeah I get ya. Many truths in there. One of my friends was trying the "advertise it on a server that is dying!" concept. I don't think it went too well :B but it's not a bad idea, since players will be looking where to go next. As long as it doesn't comes out as a vulture's plan... and yeah, I agree there's too many servers. So hard for players to actually find something suitable for them :x
@Transcend (again? :B) What's eAO? To me RO's decline began with the introduction of Advanced classes. That was.. a new focus.. away from balance... and into grind and power-play (making you level twice all the way to the max level, to get skills which are just too powerful to pass up on? This reeks of grinding and appealing to the hardcore player :< )
@Akira: I miss being able to go incognito. I do have 17 characters in MouRO, and a lot of people don't know one third of them,but since the population is so low, it doesn't take long before they find out :B I miss the days when I could wander in a server with complete anonymity and being just "another player" and people not having a clue who I was :B
@Pow: I've never had a problem handling "eA kiddies". My sig in the eA boards says I have no time to do support, and I honor that. So if people don't come to talk to me about something important, I usually have to shrug them off. XP If I didn't want people to figure out who I was I would use a different name in here... I use different identities online to split up roles, who does not? Plus Akira joined my server some time ago to pass some time. We had a blast leveling.
@the later posts: There will always be new people to play RO. It is not like the gaming population never changes. The problem is getting people interested in RO instead of another mmorpg out there (there's so many of those). I like RO because it has 2D sprites for main character graphics, that gives it a different appeal from all other 3D MMORPGs out there, and I think that will help it in the long run as new MMORPGs come out. But if they ever make a good 3D MMORPG with good cell-shading graphics (ala Dark Chronicle), well, I would then say RO has been beated out of it's own niche :B But until then, I can see RO servers having a nice, if maybe niche, future. But there are still TOO MANY servers for what should be a niche market :<
eAOS eathena official RO D:
Since eAOS came to existance, or since it shut down? O_O I remember the eAOS "official eA" server and the bad critique it received, but I never linked that to "RO stopped being fun after that". Could be because I never played there; but if we are going to use "RO stopped being fun after X server" I am sure we all have our fond memories of which was the server at which we had the best time... before things got so.. stale with so many servers going up and down the whole time :<
Quote from: Skotlex on Jul 03, 2007, 12:37 AM
@Pow: The eathena boards abolished the advertising sections some months ago. You can buy ad space up there to support the hosting, but that's it. I don't really feel like spending money on advertising...
All your work for...NOTHING! Those BASTARDS! ;)
Admittedly, you making this topic managed to at least catch someone's eye.
I'm... well, I'm not entirely sure how I stand on it. But I think I'll stop by and give it a try and see how it goes. The only problem...
"designed to make partying extremely desirable." as you put it on the site... is... well... not good on a server that "rarely has more than 10 people" like I think you said earlier o-o; especially since I'm the kind of person who prefers to play alone on an MMORPG [Isn't that a contradiction in terms?]. Still though... I think I'll give it a try. I've been recently looking for a server with about x10 rates and nice and high item drop rates (No more getting punked for being a Gunslinger - hopefully).
EDIT: Or so I thought I'd try. The truth is that, like you sort of know, a lot of your changes are ones that make people kind of iffy - and as a general rule, if it's something that you're really "iffy" about, you're going to not want to have to go through a whole lot of hassle to get it going (This is basic psychology, and hell, common sense). I don't terribly want to spend forever grabbing and getting more files than I need, especially if most of them are going to be unimportant in the long run...
It sounds sort of stupid and a bit like "Oh comeon you wimp," but let's face it. If the instructions are as simple as
1. Download Client
2. Play
it's gonna scare less people away o-o
Quote from: Garlyle on Jul 08, 2007, 01:49 PM
EDIT: Or so I thought I'd try. The truth is that, like you sort of know, a lot of your changes are ones that make people kind of iffy - and as a general rule, if it's something that you're really "iffy" about, you're going to not want to have to go through a whole lot of hassle to get it going (This is basic psychology, and hell, common sense). I don't terribly want to spend forever grabbing and getting more files than I need, especially if most of them are going to be unimportant in the long run...
It sounds sort of stupid and a bit like "Oh comeon you wimp," but let's face it. If the instructions are as simple as
1. Download Client
2. Play
it's gonna scare less people away o-o
Setting up MouRo has 3 steps.
1. Download Client
2. Download Two .grf files
3. Play
Though dyes are TERRIFYING :D
/hmm, something interesting to reply to!
Quote from: Garlyle on Jul 08, 2007, 01:49 PM
Admittedly, you making this topic managed to at least catch someone's eye.
Well I did not really expect to get people from here, since most of the people who visit the RMS forums are already server owner themselves who don't really need to find another server to try. Even though this has been a rather interesting topic so far.
Quote
I'm... well, I'm not entirely sure how I stand on it. But I think I'll stop by and give it a try and see how it goes. The only problem...
"designed to make partying extremely desirable." as you put it on the site... is... well... not good on a server that "rarely has more than 10 people" like I think you said earlier o-o;
Actually I have fun even in parties of 3 or 2. It doesn't mean the party has to be 10+ in size to be fun (even though I was in such a party some days ago and that was pure awesomeness). I just know that an MMORPG should encourage player interaction, and that should not be limited to asking "where can I go solo up my levels?", in my past servers experience, people solo way too much and no one wants to party, so I tried to make partying very gratifying.
Quote
especially since I'm the kind of person who prefers to play alone on an MMORPG [Isn't that a contradiction in terms?]. Still though... I think I'll give it a try. I've been recently looking for a server with about x10 rates and nice and high item drop rates (No more getting punked for being a Gunslinger - hopefully).
Hah, each one to his own. If you don't care about partying, you just won't care much for the list of changes dealing with that specifically.
Quote
EDIT: Or so I thought I'd try. The truth is that, like you sort of know, a lot of your changes are ones that make people kind of iffy - and as a general rule, if it's something that you're really "iffy" about, you're going to not want to have to go through a whole lot of hassle to get it going (This is basic psychology, and hell, common sense). I don't terribly want to spend forever grabbing and getting more files than I need, especially if most of them are going to be unimportant in the long run...
I don't know what you are talking about with "Iffy". In the installation 'guide' it goes very clearly to explain what each file to download is and what it is for. You can try the server without downloading anything and just adding the sclientinfo entry if you know enough about RO (and the guide doesn't make any attempt at dumbing things down, it has a link to a sclientinfo file with only the server data if you wish), but it does warns you that it is encouraged to use the adata.grf at least to see the dyes of other people.
Quote
It sounds sort of stupid and a bit like "Oh comeon you wimp," but let's face it. If the instructions are as simple as
1. Download Client
2. Play
it's gonna scare less people away o-o
I do have a tendency of being a bit more verbose than needed. But if people are too afraid to read some simple instructions to try and play, I don't know if they would like the server anyway (there are a bunch of in-game mechanic changes, so you have to be open to having the mechanics you've always known been a bit tweaked around, you have to open to change and to try it out). Plus, your 2 step list won't work if you don't have RO installed already. I guess the guide is a lot more verbose than people want, but it is so so that there are no doubts! I've helped people install RO before many times, and so many times had they just copied the hexed in the desktop instead of making a link to it, that's why step 4 says:
Quote4. Make a link to the newly extracted file to your desktop, and use this file to play. If you get an error like "binkw32.dll not found", then you didn't make a link, but copied the actual file to your desktop!
A short guide would read something like this:
1. Get adata.grf/bdata.grf (they are links to the files)
2. Get a client (client is link to the generic client in Arial font)
3. Play (register using _m/_f)
But this is okay only for veteran, knowledgeable RO players, instead the guide reads more or less like this:
1. Get adata.grf (provides link, explains what this file has and why you need it, explains where to place this file)
2. Same as #1, but for bdata.grf (also explains why there are not just 1 grf instead of two)
3. Get a client (provides link, gives a quick summary on how to correctly unrar and place the file)
4. Make a link to your desktop for the client (since I explained before, many people in my experience did this wrong when I was explaining them)
5. Explains _M/_F registration and setting up your first char.
If you read all that, you'd see the guide is basicly the same. It is "long" because it explains things so you are not just in the dark. Perhaps your complain is about "why there isn't just an installer that does everything for you?" Well that's me being lazy, since the client and bdata are updated frequently, I'd have to update the installer frequently too. And you can mess up an installer too by making it point to the wrong directory (or God forbid, if you made it replace some of your files from other servers). I chose a manual path because I am a bit lazy, and because this way I am not asking people to trust and run an executable that could do anything to their machines (you can use any hexed client you wish), as well as letting players know what they are doing to install.
Now that I think about it, you are right that if the installer were a simple exe with the usual "NEXT NEXT NEXT DONE" windows, it would be a lot easier to install and get going (only if it properly detects the RO directory). Even though it is the first time someone has brough that topic up... I had yet to see anyone complain about it :o
I should take note to make a installer later with everything in it. Even though I don't see why the installer stopped you, you don't strike me like the kind of RO player that would not have a clue on what that guide is saying.
Oh no, I understand what it's saying, trust me.
But the RO server I've been playing on for the past couple month literally was two steps.
1. Download Client and install it
2. Play
There was no need to download kRO, no need for custom files, no "now replace the kRO executable file with this file", just download and install one single thing and go. To be honest, I'm actually quite surprised as I look around to find out that this -isn't- the norm... o-o
Like I said, basically, if people are only "iffy" about your client because it doesn't have any flashy features or anything eye-catchingly amazing or intriguing, they're gonna look for whatever excuse they can not to go after it. And if you're going to have to download several different files (Especially since most servers require about 2 gigs of installer files between kRO and SAK), it ends up with "Am I really gonna spend that much time downloading all this for something I don't even think I'll be into?"
I suppose what you really have is a server for vets, for people who already know the game mechanics in and out, sideways and back, and who are willing to, just for a change, play on a complete overhaul of the system. But... I don't think a lot of RO players out there really are like this, who have been playing so long they've already been through all the "Custom Content" people can come up with. If you could find the right crowd to advertise to you could probably get a significant population boost, but let's face it - if you're still relatively new to RO you're going to be looking for a server that's something "unique" - as in, special quests, or with lots of events, or one with super-high rates, and so forth. One that's just basically "Oh hi we totally overhauled the system mechanics which will provide a new experience to vets but outside of that isn't a large or eventful server" isn't gonna appeal to that demographic.
Sorry to simplify MouRO like that... do you think I've got a point though? I think in a year or so, a server like MouRO would be more interesting to me, once I've gotten sick of standard difficulty and flashy but ultimately pointless "custom hat quests" - but that's assuming I still play RO in a year and there isn't some other server that really grabs my attention...
Regardless, best of luck with it o-o
I may be completely off topic with how the discussion has been going, but I'll do my best in answering the first question.
When you think of starting a server, naturally you need a starting set of people. Meaning, you need to know people and can count on them to play/GM your server. This could be a set of friends, etc.
Of course, each of your friends would have other friends as well that they could potentially invite. However, to draw them in, you'd need more than friends, and here is where the unique-ness of a server comes in.
Possibly the two extremes of gauging a server is between Original and Custom, for the lack of a better term. By balance, you are as close to the official server experience as you can be and by Custom, you are quite far from it. This doesn't mean that low rates are automatically original, nor high rates automatically custom. Far from it. High rates can STILL be close to the official server experience, meaning its damn hard to get levels, be strong, but ultimately rewarding. Same goes for custom.
Original already has a set standard to adhere to, being the official servers, but custom is where most private servers roam. They offer something different, something not seen in RO servers. It can range from simple custom items and their availability, to totally customized RO experiences, such as for example, an RP server. However, the more custom you are, chances are the farther you are from the original RO experience.
SO, determining your place in this from the start, on what would you offer your players between original and custom, is key to getting an initial working population. Once you convince players to stay, they'd naturally invite more of their friends to join and thus, start a chain reaction. ALSO, good reviews/advertising would help tremendously in this regard.
My two cents.
Quote from: Garlyle on Jul 09, 2007, 01:25 AM
There was no need to download kRO, no need for custom files, no "now replace the kRO executable file with this file", just download and install one single thing and go. To be honest, I'm actually quite surprised as I look around to find out that this -isn't- the norm... o-o
Like I said, basically, if people are only "iffy" about your client because it doesn't have any flashy features or anything eye-catchingly amazing or intriguing, they're gonna look for whatever excuse they can not to go after it. And if you're going to have to download several different files (Especially since most servers require about 2 gigs of installer files between kRO and SAK), it ends up with "Am I really gonna spend that much time downloading all this for something I don't even think I'll be into?"
Well there is a good reason that isn't the norm, when before you said you don't like servers which give you unimportant files is exactly what your server probably did. Heck the main problem most people have when they join a new server is that their previous one pissed in the proverbial pool and added a bunch of silly custom things which are incompatable with other servers. If you are downloading their own custom kroclient then you are getting filled with junk but you just don't see it becaue it is all installed in one executable. On most servers (MouRO included) you hardly have to download anything extra on top of kro. Heck the biggest file here and on most is something like your dye pack at 10 megs.
Which does take us back on topic in terms of casual servers and people playing multiple ones. Since a lot of servers don't "place nice" with others and because of that you do need to uninstall your custom installation and reinstall kro. Instead of everyone just using kro as their base and only needing to change a couple of megs worth of things to get on a new server. Which I guess leads to a stagnation in server populations without a lot of cross pollination and people trying other less popular servers out for something. (and who knows if the people running these servers actually thought of that when they made those big exe files :-[)
QuoteI suppose what you really have is a server for vets, for people who already know the game mechanics in and out, sideways and back, and who are willing to, just for a change, play on a complete overhaul of the system. But... I don't think a lot of RO players out there really are like this, who have been playing so long they've already been through all the "Custom Content" people can come up with. If you could find the right crowd to advertise to you could probably get a significant population boost, but let's face it - if you're still relatively new to RO you're going to be looking for a server that's something "unique" - as in, special quests, or with lots of events, or one with super-high rates, and so forth. One that's just basically "Oh hi we totally overhauled the system mechanics which will provide a new experience to vets but outside of that isn't a large or eventful server" isn't gonna appeal to that demographic.
Sorry to simplify MouRO like that... do you think I've got a point though? I think in a year or so, a server like MouRO would be more interesting to me, once I've gotten sick of standard difficulty and flashy but ultimately pointless "custom hat quests" - but that's assuming I still play RO in a year and there isn't some other server that really grabs my attention...
Well I hate to turn this into the MouRo topic anymore than it is but since you asked us I may as well through in my two cents. You are right it can appeal to hardcore players but oddly enough it equally does for new/casual players. As you said the "overhaul" of stats and stuff certainly caters to vet types who want some changed gameplay mechanics, but then I think it is somewhat debatable, I don't think trying to balance the game should be considered particularly a hardcore or vet type thing. Anyway to a certain extent that is a double edged sword for people who have played already, cause you do have to relearn what build is good for your favorite class.
But I would say that most things about the server do go towards the casual or new player since it takes away the grind, the item hunting, worrying about your skill build, the armor breaking and all the annoying yet "hardcore" things about RO that make you want to tear your hair out.
But in general I do think that people do play an MMO cause they want to actually play an MMO not so they can get a new hat by donating 20 bucks. And to me I think that is those servers where you get to level 99 by killing one poring and the server is more about pvp, woe and whatever random stuff the gms throw at you is much more of the vet type of thing instead of partying up and doing pvm, which is the core of all MMOs including RO. Though really I can't think of a feature much more flashy than a poring dragging along a cart and owning your butt with cart revolution because of random skills and then fighting the level 200 version when you set the diff real high. ;)
Haha... Bulbasteve pretty much handled most of the issues. But I guess I'll add a few details:
- The way I designed the required files was done so that you could install MouRO along other servers.
- The adata contains static stuff that every server should have (interface translation, dyes), it does not include item/skill translations because those change often, so I stuffed them in the bdata, which is the smaller file that also contains the custom updates.
- I know this is a bit flawed, ideally I would use a patcher to update a single grf, but at least this way the adata very rarely changes, making it easy to keep updated, and the bdata, the server-specific file is very small in size and easy to update. This method also keeps your kRO installation clean, you just need to remove 2 files (or one? I wish the commonplace adata concept would take off) if you want to get rid of the server.
And your two step guide seems fine if the player will only ever play RO in that server (and has never played RO before), but I bet you can imagine the pain a potential player will go through if he learns each server he wants to join asks him to install their 1-click installer that weights over 1GB in size.
Quote from: Garlyle on Jul 09, 2007, 01:25 AM
Like I said, basically, if people are only "iffy" about your client because it doesn't have any flashy features or anything eye-catchingly amazing or intriguing, they're gonna look for whatever excuse they can not to go after it.
Well the client is very vanilla, exactly because I want players to have the freedom to use the client of their choice. And nowadays thanks to the tools available, hexing a client yourself is not hard either.
QuoteAnd if you're going to have to download several different files (Especially since most servers require about 2 gigs of installer files between kRO and SAK), it ends up with "Am I really gonna spend that much time downloading all this for something I don't even think I'll be into?"
This is what should NOT be the norm. I'd never try a server that asks me to download 2GIGS! This is also the reason why I don't even ask players to get Sakray, you can do just fine with kRO alone (to reduce the download size to 1GB, kRO is no more than one month behind Sakray anyway, and eA is much much more behind the updates than 'one month').
Quote
Sorry to simplify MouRO like that... do you think I've got a point though?
Well no and yes. I did not modify many of the game-play mechanics because I was "bored" of them as much as because I had a better idea on how I would have liked them to be. Is like, I took RO and started modifying things based on personal taste of what "I'd like in an MMORPG". So as time progresses MouRO just became a manifestation of my concept of how RO should had been for me to enjoy it the most. Now, that does sound a little selfish, but that's how these things begin (it keeps one motivated). I had friends play here as their FIRST RO server, and they did not have problems learning the game. It was actually rather 'easy' since they didn't have to unlearn anything. But Bulbasteve already touched on that point.
Quote
Regardless, best of luck with it o-o
Thanks for thoughts and info. I had no idea the "norm" you expected was for each server to require you to do a massive GB download O_O;
@Flip:
No, you are ontopic. That is what the topic was about anyway! I did have my friends at first. The four of us played RO at the beginning (hopping from server to server as they died until I got fed of that and started my own), they did invite friends along, and some of my family joined and so on. But there was a problem here... most of these people are well beyond their 20's, and as such they are adults with lives waiting to be lived, and they all had to depart at one point or another due to life complexities. >: This is where it would help if I had younger friends, perhaps. Nothing like being a teenager and having THREE MONTHS a year of free time. Man.. as an adult even ONE month seems like such an awesomely long time...
Skotlex: They would just have to stay long enough to get a draw from players reading about the server in RMS and seeing a potential population.
Though, you'd have to work harder to fast forward things though o.o
Talking about these nasty installs has me thinking, why not kill two birds with one stone here? Maybe one of you entrepreneurial folks could start a website or web ring or whatever to list "clean" RO servers. Which would be a nice way to encourage people to not fear being casual and switching and trying out new servers without having to worry about a giant reinstall of the whole game, and gets some eyes on some lesser known servers.
QuoteRe: How do you get an initial population anyway?
1. The easy part is when you were a former GM of a loyal guild... those loyals would certainly be your initial population.
2. Campaign. Treat your players like equals. Let them feel that they are part of the server. They'll back you up and find new players for you.
3. You have to have the right server. It doesn't mater if your a homebrew, shared host or purely dedicated... you hve to know you're server's limits. If you're in a decently connected homebrew server, then you'll be happy to have 20-30 regular player. You can't be asking for more players only to choke your server and then choke your players. If you're a shared hosting server, just keep in mind that differnet servers are all sharing resources (cpu/memory/harddisk/bandwidth) of one server box . So depending on the load of the server box, it's no guarantee that your server will perform like it performed yesterday or the other day and before that.
If your on a dedicated host, then your in luck, you would have the advantage of the two mentioned above. But then again not all dedicated host are created equal. You should know which host to go to, what server configuration you need, what type of networks are they on (tip SAVVIS network is the bomb), where are their networks located etc etc. Knowing the location of the host's server critical. As an example, my server is based in the US but it has 2 networks in Asia and 5 networks in Europe. The effects should be self explainable :D
4. You have dealt with number 3, manage the server and your players well. Give them a good reason to keep coming back to your server.
huh o_O?!
i started with 0 players i got 40 counting both servers in 11days hope il get more :)
Quote from: Transcend on Jul 10, 2007, 07:50 PM
huh o_O?!
i started with 0 players i got 40 counting both servers in 11days hope il get more :)
You kinda forgot the point of the thread and tell us what you did.
Hopefully the answer is not "I just set it up and went to sleep. It was full by the time I woke up!"
got about 200 players in one day, I was overwhelmed by the ammount of players that came to paradise x__x
I was like ...
...(OH NOO DROWINING IN PLAYERS.....zz...glub)
Ok all spam aside XD we had about 200 players from many servers that shut down (we were lucky to put up paradise at just the right time)
and over time we grew to about 400 (600 during WoE)
Quote from: Skotlex on Jul 10, 2007, 08:52 PM
Quote from: Transcend on Jul 10, 2007, 07:50 PM
huh o_O?!
i started with 0 players i got 40 counting both servers in 11days hope il get more :)
You kinda forgot the point of the thread and tell us what you did.
Hopefully the answer is not "I just set it up and went to sleep. It was full by the time I woke up!"
huh no i have event quests :O !
check the news page on my website,wouldn t be too hard for you to make
a quest that will take the player more then 1 week if they are full time on IT
with some enigma's,a nice logic story
I noticed that MouRO is modified from its original RO gameplay. People who've played for a long time arent going to succumb to any changes. They're just too used to original gameplay.
A trend that I seem to notice is to open a complimentary High Rate server (LOL?) along with any other non-original server. The High Rates seem to draw people in to the High Rates so it kinda gives life to the other non-popular servers.
Unless someone is taking donations I can't imagine why in the world they would make two different servers....that's just...crazy.
i wouldnt want to run a high rate because i hate them :D
Quote from: Riotblade on Aug 04, 2007, 12:46 PM
I noticed that MouRO is modified from its original RO gameplay. People who've played for a long time arent going to succumb to any changes. They're just too used to original gameplay.
A trend that I seem to notice is to open a complimentary High Rate server (LOL?) along with any other non-original server. The High Rates seem to draw people in to the High Rates so it kinda gives life to the other non-popular servers.
Or, seeing it from a different point of view: old players may be tired of RO always being the same and want to try something else. Who's to say that isn't as likely as they not wanting things to change? If they are used to botting and power-leveling and know how to do their stuff, then Iguess they don't want the experience to change, but if they are human beings they probably want to taste a change of environment. Or that's how I see it... it is true that people tend to resist change... but would that not be unless they were bored of the way it has always been?
the problem is alot of people dont trust the changes to be balanced. most custom items i see i just 'better' than the rest of the ingame items so they replace all the equipment tactics with clone builds.
Fair enough.... that reminds me how I got someone who always states that I love nerfing things whenever I decide to tone down a given item because I feel it is becoming too popular.
Fancy thing is the custom items in my server are not stuff you can wear (except for the Sacrifice ring which gives you redemptio here), they are all things meant to make playing more enjoyable. Already existing equipment only gets modified so it is not so much better than everything else. But then again, is not like people can know that on first sight... there's not enough space in the server description field to fit ALL of that :P
agreed with dookleeto players dont have a lot of imagination to make unique builds they always go for the clone guild which is a shame.
And skotlex yeh man people think you nef or change something to balance because you feel like it "(wake up) okay let's see what we nerf now yihaw!* xD
I don't think that's what Dookleeto said O_o
Actually, what he said matches what one of my friends believes... that in every game, there's always one or a few pieces of equipment that end up being the best, so everyone ends up wearing them.
I really refuse to accept that... it is true that because these are RPGs, there are "low level equips" and "high level equips", but there should NOT be any single 'ultimate' item to strive for... where's the variety then, when everyone strives for the same final equipment set? That is a good reason why I tend to nerf some item when it seems everyone wants to use it :< And it is painful to do that, too, it is not nice when you have to be seen as "the devil who just doesn't want people to be strong".
Thankfully there are not that many items that needed such a change (mostly the SQI items and several MVP cards).
too many servers than players... hehehe...
or maybe donation items, gives bad advertising...
Forgive me if i post something someone has already mentioned. I didnt bother to read through the topic.
As a player and an avid server surfer i can tell you what appeals to me when i try a server out. I think i've got a pretty good perspective since im the player and most of you guys are the server admins.
Here they are in order of importance:
1. Getting yourself known. Alot of people visit RMS and other ragnarok info sites. Be sure to post very frequently on the boards of these website and make yourself into a known figure. One who is respected and does not act like a dumb s*** also create a very, very nice signature that advertises your server. (Your current is not bad, but it could be better...much better). This can be helped by getting your GM's and current players to do the same thing, though there is risk in this because they might do something that will not reflect good things about your server.
2. Very sweet website. Websites are the first thing people see when they even consider your server. This is pretty obvious, but still i cannot stress its importance enough. I remember visiting a few server site (that shall remain unnamed) that had the perfect rates and everything for me, yet i decided not to download merely because the site was freakin' ugly. Now you could make the argument that i put too much emphasis on aesthetics, but this matters...trust me.
Include
a. Screenshots
b. Server info (be VERY specific, rates, max aspd, required dex for insta-cast, mvp modifications)
c. A nice little disclaimer something that reflects you and your server
d. Post your credentials, dont be afraid to flaunt your stuff.
e. If you have something that seperates you from other servers, exaggerate it, (put it in flaming font o.o)
f. how many people are online
g. online status of server(s)
3. Good and active forums
4. Customs (if you've got'em) and a link that shows exactly which. Post pictures and stats along with a description. Be sure to mention if they are questable.
5. same with donation shop
Warning-DO NOT
1. Have voting pop-ups or entire pages screaming at you to vote (put the little buttons on the front page, that is enough)
2. Put god items up for donate (this seriously pisses me and others off)
3. Have unbalanced donates (think it through)
4. Have drama, (if someone is being annoying warn them, then ip ban them and post the reason on the forums) Dont deal with garbage, regardless of how much you want players. Follow (and create?) a protocol
5. Have s*** GM's. DO NOT create an application process. Choose one from amongst players you know personally and know are trustworthy.
A good example site is EssenceRO and LegacyRO...simple clean sites that show off everything but arent blazingly annoying. BTW, when i click your site...it doesnt load. Hope this helps.
EDIT: This modification thing you've pulled off on your server draws people away, i think. No one wants to relearn game mechanics (or at least not me)
i agree with number 1 a thousand percent ^^
i also agree with numbers 2 and 3
the others i don't really agree, or disagree with
lol and i 100% agree with all your do not's
either way awesome post lore ^^ its very helpful =3
So if I must choose between spending my time working on the server, playing on the server, or messing around in the world of RO emulators, only the third one will work? That's sad in a way.
I would hope other players can help do the advertising, I have enough working on the server and my life, while trying to fit in some time to play :< Gah, I don't even have time to help eA as it is, and eA is in quite a sad state from what I have seen.
I'm sure your players can help. Just give them a little nudge. Running a server is a team effort after all right? One needs an admin and players
Nice feedback, thanks Lore, I'm sure it's helpful to many people.
@Skotlex.. delegate some stuff ^^ or make a contest for your players to make you a nice website and banners? I'm sure you can find one to help, mouRO is loved by its players ^_^
Quote from: Pandora on Jun 26, 2008, 09:17 AM
@Skotlex.. delegate some stuff ^^ or make a contest for your players to make you a nice website and banners? I'm sure you can find one to help, mouRO is loved by its players ^_^
Lolwatt (http://www.mou-ro.net), it isn't the best, but I think still nice :3
Didn't know mouro had a website now, it didnt before :P
Yeah it's nice ^_^
Skot know of a website maker/artist. She's a player.. or at least used to be. From france so.. lol, meet up with her or w/e
http://candydolls.free.fr/galerie2.htm
Not the standard cutesy anime pics we grow tired of. Site looks nice no?
Personally don't care about how sites look.. I read through the general changes and was amazed. No amount of hawtness can beat that. Plus I like how I'm not "forced" to vote. Of course RO is full of anime fanboys 'n girls who just got to have some eyecandy. Ahwell.. can't hurt I guess.
And Mou population is low.. cause it's unfamiliar. So many times I have to explain the same things over and over again. It's all written on forums.. and now on the site as well. It's just that.. average Ro players are stupid.. dumb, ignorant... don't want to read which isn't so bad since its a game and all... you created a server that requires allot more thought you would expect from someone Casual.
Some things...
1. Newby guide.. where to go, how to use @diff. And a TOWN MAP, people ask me way too often where to find this or that. Could be an Npc... just remove the one ou made in valk room to near the exit. When people walk there they would get something like a Forced explain of how to play.
New MouRo site! Interested? take a friend allong and have some fun.... all info is listed there.
http://www.mou-ro.net/
It's just too awesome... GOGOGOOO!
MouRO lacks animu, fanservice, and huge eyed girls with the default :DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD Smile.
I admit MouRO kind of make me have a headache sometimes, Even If I read a lot, I can't really get it, I prefer reading on forums.
Sure, the NPCs are very good at introducing, but you need to waste a lot of time to read all changes, and I don't think people like reading.
(Hmmm! How can the server be dead... 19 players...)
Quote from: Pandora on Jun 26, 2008, 09:17 AM
Nice feedback, thanks Lore, I'm sure it's helpful to many people.
@Skotlex.. delegate some stuff ^^ or make a contest for your players to make you a nice website and banners? I'm sure you can find one to help, mouRO is loved by its players ^_^
Well that gets to the whole "no gm" thing. As dedicated to and loved as a server might be it sadly seems a lot of people need to have the "hey I could become a gm!" carrot in front of them to work on something. You can't really delegate when there is no actual staff to delegate to, right?
Quote from: bulbasteve on Jun 26, 2008, 07:15 PM
Quote from: Pandora on Jun 26, 2008, 09:17 AM
Nice feedback, thanks Lore, I'm sure it's helpful to many people.
@Skotlex.. delegate some stuff ^^ or make a contest for your players to make you a nice website and banners? I'm sure you can find one to help, mouRO is loved by its players ^_^
Well that gets to the whole "no gm" thing. As dedicated to and loved as a server might be it sadly seems a lot of people need to have the "hey I could become a gm!" carrot in front of them to work on something. You can't really delegate when there is no actual staff to delegate to, right?
Well. i think you're doing a pretty good job...
Hmmm it depends. I have a "test&development" section on my server and players apply if they wanna help. It's true however that when we consider hiring a new gm we look at who helps in that section so the whole "gm carrot" is still there in a way, still there are players who help regardless, so it's not impossible to get help from non-gms ^_^
Dew... yeah..but that person.. charges so much for website design :< Even if I am a student, I am not going to pay the discounted fee, it's just so expensive x_x; (quite a few hundred Euro).
The forums were originally made by Lord Galcian who offered to maintain them. The new forums were originally made by Scerez who offered to maintain them. And now the new website is managed by Blazer who offered to maintain it.
See a pattern here? :P There's a page with the different banners, and I made two of them, the rest were made by others and I just added them to the list.
My only concern is that sometimes I am expected to do all the advertising, when my time is already quite coped by doing the developing when I can :x
Quote from: Skotlex on Jun 27, 2008, 12:32 PM
Dew... yeah..but that person.. charges so much for website design :< Even if I am a student, I am not going to pay the discounted fee, it's just so expensive x_x; (quite a few hundred Euro).
The forums were originally made by Lord Galcian who offered to maintain them. The new forums were originally made by Scerez who offered to maintain them. And now the new website is managed by Blazer who offered to maintain it.
See a pattern here? :P There's a page with the different banners, and I made two of them, the rest were made by others and I just added them to the list.
My only concern is that sometimes I am expected to do all the advertising, when my time is already quite coped by doing the developing when I can :x
Recrute des gens capables ...
I think your players are advertising already, I mean bulba is here often talking about mouro, and I see others too. For a 15 players average server it's pretty well known in this community ;)
Why are you posting in french Rahael?
Well hmm that gets back to the original point of the post, how the heck do we get topics popping up here with people talking about how such and such a server is opening in a few weeks and everyone wants to join. There are no topics aside from that discussion here so people had to find out about it somehow....so how is it! Other forums? (which ones!) friends? Spam email?
Quote from: bulbasteve on Jun 27, 2008, 06:26 PM
Well hmm that gets back to the original point of the post, how the heck do we get topics popping up here with people talking about how such and such a server is opening in a few weeks and everyone wants to join. There are no topics aside from that discussion here so people had to find out about it somehow....so how is it! Other forums? (which ones!) friends? Spam email?
Add in 'kawaii' items and rumours? Kids seem to enjoy those things these days.
You should advertise before the opening and give links to your forums and mIRC so ppl can chat with you and wait for and get excited about the server openning and if you are lucky you could start up with like 30~50 online.
I've been battling this for a bit as well. I started with an initial population of around 10-15. It then spiked up to around 30 one time during WoE.
A month later, I was sitting at maybe 1-5 people playing. One of the big guilds basically left to go play DotA as a team and others just kind of stopped logging on (probably due to competition).
At this point it started to become sort of a snowball effect. No one logged on because no one logged on. No one signed up because no one was logged on. It just got worse. Eventually a guild left their server because of a wipe and came to mine and it's now at maybe 15+ people during those times. The people that leave never really give any indication why they leave, other than people not joining. I've had several people login that say "Wow this server seems awesome, but not enough ppl." Then they logout and never return. So population does make a big difference. No one ever has really given me a reason why they leave or don't stay other than population.
If anyone has time and wants to give me their own personal review (criticisms), let me know (messages).
A lot of luck.
To get a high initial population generally requires the right people deciding to join, and bringing entire guild-loads of players with them.
Of course, this isn't entirely down to luck as you need to give them a reason to make the switch anyway.
Its especially difficult for low rate servers, as low-rate players and guilds who have tons of high level characters with good gear will be very loathe to simply start over on a new server.
Advertising before hand, make it unique as possible, Active GM's and events i guess.
^ he would know, since he's doing a top-notch job with valiantro.
I can believe this topic is still going, haven't we covered everything yet?
Lore's Final Most Important Piece of Advice: post on RMS forums. It's unbelievable how many people use this site as their RO resource. Post here, become respected, loved, dont be a pain in the donkey, be impartial, dodge potential flames. Then, advertise your server with a sig. Suddenly all your awesome, insightful posts now have your server floating underneath them. And of course people are gonna think "If this dude knows so much RO awesomeness, his server must be omgwtf awesome" and thennnn theyll join.
Unless you're like skotlex and you totally change the game mechanics. Sorry skotty.
Hello Skotlex,
First things first - thank you so much for all your work on eAthena.
Just a little background on my experience that relates to this question. I started a server at the end of last year with an initial population of about.. 4 people. Since then, we have hit a max player count of 129 players, roughly 30-40 of which are @autotrade-rs. The population have decreased right before the summer for reasons I do not understand.
Now, I believe the following are important to growing, and keeping, a population
1- The website is the first thing any new player will see. It has to be attractive. As shallow as it sounds, many players will not join if the server website does not look good. First impressions mean everything.
2. The website information has to be non-technical and easy to understand for the average player. Most RO players tend to be young/er, and non-technical. The website has to be able to communicate with them in this manner. Yes, you can have more technical information in sections of the website, but not on the main page.
3. Offer a simple installer. Yes, a simple, single installer really helps with getting players. Many players are not technical and if they cannot get the game running the first time, they'll give up. It is okay to offer a more 'traditional' smaller installer as well.
4. Treat each player as something precious. Back when I started, I took the time to talk to and know each player on a personal level. This encourages them to continue playing, spread the good word, and also makes them respect the server so that they do not break the rules.
5. Stop drama. Players hate drama.
6. Keep track of players coming and going. On my server, the average 'life' of a player is a little under 3 months. If my player drop is more than new players coming in, that means I haven't spent enough time with my players. Then I act accordingly. It is important to keep track of metrics.
7. Advertise anywhere and everywhere. Ratemyserver is a good start. Try all the RO ranking site, all the review sites, all the free online game sites. Unfortunately, advertising is an ongoing process of always voting yourself, always making new banners, coming up with new copy and text, etc. A banner that attracts one person may not attract another, so switch them every now and then.
That's all that I have in mind currently. You may have noticed that I forgot the most important factor - and that is to make the most stable, lag-free, bug-free server you can. That really shows you care about the players, and in turn they will remain a player for a longer period of time. (I'm sure Skotlex have the most kick-donkey server!)
Feel free to comment or critique on my opinion.
--rainkid
Quote from: rainkid on Jul 14, 2008, 01:19 AM
5. Stop drama. Players hate drama.
Players
love drama - as long as it doesn't concern them.
I think a well organized website/forum would attract more players. Also not everybody likes big bulky customs and crazy stats. Balanced job classes and items will also help. Most RO players do not like donations, but you could keep the option open if you cannot pay for the server and its costs yourself. :-\
There are different kinds of RO players, if they are like me I like a server with lots of quests and other stuff to keep me busy, some well scripted quest you know nothing ordinary. Also WoE is a big factor for me, I like woe better than pvp itself because there is actually a reason to fight one another. One thing I've noticed on some servers is that they nerf too many things in RO, I am some other people I know hate this. Also the server should have an economy, People should be able to sell and buy stuff from other players and stuff.
To sum it up:
-Well organized server/website/forum
-Don't put too many customs with crazy stats
-Balanced items
-No donations
-Many quests (keep the players busy so they don't stay sitting in town then leave out of boredom)
-Make WoE lively
-Do not nerf to many cards, items, after skill delays and etc
-Create a good economy
-Bring your friends (friends over internet and in real life)
Has anyone considered fusing multiple servers together?
Like one MR server with a LR and HR server, all into one name :3
i think a few servers have tried that, i dont think that they were super successful, but still, it sorta worked as far as i know
I honestly think creating a server with all of the choices (LR, MR, HR/SHR) is one of the best ways to do it -- in other words, a Network community. Mainly because, it's the same basic community with different experiences, different rates, more than one possibility/choice. I think having a Network would encourage players more often than naught.
Quote from: Auroraâ,,¢ on Jul 15, 2008, 04:13 PM
I honestly think creating a server with all of the choices (LR, MR, HR/SHR) is one of the best ways to do it -- in other words, a Network community. Mainly because, it's the same basic community with different experiences, different rates, more than one possibility/choice. I think having a Network would encourage players more often than naught.
Thats true.....you open yourselfs to all RO players not just say LR or HR players. It makes advertising easier because you have a large range of things a player looks for.
(ex. a large range of rates, different max lvls, a range of max stats)
Quote from: Torte de Lini on Jul 15, 2008, 12:43 PM
Has anyone considered fusing multiple servers together?
Like one MR server with a LR and HR server, all into one name :3
What. How.
If you want to just make three different servers, how is that going to help you? People who play on one will not play on the other.
I basically just stated how having 3 servers will help you >_>.
-You open yourself to more RO players (ex. HR players, MR players, not just LR players). Making it more likely to get an intial population, which then gets you more votes and RMS reviews, and then you have a stable and steadily growing population.
lol, but you still have THREE DIFFERENT servers. You open yourself to more RO players, but these players go to their respective servers only(HR players to HR, MR to MR, etc.). All that will achieve is that you will have three failing servers instead of one.
Your server gets votes and reviews from all 3 of your servers not just one, so obviously you'll get more votes and reviews than if you just have 1 server, which leads to more people joining and voting and writting reviews, which leads to a stable and steadily growing population. This is the 3rd time i've repeated myself >_>
Sure you may have 3 small servers with say 50 ppl on each of them at first......but if you see it the way i do, you get the same amount of votes and reviews as 1 server with 150 ppl on. Its not that hard to get 3 server with 50 players but it is hard to get 1 server with 150+ players.
I wouldn't call them failing unless they are dead and empty.
Ah, that is a valid point.
Assuming, of course, that votes and reviews matter anything.
lol both of u have points....
some, probably most ppl, don't even read reviews or care about which server is in first place, they just join server X cause their friends there, or they know a GM there, or something lame like that lol
and ya more servers = more ppl (in total) x3 which in turn equals more votes..... if they vote XD
Well i assumed that seeing how the largest servers are higher up on RMS and RO Voting Sites.
lol depends if the players decided to event vote or not XD
cause trust me some of them can be really lazy lol
Yea.....i really don't understand that. There are servers with 1000+ players that love it there and yet only say 150 take the time to write a review on RMS. People spend hours and hours grinding yet they can't take 5 minutes to right a review and vote everyday.
xD I guess I'm one of those said lazy people. If I like some place well enough, I often vote for it on a pure whim, but next to never on a daily bases. xD Once every three days, once a week... whenever the whim hits me. xD
Though, I found a lot of these 1000+ player servers rarely have everyone liking the server. xD A lot of them stick around because the population is sexy, but they'll complain because of all the "hidden" drama, and what ever else there is.
Quote from: Ansuz Isaz on Jul 16, 2008, 09:35 PM
Though, I found a lot of these 1000+ player servers rarely have everyone liking the server. xD A lot of them stick around because the population is sexy, but they'll complain because of all the "hidden" drama, and what ever else there is.
Yea that is true, many people dislike LegacyRO but they stay there for that very reason. I remember after the Wipe the took themselves off RMS after being spammed with dozens of hate reviews. The population there makes WoE and PvP the best though.
ummm i don't think they really did take themselves off... but thats just me ^^;
their RMS ad had a link to destina RO on it XD
the rates on the ad were also changed to like 1k/1k/1k
and the description was changed to like "we fail" or something lmao
so ya.... i dun think they did that on purpose XD
anyway heres the downside to a 1k, or any other super large population
- massive amounts of spam
- tons of flamers
- more rumors and more dissapointment if you do something wrong
- tons of support needed
- and that means, lots of GM's needed
- tonsssss of time needed
but on the plus side
- massive WoE
- ppl attract more ppl
- usually a health economy
- lots of ppl to talk to
- more ppl to vote for your server
- and possibly becoming famous or infamous if things go wrong
thats the downside... it doesn't look like a downside to me.... (>.>)
Quote from: JJJ on Jul 17, 2008, 01:41 AM[/quoe]
Sadly, that's the core of the entire problem - to push this more in topic from large population to how to get it. In order to attract people, you need three things:
1. Something completely unique. However, this sometimes can backfire, such as the results of MouRO's population. xD Things that are so unique that they're game altering doesn't attract as much attention as they should.
2. Rates and features people want. Why the hell do you think almost every server has a reseter? =P Very few people actually want no resetters. They're there, mind you, but not in large numbers, which means there are only a few non-reset servers.
3. Quote from: JJJ on Jul 17, 2008, 01:41 AM[/quoe]
Without a population, people don't stick around much. =P There are, again, a few people that like the smaller populations, but... well, actually, they're the happiest when they server hunt. xD They can find the most servers to work with.
whats your server rates name and type? might wanna join~ though i'll leave once it touches 120 people
Hey. Nice to see someone interested. The server is called MouRO. Its not your typical RO server though. Check my signature for more info.
Quote from: RhythmGate on Oct 13, 2008, 12:43 PM
whats your server rates name and type? might wanna join~ though i'll leave once it touches 120 people
Hmm, you meant to the original poster? Well, the server, as far as I know, reaches the 2X range on weekends, and is on the mid 1X on high-tide during weekdays. It has been up for over four years, so... I think it will take quite a bit longer before it reaches 120 people xD' (on the plus side that gives me time to earn some income so I can properly host it if it reaches those numbers).
Type is... well, heavily customized. It's pretty much what the banner says. Reading the full-changelog would give you a pretty broad idea of how customized that is (and the website has infinite number of pages regarding all the information, too @_@).
The 120 number reminds me of the first server I was at that actually grew large enough, and then burned and crashed thanks to the greedy decisions of the administrator. BakanetRO... it was finally past the 100 players mark when the admin made the best decision ever: to split the server in two, where the better server was where you could only get in if you donated. T_T Yeah, we all predicted the death of it soon afterwards... so sad, when it was going so well.
@Skotlex
In my experience in several Strict servers, they have the few, but most decent gamers in their community. Seriously, population doesn't matter for me (Try to play in the server i'm co-admin'ing with, XileRO, Even if we have 1k to 2k players, we don't like most of their attitude). Don't get affected by your players if few or many, just enjoy your server and customize it with your free will with joy, and the players will come. ^^
Also, just improve your website's graphics (MAKE IT LOOK LIKE RO FOR GOD'S SAKE) and have a good PR for your server, then everything will just go fine.
THE COMMUNITY OF MOURO LIKES IT JUST THE WAY IT IS.
Nah jk. Skotlex isn't the web owner though. A few players have suggested something for the website that is similar to yours and most of them is in progress. But, Mou is a casual server for really, I mean really busy players. You would sometime see a veteran player popping in once in a while. So a new player would say to another "Hey, was that Loki? Wow first time I saw him." :P