Server Life Span

Started by jackiechon, Jul 13, 2020, 05:50 AM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

jackiechon

I've seen alot of servers come and go some are revived, I have never had one so I wouldn't know what's happened really.
So my question is why does some server die after 5 to 7 months? Is it because they are just made for quick cash grab? or is it something about DDoS? Can DDoS permanently destroy the server?

heRO-GM

The most common offender for servers lasting less than a year is that they are cash grabs. But there's also people with a real desire to make a good server, be it for nostalgia, to reinvent RO, etc. But then they might find out that it's way harder to keep a server alive and active than just creating it or having tech knowledge. Their love for RO might wane, or expenses start to pile up, or each update to pre-re becomes is increasingly complex, or toxic drama becomes too big too handle. Then the server shuts down and a lot of people are left sad, disappointed, or angry.
heRO is a friendly, sociable, unique and fun server of 5/5/3 rates with a great community, give it a try!



Click here to find out more about heRO!

Bakorzero

Yeah some server made to make quick cash, I have been into several server like that. At the start it's really big hype, usually they also offer real life grand prize. But then they just implode after several months. Been trough many server with same concept and my suspicion might be true. Or in some case they got bad staff and the drama start happening. 
A flower of hope — a bond tying us together
Now grows within our hearts.
Forever unwilting, it gives us the power to go on living

Nekoruchii

Reasons why those servers die is because they aim to make quick cash out of player's hard worked money. After a certain while that they had earned much money, they will put some drama, players leave, server closes and reopens whenever they want under different server and staff name but they're the same people who's behind server X.

You can call them seasonal servers as they only last for months. This is common with a mid rate/high rate set up.

Good servers do exist but apparently, its not what they want, they just want to waste their efforts all over and over again.



Neffletics

Quote from: jackiechon on Jul 13, 2020, 05:50 AM
I've seen alot of servers come and go some are revived, I have never had one so I wouldn't know what's happened really.
So my question is why does some server die after 5 to 7 months? Is it because they are just made for quick cash grab? or is it something about DDoS? Can DDoS permanently destroy the server?

5 to 7 months is already long, haha. Most servers in SEA are dying in a few weeks. Also, a DDoS can't permanently destroy a server but it can take down the host for a few hours or days. If the owner is motivated in running the server, he can quickly move to another host with better network security.

Most of the time, the cause of server downtime is map-server crash and they just call it DDoS because it sounds uncontrollable. And when they can't find any solution from the rAthena or Herc forum, they just give up and lose 100% of their motivation.
solacero rip

jacobo_bobo

There are many reasons why servers fail, but most commonly is because their population dwindles after a couple month of the grand opening. Players are always looking for a "new" server so they can start with the rest of the players and feel like they have a chance to dominate.

For many, this glimpse of hope shines less bright every day as they see "no-lifers" reach lvl 99 trans while they are still lvl 60 2nd class. Others may reach maxed level/equips, but then there is no content to keep them engaged in the game. No active PvP, no new dungeons, no intense WoE and no battlegrounds.

So what are they supposed to do when they reach end game? Many get bored and leave.

When the population drops to more than half of what they opened with, it kills the hope of those who were thinking the server had a future.

Eventually donations dry up, population stops growing and the owner generally has no clue how to revive the server. Ultimately closing it down due to not enough donations to pay for the costs.

Many admins, as mentioned by others on this topic, have learned that they don't necessarily have to make a server last long in order for them (the admins) to be "successful". They know RO players are always looking for a new server, and they know how to make a new server appeal to them. So they do it..maybe hoping this time their server will last and thrive.. but most never learn from their mistakes so their servers just continue to die.

I would say most admins fail at running a server for greed. They get offers from rich players that are hard to turn down.. especially if the admin is from a 3rd world country and the donator offers 3-6 months salary for a few virtual items. Eventually word gets out and players lose trust in their admin and GM team. (if not the admin, then a GM with @item)

Other admins fail simply because they can't see far enough into the future to see how their custom features/changes will play out. They add features that may cause hype in the short term, but they sacrifice the long term of the server as a result. (Think gold room, over powered items, inflated economy etc)

Ultimately, as I said on other topics..you can't blame the admins much. Everyone has the right to open their own private server and really, do whatever they want with it. (hence the claim to be "private"? many players forget that)

It is up to the RO players to learn to stop joining those flash servers. To start trusting servers that have already proven to be ran professionally and fairly.

Eventually once those cash-hungry admins make their seasonal servers and notice they aren't getting the hype population, they will stop... because it's not worth the effort anymore.

So how would a new server ever compete with the established servers? Slow and steady wins the race. If you look at all the established servers, all of them started slow and steady and gradually increased the population. (TalonRO, NovaRO, OriginsRO, DreamerRO -- all took a while before reaching 1k online iirc)

Through hard work, smart choices, and good ethics, a server will eventually outshine the rest and will become an established server. Very rarely do  you see a server become overnight success and remain that way for more than a year.

Flex

I am curious to know this as well...

Playtester

#7
Quote from: jackiechon on Jul 13, 2020, 05:50 AM
I've seen alot of servers come and go some are revived, I have never had one so I wouldn't know what's happened really.
So my question is why does some server die after 5 to 7 months? Is it because they are just made for quick cash grab? or is it something about DDoS? Can DDoS permanently destroy the server?
Well for low rate servers it usually goes like this:
- Everybody interested in joining, majority of players join for competitive WoE
- First 1-2 months, players grind up and hunt for gear to be competitive in WoE, PVM players also enjoy playing a lot since there's a lot of low level players to party with
- 3rd month WoE reaches its peak, everybody is having a good time
- After 3rd month, it slowly gets obvious that there is one guild that dominates WoE and the other guilds just can't compete with it anymore, also most WoE players only play for WoE and grinding ingredients anymore, so it gets harder for PVM players to find a party, also new PVM players won't find anyone in their level range and get bored fast
- Slow decline of server until it's closed

jacobo_bobo

Quote from: Playtester on Aug 09, 2020, 03:27 AM
Well for low rate servers it usually goes like this:
- Everybody interested in joining, majority of players join for competitive WoE
- First 1-2 months, players grind up and hunt for gear to be competitive in WoE, PVM players also enjoy playing a lot since there's a low of low level players to party with
- 3rd month WoE reaches its peak, everybody is having a good time
- After 3rd month, it slowly gets obvious that there is one guild that dominates WoE and the other guilds just can't compete with it anymore, also most WoE players only play for WoE and grinding ingredients anymore, so it gets harder for PVM players to find a party, also new PVM players won't find anyone in their level range and get bored fast
- Slow decline of server until it's closed

^ This is spot on. I would suggest anyone thinking of opening a server to think about solutions for the scenario above.. otherwise, don't bother opening a server.

Sakaretsu

Really depends what you consider an "alive" vs "dead" server to be.

heRO for example is technically alive, and has been up for 15 years, but only has like 20 active players online on a good day.

Personally, I consider any server with over 100 unique daily logins to be alive.

Imperial Regalia

#10
Edit: Not relevant. Sentence char limit.